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Doctor_Inoc
Vintage Hand
Registered: 04/30/11
Posts: 646
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Shiitake Blocks, Blobs!
#14578273 - 06/08/11 04:32 AM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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Here goes a few Shiitake blocks that have been colonizing for a few weeks.

I want to be the best Shittake grower that I can be. So, your comments, questions, and/or criticizes are appreciated and welcome. Thanks.
Updated, 8-24

Update; 9-1-11
Rinsed blocks in the sink. Didn't collect and save the run-off water.

While I was busting my Shiitake block strike cherry, I split the first block.
By the time I was to striking the last block, I was striking these blocks like a resident pro..

Fruiting chamber #1
Fruiting Chamber #2

Went for the long haul and shocked the blocks in the fridge for a full 72 hours after a few more days of the blocks in the bags.
Both fruiting chambers are placed on the edges of five gallon buckets so that air can enter through the holes on the bottom of the fruiting chamber, under their own window sill, each with the aid of their own 30 watt, artificial, compact fluorescent light in the 6500 spectrum range set on a timer to come on every 12 hours, and go off for 12.


Update; 9-5
What is the direct effect of the over supplementation of Shiitake blocks? Mutant blobs!


Hey! I'm just happy to have taken this specie all the way through to fruition. Learned a lot! Just one remaining question. Are these ok to consume?
Edited by Doctor_Inoc (09/05/11 10:09 PM)
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FractalXplora
Grainiack




Registered: 02/11/06
Posts: 2,494
Loc: UK
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Hi Doc,
1st off as you already probably know at least 3 months in the bag is necessary.
Look at the difference between these two blocks, one was left only a month in bag and the other for 3 months.
Both were cold shocked and slapped about! Strain is 75.
 
I'll leave you to guess which is which!
Some other good tips from the resident shiitake rabbitI will pass on!
1.after unbagging,give a rinse off and cold shock around 40F for a couple of days.
2, Then proceed to slap the blocks on all sides as hard as you can without them exploding and breaking.
3. Fruit at 50F - 60F, for shiitake 75 anyways.
What strain and substrate are you using, looks like starw and sawdust?
Good luck and post your results
Fractal.
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Edited by FractalXplora (06/08/11 04:42 AM)
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Doctor_Inoc
Vintage Hand
Registered: 04/30/11
Posts: 646
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Quote:
What strain and substrate are you using, looks like starw and sawdust?
Correct.
Strain, unknown.
Substrate, approx. 25/75 wheat straw/oak sawdust, supplemented with roughly 5% gypsum, and rice bran.
Thanks for the advise.
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RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure



Registered: 03/26/03
Posts: 42,214
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Last seen: 1 year, 12 days
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You might also want to change to the T filters rather than the M filters on those bags. I've been running tests on both, but for now, the T filters are outperforming the M, although substrates in bags with the M filters like yours colonize faster.
So far, I'm finding with the T filters, I can begin fruiting after 60 days, and get similar performance to the M filters after three to four months in the bags. More tests are under way, but that's the preliminary finding. Straw also helps with many strains, as does shredded bark, which you'll find at nurseries in cities sold as 'beauty bark'. Fortunately, I get all the bark I need when I split firewood every year. I just run it through the shredder and add it at in roughly the same amount as straw.
Growing shiitake is as much art as science, so experiment with various changes with each batch, and keep accurate notes so you can learn what works and doesn't work in your unique environmental situation. 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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FractalXplora
Grainiack




Registered: 02/11/06
Posts: 2,494
Loc: UK
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Type 3T-High efficiency 0.2 microns is that what you use RR?
Will these stop me having shiitake fruiting in the bag?
I have mixed batch of spawn bags from a trade so I'm not sure whats what!
looking at these;
http://www.annforfungi.co.uk/shop/equipment/10-spawn-bags-3t/prod_51.html
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RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure



Registered: 03/26/03
Posts: 42,214
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Last seen: 1 year, 12 days
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If you're using Unicorn bags, 3T is what you want. The 3T bags won't completely stop invitro fruiting, but will help. Premature fruiting shiitake is usually caused by excess colonization temperature, over incubation beyond 4 months, or making the substrate too wet. 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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Doctor_Inoc
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Registered: 04/30/11
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A full tutorial on how to grow Shiitakes in 4 posts or less. PRICELESS!
Furthermore, each bag was inoculated with 2 cups of colonized grain spawn.
Making the substrate too wet is concern of mine in the back of my mind.
Do you think these particular substrates are too wet??
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curry
Stranger


Registered: 01/09/11
Posts: 276
Last seen: 2 years, 1 month
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They're not too wet (I don't see extra water standing in bags). Even if they were on the wet side, they'd still fruit just fine.
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FractalXplora
Grainiack




Registered: 02/11/06
Posts: 2,494
Loc: UK
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Re: Shiitake Blocks. [Re: curry]
#14589316 - 06/10/11 07:54 AM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
If you're using Unicorn bags, 3T is what you want. The 3T bags won't completely stop invitro fruiting, but will help. Premature fruiting shiitake is usually caused by excess colonization temperature, over incubation beyond 4 months, or making the substrate too wet. RR
Magic Roger, as usual golden advice for us budding shiitake growers!
Whats your ideal room temp RR for incubation you try to keep it at 60F yes?
Sorry Doc hope Im not hijacking ya thread!
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Doctor_Inoc
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Registered: 04/30/11
Posts: 646
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Quote:
Sorry Doc hope Im not hijacking ya thread
Not at all sir. All input is gold, IMO. Your questions are teaching me so, KEEP EM' COMIN'! Thank you Fractal for your advise.
Thanks for you opinion of the moisture content of my bags, curry. That makes me feel better. No, there is no standing or pooling water. These bags just seemingly have lots of condensation, then what I'm used to (cube. grain bags) and they'v been colonizing at a steady 69-71F.
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kotter


Registered: 01/15/11
Posts: 210
Last seen: 4 years, 9 months
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Online (http://www.bonanza.com/booths/CSRSCIENCE) under the product details for Unicorn bags is this comment:
"keep in moisture, allow for fresh air exchange, and to keep contaminants out, they have a 3T-High efficiency 0.2 microns filter patch 1-5/8 square inches in size. They are reusable, being able to not only withstand but stay soft and easy to seal after heat treatment in an autoclave for six hours at 262°F (125°C)."
Does anyone really reuse spawn bags? It seems like it would waste a lot of time and be asking for problems.
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RogerRabbit
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Registered: 03/26/03
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Re: Shiitake Blocks. [Re: kotter]
#14594894 - 06/11/11 08:10 AM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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I believe that's a quote from Unicorns' website. I've re-used them, but I take exception to the 'soft and easy to seal' part. After sterilizing mushroom substrates in my 55 gallon drum sterilizer at 1 psi for 8 hours, they're still pretty much re-usable, but after 90 to 120 minutes at 20 psi in my AA-75X, they're stiff and brittle. They survive fine, but I sure wouldn't want to go another cycle. The cost of a tiny pinhole in the bag is a wasted batch of several pounds of grains, plus the time involved to prepare, sterilize, inoculate and incubate.
We save our used bags for straw logs, which we colonize with oyster mycelium and then fruit outdoors during the summer months. I'm too allergic to oyster spores to grow them indoors, so the used bags give us a free alternative for outdoor growing, since we poke holes in the bags during straw colonization anyway. 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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kotter


Registered: 01/15/11
Posts: 210
Last seen: 4 years, 9 months
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Thanks for clarification RR and also for the tip on a good way to reuse them.
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loucal
Focused on Fungus



Registered: 04/11/11
Posts: 96
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RR have you tried yet using your spent shiitake substrate for oysters or as an addition to the straw for the oysters? I know last september you said you had not tried this yet, but was hoping you would have some new information. In chapter 22 (i think its 22) of GGMM Paul says something about oysters growing very well on just spent shiitake substrate. I know you use the blocks to remediate parts of your property as per your website, but you have so much every day... I think he also grows a third species on this next spent substrate, a secondary decomposer.
Sorry about the allergy, I remember reading about it in a past thread and I assumed that was why you didn't try this, but if you are growing them outdoors maybe you tried it. They say it can develop slowly so I'm hoping for the best myself. Maybe there is some sort of mask that can be invented that covers the whole face.
If its a shortage of manpower... I have a really small tent, you wouldn't even notice I was there Seriously, I know there would be lots of people raising their hands to apprentice there, and then there is always wwoof. Oysters, coprinus, wine caps and more all from the byproduct of your organic business. Your warm season would be even more awesome than it already is.
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RogerRabbit
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Registered: 03/26/03
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Re: Shiitake Blocks. [Re: loucal]
#14611329 - 06/14/11 10:46 AM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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I haven't tried reusing the shiitake substrates for oysters yet. We just have too much going on this summer, but it's on the list. But. . .I'm getting ready to take my dog on a 15 mile hike on the Kettle Crest trail today, as conditioning for doing the whole 40 miles(over two days) later this summer. I can see from my house that most of the snow is off the ridge except at the summits, so I'll be leaving my snowshoes home today for the first time. I need a break from all the mushroom work. 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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lipa

Registered: 07/24/07
Posts: 2,684
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This is a picture of oysters fruiting from 1 spent shiitake block. It fruited 4 times. Works good with compost mushrooms too if you mix it in with some straw.

Lipa
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Doctor_Inoc
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Registered: 04/30/11
Posts: 646
Loc:
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Re: Shiitake Blocks. [Re: lipa]
#14848672 - 07/30/11 01:15 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Hey guys, been a while since I read through this thread. Soooo much GREAT info in this thread. Thanks to all the participating posters of this thread.
I'd like to know more about using spent Shiitake blocks to fruit oysters off of. That kicks ass, lipa, loucal, and Roger. How do you guys go about that?
All 8 of my blocks are reaching full consolidation (about 90%) in about their third month from being inoculated, colonizing at 67F.. They're all brown and fuzzy.
A little concerned that they may be over supplemented. I used cubensis ratios to supplement the sawdust (2% by volume of dry sawdust of rice bran and gypsum, also, each bag was inoculated with a half quart of fully colonized grain spawn).
I have misplaced my camera but, I'll update with pics. as soon as I get a camera, AGAIN.
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Doctor_Inoc
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Registered: 04/30/11
Posts: 646
Loc:
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Do these look to you like they're ready to birth?
To birth, I plan on cold shocking the blocks inside of the bags, inside of a freezer for 2 days. Which, according to a cheap meat thermometer, is holding at 38F. Fruiting chamber to be used; 2 shotgun fruiting chambers. Does this sound right to you? After the 2 day cold shock, come time to strike, would I leave the blocks inside of the bags for the striking?
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EvilMushroom666
Heretic




Registered: 11/18/09
Posts: 10,289
Loc: Canada
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To me those blocks look ready to birth. How long has it been since inoculation?
Iv played around with cold shocking in a refrigerator, and what I have been doing is placing the blocks inside with temps around 38-43F leave them for 12-16 hours, take out for 8-12 hours, and then place back in for another round. With my next blocks I am going to try three cycles in and out of the refrigerator and see if that makes any difference.
As you have seen from my previous grows SGFC's will fruit shiitake blocks fine.
When I am spanking my bags I personally do it while the block is still inside the bag, then slide the block out, wash off all the metabolites with running water and then place into fruiting.
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RogerRabbit
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Registered: 03/26/03
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I combine the slapping with rinsing. This helps get more of the stuff off. On another note, when you rinse off the blocks, collect and save the brown water that washes off. It's a great plant food and contains plant growth hormones. It will double the size and health of plants and flowers in your garden. 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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