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SpitballJedi
Ancient Astronaut



Registered: 10/13/12
Posts: 8,598
Loc: Nibiru
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How I do Rye Berry Prep 36
#20048765 - 05/27/14 08:20 PM (9 years, 7 months ago) |
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This is part of my series "The Basics"
Here's how I prepare Rye Berries
This tek is based on RogerRabbit's "Grain Preparation" featured in "Let's Grow Mushrooms" where I first learned how to prep rye berries.
There are some key points to prepping rye.
--We want the grains to have enough moisture without being too wet. One of the most common mistakes people make is making them too wet. This can lead to slow colonization and result in bacteria taking over. Too wet can also make it sticky so it's harder to shake later.
--We want our grain jars to be shakable once colonized. The right moisture content and some room at the top of the jar helps make them shakeable.
--Pressure cooking is essential.
Here's what I do:
Here's the basic process.
1) Put grains in a large pot or bowl. 2) Rinse grains 3) Cover grains with hot tap water 4) Sprinkle on gypsum 5) Let soak 8-20 hours 6) Put pot on stove and turn heat on high 7) Bring to a boil and let boil for about 10 minutes 8) Strain off water 9) Let steam evaporate until outside appears dry 10) Load in to jars
Now for the details and some explanations.
I use 2 quarts dry rye berries to make 7 quarts of spawn
 I find this makes just the right amount of spawn for doing my monotubs and having an extra if I want to G2G one of them. This amount fits nicely in my strainer so it's easy to manage.
I rinse the funk and dirt off my grains before I soak. This makes them less sticky and dirty later. See how dirty they are at first? You can't even see the grains through the dirt. Swooshing loosens up the debris stuck to the grains.
 You may need to rinse 3 or more times depending on how dirty they are. Here I am gently swooshing the grains and pouring the water off.
 
This is after 3 rinses. Nice and clean.

After rinsing, cover grains in 2-3" hot tap water.
After I'm done rinsing and stuff, I sprinkle ~1 tablespoon of gypsum on top. I don't mix it in because it will just settle to the bottom if I do. Then I put the lid on my pot and soak 12-20 hours.
 
Soaking allows the grains to pre-hydrate, helps prevent burst grains later and hydrates endospores. Endospores are very heat resistant and are way easier to kill after hydrated. Using hot water aids in hydration.
This is ~18 hour soak
 
Notice the grains still appear green-green/brown. They turn more brown as they cook.
After the soak, I put the pot directly on the stove and turn it on high. I don't rinse before the cook. Rinsing is unnecessary. Trust me.
Here they are about 10-15 minutes later. They are more brown and starting to plump. The center is still solid though
 
I occasionally gently stir just to make sure the grains aren't sticking to the bottom.
I don't simmer. I BOIL for about 10 minutes or until the grains look fully hydrated. I can tell they are fully hydrated by the way they look somewhat translucent and the whitish core is gone. A few will still have a bit of a solid core and a few will be popped. A few popped ones are okay. If you get too many, you will end up with a wet starchy mess. Once you see a few are starting to pop, it's time to strain.
Here's what boiling looks like
When done, I strain them till they stop dripping. I shake them a few times. Absolutely do not rinse the grains after you cook them. You will ruin them by making them too wet.

Here's a close-up

45 minutes of drying. You can see the outside appears lighter in color

I shake them around once or twice to get even drying. When you mix them, you'll notice the underside is slightly damper than the top.
After 90 minutes of drying
 I've let them sit for as long as 6 hours, but they were on the dry side.
Usually about 30 mins to 1.5 hours is what it takes, depending on temperature and humidity that day. You really don't want to depend on the clock, rely on your eyes. Once they stop steaming, they are done. They can even have a slight amount of steam, as long as they appear dry.
You can put a few grains on a piece of toilet paper for 15 seconds. If it doesn't leave a wet spot, they are done.
Once they cool off, they don't dry as fast. The center will still be moist. These, in the above pics, are a little on the dry side, but they will still work fine.
Now I load up my jars to about the ~600ml mark. This is about 3/4 full. Some have told me my jars are too full. I haven't noticed. There are a few grains left over I didn't bother with.

Time for lids and then Pressure Cooker
Edited by SpitballJedi (12/06/14 09:50 AM)
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cronicr



Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 61,436
Loc: Van Isle
Last seen: 2 years, 7 days
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  It doesn't matter what i think of you...all that matters is clean spawn I'm tired do me a favor
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jcbowling1985
J$


Registered: 07/10/14
Posts: 157
Loc: NE USA
Last seen: 7 years, 2 months
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Quote:
SpitballJedi said: Here's how I prepare Rye Berries
There are some key points to prepping rye.
--We want the grains to have enough moisture without being too wet. One of the most common mistakes people make is making them too wet. This can lead to slow colonization and result in bacteria taking over. Too wet can also make it sticky so it's harder to shake later.
--We want our grain jars to be shakable once colonized. The right moisture content and some room at the top of the jar helps make them shakeable.
--Pressure cooking is essential.
Here's what I do:
Here's the basic process.
1) Put grains in a large pot or bowl. 2) Rinse grains 3) Cover grains with hot tap water 4) Sprinkle on gypsum 5) Let soak 8-20 hours 6) Put pot on stove and turn heat on high 7) Bring to a boil and let boil for about 10 minutes 8) Strain off water 9) Let steam evaporate until outside appears dry 10) Load in to jars
On step number 4, is it okay if I break a piece of drywall/gypsum board too use as my material?
-------------------- I'm always interested in how to become a better shroomery.org member. I'm here to learn, teach and practice communicating in the shroom-tek lingo ...I may not be able to teach much now but as long as I have good mentoring, the future will be good Anyway here I am...
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wowimflabbergasted
supercalifragilistic



Registered: 07/16/12
Posts: 18,918
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Exactly my method too
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Dilated
KB Cubensis Fanaticus



Registered: 03/28/14
Posts: 2,347
Loc: The Ether
Last seen: 3 years, 2 months
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Nice I'll bookmark this and save it for if and when I use rye. Thanks for taking the time to write this up. Rating coming too
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Dilated
KB Cubensis Fanaticus



Registered: 03/28/14
Posts: 2,347
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Re: How I do Rye Berry Prep [Re: Dilated] 2
#20288972 - 07/18/14 12:06 AM (9 years, 6 months ago) |
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Ok nevermind on the rating, guess we will have to make a trade sometime.
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cronicr



Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 61,436
Loc: Van Isle
Last seen: 2 years, 7 days
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Re: How I do Rye Berry Prep [Re: Dilated] 2
#20288994 - 07/18/14 12:10 AM (9 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Dilated said: Ok nevermind on the rating, guess we will have to make a trade sometime.

go to his journal, you can rate him there
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  It doesn't matter what i think of you...all that matters is clean spawn I'm tired do me a favor
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SpitballJedi
Ancient Astronaut



Registered: 10/13/12
Posts: 8,598
Loc: Nibiru
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Re: How I do Rye Berry Prep [Re: cronicr] 2
#20289942 - 07/18/14 06:57 AM (9 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thanks y'all.
On step 4. I've never used drywall, but many people do and it should work fine.
Don't use the green board, the stuff they make for bathrooms. It has anti mold and anti-fungal stuff in it.
-------------------- The Basics A little civility goes a long way The Noob Forum The Hammock Hangers' Forum
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jerrylove
little bit further then I was



Registered: 06/19/09
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Loc: shakedown street
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I always used pellet gypsum from menards. I just pulverized it in my coffee grinder. I would make a quart jar at a time for convenience. Also it may not be totally nesasary but I flip the grains in the strainer while they steam off. I think it helps a more even drying.
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THOSE WHO KNOW DONT TALK! THOSE WHO DONT KNOW CANT TALK. (Timothy Leary) "Funny thing about weekends when your unemployed they don't mean quit so much except you get hang out with your workin' friends" Les Claypool
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mushpunx
Fungus Punk



Registered: 04/20/14
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Re: How I do Rye Berry Prep [Re: jerrylove] 2
#20290055 - 07/18/14 08:01 AM (9 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thank you for posting this, very comprehensive.
I always just put rye and water in the jars. I just learned of this method yesterday and started looking for a proper tek!
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tripdawg420
low life with no life



Registered: 02/02/09
Posts: 7,071
Loc: illinois
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Re: How I do Rye Berry Prep [Re: mushpunx] 2
#20290087 - 07/18/14 08:18 AM (9 years, 6 months ago) |
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nice
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cinderblock
Failed Conformist
Registered: 07/13/14
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Edited by cinderblock (07/20/14 05:49 PM)
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SpitballJedi
Ancient Astronaut



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Re: How I do Rye Berry Prep [Re: cinderblock] 2
#20302252 - 07/20/14 05:50 PM (9 years, 6 months ago) |
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I personally have never used the wheat, but from what I've read, yes you can do it the way I do rye.
The wheat looks almost identical to rye.
If you have a natural food store in your town, you can get grains cheaper there or at a feed /farm supply store.
-------------------- The Basics A little civility goes a long way The Noob Forum The Hammock Hangers' Forum
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cinderblock
Failed Conformist
Registered: 07/13/14
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Quote:
SpitballJedi said: I personally have never used the wheat, but from what I've read, yes you can do it the way I do rye.
The wheat looks almost identical to rye.
If you have a natural food store in your town, you can get grains cheaper there or at a feed /farm supply store.
I'm considering just going ahead with the rye berries, since that's what you're using, and I've decided to stick to your methods.
Plus, I have no idea how wheat inflates. I read your WBS tek, and I noticed your measurements were different. I guess WBS doesn't inflate like rye berries, considering you filled 7 quart jars 3/4 way for WBS, whereas just 2 full quart jars for rye berries.
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mushpunx
Fungus Punk



Registered: 04/20/14
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Re: How I do Rye Berry Prep [Re: cinderblock] 2
#20302418 - 07/20/14 06:20 PM (9 years, 6 months ago) |
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Followed this today, it was easy peasy
--------------------
 Amateur Mycologists United AMU Q&A
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SpitballJedi
Ancient Astronaut



Registered: 10/13/12
Posts: 8,598
Loc: Nibiru
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Re: How I do Rye Berry Prep [Re: mushpunx] 3
#20302574 - 07/20/14 06:51 PM (9 years, 6 months ago) |
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keep us posted
-------------------- The Basics A little civility goes a long way The Noob Forum The Hammock Hangers' Forum
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jerrylove
little bit further then I was



Registered: 06/19/09
Posts: 602
Loc: shakedown street
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I used wheat berries once they have an almost exact water absorbent quality as the rye. So don't feel to held back by grain type. Similar grains similar prep. Ime
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THOSE WHO KNOW DONT TALK! THOSE WHO DONT KNOW CANT TALK. (Timothy Leary) "Funny thing about weekends when your unemployed they don't mean quit so much except you get hang out with your workin' friends" Les Claypool
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cinderblock
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Re: How I do Rye Berry Prep [Re: jerrylove] 2
#20307409 - 07/21/14 06:51 PM (9 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
jerrylove said: I used wheat berries once they have an almost exact water absorbent quality as the rye. So don't feel to held back by grain type. Similar grains similar prep. Ime
What's your opinion on whole oats?
This question is for SpitballJedi as well.
Thanks to van der griegen, who went out of his way to find me a feed store that sells 50 lbs of whole oats for $15 apparently. I'm not sure I wanna haul 50 lbs of it into my home just yet. Probably'll opt for a little less lulz and see how it does. But apparently he swears by it as his grain of choice.
PS: Do they have to be organic?
Edited by cinderblock (07/21/14 06:52 PM)
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SpitballJedi
Ancient Astronaut



Registered: 10/13/12
Posts: 8,598
Loc: Nibiru
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Re: How I do Rye Berry Prep [Re: cinderblock] 2
#20308045 - 07/21/14 08:53 PM (9 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
cinderblock said: What's your opinion on whole oats?
This question is for SpitballJedi as well.
PS: Do they have to be organic?
I"ve only ever used rye berries and WBS, so, I have no opinion on anything else really.
They don't have to be organic, but, non-organic may have fungicide that may impair spore germination.
-------------------- The Basics A little civility goes a long way The Noob Forum The Hammock Hangers' Forum
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jerrylove
little bit further then I was



Registered: 06/19/09
Posts: 602
Loc: shakedown street
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I have never seen oats used for bulk spawn think oatmeal. Not good. However I have seen oats put in bra cakes mix. The pics showed some wild rizo coming of the cake like mushy lightning.
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THOSE WHO KNOW DONT TALK! THOSE WHO DONT KNOW CANT TALK. (Timothy Leary) "Funny thing about weekends when your unemployed they don't mean quit so much except you get hang out with your workin' friends" Les Claypool
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