92 replies to this topic

[Turtlegirl]

I think one of the biggest causes of contams while innoculating is from our breath. It stirs the air around and contains who knows what.

I know it's silly, but if I'm not wearing a mask I hold my breath while the needle is exposed lol.

Its funny you mention that because I read somewhere that you should brush your teeth well before inoculating.  Don't know if it would make a difference but I'm sure it can't hurt.  I will try both brushing my teeth and holding my breath. 

[Turtlegirl]

Misting bleach water into the air is really really bad for your lungs and eyes though, that is a bad idea for your health and totally unnecessary.

So what do you recommend?  I know anytime I use bleach it's horrible to breath.  Chlorine is a bee itch.

[peacefrog]

Please breathe normally while doing sterile work. There is no need to hold your breathe, I promise. Just don’t breathe directly on the sterile media of course.

Sterile procedure is all about utilizing controlled/steady movements and limiting the exposure of sterile media/inoculant to open air as much as possible (where billions of other spores are floating around). Also, it’s a game of averages. What I mean is, if you are going to steak a new agar plate with spores, you would want to streak at least 4-6 plates. Just know that some may become contaminated. The more plates, the better the chances are of getting clean growth.

I’m glad that my pictures helped you. And if you ever have any questions please feel free to post on the open board and/or pm me. We are all about helping, learning and sharing on Topia.

[Turtlegirl]

Please breathe normally while doing sterile work. There is no need to hold your breathe, I promise. Just don’t breathe directly on the sterile media of course.

Sterile procedure is all about utilizing controlled/steady movements and limiting the exposure of sterile media/inoculant to open air as much as possible (where billions of other spores are floating around). Also, it’s a game of averages. What I mean is, if you are going to steak a new agar plate with spores, you would want to streak at least 4-6 plates. Just know that some may become contaminated. The more plates, the better the chances are of getting clean growth.

I’m glad that my pictures helped you. And if you ever have any questions please feel free to post on the open board and/or pm me. We are all about helping, learning and sharing on Topia.

I see what you mean about the law of averages.  I've noticed that everyone has been extremely helpful to me.  It's nice to feel supported in my endeavors and not out there doing whatever and hoping for the best  Everyday, I take time to read some of the archives and try to search for things before I ask.  I'm still new to the forum thing but seem to be stumbling my way around.  Again, thanks I really do appreciate your time and knowledge.

[Deleena24]

Yeah you can breathe! Lol.

Like he said I just avoid breathing on the needle and substrate if I am doing open air, no SAB or anything.

It is definitely not necessary, it's just a silly thing I do when I expose the needle and I have to hold it closer to my face when I'm not wearing a mask.

If you're using a SAB this doesn't apply at all.

I think you're over worrying. Do your best to be clean and you'll get some clean jars.

Frog- those pictures of various healthy mycelium vs contamination was very cool of you. Great post.

Edited by Deleena24, 03 February 2019 - 01:04 PM.

[sandman]

wear a surgical mask, cheap and effective to keep your bacterial breath down.  You can get them in the health supplies near the alcohol and peroxide. 

[peacefrog]

Please breathe normally while doing sterile work. There is no need to hold your breathe, I promise. Just don’t breathe directly on the sterile media of course.
Sterile procedure is all about utilizing controlled/steady movements and limiting the exposure of sterile media/inoculant to open air as much as possible (where billions of other spores are floating around). Also, it’s a game of averages. What I mean is, if you are going to steak a new agar plate with spores, you would want to streak at least 4-6 plates. Just know that some may become contaminated. The more plates, the better the chances are of getting clean growth.
I’m glad that my pictures helped you. And if you ever have any questions please feel free to post on the open board and/or pm me. We are all about helping, learning and sharing on Topia.

I see what you mean about the law of averages.  I've noticed that everyone has been extremely helpful to me.  It's nice to feel supported in my endeavors and not out there doing whatever and hoping for the best  Everyday, I take time to read some of the archives and try to search for things before I ask.  I'm still new to the forum thing but seem to be stumbling my way around.  Again, thanks I really do appreciate your time and knowledge.

Anytime.

We are a tight community here and always enjoy helping others. And I truly remember what it was like to just start out in this hobby. It was a while ago, but I still remember the frustration of MANY failed attempts before the preverbal “light bulb” went off in my head.

We are all here on this forum because of our passion for cultivation and the love of paying it forward from our predecessors.

Again, good vibes!

[raymycoto]

Not meaning to put you onto a brand new topic but you seem to be pondering the SAB. I just saw a vid where the SAB was a glass aquarium on its side with simply a plastic drape over the front like a curtain suspended from the top and with what appears to be some velcro to allow grossly sealing the plastic to the front lower corners of the aquarium. I believe that in a quiet room with some alcohol mist into the box (guy uses bleach but R-OH better) is adequate for a SAB and I had not seen it.

 

You could cheaply make one with some cut glass and calk. Or check craigslist. Everyone has an old aquarium they want you to pick up. Maybe even for free.

 

Advantages - you see clearly through it. It has flat hard surfaces easily cleaned, no nooks like some plastic bins have. Could easily put a small linear lamp over the top at the back for illumination.

 

Hey, I got a lami flow but I'm almost talking myself into building one.

 

I love checking out the budget ways of this craft because I want to educate folks on getting into it easily and cheaply. Spread the love!

 

[Direct Link]

[Soliver]

Misting bleach water into the air is really really bad for your lungs and eyes though, that is a bad idea for your health and totally unnecessary.

 

I should mention that I don't stand in the room with bleach water floating all about - I put all my work materials in the closet, hit the mist, then come back some / ten minutes later.

 

Unnecessary . . . maybe.  But I inhale more bleach fumes scrubbing the toilet than doing myco work - it's not a strong solution, and the closet is ... multipurpose, so at the very least it gives me myco-ninja vibes, sort of like showering & brushing teeth & wearing a mask and gloves.

 

Any one of these could be deemed unnecessary depending on your methods, but as a procedure, I think it can't hurt.

 

Short of an SAB or hood, what's your MO sandman?

 

:)

 

soliver

[Deleena24]

wear a surgical mask, cheap and effective to keep your bacterial breath down. You can get them in the health supplies near the alcohol and peroxide.

Exactly. I like buying those boxes of sterile gloves, too. Theres a lot of bacteria under nails, even after washing hands.

The only reason I brought this up in the first place bc some new people like to hold the jars really close to their face while working on them, out of curiosity I suppose. It's an odd/funny thing I noticed with the couple of people I showed how to grow.

Also, if the girl is on top she can't get pregnant...

[bezevo]

Soliver / OP TurtleGirl .

  i have  a small Work room , it's like 10' x 10' .i own several commercial size OZONE Generators  so i can give the room a real good heavy treatment of Ozone several hours to day before . work  , ozone will kill bacteria , mold, even mold spores , skin mites ect.,

Then i got a real fancy heh expensive Room size HEPA air cleaner i inherited   i can start up an hour before work to clean up any dust or the corps of the bacteria and mold i  Murdered with  my Ozone Generators .

Then the probably unnecessary , but why not SAB

. so i can very easily OVER KILL  kill kill and clean the air in work room before any work goes into SAB . 

 

i probably use a good shower  every month or two heh .

 

i  treat each room in my house with Ozone about  once every month or two on a rotating basis . link to Ozone Generator

https://www.amazon.c...0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

i am attempting to piece together a DIY  open face Laminar flow bench for my work room also .. 

on year three of one year project heh

here is link to  that project .

 

https://mycotopia.ne...-few-questions/

 

 

YES THIS HAS WORKED SO FAR ..
"Also, if the girl is on top she can't get pregnant.."....

 

Also with the vasectomy and condom just in case ... !

me being old and unattractive seems to help also .

lack social skills

bad hygeine  ect

Edited by bezevo, 03 February 2019 - 06:09 PM.

[jkdeth]

My SAB materials list:

Large clear bin.

Number 10 can of green beans.

First, eat the green beans. Well, you can bag and freeze them. If you're in the mood for a sugar coma, sometimes you can find number 10 cans of chocolate pudding.

Once your can empty and clean, remove the bottom, makes it easier to handle.

Get your bin ready, set that can right on a stove burner and heat it up smoking hot. Still should be able to handle it with pot holders. You can use pliers, with care.

Hit that bin with the hit can and melt you a nice round hole. Repeat.


I use the SAB for agar, g2g and part of my printing process. Anything I'm innoculating with a spore syringe I do open air, fresh out of the pc. Lids get a quick alcohol wipe, syringe gets flame sterilized between jars.

[sandman]

I already said my still air box method if that was what you are asking Soliver. Just a tote with 2 arm holes cut in it and turn it upside down over my petris that I am going to work with on a table. I previously wipe the table down with alcohol spritzed paper towel where the tote and stuff will be and let it dry BEFORE putting the tote on it. Then I just make sure there is no air flow and wait a few minutes and start working. I don't spray my air or anything when working in the still air box. I have a blowtorch sitting next to the tote OUTSIDE THE TOTE to flame my scalpel or needle.  Everything going into the box gets a light wipe down with an alcohol spritzed paper towel a few minutes before going in. I mostly work with petris in my still air box and they are clingwrapped in stacks so I just give the whole wrapped stack a wipe down with the paper towel and unwrap it in the box. I just wash my hands up to the elbows before using it and wear a surgical mask. This is literally all that I do for inoculations without a hood.

Edited by sandman, 03 February 2019 - 06:46 PM.

[Soliver]

I got the SAB teks  .  .  .  no new tale to tell there.

 

However, some people may have a difficult time explaining / storing a roomy clear plastic box with arm holes burned through it, dig?  For ... you know ... stealth purposes and such?

 

As such, some members may use a multi-purpose closet.  For our example, let's say it's a closet for storing canned goods.  For example only.

 

If such a member were using such an area - and has done so with great success for some time ... can anyone explain how a bleach misting is not helpful to the point of being unnecessary? 

 

I have a Chinese ozone generator I got for ten bucks - I run it in there as well every week or so for shits and giggles.  From my (limited) research, the jury is still out as to whether this is helpful or not (no, I don't stand in the closet and huff O3, and yes - I understand the dangers of ozone).

 

In short ... can anyone provide substantial reasoning as to why I should continue or desist bleach and ozone treatments in my little felony closet?

 

I enjoy experimentation, but I tend to lean towards 'safe' when doing mycological stuff ... the materials are cheap enough to be almost free, but the time?  Man, I'm gonna shower and brush my teeth sometime today anyway, and a few squirts of bleach spray (I use a very dilute mix - bleach is terrible shit - maybe 1/4 cup added to a spray bottle of water) is hella better than dousing everything in Lysol (which was SOP 15 years ago - when I get cancer I won't have to sit and wonder why) . . .

 

This is all fascinating, as the "oven tek" was SOP 20 years ago, and it's clearly bullshit.  I used it twice myself (fail - shocker). 

 

I tried an SAB and it got on my nerves, and I'm too stupid, lazy, and cheap to buy or build a hood.  A small, enclosed room has been great for my purposes thusfar . . . I'm certain there are plenty of members on the same page.  Are O3 and bleach a bad idea in this situation?  Am I just making myself feel better with these processes?  Can I smoke a joint made from dogshit and hemp while innoculating jars? 

 

I'll probably rock the O3 and bleach regardless, but I'm curious for some feedback.  I'm too stupid and lazy for G2G, and my print tek gets me 10 out of 12 jars on a bad day.

 

con amor,

 

:)

 

soliver

[onediadem]

I think whatever works best for you is the proper way to do it. Everyone's situation is different and what works for one may not necessarily work for others.

[sandman]

Soliver : If you can't safely store a simple tote with 2 holes in it which costs less than $10 than how can you even store a few jars? You could even store your jars in your tote. My position to you is this: If you are using this simple still air box there is no need to mist bleach everywhere and expose yourself to that. So why go out of your way to spray bleach water all over your canned goods and eyeballs and wall paper etc lol. 

 

Also you said you tried a still air box and didnt like it, was it really a still air box or a glove box? Glove boxes are totally old school and really suck hard. Too much restriction to movement and just a total nightmare. If you cut the holes on your box slightly offset and a little oversized it makes use a lot easier. I also saw someone put a third hole on the back wall so they could stick the needles through to be flamed by an outside torch. And make sure you are flipping it over ona  table not trying to use it right side up, the bottoms of these things are all kinds of funky shaped and not flat and makes using it horrible. It doesnt need to make a perfect seal against the table!

Edited by sandman, 04 February 2019 - 09:09 AM.

[Turtlegirl]

 

 

Please breathe normally while doing sterile work. There is no need to hold your breathe, I promise. Just don’t breathe directly on the sterile media of course.
Sterile procedure is all about utilizing controlled/steady movements and limiting the exposure of sterile media/inoculant to open air as much as possible (where billions of other spores are floating around). Also, it’s a game of averages. What I mean is, if you are going to steak a new agar plate with spores, you would want to streak at least 4-6 plates. Just know that some may become contaminated. The more plates, the better the chances are of getting clean growth.
I’m glad that my pictures helped you. And if you ever have any questions please feel free to post on the open board and/or pm me. We are all about helping, learning and sharing on Topia.

I see what you mean about the law of averages.  I've noticed that everyone has been extremely helpful to me.  It's nice to feel supported in my endeavors and not out there doing whatever and hoping for the best  Everyday, I take time to read some of the archives and try to search for things before I ask.  I'm still new to the forum thing but seem to be stumbling my way around.  Again, thanks I really do appreciate your time and knowledge.

Anytime.

We are a tight community here and always enjoy helping others. And I truly remember what it was like to just start out in this hobby. It was a while ago, but I still remember the frustration of MANY failed attempts before the preverbal “light bulb” went off in my head.

We are all here on this forum because of our passion for cultivation and the love of paying it forward from our predecessors.

Again, good vibes!

 

Hopefully one of these days I can be the teacher

 

 

 

Please breathe normally while doing sterile work. There is no need to hold your breathe, I promise. Just don’t breathe directly on the sterile media of course.
Sterile procedure is all about utilizing controlled/steady movements and limiting the exposure of sterile media/inoculant to open air as much as possible (where billions of other spores are floating around). Also, it’s a game of averages. What I mean is, if you are going to steak a new agar plate with spores, you would want to streak at least 4-6 plates. Just know that some may become contaminated. The more plates, the better the chances are of getting clean growth.
I’m glad that my pictures helped you. And if you ever have any questions please feel free to post on the open board and/or pm me. We are all about helping, learning and sharing on Topia.

I see what you mean about the law of averages.  I've noticed that everyone has been extremely helpful to me.  It's nice to feel supported in my endeavors and not out there doing whatever and hoping for the best  Everyday, I take time to read some of the archives and try to search for things before I ask.  I'm still new to the forum thing but seem to be stumbling my way around.  Again, thanks I really do appreciate your time and knowledge.

Anytime.

We are a tight community here and always enjoy helping others. And I truly remember what it was like to just start out in this hobby. It was a while ago, but I still remember the frustration of MANY failed attempts before the preverbal “light bulb” went off in my head.

We are all here on this forum because of our passion for cultivation and the love of paying it forward from our predecessors.

Again, good vibes!

 

Hopefully one these days I will be the teacher and paying it forward. 

[Turtlegirl]

Not meaning to put you onto a brand new topic but you seem to be pondering the SAB. I just saw a vid where the SAB was a glass aquarium on its side with simply a plastic drape over the front like a curtain suspended from the top and with what appears to be some velcro to allow grossly sealing the plastic to the front lower corners of the aquarium. I believe that in a quiet room with some alcohol mist into the box (guy uses bleach but R-OH better) is adequate for a SAB and I had not seen it.

 

You could cheaply make one with some cut glass and calk. Or check craigslist. Everyone has an old aquarium they want you to pick up. Maybe even for free.

 

Advantages - you see clearly through it. It has flat hard surfaces easily cleaned, no nooks like some plastic bins have. Could easily put a small linear lamp over the top at the back for illumination.

 

Hey, I got a lami flow but I'm almost talking myself into building one.

 

I love checking out the budget ways of this craft because I want to educate folks on getting into it easily and cheaply. Spread the love!

 

[Direct Link]

Oh that is interesting.  I like the idea of the hard sides.  I may just have to check out Craig's List.

[Turtlegirl]

Soliver : If you can't safely store a simple tote with 2 holes in it which costs less than $10 than how can you even store a few jars? You could even store your jars in your tote. My position to you is this: If you are using this simple still air box there is no need to mist bleach everywhere and expose yourself to that. So why go out of your way to spray bleach water all over your canned goods and eyeballs and wall paper etc lol. 

 

Also you said you tried a still air box and didnt like it, was it really a still air box or a glove box? Glove boxes are totally old school and really suck hard. Too much restriction to movement and just a total nightmare. If you cut the holes on your box slightly offset and a little oversized it makes use a lot easier. I also saw someone put a third hole on the back wall so they could stick the needles through to be flamed by an outside torch. And make sure you are flipping it over ona  table not trying to use it right side up, the bottoms of these things are all kinds of funky shaped and not flat and makes using it horrible. It doesnt need to make a perfect seal against the table!

I was going to reply and realized this was not to me but don't know how to delete yet once I start a post.  Damn.

Edited by Turtlegirl, 04 February 2019 - 10:26 AM.

[Turtlegirl]

Soliver / OP TurtleGirl .

  i have  a small Work room , it's like 10' x 10' .i own several commercial size OZONE Generators  so i can give the room a real good heavy treatment of Ozone several hours to day before . work  , ozone will kill bacteria , mold, even mold spores , skin mites ect.,

Then i got a real fancy heh expensive Room size HEPA air cleaner i inherited   i can start up an hour before work to clean up any dust or the corps of the bacteria and mold i  Murdered with  my Ozone Generators .

Then the probably unnecessary , but why not SAB

. so i can very easily OVER KILL  kill kill and clean the air in work room before any work goes into SAB . 

 

i probably use a good shower  every month or two heh .

 

i  treat each room in my house with Ozone about  once every month or two on a rotating basis . link to Ozone Generator

https://www.amazon.c...0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

i am attempting to piece together a DIY  open face Laminar flow bench for my work room also .. 

on year three of one year project heh

here is link to  that project .

 

https://mycotopia.ne...-few-questions/

 

 

YES THIS HAS WORKED SO FAR ..
"Also, if the girl is on top she can't get pregnant.."....

 

Also with the vasectomy and condom just in case ... !

me being old and unattractive seems to help also .

lack social skills

bad hygeine  ect

Jesus Christ, that just made my head explode.