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uncle_rico
my own worst enemy


Registered: 03/28/06
Posts: 2,664
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First experience w/ bulk substrate, casing layer (photos)
#6917089 - 05/14/07 09:12 PM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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Greetings !
I'm posting this to share some of my limited experience and to pass on some things I have noticed. Maybe it will help someone. Please comment if you can help me.
I started 12+ years ago with the PF Tek. Did BRF cakes (old style with no dunk and roll) in a FC humidified with an ultrasonic humidifier (w/ 2 liter bottle 'drying' chambers) ... looked like a crazy DRUG LAB ! It worked. I duplicated the process a few times over the years with OK success.
Then I found 'The Shroomery'! Really neat to learn from other's experience. I was amazed how much everything had changed and was eager to new techniques. I wanted to try simpler humidification, bulk substrates, and casing, etc. I am gone for periods of time so 'Neglect Teks' are also of interest.
I started with WBS inoculated with multi-spore solution from Ralph. Got syringes of F+, Cambodian, Texas, Brazilian and SOTM African Transeki. The pint jars (fit in my smallish PC) colonized with zero contamination.
I decided to do 4 mono tubs (sort of 'neglect') and 2 FC with 2 trays each with hydroton humidification and FAE provided by a cool mist running dry (I was used to this type of FC).
I read about Coir / Coffee for bulk substrate and got excited about it and did that 80% 20% with a little hydrated lime. Spawned the colonized WBS to the Coir / Coffee and did the trays and 2 smaller mono tubs.
Found a huge supply of aged Horse manure. Pasteurized the horse poo using the pillow case / cooler tek. Then spawned the WBS to the Horse poo and did 2 larger mono tubs.
Cased all with 50/50+.
A comment about aged horse poo: DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED by it. It is not 'yucky'. I wore rubber gloves to break it up ... resulting in what looked like composted fiber'y grass/hay ... no bad smell ... nice texture. The coir/coffee had a nice coffee smell. The most 'funky' smell came from the 50/50+ casing (from the crushed oyster shell) and the smell was not bad at all. Anyway .... the horse poo colonized like crazy. I think mixing horse poo with coir (like others have mentioned) would be awesome. I suppose a nice balanced diet without going overboard on any one item is a good way to go.
I believe my biggest problem came from missing the timing on applying the casing layer. The bulk substrate was colonizing (not as fast as I had hoped .... in fact... everything I did took much longer than advertised so I got to practice 'patience' every step of the way !) I had to leave town ... the majority of the top of the substrate was colonized and growth seemed like it had 'stalled' a little bit ... (in the past I had had good luck letting a PF tek 1/2 pint BRF jar fully, fully colonize ... so I figured, "Cool ! ... I'll let the substrate fully, fully colonize .." I was gone for 7 days and the colonization on the top of the substrate hadn't really changed much over that time ..... I didn't notice any pinning .... but I think it was getting ready to ..... Anyway, I got back and cased everything. I think I cased too late ... like the bulk substrate was getting ready to pin and then I buried it under a layer of casing material. I think I should have cased it while the substrate was still actively colonizing. I misted and fanned and worried and it took some time for mycelia to appear at the top of the casing layer. Appeared mostly at the sides .... and it seemed like pinning was taking place on the substrate below the casing .... so I figured I had 'blown it' .... but I kept the faith ... and eventually I got an uneven pin set ... but Hey! I was happy to get something and I was LEARNING.
Another comment: There is so much information on 'The Shroomery' it is easy to get overwhelmed ... my advice: choose something and do it ... you will learn ... you can adjust .. you will figure out what works best for you and your situation.
Mid-stream I switched from my hydroton humidified, cool mist FAE FCs to the RR style ... many small holes, drained perlite humidified FCs. It took me awhile to figure out what was going on ..."Drill all 6 sides ?! What is RR talking about!? The perlite will fall out ! ... the moisture will drip out ! ????" Finally the 'light' went on ... I had faith and went for it ... actually I swore each time I drilled a 1/4" hole (many many of them!) "Damn you RR ! I hope you know what you are doing !" HE DOES. IT WORKS GREAT.
My FCs are stealth, in a closed closet with a light on a timer and a little fan on another timer to keep air moving.
I lost 1 mono tub ... noticed a light grey on the casing layer .... which turned green ! I had covered the casing layer with tin foil (experimenting and fiddling) in an attempt to keep humidity right on the surface ... yep.. lots of humidity and no FAE and mold. The killer fully colonized horse poo went into the garden.
Here is a photo of the first tray that showed an uneven pin set ... on its way....

And another photo showing the same tray further along. I had to leave town and it went a little too far. Notice the FC with all the 1/4" holes !

And finally a photo of a dinner plate covered by a paper towel with the 1st flush from this tray...

The other trays are starting to 'go' ... I had to leave town again for over a week .. but found a babysitter... Very curious how things are turning out. I made many mistakes and learned much. Can't wait to try it again and 'do it a little better'!
Thanks,
Rico
sorry ... lost control of the underline function.
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Edited by uncle_rico (07/13/09 09:28 PM)
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BlehMaestro
Stranger



Registered: 03/02/07
Posts: 754
Last seen: 11 years, 10 months
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Re: First experience w/ bulk substrate, casing layer (photos) [Re: uncle_rico]
#6917317 - 05/14/07 09:39 PM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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For the size of trays...those are some NICE FRUITS!!

Woop woop!
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dshak66
Beforebloom



Registered: 09/18/06
Posts: 512
Loc: Drybubbiye
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Re: First experience w/ bulk substrate, casing layer (photos) [Re: BlehMaestro]
#6917988 - 05/14/07 11:35 PM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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cool, very nice! enjoy
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fish42
Cracker


Registered: 05/08/07
Posts: 305
Loc: northern hemisphere
Last seen: 12 years, 3 months
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Re: First experience w/ bulk substrate, casing layer (photos) [Re: dshak66]
#6918047 - 05/14/07 11:46 PM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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thanks for sharing, lots of good info nice fruits
-------------------- Do you dare to feel responsible for every dollar you lay down are you going to make the rich man richer or are you going to stand your ground You say you want a revolution a communal evolution to be a part of the solution maybe I'll be seeing you around.
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iEatPortabella
Stranger

Registered: 06/07/06
Posts: 35
Last seen: 13 years, 5 months
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Re: First experience w/ bulk substrate, casing layer (photos) [Re: uncle_rico]
#12932866 - 07/21/10 09:38 PM (13 years, 7 months ago) |
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cool cool, im in your shoes as a beginner when you first started too, im currently working on my 1st so far successful PF tek w/ 1/4 pint jars, im going to make the same perlite FC and will transfer cakes w/in one week.
So, actually- have you any advice because I will be away for a whole week during my about my 2nd week of being in the FC. What do you suggest?
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Damion5050
Mush Doctor


Registered: 05/01/08
Posts: 12,493
Loc: Lost In Translation !
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Re: First experience w/ bulk substrate, casing layer (photos) [Re: iEatPortabella]
#12932938 - 07/21/10 09:51 PM (13 years, 7 months ago) |
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Did you not notice this thread is over 3 years old ??
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RoughNex
Unrated 4 LIFE!




Registered: 03/30/10
Posts: 125
Last seen: 8 years, 11 days
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Re: First experience w/ bulk substrate, casing layer (photos) [Re: Damion5050]
#12933024 - 07/21/10 10:11 PM (13 years, 7 months ago) |
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This seems to be happening quite a lot today. I've seen like 4 in the past few hours. How hard is it to see the age of a thread, it is right under the title...
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rolbz
lover


Registered: 06/13/05
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Re: First experience w/ bulk substrate, casing layer (photos) [Re: RoughNex]
#12933133 - 07/21/10 10:34 PM (13 years, 7 months ago) |
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great lookin mushrooms and really good description. I really enjoyed reading that! cant wait to start my project...
-------------------- persistent existence flows fluid without resistance
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iEatPortabella
Stranger

Registered: 06/07/06
Posts: 35
Last seen: 13 years, 5 months
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Re: First experience w/ bulk substrate, casing layer (photos) [Re: Damion5050]
#12934455 - 07/22/10 08:24 AM (13 years, 7 months ago) |
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i did not notice that, but does that really matter?
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marijuana dan
Stranger


Registered: 08/01/11
Posts: 115
Last seen: 12 years, 4 months
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Re: First experience w/ bulk substrate, casing layer (photos) [Re: RoughNex]
#14970516 - 08/24/11 11:17 AM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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who cares rough, go get a girlfriend...
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Meetzu
G̙̗͙̞̮͖̥a͉̭̹r̝̹͖̬d̞̮̻̪en̫̭e̱r̼



Registered: 11/22/10
Posts: 432
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Re: First experience w/ bulk substrate, casing layer (photos) [Re: marijuana dan]
#14970555 - 08/24/11 11:25 AM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
marijuana dan said: who cares rough, go get a girlfriend...
And just a few posts up...
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