One door closes, another opens.

Well this time around I tried something new with my jars that a friend suggested. This makes the process of preparing your WBS much easier. This will be my preferred method of wbs prep.

1.) Get Jars ready (clean them and prep lids with hole in center stuffed with polyfil)
2.) Place 350ml of WBS in each jar. (You do not have to remove the sunflower seeds or wash it. Just put it in straight from the bag.
3.) Add 175ml of water to each jar.
4.) Put lids on followed by tinfoil.
5.) PC for 90 min.
6.) While the jars are still warm hit them on a bike tire to break up the WBS. This method allows more startch build up in the WBS so you need to break them up while they are still warm as it will be much easier.
7.) Innoculate with your preferred method.

I used grain to grain to innoculate these jars and I had fully colonized jars in about 9 days. That was with no added heat and I keep the house cool. So in an 80F environment I am sure they would be done in 4-6 days.

~Peace

Great detailed explaination kungpow . Any reason you choose wild bird seed as opposed to rye seed? Since as you said, the bird seed has things which aren't as much use . Organic rye seed gaurentees no pesticides etc too!

for those who hate reading www.mushroomvideos.com gives a video walkthrough to most processes. You have to pay for the more advanced ones but you can find them on the internet by other means (not sure if i can say that).

I enjoy bird seed because it is cheap and readily available. I do not have any sources close by for rye. I can just go to walmart and they have all of the wbs I will ever need. No matter what time of the year it is.

I have seen the mushroom videos that RR put out and they are great. But I also believe that one needs to do a lot of reading if you are seriously interested in mycology. IT is good to know what is going on during each step so that way you can improvise when needed. It is also very interesting to know how mushrooms work.

Theres no need to rehash unsourced information.

Why not just link to the teks where you learned (which already have pics) and put them in order in your guide.

ismokecrystals, if you're aware of the other teks, why don't you?

This is just as easy to follow as paging through links at shroomery or wherever, and this will get a personal touch when Kungpow adds his pictures...I don't think there's anything wrong with this type of compilation. It's a great time saver compared to flipping through other sites, but I also feel that there's a lot of additional knowledge to be gained from paging through the different facets on your own. IMO, the only way you can develop your own style is to see what options lay before you and the best way to do that is work from the source(s). That being said, I appreciate Kungpow for taking the time to help those who don't have the time/interest in perusing through tons of mushroom information and think that this sticky will feel more personalized and less like a "rehash" with the addition of pics.

peace

bump...

GREAT guide.
I want to start culivating some mushies again. But before I can do this, i want Kungpow to shoot some pics.
Kungpow you got to provide photos

great tek, but forget to mention pasteurization of the horse manure

Well I figure everyone understands that the horse manure needs to be pasteurized and that is something that is very easy and you can find info very easily if you want to do your own. There are websites out there to buy pre-pasteurized manure and a very low cost. I know the nexus has an ad for one www.mi-sub.com.

I know everyone would love for me to take some pictures sometime but it really isn't possible anymore. If anyone would like to go through the process and take some pics I will be more than happy to add them into the thread. I have quit growing psychoactive mushrooms for the time being as the paranoia just gets to ya too much. I now have a medical mj lisc. and have some growing in my house. So now with that I like to have no illicits in my house. Sure did take a load off of my shoulders.

Peace

So let me get this straight:

1. A flowhood not necessary during inoculation?
2. 1, not 4 holes are sufficient for inoculation? 1-1.5cc split over 4 holes will work?
3. TiT incubators are unecessary?

so not necessary?

4. pasteurizing bulk substrate is required....
5. casing layers not necessary?

6. dread, you say ideal conditions are created by , yet most peoples' environments do not meed this criteria. Thus, is a humidifier necessary or not?


If SWIM does, he'll post back with updates.


THANK YOU, I found these videos and they are very clear.

1. No, flowhoods are not necessary.
Actual open-air inoculations, in clean environments, are possible, but not recommended due to higher risk of contamination.
The happy medium is to build a simple glovebox-- melt two arm-holes in a clear tub with a coffee can. Clean tub, fill with supplies, than immediately before beginning work spray/mist the inside with water to "settle" contaminants that may be floating around in there.
When I work in a glovebox I wear a surgical mask, polypro shoulder-length gloves (like you wear when you stick your arm up a cow's butt) with a pair of regular nitrile/latex gloves over-the-top of the polypro gloves.

2. Well for grain spawn jars you only want one single inoculation port/hole. PF-cakes are inoculated on all 4 sides, however. There is a lot of debate among new cultivators about the amount of inoculant to use, but I can tell you from experience that 1/2-1cc is sufficient for quart jars. I've used 1/4cc in quarts of grain spwan numerous times with success, never failed, just a little slower.
Spore solution should be very, very light with spores. Anymore than 1cc for a quart jar or smaller is always unnecessary.

3. No. Incubators are unnecessary unless you for some reason live in a house that is below say 60 or 65 degrees F. While p. cubensis are a tropical/sub-tropical species they can in fact be cultivated in the 60 degree F range (yes, I've done this). They grow very slow this way, but it does work.
There really is no reason to incubate in 80+ degree temps. This increases the likelihood of contaminants catching hold. Contrary to what this thread says, many experienced cultivators will tell you that the mid 70 degree range is best.

4. Yes, 140-160 degrees sustained temp of bulk substrate for 60 minutes. Try not to ever exceed 180 degrees during this step.

5. Casing layers aren't necessary when spawning to a bulk substrate (i.e. manure, coco-coir) no. But here's some good info from a friend of mine on a different forum--
Psuper said:
"I like to make the point, when the subject comes up, that while casing lasing layers are optional when cultivating cubensis, they are beneficial (to the total harvest) when you are not providing a near perfect fruiting environment.

Those in the forums who say that cubensis don't benefit from the application of a casing layer are just rehashing statements they read on the boards.

Cubensis fruiting from a (bulk) substrate don't benefit from the addition of a casing layer IF you are providing a near perfect fruiting environment. Some cultivators get better results from there mono-tub, for example, with the addition of a casing layer. If/when I do a neglected mono tub the casing layer certainly helps- I've worked with what I think is a true mono culture in a few different growing conditions as well as numerous M.S. projects in all kinds of tubs and trays.

Adding a casing layer is also beneficial if you want to skip the dunk before your second flush!

For your first cultivation projects stick with a bulk substrate without a casing layer, or do cakes. I disagree with the idea that there is something wrong with starting with bulk substrates instead of cakes. But casing layers can be skipped for your first couple projects.


It's a good idea to test the pH of casing layers, but not mandatory, and not necessary for bulk subs. There is a specific way to do this (you need to wait one hour after adding the hydrated lime before testing the pH), read about it here from a post by Rogerrabbit: http://www.shroomery.org.../Number/9042585#9042585 "

6. If your room/house was at this level of relative humidity your walls would rot. Mushrooms are fruited inside of small artificial environments (i.e. tubs, terrariums, greenhouses, bags). Some greenhouses (a.k.a. "martha-tek" only operate at about 85% relative humidity, but tubs are often 90-99%.

**Those mushroom videos are great, but let me encourage everyone to not steal these online, but to instead either purchase the dvd or rent it from the library. The creator, Marc Keith, is a way cool guy that has been sharing his experience on the interwebs for years. I wouldn't encourage anyone to rip a dvd if any of you guys made it. These videos are awesome, but the popular, online "mushroom growing made easy" is very outdated and often referenced by folks who think it's the same video.

thank you very much myco for clearing up those questions

in regards to the ideal temperature for incubation, and the claim that room temperature suffices,

how does one explain this data http://www.shroomery.org...ch-to-store-the-PF-jars

and the huge zeal having to do with assembling incubators? Is it all for naught?

Incubators aren't necessary unless you have a cold house...that being said, using an incubator to dial in the optimal temperature for colonization will generally decrease the amount of time it takes the myc to colonize

Well the info is from Paul Stamets circa 1985.....even Stamets doesn't recommend this in his newer books. 83 degrees internal temp of jar (mycelium generates its own heat, a few degrees) is a more recent figure. Iam sorry I don't have a book to reference off the top of my head though; i can tell you though that Marc Keith (who made the video you mentioned above) mentions this 83 max temp as well.

As I mentioned above, if you live in an abnormally cold house then sure, use an incubator. But with average temps (68 and above) don't bother. Small tubs can inhibit gas-exchange in the colonizing jars.

Also warmer temps can/will speed up colonization by a couple days, but the increased risk of contamination at those 80 degree temps isn't worth the couple days. Again, this is if your house is of an "average" temp. But if you live in an igloo, sure, use an incubator.

You should be shooting for 95%+ contam free jars in this hobby. All experienced cultivators will see contaminants numerous times, but you need to be seeing very high success rates- contam free.

Kungpow, when you get a chance, can you update the OP with this info?

This method makes life soooo much easier when dealing with bird seed. The 350/150 ratio is perfect and colonization from a grain to grain is the fastest I've seen so far.

Highly recommended instead of the method listed in the OP. That washing, boiling, rinsing, soaking is truly for the birds...

Oh nooeesss! Come back Kungpow! Read all the way to the end, aaiiiieeee! looking for the banging-head-into-laptop smiley I'm such a visual nerd and grave those pics!

Kungpow, why did you never post pics? I would love to see them

Second3d