
Oysters On Straw In Buckets
Started By
hyphaenation
, Sep 17 2008 09:15 PM
12 replies to this topic
#1
Posted 17 September 2008 - 09:15 PM
I gotta say I love Oysters. My whole family does also. As I look at the news I see food crisis and talk of food security. Oyster mushroooms even more so than most other edibles are front and centre in these issues.
They are extremly fast and can grow on a wide range of substrates. They are in fact "meat eaters". Oysters send out lasso-like apparatuses to ensnare their prey. Most people think of them as "vegetarians" but thats not the case. Besides cellulouse they also love to eat live prey like nematodes.
For some time i've had jars of three of my favorite Oysters. Pearl , blue and phoneix. The first two grow in clusters but the last one phoneix grows as a large single mushroom. After I haitus in growing Oysters I wanted to get back at it , so here's what I did ...
Oyster Buckets
First:
- Shredded straw with blower/vac
- Soaked shredded straw
- Drilled holes in buckets (more holes for single fruit phoneix)
When the overnight soak of the straw was done I drained the buckets and then filled them 2/3's with very hot tap water. At the same time I boiled 3 pots of water on the stove. I added the boiling water to the hot tap water in each bucket and my thermometer told me they were 165 F. I still left room at the top so I could add more boiling water 1/2 way through the pasturize.
After 3 hours pasturizing in the hot sun I drained each bucket very well. To do this I put a piece of window screen over each bucket tied tight with a string.
After this cooled I took jars of the colonized wbs for each species and broke it up over the straw. This gets laid into the bucket and then more straw until it was near the top. I used a spare bucket to insert and press the straw a bit.
Once each bucket was done I labled and dated them. Then they were placed one on top each other in the incubator / fruiter. This is how I hope to fruit them , stacked as pictured below.
They should move fast from the wbs into their new home in the straw. I'll keep you updated and hopefully soon we'll be eating Oysters and handing out prints...
They are extremly fast and can grow on a wide range of substrates. They are in fact "meat eaters". Oysters send out lasso-like apparatuses to ensnare their prey. Most people think of them as "vegetarians" but thats not the case. Besides cellulouse they also love to eat live prey like nematodes.
For some time i've had jars of three of my favorite Oysters. Pearl , blue and phoneix. The first two grow in clusters but the last one phoneix grows as a large single mushroom. After I haitus in growing Oysters I wanted to get back at it , so here's what I did ...
Oyster Buckets
First:
- Shredded straw with blower/vac
- Soaked shredded straw
- Drilled holes in buckets (more holes for single fruit phoneix)
When the overnight soak of the straw was done I drained the buckets and then filled them 2/3's with very hot tap water. At the same time I boiled 3 pots of water on the stove. I added the boiling water to the hot tap water in each bucket and my thermometer told me they were 165 F. I still left room at the top so I could add more boiling water 1/2 way through the pasturize.
After 3 hours pasturizing in the hot sun I drained each bucket very well. To do this I put a piece of window screen over each bucket tied tight with a string.
After this cooled I took jars of the colonized wbs for each species and broke it up over the straw. This gets laid into the bucket and then more straw until it was near the top. I used a spare bucket to insert and press the straw a bit.
Once each bucket was done I labled and dated them. Then they were placed one on top each other in the incubator / fruiter. This is how I hope to fruit them , stacked as pictured below.
They should move fast from the wbs into their new home in the straw. I'll keep you updated and hopefully soon we'll be eating Oysters and handing out prints...
#2
Posted 17 September 2008 - 10:28 PM
Does that setup look okay ? I was considering not stacking them and having a poly patch on the lids but it looks cool this way and it works for my fruiter.
Any comments appreciated.
P.S: There's holes all around the buckets.
Any comments appreciated.
P.S: There's holes all around the buckets.
#3
Posted 18 September 2008 - 12:31 AM
I think that looks freakin awesome. My family loves Oysters also but I have only grown one batch of Blue so far, last years science project for my Daughter who was in 3rd grade. Unfortunately they didnt fruit in time for the science fair but she still got to show them off in class.
They were really good and have been wanting to start a larger grow ever since. All of your recent experiments have got me really wanting to do this now. How much spawn did you have to use for each bucket?
I think Ill have to do a few g2g from what I can knock up with the remaining 3cc in the syringe of blues I have left to probably get a bucket going like that. Ill definitely be willing to trade Something for prints of the Phoenix and pearl when you print. Anyway I'm rambling, your setup looks cool, Cant wait to see the results:bow: :eusa_clap
They were really good and have been wanting to start a larger grow ever since. All of your recent experiments have got me really wanting to do this now. How much spawn did you have to use for each bucket?
I think Ill have to do a few g2g from what I can knock up with the remaining 3cc in the syringe of blues I have left to probably get a bucket going like that. Ill definitely be willing to trade Something for prints of the Phoenix and pearl when you print. Anyway I'm rambling, your setup looks cool, Cant wait to see the results:bow: :eusa_clap
#4
Posted 19 September 2008 - 10:42 AM
looks good hyph, the only thing I'd really watch would be the temp around the buckets.
As it may get really hot while they colonize.
Other than that, all looks great!
As it may get really hot while they colonize.
Other than that, all looks great!
#5
Posted 19 September 2008 - 10:50 AM
maybe more, smaller holes for better fae ?
i'll be watching this,
got several fresh cultures to play with now.
i'll be watching this,
got several fresh cultures to play with now.
#6
Posted 19 September 2008 - 10:54 AM
When it comes time how do you plan on dunking, or re-hydrating them?
#7
Posted 19 September 2008 - 01:19 PM
Thanks folks.
The fruiter will have an ultra-sonic on at some point for humidity , for now i'm misting. Dunking i'll do in large tubs where I can submerge the buckets with a plate over the straw and a weight over that.
Regarding the hole sizes, I knew they were a touch big but the pearl makes big clusters and that seemed to be the size on bags when they fruited. I was thinking of partially covering the holes while colonizing , but as Crazy mentioned Oysters can really heat up during colonization.
The extra sized holes should help with FAE inside the buckets as there is no breather on the lids.
I think the key will be hooking up the ultra-sonic on a timer and setting up the fruiter to be nice and clean with good FAE.
Just had a thought ... The room the buckets are in is cool so i'm not worried about overheating, what about clear packing tape to partially cover half those big holes and rip it off after colonization is mostly done ?
The fruiter will have an ultra-sonic on at some point for humidity , for now i'm misting. Dunking i'll do in large tubs where I can submerge the buckets with a plate over the straw and a weight over that.
Regarding the hole sizes, I knew they were a touch big but the pearl makes big clusters and that seemed to be the size on bags when they fruited. I was thinking of partially covering the holes while colonizing , but as Crazy mentioned Oysters can really heat up during colonization.
The extra sized holes should help with FAE inside the buckets as there is no breather on the lids.
I think the key will be hooking up the ultra-sonic on a timer and setting up the fruiter to be nice and clean with good FAE.
Just had a thought ... The room the buckets are in is cool so i'm not worried about overheating, what about clear packing tape to partially cover half those big holes and rip it off after colonization is mostly done ?
#9
Posted 20 September 2008 - 09:06 PM
Looks to be very promising. :amazed:
Im definitelty pulling up a chair for this.
Im definitelty pulling up a chair for this.
#10
Posted 01 October 2008 - 05:13 PM
I've been really busy lately on a bunch of fronts and all projects were pushed to the side. The buckets have started to fruit. I wish I had given them more babying but as you can see they do okay with neglect.
pic 1 young Blue
pic 2 Pearl
pic 3 Blue
pic 1 young Blue
pic 2 Pearl
pic 3 Blue
#11
Posted 02 October 2008 - 05:52 AM

#12
Posted 02 October 2008 - 10:10 AM
Ate a nice boquet of Oysters this morning. Really yummy on eggs.
#13
Posted 02 October 2008 - 11:10 AM
Hyph, you are the MAN! :bow::bow::bow:
Every time i get a little discouraged with the hobby, i just have to look at your work and i feel renewed enthusiasm. I feel a major edibles grow coming on...
Every time i get a little discouraged with the hobby, i just have to look at your work and i feel renewed enthusiasm. I feel a major edibles grow coming on...