I also had a hard time finding info regarding the "bran" to use when making homemade bokashi bran. I dont want to use wheat bran because it is too pricey, in my mind, for a waste system, not to mention buying it in significant quantities would require a drive out of the city. I am hesitant to use paper, because I am skeptical about any paper product being all that safe, soy based ink or not. I read that you can use leaves, but I missed out on the fall leaves this year. I emailed the lady who I ordered my EM mother culture from, and she said that any material that has a high carbon content can be used.
I decided to make my first batch of bokashi bran with coco coir, which I have lying around for my worm bin. It will be ready in a couple of days. It is cheaper than wheat bran, and I can obtain it easily. It isnt really local, so maybe next year I will try the leaves, or chopped straw. As for the bucket itself I am using a couple of five gallon pails one inside the other, the inside one having a few holes at the bottom so that liquid can drain into the outer pail and be poured off when needed. If the liquid is excessive, I might invest in a spigot and attach it to the outer pail. I also invested in a easy open lid from Lee Valley that cost more than the rest of the set up, but I figure it is worth it since opening 5 gal pails isnt exactly easy.
If anyone sees any issues with my setup, please let me know!
