27 replies to this topic

[traskprater]

Well Santiago, I am glad you brought this up... because I have a question myself... Someone let me know if this step by step process would work:

1. sterilize a knife and cut the cap off
2. sterilize a jelly jar with rubbing alcohol (let dry)
3. use plain white typing paper to lay cap on
4. put the jelly jar upside so that it covers the cap and paper
5. wait 24 hours
6. remove jelly jar, remove cap
7. replace jelly jar over spore print
8. let dry for another 24 hours

[TastyBeverage]

Paper is generally not recommended for printing because spores can germinate on it and attempt to eat it as substrate. I see no issue with your process if you switch the paper out for a piece of foil though. Hmm, you may want to let the print dry for longer than 24 hours.

[Santiago]

It is all easier than you think, man. Just read, read, read and move slow in the glovebox.

Be sure of what you are doing and why, you will be able to do it!

Remember, I had never even heard of cultivating mushrooms indoors 3 years ago. If I can figure this out, most anybody can - I ain't the sharpest spoon in the drawer!

I just don't see how a print could be sterile that comes off of a mushroom that's come off of a cake chillin' in an unsterile environment. How how how.

[BuckarooBanzai]

The foil is sterilized, by alchol or PC.

The spores are sterile when they fall, because of the way they grow. Before they fall from the shroom, they are in little sealed sacs, maturing.

As long as you work carefully, in a clean glovebox, very little other than spores will fall on the foil. The spores are sterile when they fall.

Once you have your technique down and have done it a few times, making clean prints is very easy.

[Santiago]

Okay BB, I trust you, but I'd like to just know WHY. Here's the thing - the mushroom is NOT sterile, right?? So how can the spores be sterile? It seems like some cross contaminant is bound to come from the mushroom.

I'm obviously overthinking. I always do this.

[BuckarooBanzai]

Mushroom spores grow inside microscopic sacs, almost like a tiny womb.

The sac is sealed until right before the spore drops, so no matter how dirty the area the mushroom grows, the spore is sterile right up until it drops.

[Dr_T]

You're overthinking, that's right. Try one or more methods, see what happens.

Don't know about anybody else, but I've had perfectly usable results just setting the cap on the foil. If you could suspend it, obviously that's cleaner.

I've wondered about suspending in a jar with water in the bottom- maybe they wouldn't stick to the glass that way. Maybe I'll try it some day.

[Santiago]

Haha. That WOULD be the next logical step. If they got on the sides, you'd probably still be screwed. But that's a good idea Dr T.

Ok ok. I'll be taking some prints soon.
:eusa_thin :eusa_shif:eusa_pray