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The Medic
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Registered: 06/08/15
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Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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Using sponges as substrate?
#21817384 - 06/17/15 12:47 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Well, I was hoping it didn't come to this, but after realizing that grains need a pressure cooker, I had to do some last minute research about other viable methods that some people have done with success.
Vermiculite is not an option for me, due to several reasons which I won't delve into. And I don't have the tools to properly sterilize grain due to those deep endospores, as the cheapest pressure cooker I can get which has the proper PSI is 70$ and seems to have a fair amount of malfunctions reflected in reviews.
I loaded up my half-pint jars full with wet sponges covered in brown rice flour. I removed the sponges from the sealed bag (non-soap variety, and what I believe to be plain), gave them a 5 minute rinse, and let them drain before cutting them up into very small pieces. At this point they were moist, but had dried out somewhat as cutting them up took a good 30 minutes to get them small enough. I then poured freshly brewed coffee through them after putting them in the strainer again. By doing this I hopefully got a decent mix of coffee and water. After this I poured 1 and a half 1/3rd cup of BRF onto them and mixed the sponges well.
Sterilization was 90 minutes on the stove in a pot of boiling water with about one inch of water. I'm hoping that the sponges were sterile or at least had no endospores; thinking back I should have boiled the sponges in water first before doing anything.
Has anybody tried this themselves?
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nobody83
stranger danger


Registered: 03/15/14
Posts: 1,486
Loc: around town
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: The Medic]
#21817413 - 06/17/15 12:56 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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TravelAgency
The ongoing "wow"

Registered: 12/25/10
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: The Medic]
#21817431 - 06/17/15 01:01 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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All I can really say is good luck- but you can't even order verm? And a $70 PC is a steal- just buy it! It will pay off- fa sho!
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The Medic
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Registered: 06/08/15
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Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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Quote:
TravelAgency said: All I can really say is good luck- but you can't even order verm? And a $70 PC is a steal- just buy it! It will pay off- fa sho!
The pressure cooker at 70$ has been reported to not properly work in several customer reviews. I don't want to spend 70$ and get rek'd on that. I don't exactly have a ton of money to throw around right now.
As for vermiculite, A: no place near me sells it, B: (and this is a bigger problem for me than A) reading about vermiculite, even in this day and age, has been found to be contaminated with asbestos since they naturally occur near each other. Not worth the risk.
If this sponge tek works, though, I'll probably just stick to it. Sponges aren't the cheapest, but I could probably reuse them in any case.
I'll be updating this thread with details as them come in. Plan to get them started tomorrow morning.
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wildernessjunkie
Reshitivest


Registered: 06/13/10
Posts: 8,118
Loc: HTTP 404 Not Found
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The closest I've ever seen to anything like this was Haloniums Pom Tek written up by Violet.
Edit: Its not a method I'm endorsing.
Edited by wildernessjunkie (06/17/15 01:28 AM)
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Achillita
Back to the basics



Registered: 05/26/14
Posts: 4,565
Last seen: 3 years, 10 days
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: The Medic]
#21817466 - 06/17/15 01:11 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Might not work but hey, I'm all for experimentation.
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BLINKfan420
Jedi



Registered: 07/06/12
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: Achillita]
#21817507 - 06/17/15 01:36 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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I'm curious as to how you're going to reuse these sponges.. you don't think the myc will eat them up if this does work? These are REAL sponges right? Not some synthetic stuff? (BTW I've never heard of anything like this so idk.)
And no Walmart around for verm? If you live in the boonies, sticks, whatever, no one has any use for verm when it comes to gardening, etc.? Just wondering.
I hope this gets interesting.
Good luck!
BLiNK
--------------------
  All my pictures are drawn from imagination. I don't even know what a mushroom is.
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The Medic
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Registered: 06/08/15
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Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: BLINKfan420]
#21817512 - 06/17/15 01:41 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
BLINKfan420 said: I'm curious as to how you're going to reuse these sponges.. you don't think the myc will eat them up if this does work? These are REAL sponges right? Not some synthetic stuff? (BTW I've never heard of anything like this so idk.)
And no Walmart around for verm? If you live in the boonies, sticks, whatever, no one has any use for verm when it comes to gardening, etc.? Just wondering.
I hope this gets interesting.
Good luck!
BLiNK
No, these are just basic sponges you'd find at Walmart. I chose non-soap/non-antifungal sponges for obvious reasons. I was unable to find real sponges, and regardless, I imagine they'd contain a whole host of nasty stuff. I plan on simply rinsing the sponge cubes off once the cake is done. A bunch of hot water should do the trick nicely.
And as I mentioned above, I could order vermiculite off the internet if I wanted, but the fact is a lot of vermiculite is slightly contaminated with asbestos, isn't reusable, etc.
I'm more of an experimenter, and despite this being my first time, I'd rather walk off the beaten path and play around with new ideas.
Thanks, I certainly need good luck.
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mustangbob3
Mad Myrmecologist



Registered: 10/15/14
Posts: 1,685
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: The Medic]
#21817528 - 06/17/15 01:59 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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mycelium can and will fruit on rockwool cubes and florists sponge if taken care of and you find a way to keep hydrated( with a nutrient solution if you want several flushes)!
good luck 
doc charlie used to use florists sponge and i have used 3inch rockwool blocks injected with liquid culture and fed with a nutrient solution and fruited the blocks in a SGFC like you would pf cakes.
its all in the realms of possibility! keep experimenting
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Edited by mustangbob3 (06/17/15 02:10 AM)
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36fuckin5
Alchemycologist


Registered: 08/11/03
Posts: 12,079
Loc: Diving into Mystical Territori...
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: mustangbob3]
#21819131 - 06/17/15 01:38 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
mustangbob3 said: mycelium can and will fruit on rockwool cubes and florists sponge if taken care of and you find a way to keep hydrated( with a nutrient solution if you want several flushes)!
good luck 
doc charlie used to use florists sponge and i have used 3inch rockwool blocks injected with liquid culture and fed with a nutrient solution and fruited the blocks in a SGFC like you would pf cakes.
its all in the realms of possibility! keep experimenting 
I want proof of this.
-------------------- Redd Foxx said: If you're offended I don't give a shit and don't come see me no more. Pat The Bunny said: A punk rock song won't ever change the world, but I can tell you about a couple that changed me. bodhisatta said: i recommend common sense and figuring it out. These are the TEKs I use. They're all as cheap and easy as possible, just like your mom.
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maddchef
Vaginal escape artist



Registered: 09/04/09
Posts: 5,602
Loc: Your mom's vag
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: 36fuckin5]
#21819283 - 06/17/15 02:27 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Lol colonize rockwool with lc, float rockwool in nutrient solution = BAM! HYDROPONIC SHROOMS.
Lmao proof please.
-------------------- In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. All mushrooms are edible, but some only once..... Easier than cakes I do science and shit.
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jbaby007
Badass



Registered: 02/28/15
Posts: 1,026
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: The Medic]
#21819332 - 06/17/15 02:47 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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I think we're all gonna sit back and watch this
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invitro

Registered: 05/03/13
Posts: 2,529
Last seen: 1 month, 21 days
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: jbaby007]
#21819442 - 06/17/15 03:27 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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The verm I use says abestos free on the bag. Sponges might contain toxic dyes that the myc might eat.
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CliftonGK1
Sasquatch



Registered: 03/27/13
Posts: 327
Loc: A place
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: The Medic]
#21819485 - 06/17/15 03:38 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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You can get a Presto 23qt PC from Walmart for $80 with free shipping. I got mine on Amazon for around the same price.
As for asbestos and vermiculite, wear a respirator mask when working with it if you're really worried, but the levels found in gardening supplies shouldn't be a concern for the exposure you'll get at a personal hobby level.
Stick with the proven techniques and equipment, and you'll get good results. Go for something completely off-base, and who knows what will happen.
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The Medic
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Registered: 06/08/15
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Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: invitro]
#21819528 - 06/17/15 03:49 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
invitro said: The verm I use says abestos free on the bag. Sponges might contain toxic dyes that the myc might eat.
The way that the vermiculite is tested is inaccurate. As long as less than 1% of the bag is asbestos, it can be labeled as "asbestos free" even if there's still a significantly harmful amount of asbestos.
As far as the dyes, I hadn't considered that, but even still, Red40 and other artificial colourations which are purposely put in food can't be too much worse than the dyes put in the sponges. However, that is a good point you brought up which I will delve deeper into, assuming I get growth. I'd assume that the mycelium would mostly "eat" the brown rice flour and leave the sponges alone, using them only for the moisture they contain. However, I do believe the sponges are made of cellulose, so who knows. Good thing to look at for the future.
At least I'm not eating asbestos like everybody using vermiculite though
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invitro

Registered: 05/03/13
Posts: 2,529
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: CliftonGK1]
#21819532 - 06/17/15 03:50 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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I know people use to make pf cakes with flour and verm and steam sterilize them, I imagine you could replace verm with coir and steam sterilize those, not to fruit them as cakes but to crumble them into a mono or tray. Has anyone tried this?
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invitro

Registered: 05/03/13
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Last seen: 1 month, 21 days
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: invitro]
#21819540 - 06/17/15 03:52 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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AFAIK asbestos is only harmful in the lungs.
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The Medic
Stranger


Registered: 06/08/15
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: CliftonGK1]
#21819545 - 06/17/15 03:52 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
CliftonGK1 said: Go for something completely off-base, and who knows what will happen.
That's why I'm doing exactly that. It could have no results, meh results, or could work fairly well and be an interesting experiment for people who don't have pressure cookers/vermiculite.
In any case, I probably will wind up buying a pressure cooker. However, just today some guy in ISIS was caught because he bought a pressure cooker...makes me wonder exactly how much digging is done on people who buy such things.
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The Medic
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: invitro]
#21819558 - 06/17/15 03:58 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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I'm not sure coir would hold enough water is the only problem with that, but it's certainly worth a test try. At the moment I have no coir, else I would.
Tonight I'm planning on doing 3 jars with cotton balls finely shredded and coated with BRF, or might do one of those 3 with cardboard instead of cotton balls. I also am wondering how "lava" rock would do, seeing how it's an incredibly porous rock that could potentially substitute vermiculite.
Again, half of my interest in this is doing something new/not commonly done for the sake of it.
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invitro

Registered: 05/03/13
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Re: Using sponges as substrate? [Re: The Medic]
#21819578 - 06/17/15 04:05 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Coir holds more water than verm, almost twice as much.
"cinder" is more descriptive than lava rock, lava rock can refer to the light fluffy, porous rock mined from cinder cones(cinder), and it can also refer to hard, heavy, dense, non-porous rock. There are shades of grey in between these two that have both features, it depends on how fast the lava flows which dictates how many air bubbles are mixed in the the lava.
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