32 replies to this topic

[rockyfungus]

Here's my barley/vermiculite concoction. Should I have used a verm barrier on top?

I didn't shake this at all, from what I recall from the PF tek. Didn't bother re-reading it, as I felt I know enough at this point.

Anyways pictures are worth more then words, looks like I can use up all this barley I got!

 

Edited by rockyfungus, 16 December 2020 - 09:58 AM.

[Auhron]

The verm layer for PFtek on top was (if I'm remembering correctly) primarily to prevent contaminant spores from reaching the nutrient rich grains.  The verm layer also helps to hold moisture before and after the cakes have been "birthed". 

You are working with agar though, not going straight to grain with a spore syringe. Also using your barley as spawn.  Your level of involvement is well beyond the intention of the PFtek.

 

Looks like good spawn to me.

 

Show me spines on that Lions Mane!!!!! I must live vicariously through you until mine is ready to fruit!!!! j/k My lions mane popcorn spawn is going to Masters Mix tomorrow. I sterilized my substrate today, it is now cooling.

I have a good amount of lentils kicking around, they get really really sticky and gooey if overcooked. I'm going to use them in a similar manner as you have done here with your barley. Yes I know they are a legume and not a cereal grain, but I'm tired of eating them so I'm going to feed them to my mushrooms.

[jrh]

I have a good amount of lentils kicking around, they get really really sticky and gooey if overcooked. I'm going to use them in a similar manner as you have done here with your barley. Yes I know they are a legume and not a cereal grain, but I'm tired of eating them so I'm going to feed them to my mushrooms.

 

How do you use lentils? I have some soybeans, and I tried those alone as a spawn and the mycelium never took hold. Do you mix lentils with verm? Or add lentils to a grain to give little punches of protein?

[Auhron]

I have so far used Lentils for spawn twice: once with B+, once with Oyster Mushrooms. 

 

When I did it the first time (for the Oysters) I just used them straight up, typical soak overnight, drain for 30 minutes, Pressure cook. the mass of lentils was unbreakable. But the Oyster Mycelium loved it. I had to manhandle the mass (through the grow bag) when I transferred the jar into softwood substrate. Not ideal for spawn because it was awkward to break up but the price was right.

 

The Second time, for the B+ I had about 10% verm in the jar with them. other than that they got the same treatment. The verm helped the lentils be less bricklike, still far from ideal.  Growth rate for the  B+ was MUCH slower than the oyster, so much so that I probably wont use it for the B+ again.  I'm going to increase the verm level by a another 10% for my next go.  It was mentioned in my Blue Oyster Mushroom thread to try adding the verm, and again in this thread. if 10% verm was a minor improvement, I'm hoping there is a sweet spot to find.  Oyster Mycelium will eat almost anything from what I've read.  Also, my lentils still have the hull on, not sure if that made a difference but I figured it would be worth noting.  

 

 What type of mushroom mycelium did you try to grow? maybe it was the strain you were working with deciding it didn't like soybean. 

[jrh]

It was a cube, or trich, or both. I'll give the soybeans another shot, alone or with verm or oats, once I'm convinced I have clean cube mycelium.

[rockyfungus]

The verm layer for PFtek on top was (if I'm remembering correctly) primarily to prevent contaminant spores from reaching the nutrient rich grains.  The verm layer also helps to hold moisture before and after the cakes have been "birthed". 

You are working with agar though, not going straight to grain with a spore syringe. Also using your barley as spawn.  Your level of involvement is well beyond the intention of the PFtek.

 

Looks like good spawn to me.

 

Show me spines on that Lions Mane!!!!! I must live vicariously through you until mine is ready to fruit!!!! j/k My lions mane popcorn spawn is going to Masters Mix tomorrow. I sterilized my substrate today, it is now cooling.

I have a good amount of lentils kicking around, they get really really sticky and gooey if overcooked. I'm going to use them in a similar manner as you have done here with your barley. Yes I know they are a legume and not a cereal grain, but I'm tired of eating them so I'm going to feed them to my mushrooms.

I hope I get decent spines this time. I really have a low tech method that seems to work. I wanted to try a fruiting chamber this time, but if it's not broken I have a hard time fixing it (or breaking it more).

 

I wait for my bags to show little poms, cut an X near it. Then as they start exiting the bag I put a grocery plastic bag on top and spray the bag as needed. Any water that gets on the poms will bruise/bacterial blotch, so my biggest issue is keeping everything hydrated without getting too much water on the fruit. I have a bag of lions mane and king oyster finishing up, hopefully they fruit in a week or 2.

Oysters always throw me off, still don't know if I need a true cold shock. Or if my basement is cold enough! I tend to cycle between fridge and basement till it fruits...I may case this time to see if it helps with flushes.

[Auhron]

I cold shocked my Oyster fruiting block both times. To be honest I think that some kind of higher fungal overseer made it grow so I'd get hooked to this hobby. beginners' luck    The second flush cold shock was literally just my basement getting WAY TOO cold because winter can get stupid where I live. Maybe it was meticulous attention to detail... 

[rockyfungus]

You are growing blues IIRC?

We may need to trade some genetics. Never tried any of the classic oysters, just Kings.

[Auhron]

They are definitely Oysters. the culture started when I swabbed a Blue Oyster Mushroom for spores because it's gills were all wet / crushed... none of mine grew to be blue though. at any stage. Growth pattern and fruiting temps seem consistent with what Blues should be, just not the color. I cannot explain the color thing. In lower light levels they were greyish - in higher light levels they fruited  brown.

[rockyfungus]

Interesting, I haven't done much research, but they are mainly just pigmented differently?

I just went to put that barley into my wood bags, and my finger went right through my pasteurized bag as I loaded the spawn!!!! First time that has ever happened with bags upon bags. Really upset...Guess I'll have to redo the experiment.

[rockyfungus]

Re-tried a barley-verm mix. I used the exact ratio of the PF TEK, instead of 1:1. Wasn't very happy with the consistency going into the jar,  colonizing decently from a self made syringe. (checked on agar and was clean).

Unsure if seeing true darkening of substrate, or if it's just a bit wet.

[rockyfungus]

Most of my barley experiment over the year have failed. Every attempt at drying and calculating hydration have been too wet.

Grinding the Barley and subbing it for BRF works to an extent.
Moisture content seems harder to control.

Went back to a true BRF cake that I’ll nocc with GLC or LI in a few days. I’ll be back with growth.

[rockyfungus]

By true BRF I mean barley flour.

I’ve been using the PF tek for ratios and it seems a bit different from magic for the masses. Nonetheless I don’t think verm to flour matters a whole lot as low nutrient agar proves.

Anyways… I converted from volume to weight. Volume is the most whack way to measure solid objects.

PF tek: 140ml Verm, 40 ml BRF
Barley: 20g Verm, 35g barley, ~60g H2O