49 replies to this topic

[Forest FunGuy]

Thank you soo much for the info , and for being here for us newbies. Things got a little postponed so it looks like tomorrow will actually be the day.


Im about to post on my first trip with mushies so look for it!!

[Forest FunGuy]

How do you dunk or rehydrate the giant hpoo cake that I will have after the first fluch has been picked? Does one need to dunk it like a jar cake?

[Bulk]

How do you dunk or rehydrate the giant hpoo cake that I will have after the first fluch has been picked? Does one need to dunk it like a jar cake?

There's a million ways to skin a cat.

I just flood the whole tub the substrate is in, put a giant what ever on top to keep it from floating and leave it for a few hours.
pop a small hole in the bottom corner and allow to drain, wipe the tub as best as possible with papertowel and put it back into fruit.

Don't forget to get all the lil pins off after or before the dunk... don't want em rotten and bringing around the green mean!

[Xerces]

So after seven years of retirement I'm getting back on the hobby. I'm probably getting a print next week or so, so I'm starting all the necessary preparations. I did a couple of succesfull grows in the past but it's been so long that some of the details are a little foggy -plus I want to try new things- so I've been catching up with my reading on the glorious Mycotopia.

 

I have most of the details covered but I wanted to ask for some advice about certain topics before beggining. I realize these are a couple of questions but I want to clear all my doubts. I appreciate any help and advice. 

 

I want to use grain in jars as the first substrate and then spawn the jars in a poo mix bulk, with a casing.

 

1. In the past I've used millet as substrate. Once or twice they got contaminated.
   Do any of you have any preference or recommendation regarding what type of grain to use as substrate?
    
2. I can get horse and cow poo easily but coir is unavailable at my location.
   Do you have any preference between horse and cow manure?
   
   Besides pasteurization, are there any other sterilization measures to the bulk substrate that can be taken to prevent contamination? Can it be pressure cooked in jars like the grains?
   
   What would you mix it with if coir is unavailable, and at what %?
    
3. I remember using a mix of vermiculite and perlite as casing.
   Would you recommend this? How thick should a casing layer be?
   One thing I cant remember: Should the casing be sterilized? How? Pasteurization?
   Should the casing be applied at the time of the spawn or after the bulk has been colonized?
    
4. When spawning the mycelium to the bulk sub; Should the myc be completely crumbled and mixed with the sub?

 

[AGAMA]

1) Personally, I prefer popcorn; WBS is easy too, once you tune in the moisture.

 

2) Horse; as it doesn't stink, IMO....

 

    Some sterilize subs, most don't.

     

    I would use hpoo:vermiculite, at a ratio of 60:40.

 

3) Some use straight verm as a casing, applied during

    construction or at colonization(late casing).

     

    1/4-3/8'' casing is plenty, Some don't case at all!

 

    Typically, I reserve some of the substrate

     when combining the rest with the spawn.

     Then use the rest to cover all exposed grain

      (to reduce odds of contams).

      That's all the casing I do, normally...

 

4) Some fully mix, others still layer: both work.

    The temp and humidity are more important, IMO...

 

      Next question?

 

[Cue]

Corn is fine until it comes to put the grows outside. Out there I have squirrels that dig up the subs to get to the corn. That is why I prefer WBS.

If you decide on corn cracked corn is lot cheaper and has a lot more noc points.

[Xerces]

Thanks for the advice! That's funny. In here, horse poo is a lot smellier than cow's (that is, taking it directly from the ground, not store bought.)

 

Should the verm be pasteurized / sterilized as well?

 

I'm not planning on putting the grows outside Cue, plus there aren't any squirrels around here -although we do have some rats and hares now and then =P

[Cue]

Should the verm be pasteurized / sterilized as well?

 

 

Verm doesn't have microbes that you want to preserve during pasteurization, so it can be sterilized. I just throw my verm in over at 350F for an hour.

[AGAMA]

 In here, horse poo is a lot smellier than cow's (that is, taking it directly from the ground, not store bought.)

 

Should the verm be pasteurized / sterilized as well?

 

If they're both aged, they'll smell like dirt, until you pasteurize them.

Then it seems like hpoo smells like fresh dirt,

and cpoo smells like, well, shit.

 

I mix my hpoo, coir, and verm together and then pasteurize them in an insulated cooler.

Edited by AGAMA, 13 July 2014 - 05:44 PM.

[Xerces]

Good to know about the verm in the oven.

 

About the pasteurization of poo: I saw a tek involving a pillowcase in a pot over a stove until it reaches 160 *F for 40 min. Since I don't have an insulated cooler I think I'll use that. 

[hyphaenation]

Should be more like 2 hours + for pasteurization. 40 minutes is just to short of time to do its work.

[Xerces]

Should be more like 2 hours + for pasteurization. 40 minutes is just to short of time to do its work.

 

Thanks for the info. I got 30-40 min from a very old thread from the ancient archives. How long do you leave it in the cooler?

[Cue]

When I used a cooler I would get the water to 180F because I found that after I poured it in that it rapidly cooled to 160F.

 

How long do you leave it in the cooler?

 

For a minimum of 2 hours.

 

IME laundry bags work better that pillow cases. They hold more and drain faster. Plus with the drawl strings you don't have to tie a not in them, also you can hang the bags up by the drawl strings.

[psycheholic]

I pasteurize in my oven. Put my sub in an oven turkey bag twist the end, fold over and zip tie it shut. I then turn my oven on its lowest setting (170), and forget about it for 12-24 hrs. I adjust for loss of moisture, when mixing my sub. I let them cool upside down (to let gravity redistribute moisture) in a cooler for another 18-24hrs. This is my lazy way of a stage 2 pasteurization to ensure maximum amount of microbes.

[hyphaenation]

You can check cooler temp after the first hour and add hot water to get it back up to 170ish degrees.

[psycheholic]

I have also found that a PC with lid on works great instead of a turkey bag. It holds moisture better, but I can fit two turkey bags in my oven, where as only one PC.

[hyphaenation]

Your lucky if your wifey lets you pasteurize poo in your oven... mine not so much, but when the cats away...

[psycheholic]

Lol, yea she bitches....but puts up with it. I told her that's why we have a self cleaning oven and a case of lysol for the smell. Me personally, I don't mind the smell....I wish they would make a cologne out of it, that way when my wife goes into bitch mode I can use it as a repellent.

[BetweenDimensionalPassings]

Would it be acceptable to take a heavy duty clear bag (garbage size) and fill it with bulk/spawn 1:2?

Was thinking I could make giant cakes? 0.o (dunk/roll them lol)


*side note*

Trying to use up all my popcorn I corn cook, so hoping so to have a cool monotub log on that! :) haha

Edited by BetweenDimensionalPassings, 14 August 2014 - 07:27 PM.

[wharfrat]

i wouldn't make it any more the 4" thick, but it will work. that wouldn't be a cake, but a bulk grow. good luck, keep us informed