94 replies to this topic

[torn2bits]

I guess because Oster blenders are the most common used in mycology,because from the factory the piture base already fits normal size mason jars.
I wanted to still se your process in hopes of adding a plastic PC able top or steel with blade set.
It it's not terrible trouble please share

[Needles]

I guess because Oster blenders are the most common used in mycology,because from the factory the piture base already fits normal size mason jars.
I wanted to still se your process in hopes of adding a plastic PC able top or steel with blade set.
It it's not terrible trouble please share

As I stated, I have only used Waring blenders. I had no idea that Oster bases fit canning jars and can stand up to the heat of a pressure cooker. I know the base of my magic bullet couldn't take it and melted.

[happy4nic8r]

I too melted the threaded plastic part of an Oster, it still works but very sticky.

 

They fit the jars perfectly until then.

 

Only the small ones though. 

 

Quarts, I am trying to find a good solution for also.

Edited by happy4nic8r, 31 January 2015 - 05:44 PM.

[Needles]

I have to start out by saying that I am a scrounger. I am able to travel with my work and I find my days off in Goodwill and other thrift shops. In the spring and summer its garage sale time. When I find something that interests me I look at it and wonder how I could use it to grow mushrooms. I have found seven warning blender blades, some just the glass and some with motors too. The most expensive one was bought online for $20 the least expensive was motor and glass fof one buck. That would be the one in the photo. They are out there you just have to look.

I have found two types of blades, pinwheel the kind I use pictured here and a star base. The pinwheel attach with a nut and the star have a lock like on a old trunk.The star kind are not as easy to work with because they need a certain thickness to lock.

You will want to start with a Ball plastic lid. There are some others available but they will eventually become difficult to work with. That is getting stuck on the jar and almost impossible to remove or to apply. Ball plastic lids will fit perfectly into the motor base.
I have tried different style drillbits and found 3/4" Forstner drillbit to work the best. There is lettering and a little plastic bump right in the middle of the lid. With your lid bottom side up on a piece of wood you can take the tip of the Forstner bit right onto that little bump of plastic. Setting your drill on its highest speed, just push straight down and it will cut a beautiful hole right in the center of the lid. You may need to take a razor blade very lightly to trim any plastic if necessary.

I like to use a little piece of rubber gasket material to give it just a little extra seal.

Next you want to find a spot on the underneath of the lid that has no writing on it and use a half-inch Forstner bit to drill the hole for the self-healing injection port. Keep in mind you do not want to have the rubber piece too close to the edge of the lid or too close to the washer with the gasket material.

Those little blue self-healing injection port rubbers can be found at most scientific supply houses or online. They are 10 mm and will work in a hole drilled with a half inch Forstner drill bit.

[Needles]

Being I have you here now I'll show you another trick with the same lids. it's simple just using the quarter inch and half-inch Forstner bit to make a filter lid.
Find two spots under the lid that have no writing and drill 1/2 inch and one 1/4 inch hole with Forrester bit.

On the top of the lid you will need to stuff the plastic around the quarter-inch hole for a filter to be glued on.

I'd like to use the heavy duty largemouth commercial grade filter disks. You can cut four or five circles out of one filter.

I have tried a couple glues and found that this Loctite glue holds the best. Just make a bead around the quarter inch hole and attach the filter being careful not to get any glue into the hole.


You can use these filter lids over and over again. I have had some last years now, scrubbing and cleaning no problem.
I have found that inoculating substrates like grains or liquid cultures and that kind of thing. These jar lids have made it less of a chance for contamination for me.

[happy4nic8r]

So you just leave the lid assembly with the blades on, and suck the slurry through the ship?

 

And you do that in a glove box as well?

 

Nice write up, thanks.

[Needles]

So you just leave the lid assembly with the blades on, and suck the slurry through the ship?
 
And you do that in a glove box as well?
 
Nice write up, thanks.

Transfers are done in front of a HEPA filter. I have the blender next to me but not in front of the flohood. Everything inside the jar is hopefully steril and stays as is. Once I am ready to inoculate other jars or whatever I will do everything in front of the flohood. Sometimes it is necessary to hold the needle in the slurry up against the jar. Some chunks can get pretty big. Thank you

[happy4nic8r]

True that. I have had luck with a huge turkey baster size syringe, but it can squirt out about 30ml with a hand twitch.

 

The best method I came up with using the blender was with oysters, just blended them up, opened the jar and used a paint brush to apply to newspaper.

 

I will be happier to announce that when it actually works, but in the mean time, another stab at being God.

 

don't you sometimes feel like a spawn of a mushroom left here by space travelers years ago, and we are slowly colonizing.....

[Needles]

An update with the bags. It has been very cold here with being away from home and turning the heat down, it has taken some extra time to colonize these bags. I had one that didn't even take it all. These two are moving right along the one without the wheat bran is taking its sweet time.

[Needles]

Well I have one bag growing out nicely. The rest didn't make it through the cold I was faced with. I also ended up taking the filter can off and just sealing the bag up with a tyewrap.
I had a small mini greenhouse that fit into a closet I had no problem getting these blocks to fruit in it. I thought I would go bigger and better so I tore that down and build an automated system that is about five times the size. I had put in three blocks about three weeks ago and so far there is nothing growing. I am trying to keep the C02 around 3000ppm with 100%RH and air temperature at 75f. I have gone back to the drawing board and read over some of the growth parameters for this species and have everything set the way it should be.
I will be starting a new batch of sawdust inoculated with grain spawn this time rather than liquid slurry. Hopefully I will be able to get something to form from that. If anyone has any insight on why the blocks are not fruiting please chime in.

[wharfrat]

wish i could help, keep us posted.  do you have a culture to spare? maybe someone else can help with a positive outcome.

[-=Zeus=-]

 

I'm no expert on Reishi at all, but I do live in an area where they grow wild in abundance.  

That would be awesome to just go out and pick them. They can bring a good price at market too.

 

 

[Needles]

I'm sure it's just a matter of getting my new FC set right. I have a co2 meter for it and have found out a lot about how co2 levels effect the air we breathe and the air our mushrooms breathe. For instance, outside the air is about 350ppm or parts per million. But inside a room that has not had the window open all winter is up around 750ppm. I have been keeping the reishi blocks between 900ppm and 1500ppm, that's a big drop from the 3000ppm I had it. And I'm thinking of trying to drop it to around 400-500ppm. That will take some extra ducting with the room it's in being 750ppm.
Wharf, I have some other sterial work to do, so when I do I'll make you up a few fresh plates. I am also testing some LC with some sorghum and cotton seeds I just found at a feed mill so I'm looking forward to seeing how that goes.

[Needles]

Wow Zeus!!! Just outside your door, they look awesome. That patch would keep me busy for quite a while. Thanks for sharing....

[Needles]

I had a couple bags of oysters one blue and one of pink they were getting colonized and rather than putting them out by the window I decided to put them in with the reishis . This has been a brand-new fruiting chamber project for me so I'm still trying to get it dialed in.The heating system is working great. Being the chambers running direct cold outside air it is easy to regulate at 60 degree temperatures. On the other hand, temperatures could be brought up to make a happy home for some pans.
With the chamber loaded with those four cultures fruiting the way the oysters are. Their using up oxygen like crazy. I have been using small fans to keep the C02 levels Between 500ppm and up to 800ppm. Even with all that fae The blues don't look as healthy as they would in a tote by a window. I'm guessing that the light has something to do with it. Could it be the intensity of the light? I remember having that same tube a lot closer to the reishi block in my other mini greenhouse. Or could it be the color temperature of the lightbulb?

The Reishi block that I started the beginning of the year is just about ready to birth. There are more coming to. Using sorghum has also been a learning curve. It is very soft and doesn't take much to hydrate. I took a few photos of my new FC to share with you.......

[wharfrat]

looking good brother.. my oyster tend to dry out and getting long, not sure what i got going wrong at this point, trying diff things.. i backed off the FAE cycle thinking i might be giving to much @ every 2 hours, changed to 4 hour intervals, i hope that helps. RH is 80 normally

[Needles]

looking good brother.. my oyster tend to dry out and getting long, not sure what i got going wrong at this point, trying diff things.. i backed off the FAE cycle thinking i might be giving to much @ every 2 hours, changed to 4 hour intervals, i hope that helps. RH is 80 normally

Maybe try the opposite and bump up the air exchange open that window, get the freshest air possible. They won't mind an occasional misting now and then. A little 1 or 2 gallon pump sprayer works great. Hope that helps....

[Needles]

I have had to shut down my indoor fruiting chamber and have been working on a simpler way to grow Reishi mushrooms. When I leave for work I can't trust to leave our water on so everything must be shut down when we leave. Hopefully our water system in our home will be fixed very soon.
My outdoor fruiting chamber needs work too, although I have been lucky enough to get some mushroom fruits. It was 67f all day and I found baby mushrooms from five different species. thought I would share some photos.
King Oyster

Shiitake

Pink Oyster

Reishi

Blue Oyster

[Needles]

I've had to shut down my indoor fruiting chamber for now.That has forced me to try fruiting right from the bags. I have exposed the blocks to light until I noticed they were starting to pin. After they were pinning I opened the bags and started misting the inside. They are not the most picturesque mushrooms, but mushrooms nevertheless. I've also found that using the mycelial mat for a tincture is just as effective as mushrooms themselves. This makes it even easier. Not needing a fruiting chamber or actual fruit bodies.
Reishi blocks

[wharfrat]

beautiful! can't wait to see mine start fruiting.. my block is fully colonized, just waiting