21 replies to this topic

[Hypo_Myco]

Just wondering what peoples' opinion is for using growshop pH up (can't remember exactly what chemical right now) for pasturizing straw. Does lime stay within the straw and continue to act as a ph buffer keeping it high, or is it simply a case of it only being important to regulate the ph during the pastuerization process? Ph up is far easier to source than hydrated lime. I don't live that far from 5 or 6 "world class" garden centers, but nobody has hydrated lime, only dolomite.

Thanks for any input.

[Lazlo]

Using hot tap water and bleach at a ratio of 1 cup bleach/10 gallons of hot tap water's just as good as anything for preparing straw. Allow the straw 6 hours of soaking time in the bath, then simply ring it out to 2 drip capacity for spawning.

[yerbaadam]

wow lazlo! No lime bath OR 162 degree pasturization?
Just bleach and good results you say!?!
What could be easier?
Foaf does bleach soak for 24 hours, drains, pasturizes with hydrated lime at 160-170 for 1.5 hours. Cools, then spawns.
Just bleach would be a dream come true! Does it really work just like that!?!


>>yer friend naScar denDriTE duDLey

[Lazlo]

Yep, just like that.

[shroomman21]

damn , thats kool

might have to try it

can you do h/poo and cow poo like that

[Lazlo]

I'm sure you could do manures like that, but i've never tried it. I'll give it a go when my isolate's ready. With casings that don't need to be non-sterile would be nice too.

[Hypo_Myco]

It makes sense that bleach would kill baddies... but why is lime always suggested? It seems like I'm not the only one that's had trouble sourcing hydrated lime, from what I've read anyways, so why always lime+bleach+heat suggested? I've got the bleach and the heat... are we thinking that those two would be more successful, of are we now just using such a high level of bleach that it kills all microbes (good and bad), so that heat isn't even needed?


Got 4 popcorn jars about 3/4 full anxiously awaiting their straw... if I can really get this going tonight then I'm quite happy about that.

[Lazlo]

Using bleach and hot tap water at that ratio gives you 2 weeks of time to get the straw colonized properly. The hot tap water knocks off the straws waxy coating quicker, allowing the bleached water an easier penetration into it. Just do it and relax. ;) lol

[viewer6922]

Check out Freaks....small straw TEK! I bought lime at a home improvment center....lime for concrete.....'0' contaims so far! just cased it last night....

[papalion]

heads up. Hydrated lime is also called Quicklime/Calcium Hydroxide. Ca(OH)2 (mineral name: portlandite),used to harden mortar faster. Wikipedia says its traditional names are slaked lime, or hydrated lime. Hydrated lime is very simple to make as lime is a basic anhydride and reacts vigorously with water.

It has traditionally been used in the burial of bodies in open graves, to hide the smell of decomposition. It is a refractory and a dehydrating agent and is used to purify citric acid, glucose, dyes and as a CO₂ absorber. It is also used in pottery, concrete, paints and the food industry, where it is sometimes used (in conjunction with water) to heat items like MREs (Meals Ready To Eat) and coffee. Also it's what takes your hair off.depilitory agent.. in Nair. Lye substitute in no-lye hair relaxers. In the reef aquarium hobby for adding bio-available calcium in solution for calcium-using animals such as algae, snails, hard tube worms, and corals (often referred to as Kalkwasser mix)

heated it breaks down to CaO + h20.. would that be (aq)?.. Should be something like
Ca(OH)2 > CaO+ H2O - so heating will destroy your caoh.. but no telling what itll do to the caO.
Either way. Looking for CaOH might be easier.
Heating calcium carbonate (CaCO₃; mineral name: calcite). brings you.. quicklime..This is accomplished by heating the material to above 825°C, reversible reaction. it'll suck CO2 out of the air until its CaCO3 again.

Sorry about the ramble.
really sorry.

[Hypo_Myco]

heads up. Hydrated lime is also called Quicklime/Calcium Hydroxide. Ca(OH)2 (mineral name: portlandite),used to harden mortar faster. Wikipedia says its traditional names are slaked lime, or hydrated lime. Hydrated lime is very simple to make as lime is a basic anhydride and reacts vigorously with water.

It has traditionally been used in the burial of bodies in open graves, to hide the smell of decomposition. It is a refractory and a dehydrating agent and is used to purify citric acid, glucose, dyes and as a CO₂ absorber. It is also used in pottery, concrete, paints and the food industry, where it is sometimes used (in conjunction with water) to heat items like MREs (Meals Ready To Eat) and coffee. Also it's what takes your hair off.depilitory agent.. in Nair. Lye substitute in no-lye hair relaxers. In the reef aquarium hobby for adding bio-available calcium in solution for calcium-using animals such as algae, snails, hard tube worms, and corals (often referred to as Kalkwasser mix)

heated it breaks down to CaO + h20.. would that be (aq)?.. Should be something like
Ca(OH)2 > CaO+ H2O - so heating will destroy your caoh.. but no telling what itll do to the caO.
Either way. Looking for CaOH might be easier.
Heating calcium carbonate (CaCO₃; mineral name: calcite). brings you.. quicklime..This is accomplished by heating the material to above 825°C, reversible reaction. it'll suck CO2 out of the air until its CaCO3 again.

Sorry about the ramble.
really sorry.

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[papalion]

Oh.. um.. sorry.

what part is giving you trouble? I can break it down..

read the glossary definition of Lime

lots of good in there

[Hypo_Myco]

It's just the chemistry part. No big deal at all, I'm just poking some fun at myself. It's been quite some time since grade 11 chemistry for me.

[alligator]

go to your local grocery store and get some pickling lime. its in the area where they would have jello and sur-gel. pickling lime is 100% hydrated lime and its very cheap.:headbang:

[Lazlo]

By the time you find and buy lime, you could've had the damn straw colonized.

[Hypo_Myco]

By the time you find and buy lime, you could've had the damn straw colonized.

Actually, I'm on it tonight Laz. Bought some snazzy new shears for cutting up the straw that I've had since early October. I'm pretty lazy when it comes to these types of hobbies. I guess I'll get a pic thread going on it too... might help with motivation.

[malefacter]

you dont own a grass trimer?

[Chaos]

Since we are on straw, how small can you make a 'log"?

I have made a few with plastic tube about 6" diam.

I can never get more than one flush before they get the ich.
I guess what i want to know is @ what size of log will produce the big fruit typical of a straw log?

Can i make smaller dia logs and maybe get one or two good flushes,and still get big fruit?

And last can you add your poo and straw to the bleach past?

[Hypo_Myco]

Using hot tap water and bleach at a ratio of 1 cup bleach/10 gallons of hot tap water's just as good as anything for preparing straw. Allow the straw 6 hours of soaking time in the bath, then simply ring it out to 2 drip capacity for spawning.

Wow, wait a sec... that's like, 0.625% bleach... I'm sorry to keep sounding like I'm second guessing you here Laz, but isn't that pretty low? I mean, conventional wisdom seems to be that this process is long and fairly rigid... less than 1% bleach sounds extraordinarily low.

As a side note, the scissors that I got are working very well, but unfortunately, my bale of straw contains a lot of crap inside it that's not straw. I guess the decorative straw bales aren't exactly ideal for this purpose. I should be avoiding using the grain at the end of the straw due to contams involved with whole grains, right?

[Lazlo]

Whatever the % is, it works very well. Don't worry! It'll work out fine. I use the flowers on the straw too. I've never once had a problem with them.