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castoraran
Stranger
Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 13
Last seen: 17 years, 27 days
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What went wrong with my cakes?
#5940694 - 08/07/06 12:31 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Last time I did the PF tek cake method, I sterilized my jars and everything was great with no contamination whatsoever. So I got the hardest part down pat. Anyways, my jar lids with the 4 holes were covered with breatheable medical tape before and after inoculation. White mycelium started showing after 2 days but then it never started to grow rapidly. There were no signs of contamination and I wanted to speed up the spreading by putting it in a dark and warm garage. I took the tape off and loosened the lids. But after a few days, the mycelium stopped growing and the cake was shrinking. I realized that the only thing I didnt follow was the vermiculite layer filling the jar to the top of the lid.
My theory is that without the layer, my cakes dried up. I dont know this for sure though but I decided that the cakes initially werent getting enough air so I loosened the lids and thats when the cakes started drying out. Can anyone confirm this or explain how exactly the lids should be?
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2FiNiTe
ConsideratlyKilling Me
Registered: 06/12/06
Posts: 1,635
Loc: New England
Last seen: 7 years, 6 months
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Re: What went wrong with my cakes? [Re: castoraran]
#5940701 - 08/07/06 12:35 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Well depending on where you are in the country, it is probably at least 95F degrees in your garage. Im in florida and mine gets up to 115F. Mycellium starts to die after 90F so you need to get a thermometer and hygrometer and take some readings inside your garage.
If they are above 90F you definatly dont want to put your jars in there.
-------------------- "Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war that we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living." General Omar N. Bradley
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castoraran
Stranger
Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 13
Last seen: 17 years, 27 days
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Re: What went wrong with my cakes? [Re: 2FiNiTe]
#5940719 - 08/07/06 12:41 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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I am in florida too and i recorded the temperature of my garage at high 80's in the afternoon times. I suppose that they could have died from heat but I doubt it. If we rule that out, is there something I did terribly wrong concerning moisture or air with my jars? I just made a new batch of substrate jars and packed the vermiculite to the top this time.
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Dickhead
2 Times
Registered: 01/24/05
Posts: 28,769
Loc: groin
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Re: What went wrong with my cakes? [Re: 2FiNiTe]
#5940730 - 08/07/06 12:43 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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They dried up and died likely.
Dont let em get over 90 degrees; also keep them in a rubber/plastic storage tub that can help keep moisture in.
-------------------- Multiplied
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shroomsynergy
Fungi Freak
Registered: 01/17/06
Posts: 861
Loc: Andromeda
Last seen: 4 years, 6 months
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Re: What went wrong with my cakes? [Re: Dickhead]
#5940760 - 08/07/06 12:54 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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NEVER make cakes without using the vermiculite layer on the top. next time try covering 2 of the 4 holes with electrical tape to slow the drying out. you can also boil water and suck it up into a clean syringe, let cool, and inject it into your jar. (this is less foolproof) but works for me if i get sloppy with my jars.
Rice is a grain, grains puff up when moist, and shrink down when dried again. that is a sure sign of drying out. MyCeLiAl DeAtH
a good rule (for me anyways) is to always add exactly half the ammount of water as you do vermiculite. if they dry, just add a little more. GL, SyNeRgY
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beatnicknick
The Innovator
Registered: 05/25/05
Posts: 1,074
Last seen: 12 years, 10 months
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Re: What went wrong with my cakes? [Re: shroomsynergy]
#5940793 - 08/07/06 01:03 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Dude the layer, THE LAYER, is the most important part. Without it, contamination is inevitable, and chaos will ensue. Shame on you, shame on your parents for having sex, which led to you, which to NO LAYER, NO LAYER!
Anyway i'm only playing, just add that layer, THAT LAYER.
-------------------- I don't think for myself. I think as though I'm explaining my thoughts to someone else. I'm concerned only for those listening.
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castoraran
Stranger
Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 13
Last seen: 17 years, 27 days
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Re: What went wrong with my cakes? [Re: beatnicknick]
#5940830 - 08/07/06 01:19 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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I remembered the layer this time =\. One last question though, do the cakes really need to exposed to air or will they still incubate with the jar lid on tight, holes covered, and thus no loss of moisure?
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Dickhead
2 Times
Registered: 01/24/05
Posts: 28,769
Loc: groin
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Re: What went wrong with my cakes? [Re: castoraran]
#5941251 - 08/07/06 04:08 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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they need holes. I learned this the hard way.
Just get a rubbermaid tub and keep them tight in there.
fan gentley mabey once a week... Works for me.
-------------------- Multiplied
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