8 replies to this topic

[MindHunter]

Hey eerrrbody, yep me again, made LC with organic light malt extract(DME), ratio @ 4%, 300ml water(distilled) to 12gr malt. Color is dark, see through up to light, has clumps of undissolved malt, and a froth ring around the jar where I spun it...kinda scared to use it for innoc, any thoughts??....PC'd 15 min @ 150psi with other jars, maple,honey,karo....errthing else looks fine,seethru, this is twice this has happened,threw out the others and made this batch with the same results with the malt. On the label its says light dried malt extract. Ive made some before,but dont recall this happening, still have the jar with spawn, its not this dark tho?????

Edited by MindHunter, 17 December 2019 - 09:08 AM.

[PJammer24]

After a while, you get an eye for LCs. I can often tell if they are contaminated by looking at them... LCs that are good should be clear to look through aside from where the myc has colonized... I have had jars that caramelized and had a brown hugh but were still relatively clear besides that brown coloration...

 

Clear is not the best word... Translucent maybe, idk...

 

If you think there is a chance that the jar is good, run a test jar.

[RutgerHauer]

Malt Extract in my experience won't give a clear solution period. That is not something you should expect from it, it always looks a bit muddy - so to speak. I have read somewhere online when they want to make a clear LC from it - they PC it, filter it to get rid of the sediment, and PC again. This feels to me to be an unnecessary step and it will just remove some of the nutrients. But if you insist on having a crystal clear liquid then you could look it up and try that.

 

I use Extra Light Malt Extract. It is lighter than Light Malt Extract (doh!), that might be the difference you are noticing if you used the other one last time.

 

I use it in combination with dextrose in my LCs because I like to think mycelium likes the more complex makeup compared to maple, karo or honey, which are mostly just sugar. I have no idea whether this idea of mine is grounded on anything real, but I seem to notice that mycelium will prefer agar made with Malt Extract over agar with less complex nutrients so I assume the same for liquid cultures.

 

If you are testing the LC you can make sure that it's clean. You can do that before inoculating, but at this point I will trust anything that comes out of my PC is clean and see no reason to do that until I have inoculated and it has colonized.

Edited by RutgerHauer, 17 December 2019 - 10:24 AM.

[Myc]

Light malt extract is OK and will work for most organisms but the Extra Light DME is the stuff you really want. 

The sediment in the jars is composed of proteins and complex sugars which have congealed and "crashed" out of solution. The sediment is nutritious and will be polished-off by the fungi. Most of my liquid cultures do turn out somewhat dark in color - like sweet tea. 

 

You say you have "clumps" of DME. Did you dissolve the DME, completely, in warm water prior to PC? 

I tend to add it - little by little - to a pot of water heating on the stove. Once dissolved, then it's into jars for sterilization. 

 

Also, as mentioned above, Dextrose is going to be a better choice for sugar. I use dextrose or glucose depending upon the cultivar. 

If you added yeast extract or other supplementation - that can also cause cloudiness in the solution. 

 

I wonder if your sugar content is a bit high. 

My recipe calls for 30 grams of DME in 1000 ml (one liter) of water. 

This would be 15 grams for 500 ml - and slightly less for 300 ml. 

I also notice where you "PC'd 15 min @ 150psi with other jars". I'm hoping that's a typo and you meant 15 min. @ 15 PSI. 

Edited by Myc, 17 December 2019 - 10:55 AM.

[PJammer24]

Having some color to it and having it be clear enough to see through are too entirely different things. You can have a caramelized color to the liquid and still be able to see through the solution

[MindHunter]

Yeah, definitely a typo, Im almost positive the lc isnt contam, and yes i did use warm water to premix, I do my best to follow all inst. to the letter, so after these comments, I feel secure enough to try a test run on one ....thanks errrbody,....HOLLA

[MindHunter]

As noted above from several members, the LC worked just fine, right after my original post I went ahead with innocing , everything has turned out healthy and has been adding to grain, wbs\corn, it's easier to obtain on short notice. Thanks all for the confidence boost.

[MsBehavin420]

Id give it a good ole college try! What do you have to lose besides some liquid and some jars... (Whoopie Doo! Presto change-o make more) (BAM)

But that is why i stick to just some potatoes and Karo solution.. Clarity

Good luck with the grow

[Dabluebonic]

I am 2:2 on LCs. I couldn't believe i got it to work, but i basically used just a drop of real honey in a 1/2 pint jar filled half way with water. Solution is basically clear. If i can fo it anyone can.