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 dimebagger
Stranger
Registered: 08/10/06
Posts: 3
Last seen: 17 years, 5 months
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 About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) 
#5975665 - 08/18/06 11:32 AM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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hello. i've been lurking for awhile, studying the cultivation guide & teks, grow logs and searching the forums. after some research i'm nearly ready to begin my first grow.
the plan:
the plan is to create BRF cakes using the standard 1/4 cup brf, 1/2 cup of vermiculite, 1/4th cup of spring water. after mixing the substrate it will be placed inside of 24 wide-mouth half pint jars, topped with dry vermiculite, lids will be placed on (rubber side up) with 4 holes punched into each lid, the holes then covered with 3M Micropore tape, rings screwed down but not too tight, and then foil over the entire top of the jar.
the 24 half-pints will then be pressure cooked for 70-90 minutes @ 15 psi in my new All-American 921. the pressure cooker will then be turned off and allowed to cool for a minimum of 6 hours.
a bathroom will then be wiped down with lysol and a simple glove box consisting of a cardboard box with a plexiglass window secured to the top and 2 arm holes will be brought in. lysol will be sprayed inside the glovebox, then a number of jars will be transfered from the pressure cooker to the glovebox, everything sprayed with lysol again, then after a few minutes, innoc will begin.
3 spore syringes will be taken from the fridge and shaken well. i plan on doing the innocs inside the glovebox but without attached gloves. i will however be wearing medical latex gloves while i innoc. the syringe will be uncapped, the needle flamed and allowed to cool, wiped with a sterile alc wipe, foil removed from the top of the jar, 1/4cc in each hole making sure to inject the spore solution into the sides of the jars not the middle of the cake. foil will then be quickly replaced on top of the jar and the needle flamed sterilized/wiped with alc between jars.
as i plan on inoculating 24 jars, i'll need use of 3 spore syringes. the 4 that i have are: Mexi-Cube, Z-Strain, B+ and Creeper. i plan on 10 B+ jars, 10 Z-Strain jars and 4 Mexi-Cube jars.
the 24 jars will be placed in a classic TiT incubator. 2 large rubbermaid tubs will be stacked on top of each other, the lower containing some water + a little hydrogen peroxide and a thermostat controlled 100w aquarium heater. the upper tub will be wiped with lysol, a folded towel placed in the bottom, the 24 jars placed into the incubation chamber, and a blanket on top covering them. a digital temp/humidity unit will be placed inside the incubator, shooting for about 82F water temp, 84-85F inside the incubation chamber.
hopefully i won't have too large of a problem with contams after pressure cooking and inoculating inside a glove box. after ~2 weeks they should be fully colonized and I'm planning on removing each cake from the jar, washing under cold water and wiping off the surface, and then dunking them overnight.
after dunking, the plan is to birth 1/3rd of the cakes and to case the rest. if all 24 survive, probably 16 will be cased and 8 birthed.
the 8 cakes to be birthed will, after dunking, be rolled + double end cased. they'll be put in their own fruiting chamber, a large rubbermaid tub with a layer of moist perlite at the bottom. ideally it will be equipped with an aquarium air pump running in a filter box for air-flow.
for the remaining cakes, i'm planning on crumbling each one inside a zip lock bag for the substrate layer of the trays. the plan is to use the disposable foil baking pans for loaves of bread - 2 crumbled BRF cakes per pan.
for the casing i'm planning on 60/40 vermiculite/coca coir. after sterilizing the casing material, a thin layer of it will be placed in the bottom of the tray and misted, a layer of substrate, and then a layer of casing on top of that, at a ratio of 4:1 substrate:casing. this top layer will be misted, each tray covered with foil, air holes punched in, and placed inside of fruiting chambers. these will be similar in design to the ones used for the cakes, but with less water added to the perlite in an attempt to keep the RH between 82%-92%.
general comments/questions:
i was tempted to simply forgo the BRF cakes and start with WBS or rye. i purchased the 24 half-pint jars before i decided to go ahead and get the AA 921, and it seems that the main reason people use BRF is because they don't have a pressure cooker. also everyone who uses grains uses pint jars, and i've seen some posts saying that half-pint WBS jars are a bit of a pain and not worth the time. i decided to go ahead and give the BRF and half-pint cakes a try for my first grow.
how does my procedure for casing look? i'm slightly apprehensive to case 2/3rds of my cakes as this adds a layer of complexity that many first-timers have problems with. i'm aware that a simple fruiting tub with perlite is not the most ideal environment for casings as they require differing levels of RH, but i can't manage a humidity controlled martha tent, etc on this first attempt.
also i'm a little unsure about the level of water to add to the pressure cooker when sterilizing the jars. i've seen 'about an inch of water' as the most-quoted figure, but does that mean an inch with or without the rack, before or after adding the jars, an inch up the sides of the jars?
what about the time to sterilize BRF jars in the pressure cooker. i've seen times quoted from 60 to 90 minutes.
what about the sterilization of the casing material. as i'm planning on the 60/40 verm/coca mix, is nuking it in the microwave enough, or should i pressure cook it? if so, what's the best way to go about that?
any and all comments and suggestions on my planned methods are welcomed and most appreciated.
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 Atheist
Stranger
 
Registered: 01/24/06
Posts: 13,705
Loc: USA
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Re: About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) [Re: dimebagger]
#5975669 - 08/18/06 11:34 AM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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i'm too hungover to read that but i can answer ur last questions
PC for 60 minutes
i microwaved mine, use half verm half peat moss instead
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itsbreck
Crunk
Registered: 01/25/06
Posts: 447
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Re: About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) [Re: Atheist]
#5975675 - 08/18/06 11:37 AM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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be sure to let the lysol settle in your glovebox before lighting a flame
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dimebagger
Stranger
Registered: 08/10/06
Posts: 3
Last seen: 17 years, 5 months
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Re: About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) [Re: itsbreck]
#5976094 - 08/18/06 02:49 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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hrmm yes common sense innit.
i'm planning on making and inoculating the jars at the weekend, so if any of you experienced growers want to give some advice to improve my procedure, please let me know.
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dimebagger
Stranger
Registered: 08/10/06
Posts: 3
Last seen: 17 years, 5 months
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Re: About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) [Re: dimebagger]
#5978987 - 08/19/06 04:23 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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bump
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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: About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) [Re: dimebagger]
#5979166 - 08/19/06 05:33 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Alright, sounds good, but theres a few problems.
First off, don't use those foil bread pans to case in. Mycelium will eat the foil and no one knows if that ends up in the mushroom or not. You do not want to eat foil. If you have no other option, put a layer or two of plastic wrap on the tin foil cases, and you'll be fine.
Secondly, get a couple of tubs with no perlite and use them to put your casings in. Casings create a microclimate and do not need humidity variation. Casings are much easier than most people make them sound like, they're brainless, especially if your casing layer is something simple.
Thirdly, all the extra stuff for inoculation is not nesscary, an Ousted bathroom will work just fine. Just sterilize you needle every couple of hole inoculations. However, being extra cautious is fine.
Fourthly, yes, do some rye in quart jars your next grow, mix them with pasteurized wheat or oat straw (pasteurizing is brainless as well) and mix it in with that on 1:4 ratio (1 being rye). Look for the straw Teks for details on that. You'll get many a mushroom. If you have a PC, it is not intelligent to be doing brf/verm jars, but in this case, just go for it, this will ensure success for your first grow where with quarts you chances go down to 95-90 percent.
Fifthly, 60 minutes in the pressure cooker and an inch and a half up the sides of the jars will do fine.
Sixthly, I'd pressure cook the casing layer, and I would also use plain vermiculite for a couple of casings- no sterilization required. A lot of variation ensures success.
YOU WILL HAVE MUSHROOMS! Have fun! Do your daily fanning and misting!
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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.
Edited by beatnicknick (08/19/06 05:39 PM)
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xaxphaanes
Mycologist
Registered: 08/08/05
Posts: 2,988
Last seen: 1 year, 8 months
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Re: About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) [Re: beatnicknick]
#5979283 - 08/19/06 06:30 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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why would you pressure cook a casing layer? that would sterilize it you want to pasturize the casing layer
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"Anything i say is fictional"
what you should look for in manure
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tommythehort
will eat yourbeef slow
Registered: 07/04/06
Posts: 75
Loc: Christmas
Last seen: 16 years, 5 months
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Re: About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) [Re: xaxphaanes]
#5979676 - 08/19/06 08:42 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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for extra luck sometimes i masturbate on my casing layer
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faceyneck
Legitimate Philosopher
Registered: 06/14/06
Posts: 2,421
Loc: upper body area
Last seen: 8 years, 10 months
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Re: About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) [Re: tommythehort]
#5980094 - 08/19/06 10:05 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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"why would you pressure cook a casing layer? that would sterilize it you want to pasteurize the casing layer"
Why would I rather pasteurize it?
I would want to get it sterile enough for mushrooms to grow. I've read reports of people both sterilizing it and pasteurizing it and both being successful. Either one works. I know technically a PC is not going to get hot enough to "sterilize" it, but that is what is meant by "sterilizing" the jars on this forum.
Please explain the reasons why one should pasteurize instead of PC.
Also, is your signature meant to be a paradox?
Lastly, if any of these comments came across as insulting, I apologize. I'm not intending to offend you. If I have, I'm sorry, but I am legitimately curious why you say pasteurization of casing is better, and whether or not your signature is a paradox.
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Anything posted here, is total bullshit.
My Meyers-Briggs Personality: INTJ
New growers, or anyone else just needing help; I'm always glad to help right here. 
We give cultivation advice here. 
AMU Q & A - We're glad to help
My Doggy Door Greenhouse! First Ever Shmuvbox Tek! Do Manure Right!
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wiggles
Miffed a Milf
Registered: 11/09/05
Posts: 2,615
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
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Re: About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) [Re: faceyneck]
#5980153 - 08/19/06 10:13 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Use Oust before you use lysol. Its made to clear out the air. Also, I reccomend you mix the jars one by one, individually. This helps to make sure you keep the moisture level correct across each jar. I've always had a few jars stall out when I mix everything at once, just because its next to impossible to keep the moisture even throughout.
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You can turn your back on a person, but never turn your back on a drug, especially when its waving a razor sharp hunting knife in your eye.
Hunter S. Thompson
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Tjnik
Stranger
Registered: 01/05/07
Posts: 6
Last seen: 12 years, 7 months
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Re: About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) [Re: beatnicknick]
#6428261 - 01/05/07 02:33 PM (17 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
beatnicknick said:
Secondly, get a couple of tubs with no perlite and use them to put your casings in. Casings create a microclimate and do not need humidity variation. Casings are much easier than most people make them sound like, they're brainless, especially if your casing layer is something simple.
Hey i'm having some of the same problems and was wondering if you could expand on this. What do you do for humidity with no perlite?
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Blutjager
Inhuman
Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 9,220
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Re: About To Begin First Grow... (details + questions) [Re: Tjnik]
#6428737 - 01/05/07 05:29 PM (17 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Tjnik said:
What do you do for humidity with no perlite?
I use a humidifier 
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