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Makshrooms
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Registered: 03/02/12
Posts: 15
Loc: Here
Last seen: 12 years, 8 months
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Malt Grain Question
#15934176 - 03/11/12 05:03 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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As I mentioned in a previous post, I am a beginner to this hobby. I've been brewing beer for a considerable time however and noticed that both hobbies emphasize sanitization and use similar techniques regarding environmental control.
I've already started a few BRF cakes, all but one seem to be doing well despite using the "wrong" half pint jars. Today I thought I'd get froggy and try to make an LC and a few grain jars to supplement what should turn into a decent grow. Instead of popcorn or rye though I went with an old bag of barley malt I have sitting around.
For those who don't know, malted barley is created by first soaking "raw" barley and then allowed to germinate for a short period of time. It is then dried, effectively stopping the germination and making the starches more easily converted into sugar by enzymes in the brewing process. This question has been asked before but the respondents generally seemed unaware of the differences with raw grain.
For today's trial, I soaked some pale malt in cold water for about an hour with gypsum (brewers grade) and a small amount of yeast nutrient. I filled quart jars 2/3 full with the well-drained malt. I am currently PCing @ 15 psi for an hour or so. The malt was not milled.
I plan to inoculate each jar with approximately 2ml of MS. Is this sufficient?
Malt does not seem to be a tried and tested substrate, but my suspicion is that it will work as well as WBS or rye, or perhaps better as the nutrients are already broken down. I realize that generally malt is more expensive than those other substrates, but I have about 300lbs on hand so figured, meh.
I am also PCing an erlenmeyer flask with 1000 ml of honey and water, approximately 4% honey. I have an autoclavable foam filter for it and will use my stir plate to propagate. I know there is some very good advice regarding the positives and negatives of LC, but as I had the necessary materials sitting around I figured WTF. I will inoculate with ~2 ml from a MS syringe.
I guess I don't have specific questions, but would appreciate any thoughts on my endeavors.
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toezzz
Stranger

Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 22
Last seen: 12 years, 7 months
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Re: Malt Grain Question [Re: Makshrooms]
#15934319 - 03/11/12 05:41 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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2ml/jar is perfect.
I love when people bring their different experiences and skills to the myco hobby world. Just as in nature... diversity = strength. I grew a closet full of weed last year (as well as a 200ft2 vegetable garden), but the weed growing was a good introduction to the idea of maintaining a small enclosed environment of specific temperature/humidity. I also have academic lab experience and a few chem/bio classes under my belt, which I feel adds more to the enjoyment of what I'm doing (I understand what I'm doing with each step of a procedure) rather than any practical purpose. Perhaps when I get into isolating a fruit body, then I can start to apply some of the genetics concepts of inheritance and allelism. Brewing is a great background, and very similar to medicinal mycology, in that you're feeding a eukaryotic organism to eventually harvest an enjoyable end product, while controlling contamination.
A couple of my own 'secrets' that I've incororated from my few years of lab experience:
- Use fresh syringe needles for each jar. They're so cheap (~$0.20); I cringe every time I see a tek or video or people inoculating jars with a "flame sterilized" needle.
- pv=nrt. Hot things that cool down create a pressure change. Pressure changes cause air to move in one direction or the other. Lesson learned: I don't open my PC or inoculate jars until it's completely cooled. This usually take 5 or 6 hours.
Should be interesting! Best of luck
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Gretchenmeister
Starbeing/Psilocybin Savant



Registered: 07/23/05
Posts: 1,032
Loc: From the Stars
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Re: Malt Grain Question [Re: toezzz]
#15934330 - 03/11/12 05:43 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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2ml is great.
-------------------- What's wrong with folks?
Point your IRC client to irc.socialirc.com, port 6667, #cultivation and #shroomery for live chat with like minded hobbyists and connoisseurs.
Mush Porn
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Makshrooms
Stranger
Registered: 03/02/12
Posts: 15
Loc: Here
Last seen: 12 years, 8 months
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Thanks Toezz! Appreciate the feedback. I let the pc cool with the BRF jars, doing the same thing as I type this for my grain jars. I had about 6 "strains" originally, and only used one of the needles so plenty of fresh needles for this endeavor. I've certainly considered pot, but the smell has me concerned...like most folks, I like to keep my hobbies to myself. San Pedro sounds interesting, I'm also a bit of a gardener with hops and assorted herbs.
Thanks as well Gretchenmeister, I'm glad that 2ml will meet my needs.
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Makshrooms
Stranger
Registered: 03/02/12
Posts: 15
Loc: Here
Last seen: 12 years, 8 months
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Re: Malt Grain Question [Re: Makshrooms]
#15934547 - 03/11/12 06:47 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Okay, we'll my PC ran dry and my grains burned. Oh well, guess I'll start over!
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Makshrooms
Stranger
Registered: 03/02/12
Posts: 15
Loc: Here
Last seen: 12 years, 8 months
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Re: Malt Grain Question [Re: Makshrooms]
#15934773 - 03/11/12 07:43 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Supposing they aren't burnt TOO bad ( I am loathe to post pics ) should I inoculate anyway? I only had a few regular pint jars sitting around for my second attempt...made sure enough water is in PC and elevated jars using short baby food jars. I have plenty of MS syringes....
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