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Zeparthian
Young Mycologist


Registered: 10/01/12
Posts: 223
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First agar project! Plus grow log (pics)
#18559775 - 07/14/13 10:56 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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Hey Shroomery, so I've contemplated about starting another project, but have come to the conclusion it's for the better if I do.
Here is what I'm getting a go at this time, some nice petri dishes!

 Also in this one, I noticed a little browning maybe? Hopefully no contams but time will tell!
As you can see I am having condensation problems so hopefully RR can jar in on this thread. I followed RR's video on agar precisely BUT I used a glove-box not a Flow Hood.


All the dishes are 1 transfer from a couple good GT dishes a served up a week ago. I did all the transfers today in the glove-box, all sterile procedures followed, and all cooling procedures. I am however using microscope tape which I know isn't what anyone recommends (more so being parafilm) at this time though I don't have the money or the access to any parafilm. I know many others have used microspore tape so i do not think this is my problem (with the condensation problem).
My current steps to resolve this problem are to keep my 6 (4 posted) petri dishes stacked in the plastic bag for 2-3 days. To be honest before I had transferred those 4 GT's, the dishes were on top of a photo-tron. So it had unusual high tempers compared to the room temperature which remains were it should be.
More pictures in a couple days! Take care all.
-Zep
-------------------- Having troubles? RR's here to help!
Let's Grow Mushrooms - RR
Watch, absorb, and put that information to use!
With a little help, miracles do happen
Edited by Zeparthian (09/22/13 07:18 PM)
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anne halonium
jaguarette



Registered: 05/07/13
Posts: 1,908
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Re: First agar project! [Re: Zeparthian]
#18559826 - 07/14/13 11:07 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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i love a good agar thread . ill watch this one.......
good luck.
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Zeparthian
Young Mycologist


Registered: 10/01/12
Posts: 223
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For sure be a good 2 month thread thanks for the eyes!
-------------------- Having troubles? RR's here to help!
Let's Grow Mushrooms - RR
Watch, absorb, and put that information to use!
With a little help, miracles do happen
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Uhurungus
Avoiderer of Bullshit



Registered: 04/20/13
Posts: 838
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Re: First agar project! [Re: Zeparthian]
#18559984 - 07/14/13 11:58 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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i use a SAB, not a flow hood.
what i have found is that the main cause of condensation in my dishes is moving them from one temperature range to another. i'm not sure what a phototron is but you having moved them away from a heat source is most likely the culprit. also, to avoid as much initial condensation as possible, i wait to do the actual pour until the agar is near gelling up as i can while still being able to do all my dishes. again, it's a temp shock thing.
put a coffee mug of HOT water on top of the stack to keep the top ones clear immediately after you finish pouring. also, put the sleeve back over them as well. i usually end up with 2 or 3 out of 25 with condensation but even they will clear up over a week or so.
just because you have condensation doesn't mean the dishes aren't good though. some people turn them upside down. it at least makes it so you can see your dishes clearly, but most if not all of the veterans here will tell you NOT to do that.
buy a $3.00 roll of "glad wrap". take a bread knife or something serrated and cut 1-2 inch sections down the roll. you'll end up with 5 or 6 rolls of cheap and effective dish seal material. it's said you want "glad wrap", not saran wrap. has to do with the material being breathable. you could probably UTSE and find out the exact explanation if you wanted to.
once you get the hang of agar (it's totally easy) you'll never look back.
-------------------- I'm never 100% on anything, just close enough to risk looking foolish.
Edited by Uhurungus (07/14/13 11:59 PM)
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Zeparthian
Young Mycologist


Registered: 10/01/12
Posts: 223
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So here is a little update on those dishes, it's been about 3 days.
Condensation seems to be going away slowly but surly, but this one here looks like its going to never get rid of all its condensation;

All the rest look grand 



I'll update again in a couple more, thanks all!
-------------------- Having troubles? RR's here to help!
Let's Grow Mushrooms - RR
Watch, absorb, and put that information to use!
With a little help, miracles do happen
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anne halonium
jaguarette



Registered: 05/07/13
Posts: 1,908
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im feeling it.........
1-3 look fine. #4 possible bacteria/ psuedonmas.
let em grow out some more, and, make more agar.
hows your air quality?
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Zeparthian
Young Mycologist


Registered: 10/01/12
Posts: 223
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Doing transfers either today or tomorrow, their looking really close to getting an isolation going. The fourth picture posted previously DID have contamination so their all getting throw outside in a whole with he other agar that i don't need from previous transfers.
All of my condensation has went away, i found out it was from my phototron being on and changing the air temps.
The air quality as in? Temperature? Fresh? Their currently in a closet and they do get some ambient light every day or maybe even catch some rays. I open the closet to air out and refresh the air that was in there previously once a day. My elevation is now around 7,000-11,000 so I'm hoping this has no affect on any part of the process that remains undone as time is a huge factor.
-------------------- Having troubles? RR's here to help!
Let's Grow Mushrooms - RR
Watch, absorb, and put that information to use!
With a little help, miracles do happen
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Zeparthian
Young Mycologist


Registered: 10/01/12
Posts: 223
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-------------------- Having troubles? RR's here to help!
Let's Grow Mushrooms - RR
Watch, absorb, and put that information to use!
With a little help, miracles do happen
|
Zeparthian
Young Mycologist


Registered: 10/01/12
Posts: 223
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I did another transfer, from these little dishes- This first one, i took 3 transfers from. It looked the best imo.






i transferred another 2 after that first 3 transfers from a different dish that looked the second best (running out of agar, so i could only afford to do 5 transfers this go)
Unfortunately today i looked at my transfers and the 2 from the second best dish had some wierd growth in both of the dishes. the same growth. Im suspecting it had something i couldnt see in the trasnfer dish. But I do have my 3 best ones and I can already see its just bigger than a rice grain but ALOT of rizo activity. more updates in a couple days!
-------------------- Having troubles? RR's here to help!
Let's Grow Mushrooms - RR
Watch, absorb, and put that information to use!
With a little help, miracles do happen
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Uhurungus
Avoiderer of Bullshit


Registered: 04/20/13
Posts: 838
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looking good
-------------------- I'm never 100% on anything, just close enough to risk looking foolish.
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twistedty
Forcefully Retired



Registered: 07/01/12
Posts: 5,487
Loc: Middle
Last seen: 4 years, 5 months
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Re: UPDATE 7/18/2013 [Re: Uhurungus]
#18673454 - 08/07/13 01:47 PM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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welcome to agar
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Nakor420
Fun Guy



Registered: 05/02/13
Posts: 1,616
Loc: The Spirit World
Last seen: 10 years, 11 months
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Re: UPDATE 7/18/2013 [Re: twistedty]
#18673481 - 08/07/13 01:54 PM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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You poured those too hot... next time, wait until your agar is cool enough to handle without feeling much warmth yet still flows like liquid... This will limit the amount of steam in your dishes when you seal them.
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Zeparthian
Young Mycologist


Registered: 10/01/12
Posts: 223
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Re: UPDATE 7/18/2013 [Re: Nakor420]
#18745973 - 08/23/13 07:47 AM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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I have transferred my agar to some rye berry jars, but I have a very important question. NO one has an answer for this, not that I've seen anyways. So probably about 4-7 days ago i put those agar transfers into rye berry jars, the growth seems okay but not as crazy as I suspected with all the rhizo activity I saw before the transfer, shit I saw basically nothing but tiny white cute little fingers trying to reach out and grab something. Since i've put them in the jar, they have grown but it seems slower the when they were on the agar. Also I am at or close to 10,000 feet elevation.
Is elevation at all going to affect grow times, or cultivation period? Before I had a grow going, it was down at or close to sea level.
-------------------- Having troubles? RR's here to help!
Let's Grow Mushrooms - RR
Watch, absorb, and put that information to use!
With a little help, miracles do happen
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Nakor420
Fun Guy



Registered: 05/02/13
Posts: 1,616
Loc: The Spirit World
Last seen: 10 years, 11 months
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I don't know about elevation...but obviously once you put the culture in grains, you have changed the conditions....the myc will not act exactly the same in different conditions...just give it time to recover and you will be fine unless you have a contaminated jar....do you use a flow hood or a SAB?
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Zeparthian
Young Mycologist


Registered: 10/01/12
Posts: 223
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Re: UPDATE 7/18/2013 [Re: Nakor420]
#18748500 - 08/23/13 07:00 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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I use an SAB only because I cannot afford a flow hood at this time, I asked the same question and got some really nice responses. They told me to shake the jar and get that wedge somewhat in the middle, at least covered any ways. This is what i might do, any more input?
-------------------- Having troubles? RR's here to help!
Let's Grow Mushrooms - RR
Watch, absorb, and put that information to use!
With a little help, miracles do happen
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Nakor420
Fun Guy



Registered: 05/02/13
Posts: 1,616
Loc: The Spirit World
Last seen: 10 years, 11 months
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Yeah, burying the wedge in the grains is a good Idea, I personally try to get it covered in grains, but also in a spot where I can look at it through the side of the jar....
Edited by Nakor420 (08/23/13 09:27 PM)
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Zeparthian
Young Mycologist


Registered: 10/01/12
Posts: 223
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Re: UPDATE 7/18/2013 [Re: Nakor420]
#18877468 - 09/22/13 07:14 PM (11 years, 3 months ago) |
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Small update, things are finally on the go and about to jump into a tub.
I was thinking a 40 quart tub would be fine for this setup since I have only 5 quarts of spawn ( well 6 but I plan to G2G the last one).
So far all the jars but one has been in consolidation for about 2 days. I plan on throwing these bad boys in a tub with some good ole coir, and verm, maybe a splash of gypsum on Tuesday morning.
In the process I did lose one jar to trich, but what the hell, I managed to pull out the other 6 out of 7 so were in good condition.
Temps average from nights to days from 68-77F
I'm hoping the 40 quart will to the trick, what do you folks think? 40 quart is what my math came out to be for every brick of coir ect.
 I'm expecting the tub to be in colonization for about 10 days, in that time i only plan on taking 1 picture at 5 day mark. Bare with me, shits rollin now if I don't hit any road bumps. Once the tub gets up and going, more nice pictures will be on their way! Cheers, -Zep
-------------------- Having troubles? RR's here to help!
Let's Grow Mushrooms - RR
Watch, absorb, and put that information to use!
With a little help, miracles do happen
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cynical bastad
another guy
Registered: 08/17/13
Posts: 175
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Cool shit bro,
If you use 40qt tub: 7qt's spawn, 2qt's verm, 9qt's coir(brick)=18qt's. That's over half your tub, depending the dimensions?
what kind of agar are you using?
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Zeparthian
Young Mycologist


Registered: 10/01/12
Posts: 223
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Ill be using a 40 quart for 5 quarts of spawn, 1-2 quarts of verm mixed with my brick of coir.
So it should be roughly under half the tubs depth I would imagine.
I used malt agar though for that process, it worked grand for my first time using agar.
The ratio for my tub will be 1:2 though, so we should see rather fast colonizing times.
-------------------- Having troubles? RR's here to help!
Let's Grow Mushrooms - RR
Watch, absorb, and put that information to use!
With a little help, miracles do happen
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cynical bastad
another guy
Registered: 08/17/13
Posts: 175
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That's deep bro?
How tall is your tub?
You may be able to make two? Or you could knock it down to 1:1...which is still deep, at over 1/3 no?
I'm fixing to jump into agar, soooo exciting
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