42 replies to this topic

[xXHeathenXx]

Can I use distilled water and light corn syrup but also add a teaspoon or less of gypsum for added nutrients for the LC?

[Myc]

Gypsum is used as a pH - up buffer. Not really nutritious.

 

Try browsing agar recipes. There are many which have simple, novel ingredients.

To make an LC, all you have to do is omit the powdered agar from the ingredients list.

 

https://mycotopia.ne...neydextrose-qa/

Edited by Myc, 07 November 2021 - 11:57 AM.

[xXHeathenXx]

Gypsum is used as a pH - up buffer. Not really nutritious.

Try browsing agar recipes. There are many which have simple, novel ingredients.
To make an LC, all you have to do is omit the powdered agar from the ingredients list.

https://mycotopia.ne...neydextrose-qa/

Really?? So it's just basic agar powder, the Same used to make agar trays? What do you think about using honey or light corn syrup? Which out of the three would be best and easiest for least opportunity for contam? Agar mix, honey, or light corn syrup? I've seen vids that use all so it gets confusing. I don't wanna fail on my first try and I'm getting close to having agar colonized and I am going to make an LC from it. Then when done fruiting I will pick the best fruit to start a few more LC from the best genetics.

[Myc]

No. It is an agar recipe with the gelling agent (agar) left out of the recipe.

I never had any luck with honey or karo syrup. After trying both, I moved onto using Light Malt Extract and yeast nutrient.

 

If you have made agar and it is colonizing - use a different recipe for the LC which provides a shift in nutrition and is good for propagation of mycelium. If you poured MEA plates - make a Potato Dextrose liquid culture. Boil potatoes and use the filtered water for the base. Karo will be your source of Dextrose. You'll have to scrounge the vaults for the correct amount. Or, if you have powdered Dextrose - use 10 grams in 1000 ml of solution.

 

Prepare to fail a few times unless you're very diligent and read-up on the science.

There are tons of articles provided in the link to the Vaults. Wade through a few of those. Many of your questions are already answered there and you'll get a feel for what other folks have done successfully.

[rockyfungus]

Sorry to keep saying no to your processes Heathen. There is no need to mess with LC at this point and time, honestly. 

 

You want clean agar->grain. Once you understand clean agar and how to keep it clean then you go agar->LC->grain (but that's only when you want a ton of mushrooms...)

Really should do some PFteks to get more spores. Then play with agar and all your spores from PFtek. What do I know though.

[Salty117]

1gr Extra Light Malt Extract to 500ml of clean tap water will make a fine LC. I like to use filtered water because my home is coming up on 80 years old and the plumbing hasn't been serviced in a long time.

 

I also like to use a half gram of Bacteriological Peptone.. seems to give spore solution a jump-start in germination. Also claims are being made that starting with a grain-based sugar reduces the recovery time between inoculation and mycelial growth when spawning to grains. LC is a pretty reasonable way to stretch out your spore solution and make it produce more mycelium if you're not agar-savvy. I wouldn't say it shortens the overall colonization time because the time you save going straight from spore solution to grain is eaten up by the LC preparation and LC colonization, but 2cc of spore solution in LC can make dozens of LC syringes.. which can inoculate dozens upon dozens of grain jars.. dozens upon dozens of BRF jars.. you're just limited to not really being able to perform genetic isolation and if the spore solution is not clean then you can't really "clean" it up by transferring the mycelium culture to a new jar of liquid culture..

 

Pics of some happy mycelium suspendid in clean LC, just having their own little parties.

 

 

 

[xXHeathenXx]

Sorry to keep saying no to your processes Heathen. There is no need to mess with LC at this point and time, honestly.

You want clean agar->grain. Once you understand clean agar and how to keep it clean then you go agar->LC->grain (but that's only when you want a ton of mushrooms...)
Really should do some PFteks to get more spores. Then play with agar and all your spores from PFtek. What do I know though.

I appreciate your advice and concern but I am definitely staying w the agar, LC, and attempting to do the spore swab tek to try n make a hybrid. If I'm going to do something, I go all the way in, 110%. I've probably spent the better part of 3 or 4 wks reading and watching EVERYTHING and from many different people. It's really how I learned anything growing up.... by taking advice from as many people as I could and applying the best of the info I had to my particular situation.

Besides, agar and LC look much easier than alot of the other things I've done. Growing these magic Fungi seem more of a medium on a difficulty scale. I will send pics periodically tho so you can critique my grow lol. I love sm1 that can give good helpful criticism. It helps me to be better. So, Thank You kind sir

[Oldpunk]

Imma throw my 2 cents in.

I think learning to make a liquid culture is a good thing to try and learn to do. Im pretty new to this game but I also jumped in and tried to figure out more than I probably needed at the time. Before I tried my hand at agar I went with liquid culture. I hadn't even figured out my spore print process. Which is a lot more compact storage method in hindsight.

But. I'm glad I tried and learned how. I wanted to learn, so I made some from spore solution, some from spore prints, some from clone tissue, and some as backup from vendor syringe. In reality I made up 10 small jars of LC and I have only dipped into them 4 times. Considering I've used 4 syringes out of 100 worth I'd say I went a bit overboard. BUT!!! I sure was glad I made them when my Tampa grow turned out half ass and now I still have the genetics. And I made way too much, but it's not like I can't just dump the jars and wash them out.

Oh. By the way. I used 1 spoonful of light corn syrup to 100 ml distilled water PCd for 15 min. You could definitely add a little more nutrients to that but I liked the nice clear water to check the progress.

[Oldpunk]

100ml is one of these little 1/4 pint jars.

[xXHeathenXx]

100ml is one of these little 1/4 pint jars.

20211108_083117~2.jpg

Is it OK to use the agar powder for making a liquid culture and agar dishes?

[Salty117]

Agar powder is not desired for an LC solution, it is a solidifying agent made from seaweed

Edited by Salty117, 08 November 2021 - 10:32 AM.

[Myc]

Methinks Heathen missed something in all of that reading.

 

Agar plates and slants start off as a nutritious liquid medium (Liquid Culture) with agar powder (a gelling agent) added so that it can solidify and be used as a two-dimensional surface for the propagation of micro-organisms.

[Oldpunk]

Right. No agar powder. You would have lumpy cottage cheese LC.

But you can use the malt extract instead of corn syrup. That would work.

[xXHeathenXx]

100ml is one of these little 1/4 pint jars.

20211108_083117~2.jpg

Perfect. I'm going to do plenty of experimenting now b4 my mush flush just to get a head start on the method and hopefully learn enough that when I start to choose genetics, I will have some experience under my belt.

[xXHeathenXx]

Right. No agar powder. You would have lumpy cottage cheese LC.

But you can use the malt extract instead of corn syrup. That would work.

Ya I was looking into the elme extra light malt extract. But I don't reckon that would work for making an LC. Just trying to experiment and as always try to make an easier, more efficient method.

[xXHeathenXx]

Gypsum is used as a pH - up buffer. Not really nutritious.

Try browsing agar recipes. There are many which have simple, novel ingredients.
To make an LC, all you have to do is omit the powdered agar from the ingredients list.

https://mycotopia.ne...neydextrose-qa/

So it would work? The agar mix can also make LC? I have w gallons of distilled water I plan to use for the LC base.

[Salty117]

 

Right. No agar powder. You would have lumpy cottage cheese LC.

But you can use the malt extract instead of corn syrup. That would work.

Ya I was looking into the elme extra light malt extract. But I don't reckon that would work for making an LC. Just trying to experiment and as always try to make an easier, more efficient method.

 

 

 

I posted pictures of the extra light malt extract recipe I use.. actively in the process of colonizing... admittedly it helps having a magnetic stir plate/bar to mix it up because it has a tendency to clump up but I just get my water kettle screamin' hot before I pour it in with my dry ingredients and it dissolves very quickly. The syrup will probably mix easier without a magnetic stir plate/bar.

[xXHeathenXx]

Right. No agar powder. You would have lumpy cottage cheese LC.

But you can use the malt extract instead of corn syrup. That would work.

Ya I was looking into the elme extra light malt extract. But I don't reckon that would work for making an LC. Just trying to experiment and as always try to make an easier, more efficient method.

I posted pictures of the extra light malt extract recipe I use.. actively in the process of colonizing... admittedly it helps having a magnetic stir plate/bar to mix it up because it has a tendency to clump up but I just get my water kettle screamin' hot before I pour it in with my dry ingredients and it dissolves very quickly. The syrup will probably mix easier without a magnetic stir plate/bar.

I ordered a magnetic stirrer. Should be here today actually. Like in the next hour or less

[Tenderfoot]

Don't forget the stir bars!

[xXHeathenXx]

Don't forget the stir bars!

TaaaDaahhh