50 replies to this topic

[cujoloki]

I have some LC look like that. I just wait and see if it turns color. Pay attention to what traits it exhibits. Quaranteen it if it is questionable, but still learn from it. Try to isolate something that doesnt turn green or something that doesnt turn into milky whit or off color goo; which would be bacteria. That looks like mycelium to me. Really puffy though as though its in a stage of search for its lost LC environment, Or absorbing as much O2 as it can. I wonder.

[jrh]

The white, fluffy mounds of mycelium are on a really souped up agar recipe. I used sterile oat water, LME, a dash of Karo, and nutritional yeast. I'm a beginner so I'm still at the "more equals more" stage. I'm getting over it.

 

I have the same stuff growing in a more normal LME + yeast agar that is just poofy in the middle, and then you can see the characteristic radial lines in the growth around that.

 

So, I'll keep an eye on things, but I'm hopeful I have a clean Purple Mystic culture and have at least some mycelium from GT, JMF, and Z-strain that I can work on isolating.

 

I'll try to do some transfers to petri dish this weekend and hopefully get some better photos.

Edited by jrh, 16 December 2020 - 12:52 PM.

[jrh]

I did 2 transfers to petri dish from the highlighted section.

 

 

I also have some more agar sterilizing so I can pour some more petri dishes.

[jrh]

Does it look like my cakes are knotting up? I was going to spawn these to bulk (coir, 1:1). If these are knots, is it too late to do this?

 

 

[jrh]

Based on a couple of recommendations, I went ahead and spawned these to bulk. The variety is Purple Mystics from Hawk, btw.

 

The ratio ended up being around 1:1.5 because these were BRF+ cakes. The containers are pint takeout containers from Boston Market (pp 5). I basically measured out 1/2 pint of coir into a bowl. Crumbled the cake into it by hand then used both hands to mix everything up. Then I put it in the takeout container and topped with a thin layer of just coir.

 

 

I'm sort of following a video for shoebox tek where the guy made shoeboxes, put on the lid, and stacked them 4 to a tub for 1-2 weeks. It didn't look like the tub was ventilated. After he had some good knotting on top, he put two shoeboxes sans lids into a ventilated tub and let grow.

[Direct Link]

 

So into a tub and on a shelf.

 

 

Oh, and what are BRF+ cakes? Inspired by a recipe from Hippie3 for super cakes, I simply added some extras to a normal BRF recipe, like coconut flour, corn meal, wheat germ, nutritional yeast, prepped oats. Because of the oats, I sterilized the BRF cakes for 2 hours, which caused the light, airy cake to compress too much. Next time I'll use sterilized oats in the mixture, then just sterilize the cakes for 30-45 mins.

Edited by jrh, 19 December 2020 - 01:44 PM.

[ElPirana]

Keep in mind that colonization can stall out if the gas exchange is limited too much in those tubs. I’ve had that happen before and it seems that a lid that is not too tight will be ok. When I’ve stacked tubs, just the weight of another tub on the lid below it can be too restrictive on airflow.

[jrh]

I'll take a look tomorrow. I can add holes to that bin, although the lid is opaque and the body is tinted, so it might not be great for the actual grow.

 

In the past, I've covered the coir with foil with some ventilation cuts in it taped up with micropore tape, and then put the takeout lid on that, with a taped up ventilation hole.

 

The guy in the video was concerned about losing too much humidity if he didn't put them in the tote, I think. And he said how the surface would automagically end up with the perfect microclimate his way.

Edited by jrh, 19 December 2020 - 10:26 PM.

[Auhron]

automagically 

I really like this word.

[jrh]

I went ahead and flipped the bin, so now the microtubs are sitting in the lid, which has a hole in it that I just covered with micropore tape. The top is on loosely, allowing fresh air to enter. Maybe I should tape all around it like one would a dub tub. The little microtubs had nice condensation on the lids, but for good measure I went ahead and misted the inside of the bin, so that should be a warm, humid environment.

 

 

Each microtub only has a small air hole, like to-go containers have for steam to escape. Think that's enough or should I add airholes?

[jrh]

I ended up replacing those plastic lids with tiny holes with foil with slits cut in it and covered with micropore tape. After 10 days I removed the foil. The substrate seemed bone dry, so I dunked for a couple of hours. I left one as is and cased the other in Jiffy mix. I don't really know why.

 

 

 

Here they are in FC. May the mushroom gods have mercy on me this time around.

 

OMG, I was getting tired of ordering petri dishes 10-15 at a time, so I went ahead and ordered a case of 500. The box is HUGE. I don't have anywhere to store that. My husband is going to kill me.

 

My last batch of ketchup cups contaminated more than I'm used to. I'm not sure if it's because the cups weren't sterile, or my work was sloppier than normal, or what. Hopefully these new petri dishes will get me back on a better track.

[Arathu]

Maintain your fruiting conditions and make sacrifice(s) to the Dwarves, the gods are probably not interested in our fungal explorations.....just in IME...

 

It looks like it should fruit... I'd still be optimistic personally.... you cased that out of instinct and probably from reading it somewhere....and it's a valid thing to do to a fungus.....

 

I switched to glass dishes for the reason you express, storage space, and just for having to order them too but if you're making a ton of plates ordering by the case is the way to go.

 

Still having a stash of plates to work with is nice....he'll get over it...  

 

Good sterile technique, a specific plan with practice, as well as self assessment and correction(s), is essential to reducing contamination. 

 

Eventually you should explore a flow hood if you're serious....wonderfully though, a solid PF TEK and BRF cakes makes growing fungus accessible to just about anyone....  IMHO

 

Looks good and nice work..only thing I see is maybe get that humidity up higher in the chamber.....see what happens....

 

A

Edited by Arathu, 30 December 2020 - 04:22 PM.

[jrh]

I could move it to my mush Room where I have a humidifier running, but it's a little warmer in there, 75-80 F

[Arathu]

I don't like having fungus at that temperature at all, outside where Mother Nature has them  is different....but just inside the chamber is fine, misting lightly or whatever....

 

I like using a tub upright, with the lid up,holes similar with felt or tape over them (adjust as necessary) for fruiting....

 

Wet perlite, I use salt water, in the bottom works well for humidification....added humidity comes from paper towels over the side of the tub sprayed with a misting bottle as required (TV style)...

 

There's a million ways to do it....high humidity, ample FAE, and patience......

 

A

Edited by Arathu, 30 December 2020 - 04:50 PM.

[jrh]

I just adjusted the temps of the mush room to 73-75. I need to get some duct tape so I can fix a hole in the lid and then I can add water to my perlite in there. The bin is flipped because this one has an opaque, hard plastic lid. I wouldn't use it as a monotub, but I figured it would work as a fc. So, duct tape and then I can add some salt water.

 

How much lighting do mushies need? Right now I have plant grow lights in there, but they're not convenient. Flat leds like for an aquarium would be easier to use in there.

[rockyfungus]

They don't need much light at all, just enough so they know which way is up.

After you go through your single-use petri dishes, consider thrifting for tupperwares (pp5)

[jrh]

Probably just the normal bathroom light is fine then and no need for anything special.

[Arathu]

Probably just the normal bathroom light is fine then and no need for anything special.

Yep just a regular light works and I also find a small LED plant grow lamp works well...a home made worked and I'm sure the commercial kind does too...

 

Nothing super critical as far as light goes with cubes...

 

A

Edited by Arathu, 30 December 2020 - 07:46 PM.

[jrh]

Day 4 in the FC, Purple Mystics

 

 

I added some salt water to the perlite, hopefully humidity is high enough.

 

 

 

Starting to see some growth on the cased container.

 

 

Looks like I'm starting to see primordia in the uncased container, but photos just come out a shiny mess. This was after misting and fanning.

[jrh]

Day 6 in the FC, Purple mystics

 

 

 

Added a fan that runs for 5 mins then shuts off. So basically I mist everything, turn the fan on, and let it turn itself off. Otherwise, everything looks pretty much the same.

 

Now for a question about my grain jars

 

 

Do these look about done? At this point I give them a good shake and see if they recover in 3 days? And then they're ready to use the next day or the next month or whenever? (assuming they smell good when I pop them open)

 

The varieties are GT, ApeR, PM, PM, PM respectively.

[Stencill86]

Those first 3 jars look just about done. I wouldn’t shake them again, but I would concider doing some g2g with those and making a nice tub with each.