Hi guys. I have noticed there is a lot of information regarding keeping the correct temperature and humidity in a fruiting chamber as far as using heat pads ect, for WARMING the chamber. I am interested in hearing from any members who have had to deal with the opposite problem ie: COOLING a fruiting chamber. Hypothetically, if one was living in a climate suffering a spate of higher temperatures (eg 30 to 37 degrees Celsius / 86 to 98.6 Fahrenheit), what would be the recommended suggestion for cooling a (shotgun) fruiting chamber to 23 degrees celsius for fruiting, preferably avoiding situations such as having to run an air conditioner 24/7 to cool the room used for fruiting? Using 1-2 bottles of frozen water (ice) at either end of the chamber would seem a viable option, although possibly high maintenance at the end of the day, as well as inviting contaminants into the chamber, as bottles would need to be replaced 1-2 times a day. Thankyou.

Those temps are not that bad if you have good FAE, but cold packs for drinks are also an option, have 2-4 and rotate as needed, once every 12-24 hours.

Evaporation in monotubs and shotgun chambers can also drop the temp a bit.

i had been told that more heat = higher conc. of alks. re: mushrooms growing.

plus, mushrooms grow wild here in hawaii, which is miserably hot.

i would be legitimately shocked if you couldn't produce some potent fungi in that temperature range.

i do know, however, that warm + cold air = tons of humidity (seriously, you can make your fruiting chamber filled with fog), so it might be worth adding in cold air just for the extra humidity.

Thanks Albert. Please excuse my noob ignorance, but FAE? Fresh Air Exchange?? Lower temperatures are certainly obtainable with the use of frozen water bottles or cold packs with temperatures ranging between 19-25 degrees celsius, so maybe this will be acceptable after all?...Am i correct in thinking that you believe that once pinning has been initiated, a higher temperature in the chamber will be acceptable, and not result in poor flushes? I think at the end of the day, around 27 degrees, the same temperature for cultivating mycelium is also obtainable within an environment using an air conditioner to cool the room for a few hours on and off, however, due to the expense of running an air conditioner, this is kind of un-viable long term. Thanks

Parshvic, Thank you also. I am a regular traveler to Indonesia where Panaleous Cyanescens can be found in the hundreds in almost any field containing cattle. The average temperature there is generally around the 30 degree celsius mark so i have been of the mind that temperature is acceptable, however most teks seem to recommend 23 degrees for fruiting. A case of trial and error i'm guessing, and yes, i agree that cold+hot combined should equal a fairly humid environment. Thank you

Fae is fresh air exchange.

Cubies do not need a chill for fruiting.
They can pin at higher temps too, like 85-100*f.
Though some variations are more tolerant of heat than others.

Thanks again Albert
Much appreciated.

I have heard of people cooling their fruiting chambers with a wet cloth. Covering the lid of the chamber with a damp cloth, or wrapping one around the outsides, coupled with a fan would cool it down a bit, plus it would make the humidity level a bit more constant.

Just a thought.

how big is your fruiting chamber? If its the size of a room, here's a cheap way to do it:

http://www.storeitcold.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIxLw9t1IuA

It uses a regular airconditioner and a "coolbot". The coolbot tricks the airconditioner into going to temps far below what the internal controller would typically allow, like to about 40F.

This system is awesome if you're growing edibles that need lower fruiting temps, like shiitake or blue oysters.

Thanks again guys. I have found that any attempts to lower the temperature greatly reduces the humidity. and the more i do to increase the humidity, also increases the temperature, so have decided on just letting things run there course for now, with an average temperature of around 27 degrees celsius in the fruiting chamber. Without using a humidifier, the highest humidity achieved has been around 91%, with an average of around 88%. I plan on getting a cool mist humidifier when i can, and seeing what effect that has. For now though, i have noticed a lot of mycelial growth overtaking the vermiculite. A 12hr dunk was performed immediately after birthing, in icy water. Is this normal ok for the mycelium to overgrow the vermiculite? The picture shown is after 3 days in a fruiting chamber. Also. Someone made their first rookie mistake today by mixing up their misting bottle with a bottle of diluted 10% bleach spray. Only a few quick pumps were sprayed into the fruiting chamber, mainly directed at the walls, although a bit may have fallen on the cakes. The chamber was then quickly sprayed with the correcting misting bottle to hopefully dilute it down asap...What sort of effect might this have? thanks

My experience with mush, cakes in particular is that temperature is less important than fae and humidity. Keep your perlight wet and drill some holes in the side and let it ride. They will fruit in less than perfect environments quit well. This is coming from someone who has loved many a tub to death. Lol. For real the best thing you can do wirh mush is leave them alone. When I first started growing them I wanted to get everything in my environment perfect, a lot of headache for nothing if you ask me. Those cakes look great!

Have noticed this morning that upon checking the cakes, the nice white mycelium is beginning to be covered by a greyish looking mould??? Too much moisture on the cakes? Not enough FAE??
Are these cakes destroyed now or can this be fixed somehow? Not sure if it is normal or the beginning of cobweb mould? From what i've read, the best thing to do is spray with a 3% solution of H202 and increase FAE? It's a little hard to to pick in the photo as it's hard to see the colour change, although in the middle of the pic you can see the change in the formation (fuzzier / grey) Would like to sort this potential problem out before it worsens. Thanks

greying mycelium

Might consider a Peltier unit, cold side facing in, hot side out. They make these things for various purposes, such as cooling electronics, beverage coolers, etc. Just make sure the hot side has ventilation or it will overheat. The advantage is no fans, no compressor, no noise.


http://en.wikipedia.org/...i/Thermoelectric_cooling

First attempt getting there