Growing Shrooms

[EsterEssence]

I’ve played around with growing them for 35 years, I don’t know what strain I have but i started a little hobby back up a few months ago. I made a lab with a 24x24 flow hood, and have a trailer sized fridge for the Petri dishes and to incubate the rye grain jars that I sterilize in a AA930 pressure cooker. I live where I can get plenty of horse poo that I mix with a little vermiculite and gypsum, then I pasteurize it in an old presto pressure cooker. I do three mono tubs in an old gutted airstream that makes a perfect fruiting chamber, with a 9 head ultrasonic humidifier with a humidistat. A fresh air intake through a 12x24 hepa filter for my fresh air exchange. I usually have 6 tubs going 3 fruiting and 3 colonizing. I had to shut it down cause it was getting to hot in the fruiting chamber durning the heat wave the last couple weeks. I am going to start to pasteurize some substrate in a couple weeks when it starts to cool down a little, so I can get all the jars out of my fridge. The best advice I can give is cleanliness, take your time and learn as much as you can. It is a really fun hobby...

 

[Guest]

I've got 3 shoebox mon-tubs that began their fruiting stage about 5 or 6 days ago.
This is from a multi spore syringe of Amazonian something or other cubes.
I had inoculated 4 Uncle Bens bags of brown rice and had full colonization with 20 days on all bags. One bag I divided in two and put half outside just for fun. (still waiting) the other 3.5 bags went into the shoebox tubs.
I had cold pasteurized straw and crammed it in the shoebox and mixed my spawn. No casing layer. Took about 6-7 days to fully spawn to bulk and now we are in the fruiting stage for pins.

I also got some penis envy uncut inoculated and looking great 10 days in. And I also grabbed some of the P. Mexicana (not cubes) to try my luck on straw.

This is a fascinating hobby and far less energy expenditure than growing weed!

 

[Shmavis]

I don't know about the PE being less visual. I tend to eat around 7 to 10 grams. And lay with eyes closed essentially in the same place DMT takes me.

As for cubes other than PE. I think they all vary a little between the degree of body or visual high in little doses. But if eaten enough they all take you to the same place.

And not exactly like DMT. More like going to a drive in movie on the inside of your eyelids that is showing you DMT land. While on DMT you are there. On mushrooms you can still get up and navigate your way to a bathroom if needed.

7 to 10 grams... are you mad man?!?

Hope you don't take what I am asking the wrong way. It's just that I am not clear on what you are claiming. It's a bit of circular logic, no? Sounds like you are saying, "a cube is a cube is a cube [as long as you eat enough]" But in lesser amounts 'a cube is a cube is a cube [is not the case]" It's just that I have never seen the caveat [if you eat enough] attached to the claim.

My interest in shrooms is not to enter a nearly non-functional state looking at the back of my eyelids as you describe. And I imagine most other newbies, like myself, aren't looking to go there. At least not right away.

For me, GT is more visual. I have eaten both fresh from cakes and enough times dry now and in different quantities to have experienced notable differences. For example, I have paneling in my basement and knockdown texture walls in my bathroom. I have used both of these as a baseline to compare the two. Both are way more active on GT. Not to mention the hardwood floors are way more shifting on GT. But again the most I ever took was the 4g of PE.

When I took the 4g of PE the plan was to watch "The Wall" as I hadn't seen it in many years. I ate the shrooms at 8:15. They came on so hard and fast that the last time I remember being able to make out the time on the big wall clock it was 8:45. It wasn't until 10:40 that I could read time again and when I was unable to navigate through the PLEX app to get to my external drive to stream it, I gave up and watched "The Song Remains The Same" as it was readily available in my Prime library. But by the time it was over I was able to get "The Wall" up and running.

I don't know. I didn't really care for the lost hours. But could just be because I wasn't expecting it. I was looking for some visual enhancement, not to be a lump of goo. Just wanted to share this so that other newbs go in slow.

This past February a coworker/friend offhandedly mentioned shrooms. Probably been close to twenty years since I had last tripped. He brought me roughly an eighth. Lots of blotter acid and sugar cubes all those years ago but only shroomed once or twice. So I ate about a third of that eighth and then two hours later about another third and then two hours later the rest. Had an awesome Sunday. Loved it. But when I was told they're $40 an eighth I decided to give growing them a go. I don't regret it - fun and rewarding stuff!

Have you tried a lot of other varieties? When you take as much as you do, do you get auditory shifts/distortions? So far I have yet to experience that, yet I recall back in the day it wasn't uncommon with acid. Maybe shrooms don't provide this?

 

[bigtacofarmer]

7 to 10 grams... are you mad man?!?

Hope you don't take what I am asking the wrong way. It's just that I am not clear on what you are claiming. It's a bit of circular logic, no? Sounds like you are saying, "a cube is a cube is a cube [as long as you eat enough]" But in lesser amounts 'a cube is a cube is a cube [is not the case]" It's just that I have never seen the caveat [if you eat enough] attached to the claim.

My interest in shrooms is not to enter a nearly non-functional state looking at the back of my eyelids as you describe. And I imagine most other newbies, like myself, aren't looking to go there. At least not right away.

For me, GT is more visual. I have eaten both fresh from cakes and enough times dry now and in different quantities to have experienced notable differences. For example, I have paneling in my basement and knockdown texture walls in my bathroom. I have used both of these as a baseline to compare the two. Both are way more active on GT. Not to mention the hardwood floors are way more shifting on GT. But again the most I ever took was the 4g of PE.

When I took the 4g of PE the plan was to watch "The Wall" as I hadn't seen it in many years. I ate the shrooms at 8:15. They came on so hard and fast that the last time I remember being able to make out the time on the big wall clock it was 8:45. It wasn't until 10:40 that I could read time again and when I was unable to navigate through the PLEX app to get to my external drive to stream it, I gave up and watched "The Song Remains The Same" as it was readily available in my Prime library. But by the time it was over I was able to get "The Wall" up and running.

I don't know. I didn't really care for the lost hours. But could just be because I wasn't expecting it. I was looking for some visual enhancement, not to be a lump of goo. Just wanted to share this so that other newbs go in slow.

This past February a coworker/friend offhandedly mentioned shrooms. Probably been close to twenty years since I had last tripped. He brought me roughly an eighth. Lots of blotter acid and sugar cubes all those years ago but only shroomed once or twice. So I ate about a third of that eighth and then two hours later about another third and then two hours later the rest. Had an awesome Sunday. Loved it. But when I was told they're $40 an eighth I decided to give growing them a go. I don't regret it - fun and rewarding stuff!

Have you tried a lot of other varieties? When you take as much as you do, do you get auditory shifts/distortions? So far I have yet to experience that, yet I recall back in the day it wasn't uncommon with acid. Maybe shrooms don't provide this?

I think all cubes have very similar potential. I do not understand the pharmacology. But I would guess it has to do with the way it fill your receptors. The smaller dose of any strain of cube the more variation I notice.

As far as being a mad man. Nah. That's just where you can count on being immersed in the trip.

If taking smaller doses I prefer eating less than a gram. So it barely gets trippy. I find that anything in between gives me trippy waves and waves of body high and it's all trying to pull me towards that immersive experience. So why only half way it. I have had very powerful experiences on as little as 3 grams. I just do not feel you can eat 3 grams and count on having it work that well everytime. I am not sure if that is because of mushroom potency or something physical such as your stomach contents.

And I am not a fan of watching tv in any way. You are actually watching a movie put on my your mind and the mushrooms laid on top of something somebody else wrote about their own journey. Trippy instrumental music or silence (can be intense) is my favorite.

Trust me. Eat enough. And close eyes or put on eyeshades. So much cooler than pink floyd. Birds eye view of the astral plane.

 

[bigtacofarmer]

Imagine having one major epifany after the next for several hours all while watching the most amazing imagery unfold in front of you the whole time.

It's anything but lost time. It's time very well spent.

 

[bigtacofarmer]

I have eaten most of the commercial available cubensis strains. PE, golden teacher, malabar coast, amazon, burmese are all always favorites of just about anybody who has tried.

As for audio visual distortion that was beyond bizzare and really made me wonder if we were in a simulation. But I had eaten a bunch of extract from the PE and about 10 grams.

I heard and error message on a recorded loop that told me I was in restricted space. Then sweated my ass off like none other. And never really got any higher than if I had eaten 4 or 5 grams.

 

[EsterEssence]

A lot of people these days want to microdose I find they want 1, or 2 tenths of a gram in a capsule, just a little is quite nice and you can function with a little enhancement.

 

[Chevy cHaze]

I saw an ad from a company called vikingspores dot com recently... made me wonder if their "all in one growbag" and spore syringes work well as that would be so easy to grow shrooms then...
Been thinking about it for some time, but right now wouldn't even be sure which ones are the mexican shrooms psilocybe cubensis that I had when I was a lot younger...
CC

 

[Deke]

This thread brought back memories. Pre internet when all we had was High Times magazines PF advertised in the back. It was so hard to find them back then when I was in school, so I said what the he'll lets try it. Spent two years writing , yes writing, lol, back and forth with the owner tweaking the medium formula. I got a pressure cooker, 6 10 gal fishtanks and 36 1/2 pint wide mouth jars and got started. I'd get about 8-9 oz fully dried per run. Super simple.
Now with all the info online im sure I'd of been more successful. No one knew anything about soaking your cakes, or re-flushing cakes back then. One flush then into the trash was how it went.
Thankful to PF for helping put me through college!!

 

[greenluv707]

hey guys i saw the post on micro dose amount, is that going to help someone with depression? im trying to find something to help my brother out thats been in a really rutt lately. 1 tenth or 2 tenths is the normal micro amount?

 

[trichrider]

no, 2/10ths of an ounce is almost 8 grams.
unless you're saying 2 tenths of a gram...that is a micro dose.
i prefer half a gram, you can feel it but still function.
and definitely will help with depression.

World’s first magic mushroom nasal spray for PTSD and depression

4th December 2019

© iStock/Deagreez
PTSD and depression are two conditions that are being trialled for treatment with psilocybin.

A ‘magic mushroom’ nasal spray has been designed to make microdosing easier for people trying to treat their PTSD or depression.
Silo Wellness, an Oregon company with a team with roots in cannabis delivery modalities, has developed a magic mushroom nasal spray in Jamaica – where psilocybin is legal – for controlled, metered-dosing known as ‘microdosing’.
Magic mushroom nasal spray

The psilocybin nasal spray passes the gut, going directly to the bloodstream through the nasal mucus membranes and eventually the liver for metabolising. This saves the patient from feeling nauseous, as commonly experienced when taking psilocybin.
Board Advisor and Silo Wellness investor Becky Rotterman, a Missouri pharmacist, stated: “Many psilocybin patients, particularly women, complain of upset stomach or vomiting when taking high-doses of mushrooms.
“We want to bring this wonderful natural medicine first to Oregon and then the flyover states – to those who would be afraid to eat a handful of fungi and who feel more comfortable seeing their medicine in a familiar delivery modality, such as a metered-dose nasal spray.”
The correct dose

When a patient takes psilocybin the dosage is vital. Many people end up ‘stacking’, whereby the first dose takes some time to take effect so the patient consumes more, only to find they have taken too much later on. Microdosing alternatives with faster uptake speed are important in order to prevent accidental high-dosage experiences.
Silo Wellness founder, Mike Arnold, said he created the medicine dispenser after his first experience with psilocybin after he was advised by a doctor to try it.
He said: “I couldn’t help to think how fortunate I was to have an actual physician take me on my first trip rather than ‘some guy’ I know, but I realised that most first-time users don’t have that luxury.
“I reached out to my long-time colleague from the marijuana space, brilliant inventor Michael Hartman, and we agreed that we need to be able to give patients predictable dosing so they can self-titrate into the desired levels of sub-psychedelic or psychedelic treatment.”
“We solved the age-old problem with plant- and fungus-based medicine: How do you know how much is a dose?” Hartman explained. “How do you avoid taking too much, like the cannabis edibles dilemma? We also managed to solve one of the common complaints of some mushroom users: taste and upset stomach.”
Healing trauma with magic mushrooms

Psilocybin is being trialled for the treatment of a number of physical and mental conditions, two of which are PTSD and depression. The psychoactive component is thought to stimulate receptors in the brain and potentially ‘rewire the brain’ by increasing neuro connectivity – helping to heal trauma from physical or psychological events.
COO, Scott Slay, said: “We are so grateful for the opportunity to have an actual and real first-to-market consumer product in magic mushrooms.
“I found mushrooms after returning from Iraq working in IED demolition and combat. The war changed me and the VA was ill equipped to help me transition and deal with my PTSD.
“I was heavily medicated. Mushrooms and DMT saved me. My life was renewed. I now have peace and purpose, and I can’t wait to share this opportunity with the world.”
Since psilocybin and other psychoactive compounds are found in nearly 200 known-species of mushrooms, humans have evolved around these beneficial chemical compounds.
Users of psychedelics have known for many years that small “micro doses” of mushrooms can give the user spiritual, medical, and therapeutic benefits without sending the user into a psychedelic ’trip’ as with high doses of mushroom biomass.
Psilocybin for depression has recently been given its second ‘Breakthrough Therapy’ designation by the FDA.
https://www.healtheuropa.eu/worlds-first-magic-mushroom-nasal-spray-for-ptsd-and-depression/95434/

 

[EsterEssence]

I did say 1 or 2 tenths of a gram not ounce...That nasal spray looks like a great delivery system...

 

[White Beard]

For my bizarre physiology, anything under a gram is microdosing, a gram over the course of a day makes for a very nice day - but nothing exciting. For MD I prefer blotter: an 8th of a blotter square gives me the sparkles & is very easy to function/stay chill on.

I too am interested in the spray delivery method, if it ever shows up I’ll def try it out

 

[G.O. Joe]

Mushrooms and DMT were not all that for me and I always wonder about the motivations of people selling things. There doesn't seem to be a good reason to shove micro-mushrooms up your nose except for marketing and probably patenting a product, or to keep people from drinking the whole jug. The alkaloids are usually insoluble in water, so a saturated aqueous solution of a crystalline extract at room temperature would be a microdose, and wouldn't even be illegal in the USA if sold as an analytical reference.

 

[White Beard]

Not sure any of my mushroom adventures amounted anything except for the first one...became one with the forest floor, evolved up from a single-called something, then back to normal...unknown dose, my first grow, shared with others, *very* long ago (‘82?). Did an actual 8th once, maybe level 1.

Never done DMT.

 

[G.O. Joe]

You would find DMT interesting - it won't give you a choice. I'd recommend extracting MHRB if it was still available. Street drugs have been tasked to solve psychological problems for some time, and I don't doubt the value of full doses on the naive, but I doubt there's so much research on microdosing. The spray seems like an easy, false solution that exacerbates the real problem of drugs being unavailable outside the black market, except in a form palatable and profitable to everyone except the patient.

 

[Shmavis]

I think all cubes have very similar potential. I do not understand the pharmacology. But I would guess it has to do with the way it fill your receptors. The smaller dose of any strain of cube the more variation I notice.

As far as being a mad man. Nah. That's just where you can count on being immersed in the trip.

If taking smaller doses I prefer eating less than a gram. So it barely gets trippy. I find that anything in between gives me trippy waves and waves of body high and it's all trying to pull me towards that immersive experience. So why only half way it. I have had very powerful experiences on as little as 3 grams. I just do not feel you can eat 3 grams and count on having it work that well everytime. I am not sure if that is because of mushroom potency or something physical such as your stomach contents.

And I am not a fan of watching tv in any way. You are actually watching a movie put on my your mind and the mushrooms laid on top of something somebody else wrote about their own journey. Trippy instrumental music or silence (can be intense) is my favorite.

Trust me. Eat enough. And close eyes or put on eyeshades. So much cooler than pink floyd. Birds eye view of the astral plane.

Thanks BTF, appreciate you sharing the info/experience. Good point about stomach contents - have read differing views regarding this. I have found that I prefer to have an empty stomach. Took your advice on just under a gram and had a great experience. Cannot even imagine 10g...

Saw this segment on "60 Minutes" about psilocybin as a therapeutic and thought some here might appreciate it. Interesting stuff. Really wish they would've said what constitutes a "heroic dose"—made me think of BTF.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/psyche...ion-depression-anxiety-60-minutes-2020-08-16/

(Huh. Just tried to follow the link, not sure why it now redirects to CBS for the video. I was able to watch on the linked page.)

Some good news about shrooms: https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbo...criminalize-psychedelic-mushrooms-plants.html


************************

The fourth flush was a bust. I have picked only one GT and one PE. A couple of the cakes are discolored. They’re done. I still have no action on the three spawn bags. No sign of mycelium yet, but thankfully no sign of contamination either.

Would appreciate some opinions on this flow hood: https://www.midwestgrowkits.com/bonsai-99-99-hepa-horizontal-laminar-flow-hood.aspx

I have seen it in stock and out of stock, so must be selling rather well. Decided to get it only to find it out of stock again. I realize it's a rather small one but I do not plan to grow on a large scale. I do eventually want to try cloning and agar. If nothing else I am thinking it might be a good starter hood and if I find I get more in depth with the hobby I could build a bigger one later. Seems like a reasonable price for what it is.

 

[Veggia farmer]

Bigtaco: lots of variation in potency. And stomach has a lot to say too. I mosly eat liberty caps thats 1.5 times stronger some chart said ones comphered to cube. Also cubes in itself has variation.

Anyone else grind them up and put them i lemon juice for slme days? I like that sometimes. Citric acid convert some of the ingredients and make the onsey faster and trip "stronger/harder" but shorten it maybe a little. Have some in the frigd waiting for the right moment

Sooo. Harvest season has started. I would try to dig up some of the pasture with Liberty caps and move it. Feed it with wood chip? I know Liberty caps eat a lot of dead roots and I always find them in the same type of grass.

 

[Guest]

Paul stamets is cool and all but the method has been improved upon significantly. You’re wasting good chemicals doing it the way you are.
You all sound like you want a complete extraction. Lucky for you, I can help.
Psilocin (and -cybin) don't degrade in boiling water (at least not in a short period of time like Tea requires). You can get more out with hot water faster, as opposed to cold. The heat improves solubility. The major problem with using water alone is that Psilocin isn't as water soluble as the -cybin, so hot tea extractions are probably incomplete, as are water-only extractions.
You'll likely get a better extraction by just letting the mushrooms sit overnight in water, regardless of the starting temperature because you've added the other crucial component for getting an extraction to completeness, which is time. The cleaner the starting water, the better the extraction as well. Ideally at home distilled water (or RO water if you have one of those) will give you the best results.
You can still improve the extraction of the psilocin component by adding some alcohol to your extraction (100 proof vodka, or everclear if you really wanna go hard).
You can also get another improvement to this some by increasing the amount of particle/unit surface area of the components you're trying to extract by grinding them up - the finer, the better.
Lastly, since we're dealing with alkaloids, salting them out with acid is the final improvement. That's what the lemon juice in the Lemon Tek does. So how about we put all of that together in one method.
An ideal time-effective, complete extraction would look like this (For up to 5 grams of ground dry fungus, or 30g wet):
Keep in mind, 1 fluid ounce = 30mL if you're outside of the States. If you're on the ball, this can be done in 30 minutes, not including cleaning the kettle beforehand.
Distilled water is ideal, but make sure you get the mineral scale out of your kettle first. (White vinegar works nice for that - then double rinse with distilled)
?Set your pot or kettle on heat to boil.
?Weigh out mushrooms, and then grind them up. (blender, if they're not dried)
?Transfer to a small glass container or jar, and add 1 oz high-proof vodka or everclear. (High proof = 100 or better, don't use anything else besides vodka or everclear)
?Once the water boils, add 5-6 ounces of it to the liquor and fungus. (You can do less, but the less you have, the more you need to wait - solubility is king!)
?Immediately after adding the water, add 1 ounce of lemon juice. You can use 2 oz of 100% Grapefruit juice if you really want a kick in the pants - Never use "juice cocktail" for extraction.
?Let stand for 15-20 minutes. I usually wait until the solution is just warm, not quite tepid. Filter the mushroom bits out with a funnel and a coffee filter. (Unnecessary additional nausea)
If you really want to suck the alkaloids out, use an insulated coffee mug for your extraction vessel. If it holds heat longer, you'll get another incremental improvement in your extraction.
Cheers!
You have 15 min or less to get some place comfortable once you chug your tea.
God bless Paul Stamets, but he's not a chemist.

 

[Sunshineinabag]

no, 2/10ths of an ounce is almost 8 grams.
unless you're saying 2 tenths of a gram...that is a micro dose.
i prefer half a gram, you can feel it but still function.
and definitely will help with depression.

World’s first magic mushroom nasal spray for PTSD and depression

4th December 2019
View Image© iStock/Deagreez
PTSD and depression are two conditions that are being trialled for treatment with psilocybin.

A ‘magic mushroom’ nasal spray has been designed to make microdosing easier for people trying to treat their PTSD or depression.
Silo Wellness, an Oregon company with a team with roots in cannabis delivery modalities, has developed a magic mushroom nasal spray in Jamaica – where psilocybin is legal – for controlled, metered-dosing known as ‘microdosing’.
Magic mushroom nasal spray

The psilocybin nasal spray passes the gut, going directly to the bloodstream through the nasal mucus membranes and eventually the liver for metabolising. This saves the patient from feeling nauseous, as commonly experienced when taking psilocybin.
Board Advisor and Silo Wellness investor Becky Rotterman, a Missouri pharmacist, stated: “Many psilocybin patients, particularly women, complain of upset stomach or vomiting when taking high-doses of mushrooms.
“We want to bring this wonderful natural medicine first to Oregon and then the flyover states – to those who would be afraid to eat a handful of fungi and who feel more comfortable seeing their medicine in a familiar delivery modality, such as a metered-dose nasal spray.”
The correct dose

When a patient takes psilocybin the dosage is vital. Many people end up ‘stacking’, whereby the first dose takes some time to take effect so the patient consumes more, only to find they have taken too much later on. Microdosing alternatives with faster uptake speed are important in order to prevent accidental high-dosage experiences.
Silo Wellness founder, Mike Arnold, said he created the medicine dispenser after his first experience with psilocybin after he was advised by a doctor to try it.
He said: “I couldn’t help to think how fortunate I was to have an actual physician take me on my first trip rather than ‘some guy’ I know, but I realised that most first-time users don’t have that luxury.
“I reached out to my long-time colleague from the marijuana space, brilliant inventor Michael Hartman, and we agreed that we need to be able to give patients predictable dosing so they can self-titrate into the desired levels of sub-psychedelic or psychedelic treatment.”
“We solved the age-old problem with plant- and fungus-based medicine: How do you know how much is a dose?” Hartman explained. “How do you avoid taking too much, like the cannabis edibles dilemma? We also managed to solve one of the common complaints of some mushroom users: taste and upset stomach.”
Healing trauma with magic mushrooms

Psilocybin is being trialled for the treatment of a number of physical and mental conditions, two of which are PTSD and depression. The psychoactive component is thought to stimulate receptors in the brain and potentially ‘rewire the brain’ by increasing neuro connectivity – helping to heal trauma from physical or psychological events.
COO, Scott Slay, said: “We are so grateful for the opportunity to have an actual and real first-to-market consumer product in magic mushrooms.
“I found mushrooms after returning from Iraq working in IED demolition and combat. The war changed me and the VA was ill equipped to help me transition and deal with my PTSD.
“I was heavily medicated. Mushrooms and DMT saved me. My life was renewed. I now have peace and purpose, and I can’t wait to share this opportunity with the world.”
Since psilocybin and other psychoactive compounds are found in nearly 200 known-species of mushrooms, humans have evolved around these beneficial chemical compounds.
Users of psychedelics have known for many years that small “micro doses” of mushrooms can give the user spiritual, medical, and therapeutic benefits without sending the user into a psychedelic ’trip’ as with high doses of mushroom biomass.
Psilocybin for depression has recently been given its second ‘Breakthrough Therapy’ designation by the FDA.
https://www.healtheuropa.eu/worlds-first-magic-mushroom-nasal-spray-for-ptsd-and-depression/95434/

Nasal spray sounds fun:dance013