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themycoman
Mycologist



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 145
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Current Setup, Picture Heavy -Update 4/22 Shiitakes Harvested!
#14319187 - 04/19/11 06:59 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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I have been pretty busy lately but finally have some time now to work full time on my oyster and shiitake grow.
After much reading I decided to go with a 55 gallon pasteurizer setup but opted to use a burner and propane instead of electrical, I ordered the burner from FP and got two food grade 55 gallon barrels off craigslist.
I plan on making straw logs with 20% alfalfa like Buckeye Oysters has been doing.
To start off I went to my local feed store and got some wheat grain, wheat bran, gypsum, three bales of straw and one bale of alfalfa.
Then I got to work shredding them with my new flowtron, thanks for the idea Humility!
I found a pretty handy way to use the flowtron was on top of the barrel with a husky 55 gallon drum liner I found at home depot.
To prep the grain I followed RR's tek but using two five gallon buckets to soak in and then boiled 10 minutes in a 42 quart boiling pot over the propane burner.
I then pulled out the grain (still in the paint strainers) in the metal basket insert and let drain and cool in the second barrel fitted with a grill insert and two cement blocks.
I plan to pasteurize the straw in paint strainers but in the 55 gallon drum then pull out with a fishing net and let drain/cool in the second barrel.
I was skeptical that the grains would be too wet but surprisingly they came out pretty well.
I then loaded up four large filter patch bags and sterilized for two hours in my 75X.
After cooling I injected each with 30ml of shiitake 75 grain LC.
I also have grain LC's going of blue oyster (thanks outgrow, I won't forget to post a grow log) and king oyster.
Now on with the pics:


I forget to add that shiitake block that is fruiting is actually sporework's strain and is just coir and wild bird seed it was a experimental block and I don't plan on using coir or wbs anymore.
I had thought that coir/wbs would be cheaper than straw and a better grain, silly me!
Also the first two blocks that are colonizing are shiitake 75 strain on just coir/straw/wbs and the third that is browning is sporeworks strain on coir/straw/wbs as well.
I really wished I just started off with straw/sawdust since I had almost 20 king oyster blocks on coir/straw/wbs that were in the GH for over a month and never pinned!
What a waste, I just threw them all out in the backyard yesterday hoping something might happen.
I was extremely surprised when I saw the shiitake block pinning about four days ago.
Needless to say I will be doing everything by the book now and no more experimental blocks, pretty soon I will be going to a sawmill and getting a cubic yard of hardwood sawdust.
Edited by themycoman (04/22/11 01:46 PM)
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BargainBab
Hey Dere Ho Dere



Registered: 04/04/11
Posts: 1,178
Loc: Callisto
Last seen: 10 years, 2 months
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Re: Current Setup, Picture Heavy [Re: themycoman]
#14319215 - 04/19/11 07:03 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Very professional
-------------------- Oh wow, GOOD Nyborg!
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themycoman
Mycologist



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 145
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Re: Current Setup, Picture Heavy [Re: BargainBab]
#14319300 - 04/19/11 07:18 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Thanks, I did some spring cleaning today the room was a huge mess with straw everywhere from before when I had bales just stacked in the corner
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Humility
Working on it



Registered: 10/07/08
Posts: 6,745
Last seen: 6 years, 11 months
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Re: Current Setup, Picture Heavy [Re: themycoman]
#14319883 - 04/19/11 09:18 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Your setup looks really clean. Did you buy those cement blocks or are they lying around the house somewhere? Even those are super clean heh.
Can't wait to see your fruits.
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themycoman
Mycologist



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 145
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Re: Current Setup, Picture Heavy [Re: Humility]
#14319988 - 04/19/11 09:39 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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I just bought the cement blocks from home depot when I was picking up the propane tanks and 42 quart boiling pot.
I'm sure they won't look clean for long being outside.
I got two propane tanks in case I run out mid-session during pasteurization and grill covers to protect them from rain.
I'm thinking about getting two more for the barrels since they fit over them perfect and the band that tightens the lid is already a little rusty.
My poly tubing just came in I got 10" wide and I think that comes out to 6.3" diameter if my math is correct.
I wanted to start a little smaller to get the hang of the straw log technique and since I only have two five tier green houses.
Next I will be building a larger green house and a bulk humidifier.
Has anybody tried spawning to straw logs with sawdust spawn?
I was thinking that could make my grain spawn go much further and hopefully increase the yield and give the oysters and shiitakes a better taste.
I'm thinking that maybe the 20% alfalfa and using sawdust spawn with wheat bran might be overly nutritious.
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FractalXplora
Grainiack




Registered: 02/11/06
Posts: 2,494
Loc: UK
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Re: Current Setup, Picture Heavy [Re: themycoman]
#14321509 - 04/20/11 03:47 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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NICE SETUP!
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fngbronco
Monkey Man



Registered: 09/26/10
Posts: 2,877
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I think RogerRabbit has been looking for a strain of shiitake that grows in coir, I could be mistaken tho.
-------------------- I challenge you to challenge yourself more! When you feel complacent and ready to hang it up, challenge yourself to get over it! If you fail, don't look at it as you didn't succeed, look at it as you would a rock face you're trying to climb. Stand back, wayyyy back, and look at it and plot another path. If you can't find one, shuffle down the way a little, a little change of scenery or a view from a different angle may give you the insight you need. Anything I state is relayed information from a friend of a friend and should be viewed as completely fictitious. I do not partake in any illegal or grey-area-of-the-law activities, but do have lots of friends who may or may not. -fngbronco Pill Divider Agar Tek
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themycoman
Mycologist



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 145
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Re: Current Setup, Picture Heavy [Re: fngbronco]
#14327092 - 04/21/11 10:24 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Wow those shiitakes grew fast, looks like most of them are ready to harvest today.

How should I go about harvesting?
Is it the same as oysters just twist and pull off?
I've read some people cut them off with a knife or scissors and I was not sure of the best way.
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EvilMushroom666
Heretic




Registered: 11/18/09
Posts: 10,289
Loc: Canada
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Re: Current Setup, Picture Heavy [Re: themycoman]
#14327113 - 04/21/11 10:31 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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RR's advice on harvesting shiitake:
Quote:
Try to harvest shiitake when the cap is still curled down and towards the gills around the edges. - RR
As for the actual procedure of shiitake you will find the stems are pretty tough and firmly attached to the substrate. I personally use a straight razor and cut the fruits off as close to the substrate as possible.
Paul Stamets says that if you leave any of the stem behind on the block it will rot and cause contaminates, but I do believe RR says that it is not accurate.
On the 3 blocks I have fruited so far(that are now outside) none of the stems that were left behind have rotted or contaminated.
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themycoman
Mycologist



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 145
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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I harvested this morning and used a razor blade like you suggested and it worked pretty good but some of them were so close together that I ended up just having to pull them off but surprisingly they did not rip much substrate away.
The total weight was a little short of 8oz and there was a few that were not ready yet and more pins forming.
Here are some pics along with my girlfriends Chihuahua, she is named shiitake ironically because of her colors (she used to be darker when she was a puppy).
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themycoman
Mycologist



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 145
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Re: Current Setup, Picture Heavy [Re: themycoman]
#15680083 - 01/17/12 07:52 PM (12 years, 15 days ago) |
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Expect an update soon, I'm starting with king oyster then comparing shittake 75 to the spore works strain that grows on coir.
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themycoman
Mycologist



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 145
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Re: Current Setup, Picture Heavy [Re: themycoman]
#15794593 - 02/11/12 08:26 PM (11 years, 11 months ago) |
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Getting things rolling again, expect updates in a few weeks from now.
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