28 replies to this topic

[{Mr}fLoYd]

Hey here is my first grow log post, Blue oysters on Popcorn to Straw using the Bleach/Lime Teks (great work BTW thanks ). Process is as follows with comments at the end. Questions and advice welcome as always. Cheers

Popcorn ---

1/2 Qt Jars w/ pollyfilter in top and one innoculation hole
Popcorn soaked for 24 hrs,
Boiled until tender, (many kernels broken open)
Drained and pattet dry, layed out on towel to dry for 3 hrs,
Jars were filled and sealed, covered with aluminum foil,
Boiled for 90 minutes.

(I have a large pasta pot about 14 inches tall with a perferated collander on the inside, it suspends the jars 1/2 inch from the bottom of the pot so water can be filled 1/2 way up the sides of the jars and brought to a rolling boil covered for 90 minutes, the height of the jars prevent water from getting in)

Innoculated with 3cc of multispore blue oyster, from sporeworks. incubated @ 78F for 4 days, shaken then incubated for 2 more.

Straw--
bleach lime process - here it is summarized for those who arent familiar

soak cut straw for 12 hrs with bleach, drain
soak straw in lime water for 4 hrs, drain
rinse & drain for 6 hrs,

Spawn popcorn to straw, roll into log, (see pic)

Incubate @ 78F for 8 days then cut larger holes in plastic to get more air into colonized log, incubate @ 68 with light, pins within 3 days, plastic removed ... here is where i divert from the norm and run into problems. :offtopic:

As i Figured my grow chamber is too small to provide the nessisary air exchange i was able to provide enough light, a 12/12 timer. The stems are elongated as u can see in pics with disformed "caps". the log has great growth, the pics are about 2 days old and i have a huge amount of pins, i was wondering if i could plant this log outdoors in my unused flower bed, which is basically 8 years of great black composted food scraps and ground up leaves, the temps we are getting here are staying in the 50's and i have a lot of sunlight so let me know what everyone thinks, obviously the log would need a dunk and moisture of the compost to be regulated but its worth a shot since i have really strong myc. growth. Comments and experiences welcome.

Cheers
FLOYD

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[Hippie3]

i can't tell much from those pic
but here's a thread you might find enlightening
http://mycotopia.net...read.php?t=5673

[{Mr}fLoYd]

The rest of the pics

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[BuckarooBanzai]

You just steamed the popcorn, eh? Interesting...

You might consider leaving the logs in plastic and just making a few big slits for the fruit to grow out of.

Nice results!

[{Mr}fLoYd]

Yeah like i said no pressure cooker, the taller 1/2 quart jars let me get a rolling boil that covers the half the jar, i think that makes a big diff. i dont know how many CC's of multi spore others use but i use 3cc's per jar, the increased innoculation might help provide fast colonization.

[Hippie3]

off to a nice start
congrats on doing pcorn by steaming

[Hippie3]

apparently pcorn may be an 'exception' to that rule, 8.
need some folks to give it a try

[{Mr}fLoYd]

whitty puns always welcome, to make room in my grow chamber i stripped the log of any fruit (but not good mycelium) and dunked the log for 2 hrs, then after raking the leaves off my amazing compost heap i took the log and cased it outside in the compost heap ( looks like a 6'x6' flower box), ( if this isnt a hope and prayer job i dont know what is) about .75 inch deep casing on all sides, good moisture content and temp has been in the 70s for about 4 days or since i have cased it, and by the weekend its going to drop to the 50's and hang there for a week, who knows we shall see (total hope and prayer, but no sense wasting a good oyster straw log) and my odd sucess with steam pasturising popcorn will be put to the test later this week when i innoculate 9 jars, of course photos will be posted by next week. cheers

Floyd

[BuckarooBanzai]

That may be a little cool to fruit outdoors, but it should certainly kick off when things warm up a bit. Who knows, though, it may do some nice things for you in the next week or so!

Good luck, mate!

[SharkieJones]

Looking good. Surprising that the contam was destroyed by a steaming and not a PCing. What brand of popcorn? Bulk?

[{Mr}fLoYd]

yeah Safeway Brand Yellow Popcorn, like 60 cents a bag i get 10 X 16 ounce jars (thats a 1/2 quart jar) from one bag after cooking

[{Mr}fLoYd]

:bow: Your all to kind really, i feel embarassed ever night i get on and all the "big names" (meaning people whos successfull threads i have poured over for the last 6 months) comment on my growhts and successes, too much, i feel like begniners luck all over .

Freaky, :loveeyes: chances are if your logs look different then you did them right LOL. like i said my fruits were abnormally shaped because of high CO2 levels, which is why i moved them outside so they might grow with the same high natural light but get more O2.

Also ... AOL predicts freezing this weekend, im thinking about what to do! ! ! for some reason freshly mulched leaves, about 10" deep capped over with plastic to keep in heat comes to mind, im thinking the leaves will provide some sort of freeze protection, especially with a thick layer of plastic over it, i dont know ... might have been too early for outdoor work we shall see.

Cheers again.

[bullfrog]

just because they call for a freeze , dosen't mean
danger is near. the leaves and plastic wont hurt though.
good thinking...sounds like an insulation barrier to me.
in nature , the mycellium freezes then when thawed and the rains come , humidity levels should allow your outdoor log to fruit.

instead of compost , you might want to get ya' some hardwood chips and make a bed. i have several . some are logs i found, that were
fruiting , i brought home and made a border around my woodchip beds.

i am going to try the popcorn , even though i don't perfer it ,
with the steam deal. good luck with your project.

[bullfrog]

oh yea , don't forget to un-cover the log after
threat of freeze. and look for new mycellium when you remove
them. bet ya' find some !

[{Mr}fLoYd]

Thanks a bunch bullfrog, I plan on getting some King Stroph. going this springish and will gladdly take any advice you have, i was thinking 2 beds, starting with a Straw log incubated and then cased into a straw/manure compost in one bed and a woodchip in the other, this is a bit of a feeler out for my work this spring... and i still have 1/2 quart of oyster spwn in my fridge to use up, i think an outside grow is in order... woodchip like u said this time tho, all in due time. Thats the problem with Topia...so many good growers. so many interesitng and progressive projects. and so little time!

[Hippie3]

how's the freeze ?
leaves should be good insulation, trapping air.

[{Mr}fLoYd]

HA AOL Bastards were way off, we got like 3 flurries at night any by the time I took my dog out @ noon i was chillin in sandles and a long sleeved t-shirt, it was like 50! oh well, took off the leaves, watered and waiting now, i think it will still be a couple of weeks before i see anything its just getting too cold @ night. i will keep u all posted.