ADM Cake Casing Tek
by Karl Brooks

Great casing tek for newbies who have produced PF style cakes several times, and are attempting their first casing.
This tek incorporates some of the concepts from the "Shroom Wizard's Casing Tek", but improves upon a couple of that tek's weaknesses.
The use of the aluminum pie pan is a nice addition.
If you get contamination, you throw these low cost items away.
And also, due to the solid nature of the tray, the pins will grow upward, unlike they would in a tupperware container.

-Also eliminated is a "bottom layer".
Research indicates the bottom layer is an unnecessary step, and may introduce contaminates without increasing benefit.

Materials required: - 3 fully colonized 1/2 pint jars of substrate (PF Tek) -
3 cups of Horticultural Vermiculite -
7" x 7" square aluminum pie pan -
Saran wrap -
Ziploc bag

Optional:
For two different casing layers:
either Peat Humus or Potting Soil
Crumble the cakes and spread the substrate evenly on the bottom of the pie pan.

TIP: Place each cake, one by one, into a ziplock baggie.
Gently break apart the cakes thoroughly from the outside.
Your hands don't come into contact with the cakes, minimizing the chance of contams.?
Cover with Saran wrap, let tray recover for 24 hours.

#1: Pure Vermiculite - Does Not Require Sterilization
Thoroughly mix vermiculite with enough water so that it's moist, not wet. Spread casing layer evenly over the substrate.

#2: (From SporeChicks) Mix 1 and 1 half cups each of Vermiculite and Peat Humus.
Does Not Require Sterilization.

#3: (Original Shroom Wizard Casing)
Mix 1 and 1 half cups each of vermiculite and potting soil. Requires sterilization.
Either:
1) Place in microwavable container - nuke for 8 minutes
2) Put in Quart Jar and pressure cook for 20 minutes at 15 psi.

From Ryche Hawk:
After casing put immediately in your birthing chamber.
Keep casing layer moist. It will take about a week for mycelium to colonize casing layer.
Pinning will start in several days after that. Make sure to air out the chamber often. ?

This tek was compiled from information gathered on alt.drugs.mushrooms by various posters.
?

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Thanks, Hippie! Wish me luck, I'm going to still grow some off the cakes, but most will be cased this time around. I'm hoping for a great first flush. (for informational purposes only, mind you. )