44 replies to this topic

[FunnyFarmer]

I can't take it any more, I gotta do another grow, as if extracting DMT isn't enough. I found out I needed to consult my notes cause the old noggin ain't what it used to be. The rye is soaking and I'm getting the gear together, now to figure out which LC to go with. B+ is out of the running as a test determined it was contaminated so that leaves 8 (or is it 9) other contestants to choose from. And that doesn't include the colonized grain that's been slowing incubating for a while in the fridge, as in last fall...?....

[FunnyFarmer]

Well, I decided to go with the McKennai LC as it is bursting at the seams with mycelia compared to the others done with the peptone additive and they aren't too shabby themselves. While I was at it I transferred some LC from the ones that didn't have the peptone to fresh LC, of course with peptone. The next hurdle to overcome is how to spawn to the sub without attracting contams to the party. I played around with using two SAB's dub tub style but the arm holes are way to far above the inserted tub to reach into it. Back to the drawing board...

 

For those of you who haven't tried LC this is a good representation of the difference that peptone makes to the brew. It may look like condensation on the surface but it's not.

 

What's even more impressive is the peptone jar was late to the show by about half a year. When I put the supercharged LC in the fridge it was about half colonized and that was about 3 months ago. I had problems getting a sample for this grow cause the mycelia kept clogging the needle...

[Uncle G]

Seems interesting enough. 

[FunnyFarmer]

Quick little update, the rye colonization is progressing as I expected, ie. faster than squirting a syringe full of spores in it. I love LC...  I expect to to shake them in less than a week then watch them blossom. As for the other LC jars they too are progressing nicely, more than likely they will go into the fridge in another week or less. For some reason the PE6 was a little slow out of the gate but it's looking better now.

[FunnyFarmer]

The rye was progressing much faster than anticipated so I gave them a shake a couple days ago. I expect I'll be spawning them to sub by next weekend at this rate. Did I say I love LC? Especially the peptone infused LC.

[FunnyFarmer]

Well, so much for spawning by this weekend, it looks more like Wednesday or at the latest Thursday. Those jars are just going bonkers! Now to figure out how to isolate the spawning process to keep unwanted contams at bay while I do the mixing. It's got me wondering how fast it will colonize the sub...

 

[ShortcutSlim]

 And that doesn't include the colonized grain that's been slowing incubating for a while in the fridge, as in last fall...?....

I read through this thread but I must have missed this part. I can save colonized grain in the fridge? This is terrific news. Colonization slows evidently which would be necessary.  The wife is of the opinion that the fridge is her domain. She really is a great wife, but she balks a little at my filling the fridge with my gear. I have a beater fridge in the garage,but it struggles to stay cold when it is 115* in there. I may just have to use it anyway.

Edited by ShortcutSlim, 26 July 2022 - 02:54 AM.

[FunnyFarmer]

Yeah, when I'm ready to start a new grow I'll take one of the pint jars and do a G2G transfer to 2 or 3 quart jars of sterilized rye in a SAB. There is a limit to how long you can store them in the fridge, I had one start to develop mold but that was at least after 8 months. I've got a couple jars dated October last year and they look fine but I don't know how well they would colonize...

[ShortcutSlim]

This is great. Here I am sweating about my grains when they could be in the fridge.

 

Thank you.

[FunnyFarmer]

I wait until they're about 90% colonized before putting them in the fridge, it gives the mycelia something to work on. The colonization slows down in the fridge but doesn't stop.

[FunnyFarmer]

 

 And that doesn't include the colonized grain that's been slowing incubating for a while in the fridge, as in last fall...?....

 I have a beater fridge in the garage,but it struggles to stay cold when it is 115* in there. I may just have to use it anyway.

 

If you've got the spare coin you can get an apartment size fridge to store your experiments. Try to find one without the freezer section, it's pretty much useless for shroom work and takes up valuable space.. That is if you've also got the spare room in the house...

[Moonless]

You should give those ol fridge jars a try! It would be super interesting to see how they perform.

[FunnyFarmer]

You should give those ol fridge jars a try! It would be super interesting to see how they perform.

You're right, I've already had two go bad and the others have shrunk and have spots of shroom piss in them. So yeah, I'll do a G2G and see how they do. I only have a pint of each...

 

As of today the McKennai has been spawned. There was a strong smell of shrooms in the room I did it in and nearby rooms. Here's to hoping the dreaded trich doesn't make a return appearance.

[Moonless]

Also consider doing a micro grow like rotessorie/grow bag/tupperware if you don't want bother with G2G.

[FunnyFarmer]

Also consider doing a micro grow like rotessorie/grow bag/tupperware if you don't want bother with G2G.

That's a thought, I'm so focused on larger tubs (small for some of you) that I hadn't considered a micro grow. I've got a recycling center nearby that I could raid it for appropriate sized containers. Time for some dumpster diving... Thanks for the reminder!

[FunnyFarmer]

I got those colonized pint jars from the fridge spawned to sub just a little bit ago, PE6, TW, and GWM. Last year I did either the TW or the GWM, probably the GWM, and it produced something unrecognizable, definitely not shrooms. So I'm hoping it will grow shrooms this time around. It's from a different agar dish this time. It was a little challenging this time as I did the spawning in a SAB to minimize any kind of contams. I found some 6.5 qt tubs at Wally World that hopefully will work out. But if the GWM lives up to it's name I might have a problem, namely headroom. The jars were dated 12-7-21 so that makes them about 8 months old. If these grow I'll probably regret tossing out the PB a week ago... Updates to follow!  Apologies for not posting a pic of the jars before spawning them, when I get focused I get focused.

 

As for the McKennai it's a little slow out of the gate compared to the last three grows, it's producing tomentose instead of rhizomorphic mycelia. I'm concerned that it might let the contams get the upper hand in the race to colonize.

[ShortcutSlim]

 

I had already considered one of those apartment size refrigerators @FunnyFarmer ,but I already have this old derelict standing around looking all dejected. Might as well give it a cleaning and plug it in. It'll have to remain in the garage tho, I may throw one of those packing blankets from Harbor Freight over it and see how it runs.

Edited by ShortcutSlim, 01 August 2022 - 12:29 AM.

[FunnyFarmer]

 

 

I had already considered one of those apartment size refrigerators @FunnyFarmer ,but I already have this old derelict standing around looking all dejected. Might as well give it a cleaning and plug it in. It'll have to remain in the garage tho, I may throw one of those packing blankets from Harbor Freight over it and see how it runs.

 

A quick reminder in case you forget, make sure to clean out the cooling fins, those dust bunnies breed like rabbits. I don't have room for a full sized fridge and the small one is already getting a little crowded. I need to do some house cleaning and get rid of the old agar plates to make room for some more LC.

[Uncle G]

8 months in the fridge sounds like a long time.   I am wondering how this works out as well.  

[FunnyFarmer]

Here's another update, the micro grows are showing life! Not that much, which is to be expected, the PE6 was the first to sprout mycelia yesterday followed later in the day by the other two. 4 days after spawning isn't too bad considering how long they were in the fridge. Now to see if any contams join the fun, I'll be keeping a close eye out for those home wreckers!

The Mckennai is continuing to colonize the sub and is somewhere around 50 - 60%, slow compared to my last 3 grows. I don't know if that's par for tomentose mycelia compared to rhizomis. While I was growing it on agar I selected the most vigorous mycelia available, it didn't seem to want to grow rhyzomis mycelia on any of the plates.