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EagleRed
Stranger
Registered: 01/02/06
Posts: 3
Last seen: 17 years, 6 months
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Noob Shroom Growing Question(s)
#5133094 - 01/02/06 09:10 PM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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I?m interested in growing Psilocybe mushrooms of my very own. I have done quite a bit of reading on the subject and I feel I have a firm grasp of it, but I was wondering if I could make a few modifications of the PF Tek method in an effort to save some of my basically nonexistent money.
The things I would like to change go as follow...
-Changing the BRF to corn flour, corn meal, or unbleached flour because I don?t want to drive 15 miles to buy it when I can get corn meal, corn flour, or unbleached flour from my local grocer.
-Illuminating my fruiting box with a blue LED flashlight run on two AA batteries.
-Boiling my substrate jars under regular atmospheric instead of inside a pressure cooker because I don?t own a pressure cooker and can?t afford buying one even from a second hand store.
-Using glass cups instead of glass jars and using layers or aluminum foil secured with rubber bands instead of a lid because I have a lot of old cups sitting around the house.
I also have another problem that I?m hoping you guys have a solution to. The place I?m planning on growing my shrooms is 58 degrees F while I?ll need like 80 to fruit. Another problem is the place I?m planning on growing in has no electrical outlets or heating ducts due to building codes. I can?t run an extension cord because it would give away the stealth of my growing area, which would result in an immediate shut down of the operation. Does anyone have any solutions? I was thinking about using hand warmer packets inside or around my Styrofoam cooler fruiting box, although I doubt either would work very well and it would be expensive.
Thanks a bunch,
Red
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mskip23
Can It All Be So Simple!
Registered: 06/08/05
Posts: 1,522
Loc: Philly
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: EagleRed]
#5133125 - 01/02/06 09:18 PM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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corn flour, corn meal, or unbleached flour wont work for substrate...u can use rye flour
-------------------- url=https://files.shroomery.org/files/05-26/988356075-Picture-278.gif][/url
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HippieChick
Chicks can do it too!
Registered: 02/20/05
Posts: 5,958
Loc: Midwest
Last seen: 3 years, 2 months
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: EagleRed]
#5133136 - 01/02/06 09:21 PM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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Sorry , no real help here . You are trying to overcome conditions that are , unfortunately , going to require MONEY .
Good Luck
Peace,Love,Happiness and Harmony Hippie Chick
-------------------- Peace,Love and Happiness HC Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose.............. I LUV My Greenhouse http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/5545848#5545848 My First Pans http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/6212058#6212058
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NESpores
Formerly MyLady
Registered: 04/17/05
Posts: 464
Loc: Vermont USA
Last seen: 18 years, 1 month
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: HippieChick]
#5133184 - 01/02/06 09:34 PM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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Ive seen people use unbleached flower before... took a long time to colonize, and very weak mushies, but it did indeed work. and now for advice look man, my PC'er was only $5 at a yard sale. save up some cash, it's really worth it (I too am broke/cheap :P )
and im suprised you guys didn't catch that he said he thinks he need 80 to fruit. More like 73 or so.
-------------------- Did your grow fail, and now your out of spores? Problem Solved. Check out my CakeSaver Tek. http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/5236115/an/0/page/0
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kiss
numbnuts
Registered: 12/14/04
Posts: 486
Loc: under your bed
Last seen: 9 years, 3 months
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: EagleRed]
#5133232 - 01/02/06 09:47 PM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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Some good idea's, and some not so good... Changing to corn flour might be interesting though. Never thought about that. Maybe someone else can answer this. I have yet to work with corn. The LED issue I can't comment on either. Seems like to much work, when a floro, does the trick nicely. But I do know others here do use them. I've read reports of people simply boiling their jars of BRF, but I use a PC to handle all my substrate...in jars BTW. Using glass drinking jars or cups, seems like a risk I wouldn't be willing to take. Using hand warmers for incubating seems like a bad idea too. Perhaps in a getto sort-of-way you might end up with some type of myc. growth. But like you said...If you can handle buying these things from a store when needed, then save your money to get all the proper stuff needed...electric would be a good start. Your heating temps. should be around 84-86f, and on a pretty consistant basis for optimal growth. You can of course stray slightly with diffrent results, but I can only imagine how much of a pain in the ass that would have to be. Seems like your trying to grow in an empty lot, or a garage??. If that is the case then this will be a tough grow indeed. GL though
-------------------- see dick drink see dick drive see dick die don't be a dick!
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EagleRed
Stranger
Registered: 01/02/06
Posts: 3
Last seen: 17 years, 6 months
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: mskip23]
#5133233 - 01/02/06 09:47 PM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
mskip23 said: corn flour, corn meal, or unbleached flour wont work for substrate...u can use rye flour
I think I saw rye flour at the store when I was looking for BRF, I guess I'll have to pick some up.
Why won't corn meal/corn flour work if you can grow on corn? One of those is ground up corn isn't it?
Are there any strains that fruit at 64? I found a new space that is a little bit warmer than the other, but once again has the same no outlets problem.
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Nephlyte
Misfortunate One
Registered: 10/11/05
Posts: 1,025
Loc: South Texas
Last seen: 13 years, 7 months
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: EagleRed]
#5133332 - 01/02/06 10:14 PM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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Well, the problem that i've found so far (which is not to far, but still) is that the less money you spend, the more contams and failure you get. More failure results in needing more spore syringes. It also means a lot more time.
SO, spend less money initially and spend more time and money later.
So you don't have to drive so far(which seems fairly close, actually), wait 'till you happen to be driving in that area and get a big bag or a bag or two at once. That'll save you the trip. BRF costs maybe a few dollars per bag. So just give up a single beer or a few cokes to make up the cost in your budget
Next the flashlight idea may work, but you'll have to spend a fortune on LED flashlights (unless you have them). Then you'll have to get batteries. Theres some more cash, those are expensive. Then you'll have to switch it off and on every 12 hours(while fruiting), which is a big hassle.
I hear you can just boil them in a pot. But i did this 4 times and got lots of contams. (4 spore syringes = $50-$75) My most recent project was done with a PC and it was 100 percent success. If i would've shelled out 40 bucks for a PC, i would've been saving money since my first grow would've worked.
Also the cups with foil on them might work, i've seen a tek with this. But a set of 12 wide mouth jars (half pint or full pint) is like 8 dollars at my local hardware store, probably cheaper at wal mart(but i hate them). So give up a few luxuries a week and you'll have it by your next paycheck.
Anyway, i kinda dragged on, but thats how i see the situation. I tried the cheap way 4 times and had lots of failure, then did the correct way and have had total success.
-------------------- "To do right is to know what you want. Now when you are dissatisfied with yourself it's because you are after something you don't really want. What objects are you proposing to yourself? Are they the objects you really value? If they are not, you are cheating yourself. I don't meant that if you chose to pursue the objects you most value, you will attain them; of course not. Your experience will tell you that. But success in getting after much labor what you really don't care for is the bitterest and most ridiculous failure." -George Santayana
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Snaggletooth
Stranger in a Strange Land
Registered: 10/24/05
Posts: 6,109
Loc: blinks stupidly
Last seen: 6 years, 10 months
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: EagleRed]
#5133351 - 01/02/06 10:18 PM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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You will need electricity...I don't know of anyway around that..
-------------------- Atheist Chat
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fourD
Stranger
Registered: 12/12/05
Posts: 63
Last seen: 17 years, 11 months
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: Snaggletooth]
#5133395 - 01/02/06 10:26 PM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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I agree with neph. I'm still a beginner but from what I have experienced I'd say its better to invest in a decent setup than starting with the bare minimum. Chances for failure are high. You'll be pouring money into a pit and without any shrooms.
Edited by fourD (01/02/06 10:30 PM)
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tiny_rabid_birds
Nocturnal
Registered: 11/08/05
Posts: 15,653
Loc: estados unidos
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: fourD]
#5133672 - 01/02/06 11:34 PM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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The cup thing seems like it should work fine, so long as they're not like a soft plastic that would melt in boiling water or a PC (if you can get one).
You will need electricity, no way around it. Perhaps some time at night you could run a line of extension cord, then bury it like an inch or two into the ground. Sure, it'd be a hassle and a pain in the ass, but you could probably do it rather easily with a garden trowel by rather than digging up the ground, just wedging open the dirt and pushing the cord into the ground. Or not. Nevertheless, you will need electricity for lights and heat.
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phantomstranger
Stranger
Registered: 12/17/05
Posts: 285
Last seen: 6 years, 4 months
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: HippieChick]
#5133843 - 01/03/06 12:49 AM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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Make a trip to walmart buy a bag of brown rice for 1-2$ and a the cheapest PC they have about 20$. You can grind up the rice yourself (i used a blender) and after you are finished with the PC if you are that broke then just return it and get your money back. Thats what I'd do if I were you especially the PC part or you will wish you had when ur tossing out some or all of your jars. Peace and good luck.
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annihilist
Stranger
Registered: 10/21/04
Posts: 4
Last seen: 18 years, 1 month
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: EagleRed]
#5133947 - 01/03/06 01:36 AM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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"Boiling my substrate jars under regular atmospheric instead of inside a pressure cooker because I don?t own a pressure cooker and can?t afford buying one even from a second hand store."
---I hear this can work for the PF-Tek, but not if you're doing whole grains - in that case, run a search for fractional sterilization or tyndallization (check spelling)
"Using glass cups instead of glass jars and using layers or aluminum foil secured with rubber bands instead of a lid because I have a lot of old cups sitting around the house."
---This is offered as an option in the original PF Tek (run a search). Your rubber bands might not survive the sterilization process (I've never tried) but they probably aren't necessary if you use a couple layers of aluminum foil and crimp it tight.
With regard to the LED - can't say for sure, but it seems feasible. The light REQUIREMENT is fairly loose but that probably wouldn't be optimal.
Listen to everyone else w/r/t the corn/flour. Brown rice flour is not a big investment, and you can make it yourself with brown rice (50 cents/pound) and a blender/food-processor/coffee grinder.
Good luck!
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FooMan
Registered: 02/02/05
Posts: 8,957
Loc: Earth
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: EagleRed]
#5134188 - 01/03/06 06:57 AM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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My advice would be to wait until you move out of your parents house and get a job, then grow mushrooms.
No electrical outlets or heating due to building code? What type of building has codes like that other than a hazardous or flammable type of storage building? A vacant house? A shed?
-------------------- Quick WBS Prep
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JoeyShmoey
PowerStroker
Registered: 11/17/05
Posts: 348
Last seen: 12 years, 3 months
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) [Re: FooMan]
#5134204 - 01/03/06 07:24 AM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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Also you'd be wasting your nonexistent money if you go out and start buying substrate without any idea of how your going to incubate and fruit these. Just remember, Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. It sounds like your growing at home w/ Mom and Dad not knowing not cool! I may be wrong though! You need electricity, period!
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DestroyerOWorlds
Stranger
Registered: 11/28/05
Posts: 60
Last seen: 14 years, 9 months
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Re: Noob Shroom Growing Question(s) *DELETED* [Re: JoeyShmoey]
#5134232 - 01/03/06 07:58 AM (18 years, 2 months ago) |
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Post deleted by DestroyerOWorldsReason for deletion: .
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FooMan
Registered: 02/02/05
Posts: 8,957
Loc: Earth
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Quote:
DestroyerOWorlds said: PC ei totally NOT must. Iv made around 20 pf-tek jars whit just boiling, 1h 20mins and zero contam.
-------------------- Quick WBS Prep
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