mjmihalov said:

http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/17186530

Everything there.

---

zMan said:

Does the steam pasteurizing give you any problems with moisture content?

If no, then this is a pretty epic idea.

---

TranscendingLife said:

Vermiculite has trace minerals.

---

TranscendingLife said:

It does have trace minerals.

---

So does sand and that was once a casing material, I think I'm missing your point here

WillSolvem said:

And lastly in my opinion there its no better casing material than polymer water crystals and vermiculite 80/20, no organic matter means no contams and no pasteurization

---

TranscendingLife said:

WillSolvem said:

And lastly in my opinion there its no better casing material than polymer water crystals and vermiculite 80/20, no organic matter means no contams and no pasteurization

---

^^That

---

WillSolvem said:

For all those who have PMd me about the steamer here is the tek where I got the idea, note I do not use the same cooler, steamer, or fittings. I used what I had available, I suggest the same

http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/6972036#6972036

---

thx ...

Oeric McKenna said:

Nice Will.
I'll try the oats.
I like soft winter wheat too. & millet of course!

---

I have used both, they sell millet at the feed store for chickens, I think it was a bad batch, many floaters and took a couple tries to get the moisture content right, I like wheat allot and have tried three kinds but the oats are just cheaper and more widely available unless your in the city of course..

I really don't like cracked corn or wbs for the high contam rate and inconsistency in size

You can actually get free grains, home and small for-profit beer brewers use barley (never use hops) thats processed similar to rolled oats (hull removed and cracked in half). You can find them for free or even a trade for a couple 5 gallon buckets. Now the grain comes wet, I personally take the spent grain and pour it onto a large screen, preferably still hot and steaming, this is to re solidify the starches, you can dry them in a oven on a low temp if the grain is already cool, after dry transfer into a large pot and add either weak coffee or hpoo tea and gypsum and treat like any other grain from there.
 
Although the grain is boiled through the distillation process and is pretty clean, dry it immediately  as they will contaminate very quickly, I try to only use grain that I can get got to the touch, be a nice guy and bring your own buckets, food grade if possible

Oeric McKenna said:

I'm a brewer. Most of my grain is pretty funky & also cracked when I get done with it.
I also discovered myc doesn't like the dark stuff. Maybe Morel myc would tho.

---

WillSolvem said:

zMan said:

Does the steam pasteurizing give you any problems with moisture content?

If no, then this is a pretty epic idea.

---

Like TL said many people do it, I'm definitely not the first

No actually some people have put dry loose straw and have used the steam to bring it to the correct content, it will drain as it cools. I like using mesh laundry bags that I line a 5 gallon bucket then fill with hpoo/straw/vermiculite/coffee/gypsum, then add water and let it soak for a hour, I drain by knotting the bag and hanging it on a S hook attached to a chain that hangs above my kitchen sink, the chain is secured to a 2x4 that lays across the cabinets on either side of the sink, then I throw them on the rack and stick the thermometer probe in and go, some people use bags but to me this is a waste as the mesh laundry bags are two for a dollar at the dollar store and I don't need to transfer the substrate to another bag

TranscendingLife said:

Vermiculite has trace minerals.

---

All due respect to the TC tag, but isn't vermiculite 100% minerals? Isn't it crushed volcanic rock?  And isn't it heat treated before bagging to kill off any organisms and to ensure it is completely dry before packaging? Please correct me if I'm wrong

---