Expectations

[B. Self Reliant]

I just put a bid in on a house, so if all goes well, I should be able to get started soon. It's got a perfect little nook to put a few monotubs where the temperatures should be just right. I'm gonna bite the bullet and order some syringes today so I'm prepared when I take possession and move in. I might splurge and get get some S.A.G.E. from THSeeds while I'm at it . . .

 

[79towncar]

What do you mean by bite the bullet??

 

[Bababooey]

I think he meant 'take a plunge' and go ahead and buy the spores, assuming that he's going to have a place to grow them.

Might be a good idea to set up a grow diary for the shrooms in this subforum, so we can check on your progress and give you hints. I know it helped me a lot...

 

[79towncar]

B.SelfReliant, good luck with the house.. Post a grow diary.. There are people here who can help you every step of the way.. Do you have a trustworthy source of spores??? Or a very reliable site?? If not I can find out for you...

 

[B. Self Reliant]

When I said, "Bite the bullet," I meant go charge up the disposable credit card I use for seeds (and now spores) and actually order & pay for them. I was going to order through Hawkseye from The Shroomery. I'm committed now! If there's a different place to get spores from that's better for one reason or another, let me know and I'll get them from there if I need to order again.

I will definitely start a journal of my mycology experiences so I can get help and maybe provide a way for others to start their own mycology experiences. Unfortunately, the house I bid on is a short sale, so it'll probably take a few months before I know if I get it or not. The banks are slow, which I can't understand, but it's the way it is I guess.

 

[79towncar]

Hawks eye is fine.. Goodluck on the house..

 

[SpacedCWBY]

Hawks eye is fine.. Goodluck on the house..

2nd that - good vendor.

 

[B. Self Reliant]

Alright. . . it took a little longer than expected, but I now own the house and have moved in.

Today I'm heading out to buy jars, micropore tape, rye berries, gypsum and some other supplies today. I've gone through the process in various places and I think I know what to do, but I have a few questions to anyone who's willing to help:

• I still need a pressure cooker. The large ones are huge and expensive. Amazon.com has a Presto 23 quart model for under $80. It ways it will accommodate 7 quart jars. Is that big enough to get me going with a few monotubs? Should I expect to do two or more batches of 7 jars each if I want enough spawn to inoculate the bulk substrate at the bottom of 2 or 3 monotubs?

• I slacked off & still need to order my spores. I don't know how many syringes I need. How many quart jars will each syringe cover?

• Do I need an alcohol burner to sterilize anything during the process? I remember seeing that somewhere. . . if I DO need one, where would I pick one of those up?

• I know it will take a while for my jars to colonize, etc, but I'm trying to plan ahead by setting up my fruiting area ahead of time. I know that each tubs needs to be exposed to light, but how much? If I have 2-3 tubs, what would be considered adequate lighting? Any particular spectrum or intensity? Will a bare CFL over each tub suffice?

Thanks for everyone's help. I can't wait to get this thing up & rollin' after all this waiting!

 

[B. Self Reliant]

Alright, I just ordered some spores from Sporeworks.com.

I got one syringe of Albino A+ for $17 along with a four pack of their choosing for $34. The variety pack will be cubensis, but I don't know what kind.

I also put in an order with Amazon for 10 pounds of rye berries and a presto 23 quart pressure cooker. Target didn't have micropore tape, so i have to go back out tomorrow, but I'm on my way!

 

[B. Self Reliant]

Alright folks, i need you to start coming back around! I'm going to need your help!

I got a dozen wide-mouth quart jars today, along with enough micropore tape to last a lifetime or two, and an alcohol burner. I just ended up ordering it all since I have to wait for my spores to arrive anyways.

 

[quadracer]

The micropore tape isn't necessary when using grain, and it really isn't necessary for the PFTek either. It's used to keep water from entering the jars, not to filter contamination.

A better material is tyvek or a synthetic filter disk. Tyvek is cheap and readily available.

I have this page bookmarked and have read it a few times, there's a lot of great information in there as well. Also check out RogerRabbit's video that he made, it's worth the money (or available online if you know where to look).

http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/8468463/fpart/1/vc/1/nt/7

 

[GadgetGuy]

Alright folks, i need you to start coming back around! I'm going to need your help!

I got a dozen wide-mouth quart jars today, along with enough micropore tape to last a lifetime or two, and an alcohol burner. I just ended up ordering it all since I have to wait for my spores to arrive anyways.

For lids a 1/4" hole stuffed TIGHT with Polyfill is perfect. You can innoculate with spores or liquid culture with a needle through the hole, about 2cc's per quart is what I use with LC, never mess with spore innoculation. I prefer popcorn over rye but ask away!!!!

Micropore tape is used for air exchange, it is a surgical tape with breathing properties. You will want to put foil over your lids during pressure cooking ONLY. That will keep excess moisture out. After that your polyfill/tyvek/micropore filter will keep the bad stuff out. I would prefer polyfill 1st, tyvek 2nd (and a LOOOONG 2nd), and wouldn't mess with micropore personally. Just preference. Keep this thread updated....

 

[B. Self Reliant]

Thanks for swingin' by! I'll be keeping the thread updated for sure. I just spent $80 on a pressure cooker that I won't use for anything else, $40 on spores, and a whole bunch of cash on other odds & ends, so I'm committed! I'll include pics too once there's something halfway interesting to show.

I already got some of the micropore tape, but if something else works better, then I'm all game. We'll see what I have when the time comes. Thanks for the info on the different materials. Killer to know that kind of stuff.

 

[B. Self Reliant]

Alright, things have started rolling over here. . .

My pressure cooker arrived, and it's huge! It easily fits 7 quart jars as claimed, so I'm happy. My 10 pounds of rye berries came as well. 10 pounds came out to be about 23 cups of the stuff, so I should be able to do about two 7-jar runs with each 10 pound bag. The micropore tape came as well. I know that some folks have said they don't like it, but I ordered a bunch of rolls, so I'll give it a shot & see how it goes.

My spores came as well. They sent me one syringe of each strain. I got Golden Teacher, Albino A+, PES Amazonian, Burma, & Costa Rica. At 2 cc's or so per jar, it looks like my syringes will last a while!

Right now, 10 cups of rye berries are soaking, and they have been overnight. I already punched two holes in each of the quart jars and tested the pressure cooker. I have to run out today and get some gypsum and denatured alcohol for the alcohol lamp, but other than that, I should be inoculating my jars tonight!

I have a couple of quick questions for anyone who's willing to answer:

• Do I put the micropore tape on over the jar holes after I inoculate, or do I sterilize the jars with the tape already on and then puncture it with the syringe each time?
• When the jars are inoculated and are ready to incubate, do I keep them together in a rubbermaid bin or some other clean container for any reason, or can I just line them up on a clean shelf?
• Which strains should I use first? I know nothing about them so I'm open to suggestions!

Thanks for everyone's help!

https://www.icmag.com/ic/images/smilies/tiphat.gif

 

[79towncar]

Do I put the micropore tape on over the jar holes after I inoculate, or do I sterilize the jars with the tape already on and then puncture it with the syringe each time?
When the jars are inoculated and are ready to incubate, do I keep them together in a rubbermaid bin or some other clean container for any reason, or can I just line them up on a clean shelf?
Which strains should I use first? I know nothing about them so I'm open to suggestions!


Inoculate then put micropore tape over the holes. But make sure you put tinfoil over the tops of them jars when you pressure cook them. Then take the foil off inoculate them and then place micropore tape over the holes. When your jars are colonizing you can line them on a clean shelf. Just keep them at room temperature at around 75 degrees. When it comes to strains all Cubensis are basically the same.. In order to get specific growth characteristics you sometimes have to isolate traits with agar and peatree dishes. I would get cultures going of every strain.. See which strains have the best growing characteristics after you fruit and then take prints from the best and biggest fruits. After you get prints experiment with getting you perfect strain. One suggestion I will make is to try and isolate and only grow strains that have solid stems. Hollow stems really kill your yield...

 

[B. Self Reliant]

You're like a walking encyclopedia 79! Thanks for stopping by again! I know I took a while to get going, but buying a foreclosed home isn't easy!

The pressure cooker has about a half hour left before the cool down starts. I put the tape on already, then covered it with foil. . . oops. Hopefully nothing is damaged because of putting it on before pressure cooking. I can always puncture it during inoculation and then reapply another layer of tape, right? I'm planning on inoculating tomorrow (4/27) morning since the cool down period will put me late into tonight.

I'll order some agar and petri dishes soon to take care of the isolation aspect of the process. I'll use the syringes since I have them, but eventually I know I'll want a uniform & isolated type of crop.

Is there any special way to store the syringes so they stay viable, or should I just keep them at room temp and they'll be fine?

 

[B. Self Reliant]

I let the jars cool & sit overnight, and this morning I cleaned out a small room and inoculated the jars. I only used one of my syringes for all 7 jars. The last one got a little short-changed with only about 1 cc going into it, but if that's the biggest problem I run into during this initial run, I'll be stoked!

They're currently sitting on a shelf that maintains a constant temperature of 72° F pretty much 24/7. I'm going to be out-of-town for a few days, so hopefully when I get back they'll either be well on their way, or at the very least not showing any signs of contamination. Wish me luck. . .

 

[79towncar]

You can store your syringes in a cool dry place.. Goodluck!

 

[B. Self Reliant]

Thanks for the tip on the syringes.

I just got back into town and they look to be doing well. The area's maximum temp when I was gone was 71 and the minimum was 68, so hopefully that's warm enough for them. The colonization looks to have started. There's lots of little white circles near where the spores entered each jar. Right now they averages size is about 1/8" around, so they're pretty small still.

I'll take some pics soon when the colonization is a little more obvious. . .

 

[bipotato]

Excellent thread. I share similar thoughts & feelings as the OP.

Can't wait to get started.