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Mushrooms, Mycology and Psychedelics > Mushroom Cultivation
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Sterilized substrate and lost water in process
    #1536719 -

As the title to this post says, I sterilized my substrate and it appears that I lost some of the water in the process. I did a search through the other posts here and didn?t really find an exact answer to my question, so here goes:

I believe that I may have dried out the substrate in my jars while sterilizing them.

I was preparing four one pint jars. When filling the jars with prepared substrate, I filled each one so that I left a 3/4 inch gap at the top for dry vermiculate. I taped the injection holes and covered the tops of the jars with foil. I then sterilized the jars in my pressure cooker for 50 minutes.

Here is where things start to get funny. I noticed that at about two minutes before time was up for the sterilization process that the amount of steam coming out of the top of the pressure cooker had started to diminish a little. (I later discovered that this may have been due to not putting enough water into the cooker as there was very little left inside it when I opened it this morning).

I let the jars cool inside the cooker overnight and when I pulled them out this morning, I noticed that a little bit of the substrate had spewed out from the injection holes in every jar and that the tops of the jars had bulged up under pressure.

Most worrisome, the level of substrate inside two of the jars had dropped almost an inch, leaving a much larger gap at the top of the jars.

On visual inspection, the substrate still looked wet to me, and having a surplus of spores in sterile water, I just injected each jar with an extra bit solution thinking that this might make up for the amount of water that was lost while sterilizing.

What do the pros on here think? Do I stand any chance of making these babies grow? One thing to note: when injecting the jars that had lost the most water, the tip of the syringe did not penetrate very far into the substrate, but I noticed that the solution eventually soaked into the subsrate and didn't just sit on top.

I have sterile water in syringes standing by in case adding more water to the jars is needed, but would like to know at what point (time-wise) should I consider adding it?

Thanks in advance.

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Re: Sterilized substrate and lost water in process [Re: Labyrinth13]
    #1536743 -

dude
use small sentences..and ask lots of askings if you want answer.i can help you but .i m non english..
you have so much sentences above


--------------------
mushroom culture history making ...Mr. Allan is the best .....

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Re: Sterilized substrate and lost water in process [Re: fugu]
    #1536747 -

Fugu said:
Quote:
dude use small sentences..and ask lots of askings if you want answer.i can help you but .i m non english..you have so much sentences above


O.K., here goes lots of askings and small sentences:

Sterilized substrate.
Saw some water gone.
Is it too dry?


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Re: Sterilized substrate and lost water in process [Re: Labyrinth13]
    #1536751 -

squeezee it.if you saw some droplets on your fingers.its ok
if not



yes it is dry


--------------------
mushroom culture history making ...Mr. Allan is the best .....

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Re: Sterilized substrate and lost water in process [Re: Labyrinth13]
    #1536758 -

Start over.

50 minutes at what psi? Seems like your problem right there. Especially if the lids were bulging.


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Re: Sterilized substrate and lost water in process [Re: ArmFromTheAbyss]
    #1536772 -

Quote:
Start over. 50 minutes at what psi? Seems like your problem right there. Especially if the lids were bulging.



50 minutes at whatever psi a household pressure cooker is capable of delivering (and I don't know what the standard level would be for one).

I've used this same PC many times before, but have never had this problem. I may start over if this batch doesn't start to colonize, but I don't want to can these jars before at least giving them a chance .

There still appeared to be moisture in the jars and as noted, I added some extra water via more spore solution than usual.

Does anyone have a suggestion about adding water if the cakes appear to be colonizing, as in how much, etc.?

Thanks.

Edited by Labyrinth13 (05/10/03 10:59 AM)

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Re: Sterilized substrate and lost water in process [Re: Labyrinth13]
    #1537311 -

does ur PC not have a pressure gauge on it?, ur supposed to keep it a 15 psi , but u cant just turn it on and let it go and assume that its at the right pressure the whole time, i have to get mine up to pressure then keep adjusting the heat to maintain the right psi, if u just leave it will go really high, the caution mark on my gauge starts at 20- psi, but ne way to the q, dont be too hasty to go adding xtra water, it sounds like theyll probly make it, just watch over them


--------------------
u know it aint funny when u aint got no money and the clock strikes 420 and u wanna get high
~Kottonmouth Kings

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Re: Sterilized substrate and lost water in process [Re: MykeOfile]
    #1537344 -

Thanks for your reply. No, my PC is an old fashioned one that has no gauge. I probably let it get too hot, though and should have monitored it more closely.

I think that you are right that I shouldn't add any water until after the spores have had a chance to get started.

For others who may have the same problem now and in the future: I'll post an update here after the spores have had time to get started and let everyone know what the outcome was.

As always, thanks for all the great info that this MB provides and for taking the time to help all of us newbies out.

Quote:
does ur PC not have a pressure gauge on it?, ur supposed to keep it a 15 psi , but u cant just turn it on and let it go and assume that its at the right pressure the whole time, i have to get mine up to pressure then keep adjusting the heat to maintain the right psi, if u just leave it will go really high, the caution mark on my gauge starts at 20- psi, but ne way to the q, dont be too hasty to go adding xtra water, it sounds like theyll probly make it, just watch over them


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Re: Sterilized substrate and lost water in process [Re: Labyrinth13]
    #1557938 -

Quote:
For others who may have the same problem now and in the future: I'll post an update here after the spores have had time to get started and let everyone know what the outcome was.


I am happy to report healthy mycelial growth after 7 days on questionable substrate!

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Re: Sterilized substrate and lost water in process [Re: Labyrinth13]
    #1558097 -

you say..w hen filling the jars with prepared substrate, I filled each one so that I left a 3/4 inch gap at the top for dry vermiculate. I taped the injection holes and covered the tops of the jars with foil. I then sterilized the jars in my pressure cooker for 50 minutes.
Did you fill the jars with vermiculate before you sterilized? You need too. I hope you did, anyway i would start over.

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Re: Sterilized substrate and lost water in process [Re: Artifice]
    #1558124 -

Quote:
you say..w hen filling the jars with prepared substrate, I filled each one so that I left a 3/4 inch gap at the top for dry vermiculate. I taped the injection holes and covered the tops of the jars with foil. I then sterilized the jars in my pressure cooker for 50 minutes.
Did you fill the jars with vermiculate before you sterilized? You need too. I hope you did, anyway i would start over.



I filled the jars with a mixture of BRF, water and vermiculate per the instructions in the MMGG. I then placed a layer of dry vermiculate over the top and sealed the jars.

I have good, strong beautiful white mycelium growing and can see no reason for starting over. (My only worry was that I might have allowed the substrate to lose water in the sterilization process, but that seems to not have been the case).

Edited by Labyrinth13 (05/18/03 04:28 PM)

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Mushrooms, Mycology and Psychedelics > Mushroom Cultivation
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