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OfflineSmokingMirror
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Registered: 08/09/05
Posts: 4
Last seen: 18 years, 5 months
Advice for a 1st timer, please
    #4514083 - 08/09/05 11:14 AM (18 years, 7 months ago)

Firstly, hi all, and thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

So, following the recent and idiotic changes to UK drug law (shrooms are now considered as dangerous to society as Heroin, apparantly), I have decided to grow my own...

...that was ten days ago, and I'm not too sure that things are going well. General advice would be appreciated.

Firstly, my method:

*Note that I am in the UK, so all weights and measures are to the UK - not US - standard*

I purchased a 10ml syringe of spores. I got four jars of Bonne Maman jam (literally the only jars I could find where the top was wider than the rest of the jar). These jars were filled to 370g of jam, which was removed, and the jars boiled extremely well (for over an hour).

Given that these jars are of a slightly smaller capacity than is usually used, I have to alter my amounts of ingredients slightly. The amounts finally used for my substrate were (per jar):
Brown Rice Flour = 24g
Vermiculite (standard, not fine grain) = 20g
Water (I used tap water) = 45ml

This substance was made up for each jar, and filled then leaving about 1/2 an inch around each top. The tops were then wiped clean and dry Vermic was used to top up each jar, then the lids fitted. I put tin foil over each lid, placed them in a saucepan (I have no access to a pressure cooker) and boiled for 1 hour, leaving them to cool overnight.

I then removed the foil, and, wearing latex gloves and using a dust mask, I inoculated the jars (flaming the needle between each injection). Now I read a lot of guides before starting, and they seemed to conflict as to how much solution should be added to each jar. Since this is my first attempt, I decided to perform a small experiment by trying differing amounts. A total of 1ml went into jar 1 (divided between the four holes made in the lid), 2ml into jar 2, 3ml in 3, and 4ml in 4 (so 1ml per hole).

These jars were placed into a dark cupboard ten days ago, at a constant tempreture of about 80-83F.

Now, my problem - and concern - is that 10 days have passed and I can see absolutely no sign of any kind of life from any of the jars, expect jar 4. Jar 4 has a largish white fuzz at the bottom edge (under one of the holes), which is about a centimetre square. About halfway up the jar (under where another hole is) is a second blob, about half that size. The problem is that these blobs appeared after only 5 or so days, but they have since not grown in the slightest. All the other jars look dead.

So, am I just being too impatient? I can't help but think my my substrate is/was bad, it certainly seemed very dry when being dumped into the jars. Bear in mind, though, that my substrate ingredient amounts were taken directly from an online guide; just scaled down to allow for the smaller jar being used. I also tried to keep everything as sterile as possible during each stage.

Can anybody please give advice?

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OfflineHippieChick
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Registered: 02/20/05
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Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: SmokingMirror]
    #4514111 - 08/09/05 11:23 AM (18 years, 7 months ago)

Your water content is off, I believe. The ratio is 2:1:1. Vermiculite,Water,Brown Rice Flour.

You have almost as much verm as BRF, 20 grams to 24 grams. There should be twice as much verm as BRF per jar, for maximum nutrient content with BRF.

Good Luck.

Peace,Love,Happiness and Harmony.
:heart: Hippie Chick  :mushroom2:


--------------------
Peace,Love and Happiness
:heart: HC :mushroom2:

Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose..............

I LUV My Greenhouse
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Invisibleralphster44
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Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: HippieChick]
    #4514125 - 08/09/05 11:27 AM (18 years, 7 months ago)

That Hippiechick is hot:)

hehe

Ralphster44


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OfflineSmokingMirror
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Registered: 08/09/05
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Last seen: 18 years, 5 months
Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: HippieChick]
    #4514152 - 08/09/05 11:35 AM (18 years, 7 months ago)

Quote:

HippieChick said:
Your water content is off, I believe. The ratio is 2:1:1. Vermiculite,Water,Brown Rice Flour.
You have almost as much verm as BRF, 20 grams to 24 grams. There should be twice as much verm as BRF per jar, for maximum nutrient content with BRF.




Thanks for such a quick response, Hippiechick, but I tried to take the ratios into account when converting the amounts from US cups (as they were in the original guide). Bear in mind that Vermiculite is lighter than the Brown Rice Flour, so the roughly comparative weights do not necessarily reflect comparative amounts.

24g of BRF would - roughly (unless my calculations are way off) - fill a space of 45ml.
20g of Vermiculite, being considerably lighter and less dense, fills about 90ml (so double the BRF).
And the water used was 45ml

Since the original guide, and all the other guides I've seen, list the ratios by volume, and not weight, are my ratios not correct? I'm really a little concerned now that my conversions have doomed my shrooms!

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OfflineHippieChick
Chicks can do it too!
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Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: SmokingMirror]
    #4514209 - 08/09/05 11:55 AM (18 years, 7 months ago)

Sorry, you might have something there. Maybe you can try using some type of small drinking glass to measure your mix. Fill all the way once each with BRF and water, fill it twice with verm and your ratio's will be right. Doesn't matter what size glass it is as long as your use the ratios. Your weight calculations may be right, using a glass will make sure it's right.

I just did some weighing and came up with this, 24 grams for a 1/2 pint of verm,



169 grams BRF for an equal amount of BRF,






If the ratio's are to be kept, it would be 169 grams BRF and 48 grams verm. This would be enough to do a little over 3 1/2 pint jars. If you divide by 3, you would get, roughly, 46 grams BRF and 16 grams verm per 1/2 pint.

Sorry, didn't weigh the water. The scale was tared with the 1/2 pint jar on the scale.

Hope this helps.

Peace,Love,Happiness and Harmony.
:heart: Hippie Chick  :mushroom2:

Edited by HippieChick (08/09/05 12:10 PM)

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OfflineSmokingMirror
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Registered: 08/09/05
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Last seen: 18 years, 5 months
Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: HippieChick]
    #4514402 - 08/09/05 12:52 PM (18 years, 7 months ago)

Hmmm...ok, so we're still not sure if my amounts are off by enough to preclude growth (although it seems probable that I'm running a little dry).

As somebody with years experience in consuming shrooms, but almost zero experience with growing them, how long should I wait until I can consider my jars dead, as opposed to just late developers? They were inoculated on the 1st of August, and today is the 9th. As I say, only 1 jar is showing any sign of growth so far, but its growth appears to be static.

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OfflineHippieChick
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Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: SmokingMirror]
    #4514414 - 08/09/05 12:56 PM (18 years, 7 months ago)

I would say your jars are way dry. Proved by the fact that you say the only jar showing anything is the one you put 4 ml spore solution in. Needed the extra water.

Peace,Love,Happiness and Harmony.
:heart: Hippie Chick  :mushroom2:

If you don't see anything in 2 weeks, might think about doing some more jars.


--------------------
Peace,Love and Happiness
:heart: HC :mushroom2:

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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InvisibleBoondock
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Registered: 06/22/05
Posts: 331
Loc: Pacific Northwest
Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: HippieChick]
    #4514528 - 08/09/05 01:29 PM (18 years, 7 months ago)

volume versus weight always makes me break out the calculator, adding metric versus American standard measurements can really mess things up

but the ratio 2:1:1 should make it easy. (this is volume measurements)

It really shouldn't matter if the unit size is cups, or Olympic sized swimming pools.

(not that you would ever make a cake the size of a swimming pool)

using 370ml jars as the measurement tool
2 jars of vermiculite
1 jar of BFR
1 jar of water

should make 4 jars (since 4 jars of material were used, but how the vermiculite and BFR responds to water might change the final volume)

I know I should do an experiment to prove this. But it seems correct to me.


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Be still.
Free from fear and attachment
know the sweet joy of the way.
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OfflineHippieChick
Chicks can do it too!
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Registered: 02/20/05
Posts: 5,958
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Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: Boondock]
    #4514547 - 08/09/05 01:36 PM (18 years, 7 months ago)

I just told him all that,lol.

Peace,Love,Happiness and Harmony
:heart: Hippie Chick  :mushroom2:


--------------------
Peace,Love and Happiness
:heart: HC :mushroom2:

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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InvisibleBoondock
Afoot andlight-hearted
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Registered: 06/22/05
Posts: 331
Loc: Pacific Northwest
Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: HippieChick]
    #4514560 - 08/09/05 01:41 PM (18 years, 7 months ago)

ddddang it hippiechick, i type slower than you


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Offlineaustio_ferocious
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Registered: 07/01/05
Posts: 165
Loc: a place I call my cave.
Last seen: 16 years, 6 months
Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: Boondock]
    #4514833 - 08/09/05 03:09 PM (18 years, 7 months ago)

Hotty...er, I mean... Hippiechick, is soooo right. I use a "parts/portions," based method for all my substrate mixing.


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Offlinebemmers1
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Registered: 04/20/03
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Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: austio_ferocious]
    #4514964 - 08/09/05 03:48 PM (18 years, 7 months ago)

You could consider injecting your jar with sterile water. Doesn't always work the best, but if your jars are dry it may be worth the chance. You may also want to cnsider your temps...if you live in canada or the statees right now it is steaming hot, so that may be a factor and even dried your jars a a little. As for your jars being dead it is unlikely. Hippiechick was right though, if the only jar that has showed any growth iis the one with the most amount of liquid, I think you have found your problem. Good luck and don't give up, it can sometimes be difficult to learn, and trial and error takes time.

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OfflineBigBallZMaN
Knowledge Quest

Registered: 06/28/05
Posts: 125
Loc: Washington, USA
Last seen: 18 years, 6 months
Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: Boondock]
    #4515150 - 08/09/05 04:44 PM (18 years, 7 months ago)

Quote:

Boondock said:

It really shouldn't matter if the unit size is cups, or Olympic sized swimming pools.

(not that you would ever make a cake the size of a swimming pool)



And why not? I would just consider it... bulk?


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Our body is love, we are eternal.
Eternal..

Omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, without judgment.

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OfflineSmokingMirror
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Registered: 08/09/05
Posts: 4
Last seen: 18 years, 5 months
Re: Advice for a 1st timer, please [Re: BigBallZMaN]
    #4516931 - 08/10/05 01:32 AM (18 years, 7 months ago)

I've decided that the jars probably are dead.

The jars were cracked open. First off, it has to be pointed out that every jar (including 4) has moisture droplets on the inside of the glass, so I'm wondering if a lack of water is the problem after all.

Jars 1 - 3 were discovered to have enough water to hold the mix together, and they all came out as slightly sticky cakes. Much hunting through the mixture has revealed not a single appearence of any kind of growth.

Jar 4 confirmed my suspicions. Again, the cake is reasonably solid, and slightly sticky to the touch (especially when I start to crumble it). The only growth in jar 4 were at the two sites previously mentioned, and a very gentle scraping away of cake around these sites has revealed that they are totally isolated. Absolutely zero growth has taken place anywhere else.

Should the cakes be slightly moist and sticky after 10 days, and should you normally expect to see condensation droplets on the inside of the glass during colonisation?

Apologies if these seem like idiotically newbie questions, but this is - or rather, was - my first attempt, and I want to gather as much information as possible about what went wrong so its not repeated the second time around.

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