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dietrich
Zauberpilz-Esser



Registered: 07/06/10
Posts: 319
Last seen: 5 years, 8 months
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Not Pasteurizing with HK Oyster
#21964039 - 07/19/15 09:53 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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All those experienced with HK Oyster:
These things colonize my buckets very fast! Less than a week.
I was thinking since it's so fast, I could maybe get away with just chopping and soaking the straw in soap water and skipping the pasteurization process to save a ton of time and effort.
Any thoughts?
-------------------- Ich heiße Dietrich der Zauberpilz-Esser und bringe ich Frieden und Liebe für alle.
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Humbled
Local Budtender




Registered: 01/19/08
Posts: 1,903
Last seen: 8 hours, 50 minutes
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Re: Not Pasteurizing with HK Oyster [Re: dietrich]
#21964122 - 07/19/15 10:09 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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I believe it is very possible to do as you suggest. Soap, being a surfactant is suggested as an alternative means of pasteurization in Paul Stamets' GG&MM book.
I know I've done soapy water baths for straw and then just spawned at a higher rate than usual with oyster species. They tend to race through straw so quickly that competitors scarcely have time to grab ahold.
On another note, if you want to make that 'easy' pasteurization method even more effective, get yourself some hydrated lime from a garden store and add that to your soapy water mixture. The spike in pH will stunt or kill many contams and you dont spend any extra time prepping like you would with heat pasteurization.
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Humbled
Local Budtender




Registered: 01/19/08
Posts: 1,903
Last seen: 8 hours, 50 minutes
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Re: Not Pasteurizing with HK Oyster [Re: Humbled]
#21964152 - 07/19/15 10:13 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Stamets suggests 2-4 pounds of hydrated lime be dissolved into 50 gallons of water. When I use hydrated lime, I just go with the middle route and use 3 pounds per 50 gallons. This technique is highly effective plus it doesnt take much time or effort to stir in some powder along with some soap. 
I also forgot to say that soaking should be overnight or about 12 hours for straw.
Edited by Humbled (07/19/15 10:14 AM)
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dietrich
Zauberpilz-Esser



Registered: 07/06/10
Posts: 319
Last seen: 5 years, 8 months
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Re: Not Pasteurizing with HK Oyster [Re: Humbled]
#21967351 - 07/19/15 09:23 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Great, thanks for the replies! I am definitely going to give this a try then with the final jars that I have left.
But one thing I wanted to ask, is soaking for 12 hours really that necessary? Or maybe moreso now that I won't be pasteurizing for an hour in the heat? I have just been soaking it in soap water for 2 hours, per the RR technique video.
-------------------- Ich heiße Dietrich der Zauberpilz-Esser und bringe ich Frieden und Liebe für alle.
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Humbled
Local Budtender




Registered: 01/19/08
Posts: 1,903
Last seen: 8 hours, 50 minutes
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Re: Not Pasteurizing with HK Oyster [Re: dietrich]
#21968768 - 07/20/15 01:22 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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I don't think the full 12 hours is an absolute necessity, though I would probably soak for at least 4 hours. That's just the way I've always done it but it is by no means a mandatory rule.
Most of the time my soaks would go from 4-8 hours. Sometimes I would get the mixture ready right before I left work at 5 PM and drop in the straw; the next morning at about 8 AM when I got to work I would pull the straw and let it drain.
Other times, I would start the soak in the morning and be draining it by the afternoon.
I hope this helps you out a little and I would like to hear if others have similar techniques or what they've found works best for them.
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drake89
Mushroom Magnate



Registered: 06/26/11
Posts: 4,168
Loc: TN
Last seen: 4 years, 10 months
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Re: Not Pasteurizing with HK Oyster [Re: Humbled]
#21969508 - 07/20/15 07:05 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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if you use a high spawn rate and a very fast oyster yeah you can get away with just getting the straw hydrated. that takes a few hours in cold water so you may as well be safe and put some lime in there. it's like $10 for 50lbs at my co-op.
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