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S.T.E
Stranger

Registered: 04/06/11
Posts: 249
Last seen: 11 years, 8 months
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Problems with recent pressure cooker attempts
#16199092 - 05/08/12 09:41 AM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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I have a tall (23-quart) pressure cooker, I've been filling it up about 3 inches with water, then putting in a bunch of silverware and the like beneath the tray, then the jars. Both the last two times I've put jars into the pressure cooker, some water has gotten in them. The first time, it was enough that I just threw out the substrate before using the syringe. The second time, it seemed like less, so I added the spores. When I checked them about a week later, there were small splotches as with mycelium, but they weren't pure white, but instead a more off-white, watery color, so I immediately suspected bacteria. I opened up one jar to smell it, and I wasn't 100% sure if I smelled anything like the apple smell, it was very hard to tell, but I think I did. Should I throw out the other two cakes and start over? Thing is, I've done everything right, I'm not so good at putting the tinfoil on the jars perfectly, but I've followed directions, and this appears to be two failed attempts in a row. I think the only thing I can do is cut back on the amount of water in the pressure cooker.
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Dork
( . )( . )


Registered: 02/20/11
Posts: 4,339
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Re: Problems with recent pressure cooker attempts [Re: S.T.E]
#16199110 - 05/08/12 09:49 AM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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you should put pics up if you can. are you making sure your jars are completely not touching the water and the lids are screwed on with the foil snugly covering them? and what tek are you using?
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Thadeous
On the path


Registered: 08/02/11
Posts: 1,101
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Re: Problems with recent pressure cooker attempts [Re: S.T.E]
#16199115 - 05/08/12 09:50 AM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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What kind of jars are you putting into the PC? I have gotten "off-white" myc growth in grain jars whose moisture content is too high, so I think you are spot on about the issue at hand. Lastly, what kind of lids are you using?
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RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure



Registered: 03/26/03
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Loc: Seattle
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Re: Problems with recent pressure cooker attempts [Re: Dork]
#16199192 - 05/08/12 10:09 AM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
consumesomeshrooms said: you should put pics up if you can. are you making sure your jars are completely not touching the water and the lids are screwed on with the foil snugly covering them? and what tek are you using?
Follow this and you won't have the problem. You don't need more than 1" of water in the pressure cooker. The jars should not be touching the water at all, and the foil will prevent condensation which 'rains' down from the lid from entering the jars.
Don't forget to let steam vent for a few minutes after the water boils before you put the weight on. RR
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S.T.E
Stranger

Registered: 04/06/11
Posts: 249
Last seen: 11 years, 8 months
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Re: Problems with recent pressure cooker attempts [Re: RogerRabbit]
#16199450 - 05/08/12 11:22 AM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
RogerRabbit said:
Quote:
consumesomeshrooms said: you should put pics up if you can. are you making sure your jars are completely not touching the water and the lids are screwed on with the foil snugly covering them? and what tek are you using?
Follow this and you won't have the problem. You don't need more than 1" of water in the pressure cooker. The jars should not be touching the water at all, and the foil will prevent condensation which 'rains' down from the lid from entering the jars.
Don't forget to let steam vent for a few minutes after the water boils before you put the weight on. RR
The last couple times, there was some water touching the bottom of the jars. Too much water too close to the jars seems to have been the culprit. I've added extra because I was concerned because of my previous cooker running out of water and therefore needing to get a new one. Would 2" be a good, safe case of splitting the difference? I've tried with the foil, don't know how good a job I've done due to bad motor skills. I've always vented the steam.
As for the previous questions, I'm doing a PF Tek using the recommended 1/2 pint mason jars with vermiculite/ brown rice flower.
And on the original question, it seems the consensus is that I probably have bacterial contamination. I'd post pics, but I've found when you're dealing with subtle differences in color, my pics haven't been high quality enough to tell.
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S.T.E
Stranger

Registered: 04/06/11
Posts: 249
Last seen: 11 years, 8 months
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Re: Problems with recent pressure cooker attempts [Re: S.T.E]
#16199866 - 05/08/12 01:20 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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So just to be crystal clear: throw out the (probably contaminated) substrate, redo and use not much more than 1" of water in the pressure cooker. Is that right?
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