26 replies to this topic

[Vikings333]

Pulled out my LC jars and there is a think layer on top which looks like a kombucha scoby. The mycelium in the jar looks thick and healthy but I have not seen this top white layer before. I have also not had much experience with LCs, and this has been left alone for a few weeks. Is this normal?

 

 

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[cujoloki]

I think the black specks arent a good thing but wait for a better response. My LC does that all the time. Thats why stir plates help so much i think in the LC's it'll clog a needle if you cant break that up.

[jrh]

In my limited experience w/ LC, if you let them sit, mycelium will grow at the surface where oxygen is most available. The other things floating around in your mycelium might be just sediment or rust or something, but they may be contams. I'd use a 16 g needle and syringe to shred up the mycelium, squirt a little into a sterile shot glass or petri dish, and then use a loop to take a tiny bit to agar and let it grow out, do transfers if needed until it's clean, the start a new LC from that.

 

More experienced folk may have better informed responses.

[Choices]

Do you have anything in there to cut/break that myc up?

[sandman]

This is normal when you let a LC go too long. Try to use it sooner than this in the future because now the needle will be clogged like nobodies business and the culture isn't as vigorous to take off at this point.

[Choices]

It’s gotten to fat and lazy, so to speak. (The myc)

[Vikings333]

Do you have anything in there to cut/break that myc up?

Nothing in there. Should I buy some stir strip things or marbles next time? Just didn't know what was ok to be in there and then the PC

[Vikings333]

I think the black specks arent a good thing but wait for a better response. My LC does that all the time. Thats why stir plates help so much i think in the LC's it'll clog a needle if you cant break that up.

Those were from the MS solution I originally used

[Vikings333]

It’s gotten to fat and lazy, so to speak. (The myc)

Kinda what I was thinking. Shake it up and then still viable? 

[Vikings333]

This is normal when you let a LC go too long. Try to use it sooner than this in the future because now the needle will be clogged like nobodies business and the culture isn't as vigorous to take off at this point.

Ok good to know. Ill shake and see. Hopping to now up some WBS jars this week

[Vikings333]

In my limited experience w/ LC, if you let them sit, mycelium will grow at the surface where oxygen is most available. The other things floating around in your mycelium might be just sediment or rust or something, but they may be contams. I'd use a 16 g needle and syringe to shred up the mycelium, squirt a little into a sterile shot glass or petri dish, and then use a loop to take a tiny bit to agar and let it grow out, do transfers if needed until it's clean, the start a new LC from that.

 

More experienced folk may have better informed responses.

Sounds like thats above my pay grade... haven't worked with agar or any transfers yet.

[Vikings333]

 

Sounds like thats above my pay grade... haven't worked with agar or any transfers yet.

 

If you have a way of working sterile (still air box, open oven door, something better) and if you're interested and willing, Pasty Plates are an accessible way to try it out.

 

https://www.shroomer...Number/19208976

 

Basically, you mix it up on the stove, spoon it into little jars or plastic containers (Glad makes them and I'm sure others. Polypropylene plastic (pp5) is pressure cooker safe. If there's a 5 in a triangle as the recycling code, it's pp5)), and sterilize in a pressure cooker. There's no pouring or petri dishes involved. You can probably get all the ingredients at the grocery store although if you can't find agar agar you may want to order it.

 

cool I read through that... just not 100% on the benefits? testing to see invisible contams? better for transfers? changing the media to prevent senescence?

[PJammer24]

 

In my limited experience w/ LC, if you let them sit, mycelium will grow at the surface where oxygen is most available. The other things floating around in your mycelium might be just sediment or rust or something, but they may be contams. I'd use a 16 g needle and syringe to shred up the mycelium, squirt a little into a sterile shot glass or petri dish, and then use a loop to take a tiny bit to agar and let it grow out, do transfers if needed until it's clean, the start a new LC from that.

 

More experienced folk may have better informed responses.

Sounds like thats above my pay grade... haven't worked with agar or any transfers yet.

 

agar is much easier than many people think... It is not over your head... Just start getting your hands dirty

 

agar is a needed step when cloning but it can also be used to isolate vigorous genetics from spore or clean up dirty spores, etc...

Edited by PJammer24, 07 January 2021 - 03:40 PM.

[Vikings333]

 

 

In my limited experience w/ LC, if you let them sit, mycelium will grow at the surface where oxygen is most available. The other things floating around in your mycelium might be just sediment or rust or something, but they may be contams. I'd use a 16 g needle and syringe to shred up the mycelium, squirt a little into a sterile shot glass or petri dish, and then use a loop to take a tiny bit to agar and let it grow out, do transfers if needed until it's clean, the start a new LC from that.

 

More experienced folk may have better informed responses.

Sounds like thats above my pay grade... haven't worked with agar or any transfers yet.

 

agar is much easier than many people think... It is not over your head... Just start getting your hands dirty

 

agar is a needed step when cloning but it can also be used to isolate vigorous genetics from spore or clean up dirty spores, etc...

 

Ya I need to study up.. the words cloning, and genetics intimidate me. Can you link me some good material to get started? Ill dig through as well

 

As I mentioned in another post I finally have my own place (roommates still), but I own it and can have stuff where I want it. So now I can more fully dive into this hobby

[Asura]

If you want to work with LC it's worth investing in a cheap stir plate. Easy to find on Amazon. 

Your LC looks like it wasn't broken up. Not sure what your lid configuration is but all of mine

use a syringe filter for gas exchange.

[HrVanker]

 

Ya I need to study up.. the words cloning, and genetics intimidate me. Can you link me some good material to get started? Ill dig through as well

 

As I mentioned in another post I finally have my own place (roommates still), but I own it and can have stuff where I want it. So now I can more fully dive into this hobby

Typically when we are talking about genetics, we aren't getting to down and dirty with it. We aren't sequencing genes or anything like that, we're just looking at the behavior of the mycelium and trying to select the most vigorous myc in hopes that it fruits prolifically, potently, and quickly. Barring environmental influence this behavior is caused by genetics, so that's how we refer to it.

 

Cloning isn't really that crazy either. Again, we aren't extracting DNA from a mushroom and inserting it into a spore (which sounds like fun) or any of the things involved in the difficult type of cloning. We are cloning in a similar way to marijuana cultivators: We find mushrooms with desirable traits, sanitize, cut up, and throw on some agar. From there it grows out and we can use it to make new jars of spawn that will hopefully have all the good qualities of the cloned mushroom.

 

Here are a couple threads by CatsAndBats who has spent a lot of time working with agar:

Cataattack Some Agar (again)

Catattack some Agar 3.0

 

There is a lot in both threads, but they cover pretty much all the basic agar stuff.

Edited by HrVanker, 07 January 2021 - 06:32 PM.

[Choices]

You should def follow through with what [mention]Asura [/mention] mentioned. 99 bucks on the inter webs and get some magnetic stir bars (big is not always better) the bottom of jars are concave and the large bars don’t sit right.

I feel your on the right side of the road with LCs just need to tighten things up a bit. And grab the right tools for the job.

Good luck.


I would make these lids if your going to
Continue. If you’d like I can drop a few in the mail to get you going.

Edited by Choices, 07 January 2021 - 07:59 PM.

[Vikings333]

 

 

Ya I need to study up.. the words cloning, and genetics intimidate me. Can you link me some good material to get started? Ill dig through as well

 

As I mentioned in another post I finally have my own place (roommates still), but I own it and can have stuff where I want it. So now I can more fully dive into this hobby

Typically when we are talking about genetics, we aren't getting to down and dirty with it. We aren't sequencing genes or anything like that, we're just looking at the behavior of the mycelium and trying to select the most vigorous myc in hopes that it fruits prolifically, potently, and quickly. Barring environmental influence this behavior is caused by genetics, so that's how we refer to it.

 

Cloning isn't really that crazy either. Again, we aren't extracting DNA from a mushroom and inserting it into a spore (which sounds like fun) or any of the things involved in the difficult type of cloning. We are cloning in a similar way to marijuana cultivators: We find mushrooms with desirable traits, sanitize, cut up, and throw on some agar. From there it grows out and we can use it to make new jars of spawn that will hopefully have all the good qualities of the cloned mushroom.

 

Here are a couple threads by CatsAndBats who has spent a lot of time working with agar:

Cataattack Some Agar (again)

Catattack some Agar 3.0

 

There is a lot in both threads, but they cover pretty much all the basic agar stuff.

 

Awesome! Thanks that helps to simplify too

[coorsmikey]

 

 

Ya I need to study up.. the words cloning, and genetics intimidate me. Can you link me some good material to get started? Ill dig through as well

 

As I mentioned in another post I finally have my own place (roommates still), but I own it and can have stuff where I want it. So now I can more fully dive into this hobby

Typically when we are talking about genetics, we aren't getting to down and dirty with it. We aren't sequencing genes or anything like that, we're just looking at the behavior of the mycelium and trying to select the most vigorous myc in hopes that it fruits prolifically, potently, and quickly. Barring environmental influence this behavior is caused by genetics, so that's how we refer to it.

 

Cloning isn't really that crazy either. Again, we aren't extracting DNA from a mushroom and inserting it into a spore (which sounds like fun) or any of the things involved in the difficult type of cloning. We are cloning in a similar way to marijuana cultivators: We find mushrooms with desirable traits, sanitize, cut up, and throw on some agar. From there it grows out and we can use it to make new jars of spawn that will hopefully have all the good qualities of the cloned mushroom.

 

Here are a couple threads by CatsAndBats who has spent a lot of time working with agar:

Cataattack Some Agar (again)

Catattack some Agar 3.0

 

There is a lot in both threads, but they cover pretty much all the basic agar stuff.

 

Damn! Someone already has the copyright for "Mushrooms Demystified" or else that post could have took the title.

[Vikings333]

You should def follow through with what [mention]Asura [/mention] mentioned. 99 bucks on the inter webs and get some magnetic stir bars (big is not always better) the bottom of jars are concave and the large bars don’t sit right.

I feel your on the right side of the road with LCs just need to tighten things up a bit. And grab the right tools for the job.

Good luck.


I would make these lids if your going to
Continue. If you’d like I can drop a few in the mail to get you going.

 

 

That would be amazing!!

 

How are those air ports different from standard tyvek over holes for grain jars?