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beastcoast
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Registered: 03/29/15
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Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after
#21860414 - 06/26/15 02:40 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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I've got a bale or two of straw hydrating right now, and I'm about to throw it into the steel drum for pasteurization. It's not chopped as finely as I would have liked. My weed whacker wasn't cutting it, and using hedge trimmers is a PAIN. The bulk of it is cut into 3-4 inch pieces but there are a lot of longer pieces mixed in.
So, I'm going to bring it up to 140-150 degrees for an hour, then what? I'm just a little uncertain about the potential for contamination. Is it safe to just lay the straw out on a tarp to cool down and dry for a bit? And then as I'm bagging it, any contam precautions I need to take? Is it okay to do it all outside? I have poly tubing that has pre-cut holes and I have poly tubing that does not. Which should I use?
I probably have 40 pounds of spawn which I'm realizing is probably way too much. I thought I would be able to pasteurize a lot more straw then I'm currently able to.
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Matt87

Registered: 01/03/15
Posts: 3,339
Loc: Tennessee
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Re: Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after [Re: beastcoast]
#21860483 - 06/26/15 02:56 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Why are you asking these things while you're already in the process? Wouldn't it help to have directions before you start?
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  Once you understand the way broadly, you see it in all things. -Musashi
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tscott1632
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Re: Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after [Re: beastcoast]
#21860627 - 06/26/15 03:39 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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i do mine outside on a outdoor table and have never got contams. don't wash hands or anything and have never had a problem with straw. Your good.
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Chris893
The Lurker

Registered: 03/01/13
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Re: Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after [Re: beastcoast]
#21860800 - 06/26/15 04:23 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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I like to pasteurize at night and let cool to morning. I do 140-160 for 1-1.5 hours. I turn on the burner after it's been soaking in soapy water for an hour because it takes an hour or so to come up to temp anyways.
How is your straw contained in the barrel? I use the 5 gallon nylon paint strainers and load a bunch of those, tied closed with thin copper wire, into a metal water trough. Before loading, I place some rocks with a circular grill grate over top of the spot above where the burner sits. I don't know if it helps or not but I don't want to char my bags. Then I throw the bags in, add lots of dish soap, then start filling with water. While filling I take a piece of fence cut to the shape of the trough and place that over top of the bags and weigh it down with large rocks. You are using a drum so you could use another grill grate.
This weighs the straw down completely and I don't have floaty pieces of straw. I cover with some wooden boards.
After the time is up I drain. Take the bags out and set them on the wooden boards, hot steamy side of the wood up. I figure it may be a little cleaner. I then put the big rocks on the bottom of the tub and the fencing on top of them. Then I throw the bags back in, cover and leave to cool overnight. The fence is to keep the straw out of the water that will drain from the bags overnight. It's important to remember to leave the drain open. You did put a drain in your barrel didn't you?
The next day I un-bag the straw and lay it all out on a strainer made from hardware cloth that stays outside. I don't wipe it down or anything but it never gets anything on it either... From there I make my logs outside. The wind is a bitch when you are trying to load but it's all worth it in the end.
I hope that helped some. I try to get my straw 3" or less and 60-70% definitely is. 20-30% is maybe 4-5". The other 5-10% are long pieces less than 8". As long as the majority of the straw is less than 3" and you pack TIGHT, you will be fine. I try to pick out the long pieces as I load but towards the end I give up and the logs still end up fine.
Your tubing will work, if you are worried about the straw drying out, cover the holes with micropore tape and then rip it off when you are ready to fruit.
Edit: I know you are doing all of this NOW but if it comes down to it, chalk it up a $10 learning experience. Its better to waste some straw (yours isn't really wasted though, you could dry, cut, and repasteurize if need be) than it is to waste spawn. It won't mind waiting another few days.
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Edited by Chris893 (06/26/15 05:18 PM)
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beastcoast
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Re: Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after [Re: Chris893]
#21861078 - 06/26/15 05:59 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Thanks so much Chris. I did put a drain plug in the barrel. I just finished draining the straw, and now it's spread out on a clean tarp for cooling. I was planning on allowing it all to cool for 30 minutes, then I would attempt to bag everything. I'm hoping that is quick, because I have to be up at 6 tomorrow, but nothing has been quick today. If I throw the straw back in the barrel overnight, I won't be able to touch it for close to 24 hours. Will this be alright?
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Chris893
The Lurker

Registered: 03/01/13
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Re: Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after [Re: beastcoast]
#21862904 - 06/27/15 07:18 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Sorry I logged off before seeing this. Let us know what went down
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lessismore
Registered: 02/10/13
Posts: 6,268
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Re: Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after [Re: Chris893]
#21862933 - 06/27/15 07:30 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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I usually pasteurize straw in a pillowcase and then hang the pillowcase to drain for like 30mins or so (at least 20-30mins...)
You don't want your straw to be wet, that makes it more likely for contam/bacteria etc. usually
btw. Don't chop up straw inside... makes a mess
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lessismore
Registered: 02/10/13
Posts: 6,268
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Re: Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after [Re: tscott1632]
#21862940 - 06/27/15 07:35 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
tscott1632 said: i do mine outside on a outdoor table and have never got contams. don't wash hands or anything and have never had a problem with straw. Your good.
I don't use gloves either, works fine... but gloves never hurt, especially when you do big batches
Spawn mixes in fine without gloves, it's fully colonized after all.
I would never chop up grains though, but pfcakes can easily be chopped up in a blender.
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Gr0wer
always improving


Registered: 09/16/03
Posts: 6,056
Loc: El Paso, TX
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Re: Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after [Re: lessismore]
#21864021 - 06/27/15 11:53 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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I don't use gloves but have in the past. I do thoroughly wash my hands and arms with soap and water. I do mine on a concrete slab with a poly sheet laid out but desperately need to make a table for my back's sake.
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lessismore
Registered: 02/10/13
Posts: 6,268
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Re: Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after [Re: Gr0wer]
#21864134 - 06/27/15 12:24 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Can I ask, how does one do i.e. 50lbs of cubensis outside, without risking they spread to all neighbors?
Spreading wouldn't be too good. And if you do them in a closed box, then rot starts to set in usually, trich etc. it seems
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beastcoast
Stranger
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Last seen: 4 years, 7 months
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Re: Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after [Re: lessismore]
#21869401 - 06/28/15 04:54 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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So I have 5 logs sitting in my basement @ 60 degrees F, no light, average humidity. They came out to be much shorter than I expected. The "36 inch" pre-holed tubing I bought from ULine was closer to 30 inches, and of course the logs are shorter when tied off.
I still have enough straw from that first bale to build 2 more logs! And two bales after that. But heavy rain is keeping me inside. I need a more efficient way to chop the straw, and pack the logs.
I have no idea if I was using the spawn right. I expected it to be quite intuitive, but it was much clumpier than I had imagined. At first I was grinding it up in my hands, breaking it up into individual grains. I soon realized that was probably killing the mycelium, so I just broke the clumps up into smaller clumps and sprinkled those atop each layer of straw. I think I used roughly 10-13 pounds of spawn between the 5 logs. Worried about contams because I was pretty sloppy with the handling of everything, it being my first run and all.
2 of the logs are a day older than the rest. There seems to be a bit of movement within already. I only just ordered my vent fan and it won't arrive until between July 2nd and the 8th.
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Gr0wer
always improving


Registered: 09/16/03
Posts: 6,056
Loc: El Paso, TX
Last seen: 5 years, 10 months
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Re: Straw is pasteurizing right now - confused about what to do after [Re: beastcoast]
#21871081 - 06/28/15 10:47 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Break it up small, each grain will recover and be an inoculation point. Its always better to spawn heavy for your first grows, leaves less chance of contamination and increased yields per log. 60F is a bit cold for colonization, could be great for fruiting though. What variety are you growing? Most common species like mid 70s for colonization.
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