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bik123
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Registered: 07/31/10
Posts: 366
Last seen: 6 years, 7 months
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Sawdust block
#14294030 - 04/15/11 02:59 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Out of my 200 sawdust blocks, around 120 had contaminations.Ive been trying to figure out what could have caused it. I streamlined into many factors, as there is and always will be and even did blanks for all, and i came to the conclusion that it must be the sawdust itself.
As i get it from the mill and do not know what kind of trees it comes from, and i believe, all the wood shavings are comprised of 4-5 different types of wood, so i think that is the case.
Is there a method to sterilize all the mixed wood in advance before autoclaving?
And i did Grain spawn and agar wedge directly into the blocks,and found that Agar has a higher contamination rate. Is that of the case?
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makaveli8x8
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Registered: 02/28/06
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Re: Sawdust block [Re: bik123]
#14294258 - 04/15/11 05:32 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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you either sterilize right or wrong. im curious what your actual steps were when putting an agar wedge directly into the blocks? aka are u saying on some blocks u skipped grain spawn and tried to use just agar wedges?
anyways my guess to your problem is that when your doing your transfer contamination is getting put into your blocks at the same time through the air, your hands, your spawn, tools, something alone those lines is most likely your cause. If your spawn looks good when your spawning it to your sawdust blocks and u sterlized your blocks currectly, then its something thats happening in between.
For others to help narrow this down your going to have to be specific and list exactly what your doing and how your doing it as detailed as possible
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  We were sent to hell for eternity Ø h® We play on earth to pass the time Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.
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RogerRabbit
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Re: Sawdust block [Re: bik123]
#14294523 - 04/15/11 08:31 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
bik123 said: As i get it from the mill and do not know what kind of trees it comes from, and i believe, all the wood shavings are comprised of 4-5 different types of wood, so i think that is the case.
I use sawdust from six species of trees in my substrate blocks. A mixed substrate is superior to any one alone.
You failed to sterilize properly, or failed to use sterile spawn, or failed to keep it sterile after inoculation. You can't inoculate sawdust with agar wedges with any degree of success. You need grain or sawdust spawn. RR
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
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lazy bones
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Registered: 04/22/10
Posts: 250
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Re: Sawdust block [Re: bik123]
#14295087 - 04/15/11 11:20 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
bik123 said: i came to the conclusion that it must be the sawdust itself.
Even if it was the sawdust itself, proper sterilization would void that argument. I only do a few blocks at a time, but it took me a while to assure proper sterilization. Since then I have had no problems.
Excuse me now while I go find some wood to knock on.
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bik123
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Registered: 07/31/10
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Last seen: 6 years, 7 months
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I think, the problem lies in me using stapler to seal the bags, rather than other ways. For i found flies have penetrated in between, the gaps and went for the mycelium.
That might be the case for the sterile substarte to contaminate, as now, I rule out the different combination of woods.
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makaveli8x8
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Re: Sawdust block [Re: bik123]
#14298092 - 04/15/11 09:24 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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just curious are we talking horse flys or fruit flys here?
--------------------
  We were sent to hell for eternity Ø h® We play on earth to pass the time Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.
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RogerRabbit
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Posts: 42,214
Loc: Seattle
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Re: Sawdust block [Re: bik123]
#14298144 - 04/15/11 09:35 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
bik123 said: I think, the problem lies in me using stapler to seal the bags, rather than other ways.
Yes, 100%. RR
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
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MonkeyKnifeFight
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Registered: 06/08/10
Posts: 772
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Out of curiosity is this your first swing at sawdust blocks? Making 200 blocks in the first go is bold. But you'll get at it really quick at that pace
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bik123
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Registered: 07/31/10
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Last seen: 6 years, 7 months
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THose flies, i guess it must be fruit flies.
And yes, ive been experimenting and some blocks survived and ive been brainstorming over and over again what could be the cause, as all were done together in sterile conditions.
With no satisfied ans as i looked into books and internet and here as well, it just made me angry to see it contaminate.
Then, to see some flies inside the stapled bag (which were incubating in normal room) made me pinpoint that, if flies can enter, then defintely the room air has gone through the sterile blocks!
This time, ive done around 50bags with no entry of outside air to the sterile blocks and lets see if that is the cause. I really really hope so!
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bik123
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Last seen: 6 years, 7 months
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Re: Sawdust block [Re: bik123]
#14305125 - 04/17/11 08:48 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Thinking..........instead of a stapler, is it better to use a device(what's the name) that melts and joins plastic after creating a mini atmosphere? And then spraying bleach soln to create a sterile env inside the bag before heat sealing it.
I understand that bleach does not harm the mycelium.In that way, one is sure of a sterile env inside the bag.
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makaveli8x8
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Re: Sawdust block [Re: bik123]
#14309224 - 04/17/11 09:51 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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its called an impulse sealer, but all it does is seal. What some like to do is build a flow hood, that blows "clean" air accross your workspace, so then after taking their cooled bags from the pressure cooker they take them to there work space open them, inclinate, let the "clean" air fill the bag a little and then impulse seal them shut.
as for bleach, i try to stay away from that stuff, but i don't recall anyone using it like you describe. Your bags are "sterile" when they come out of your pressure cooker, so there's no need for it anyway.
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  We were sent to hell for eternity Ø h® We play on earth to pass the time Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.
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makaveli8x8
Stranger

Registered: 02/28/06
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Re: Sawdust block [Re: bik123]
#14309262 - 04/17/11 09:57 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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also how did u do 50 bags in a day?...i mean your obviously new, if u were RR or someone i wouldn't second guess that number, but...are u even pressure cooking them,or pasteurizing? or are u just soaking sawdust and filling bags and stapling them shut?
you need to tell us what your doing, because i sense alot is wrong here.
--------------------
  We were sent to hell for eternity Ø h® We play on earth to pass the time Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.
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bik123
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Registered: 07/31/10
Posts: 366
Last seen: 6 years, 7 months
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From where i am, power is a big problem! Only about 6 hrs on then offt and then 6 more hrs. Ive like the 4 American pressure cooker and i fill my wet sawdust with ingredients and cook them for a specified time. Each PC ingredients, i divide into 5 bags and so, in around 11/2hrs, i get about 20 bags.
So, the max i can do per day is just around 60bags which are of a 1/4 block each.
Ok, its impulse sealer, i guess that is better to shut the air in the bag then stapler which leaks it. Ill go and get that then.
Hence,my contamination as i do my very best to keep and make all things sterile.
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makaveli8x8
Stranger

Registered: 02/28/06
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Re: Sawdust block [Re: bik123]
#14309762 - 04/17/11 11:46 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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alright sounds like you know what your doing then, you prolly already know this but if your ingredients and percentages added are off that can lead to contamination as well, for example if your adding too much bran that can lead to problems
Also u should check out RR's video's if u need to see how to use that impulse sealer properly
--------------------
  We were sent to hell for eternity Ø h® We play on earth to pass the time Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.
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Tunnel_Bunny
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Registered: 05/13/15
Posts: 251
Loc: United States of America
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I use tape to seal my bags. I'm growing reishi which doesn't contaminate easy but as I move to other harder to grow stuff I will use an impulse sealer
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