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ljb
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Registered: 10/01/15
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Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts
#22321726 - 10/01/15 11:37 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Hey guys,
I've started cultivating gourmet and exotic mushrooms and I had a few questions for people who are experienced. I'm running a 3X2X2 meter hydroponic tent and I wanted to ask a few questions regarding climate controlling it.
I was chatting to a guy at the local hydro store, and he said I need to pump air into the tent and have an outlet to pump it out too. That's fine with me, but I was wondering if this is completely necessary for the mushrooms? I already have the fans from my days growing hydroponically, but does it need fresh air pumped in and out? The problem is my tent is in a dusty old garage, so wouldn't I just be pumping potential contamination onto my mushrooms? I've got a carbon filter, will that help at all?
Aside from this, I'm looking at buying a split system airconditioner and heater to control the climate, as well as a cheap one hundred dollar humidifier. Will the humidifier be good enough to humidify the tent to a large percentage? I'm aiming for 95%+ humidity. And also, does anyone have any idea on what would be better than a split system for controlling the climate? Or should I just go with that?
Any help is immensely appreciated. I want this to be my full time business and I'm starting out with oyster mushrooms.
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cronicr



Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 61,436
Loc: Van Isle
Last seen: 2 years, 8 days
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Re: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts [Re: ljb]
#22321819 - 10/02/15 12:23 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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first off exactly what mushrooms you planning here? second off that's way too much thinking going in just keep it simple.....some air going in(passively and constantly) air going out and keep an eye on your surface moisture
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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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ljb
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Re: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts [Re: cronicr]
#22321864 - 10/02/15 12:44 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thanks for your reply buddy. My apologies. I'm growing Oyster Mushrooms on coffee grounds so far. I'll expand my strain lists as I get better. So ditch the inlet and outlet fans and just pop a little clipon fan in the tent for some circulation? I'll still need the split system and humidifier however won't I? To keep temp at 28 degrees Celcius when mycellium is growing and 18degrees to fruit the mycellium, true?
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cronicr



Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 61,436
Loc: Van Isle
Last seen: 2 years, 8 days
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Re: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts [Re: ljb]
#22321873 - 10/02/15 12:48 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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hold on.....there is a better place for ya
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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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cronicr


Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 61,436
Loc: Van Isle
Last seen: 2 years, 8 days
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Re: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts (moved) [Re: ljb]
#22321874 - 10/02/15 12:49 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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This thread was moved from Mushroom Cultivation.
Reason:
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cronicr


Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 61,436
Loc: Van Isle
Last seen: 2 years, 8 days
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Re: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts (moved) [Re: ljb]
#22321875 - 10/02/15 12:49 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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This thread was moved from Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms.
Reason:
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ljb
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Registered: 10/01/15
Posts: 30
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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Re: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts (moved) [Re: cronicr]
#22321881 - 10/02/15 12:52 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thankyou buddy! Much appreciated!
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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: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts (moved) [Re: ljb]
#22322387 - 10/02/15 07:15 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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dont put your mini split in with your shrooms. i made this mistake last year and now am looking at a unit that is totally clogged with spores. had to take it apart best I could last week and it's still only about half of what it should be in terms of output. the coils are still clogged on the inside. i'm looking at either totally taking it apart and cleaning it, which wont be fun. or buying a new indoor unit (evaporator). either way i'm moving it to a hallway adjacent to my grow room and ducting that air into the grow room...i'd suggest you do the same.
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thonyc1968
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figuring out production time management [Re: drake89]
#22322469 - 10/02/15 07:49 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Hey guys, I don't know if this is the right way to interact on this forum as I'm new, but I have some questions, hope someone can answer me In trying to figure out production time management I'd like to know: how many 30 lb inoculated substrate bags of oyster mushroom one person could fill and in how many hours? I need and average number
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confuzzed
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Re: figuring out production time management [Re: thonyc1968]
#22324879 - 10/02/15 05:42 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
thonyc1968 said: Hey guys, I don't know if this is the right way to interact on this forum as I'm new, but I have some questions, hope someone can answer me In trying to figure out production time management I'd like to know: how many 30 lb inoculated substrate bags of oyster mushroom one person could fill and in how many hours? I need and average number
It's different for everyone, depends on the persons technique... I've read 3 threads today of people comparing bag loading time and tech...
Read up! It's around
Next time start your own thread this thread is mainly about air circulation...
The more you read the better off you will be in determining good information from bad information
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ljb
Stranger

Registered: 10/01/15
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Re: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts (moved) [Re: drake89]
#22326847 - 10/03/15 03:53 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thanks for the heads up mate I REALLY appreciate it! I was gonna run it inside O.o
So regarding this, just run a small internal fan for air circulation and don't worry too much about pumping fresh air in? And get a cheap little humidifier and I'll be sweet?
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drake89
Mushroom Magnate



Registered: 06/26/11
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Re: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts (moved) [Re: ljb]
#22327529 - 10/03/15 10:25 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
ljb said: Thanks for the heads up mate I REALLY appreciate it! I was gonna run it inside O.o
So regarding this, just run a small internal fan for air circulation and don't worry too much about pumping fresh air in? And get a cheap little humidifier and I'll be sweet?
depends on what species you want. if you want oysters you'll need lots of fresh air exchange.
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popok
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Re: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts (moved) [Re: drake89]
#22331276 - 10/04/15 03:10 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Hi, You definitely need fans & filters. 3x2x2m make 12m3 of air that need to be changed 8 times an hour, you need minimum 96m3/h of inlet fan, a lower for outlet fan. You better count x1.5 to take account of filters. Carbon wont make it, Stamets recommend 10um + electrostatic. Sure thing your AC/heating must not recycle inside air, it will clog with spores. I run a 3x4x3m (36m3) greenhouse indoors, doing oyster on coffee ground. My inlet fan make 8 times per hour the volume of the room, my exhaust fan (96m3/h) is undersized and tend to clog with spores, I use a cheap polyfill sheet filter to protect it a bit. In the whole, my oysters still look a bit like trumpet instead of being flat. I take air from the street, I also use a polyfill sheet filter for inlet, the filter get black in 2 months but I can't keep trich away. I use a 70W humidifier. I use a method of only mixing coffee ground with 1% of lime, 25% of spawn and 10% of wood pellet (dry weights), then bagging and punching holes. I make 3 10lb bags in 2hours+40min of preparation and cleaning afterward. Thats 15lb per hour. I also do pasteurization+open air inoculation and PCing+inoculation in glovebox, but with a much lower production rate. I am more concerned about yields, as in all cases, I hardly get more than 50% BE (fresh mushroom weight/dry substrate weight) with 35% as average, with trich starting on the bags after a flush or two. I am supposed to get 100% and more.
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Gr0wer
always improving


Registered: 09/16/03
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Loc: El Paso, TX
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Re: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts (moved) [Re: popok]
#22333950 - 10/04/15 06:17 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Make sure your exhaust fan blows outside. A simple inline booster fan works well so you can easily access the blades to wipe them down. Your exhaust only needs a mesh screen for bugs or no filter. I would try to avoid long exhaust ductwork as it will clog with spores over time. For intake filter head to your local home improvement store and see what they have available for homes. Then you can easily swap out the filter every few weeks or months. Don't go overboard with your intake filter, just get something that keeps bugs and dust out, your not building a clean room.
You can humidify with swamp coolers, ultrasonic misters, commercially build humidifiers, or foggers on a timer. I'm in the desert so i do swamp coolers with ultrasonics and manually mist with plans of automation.
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ljb
Stranger

Registered: 10/01/15
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Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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Re: Need help starting my Mushroom Farm A few questions for experts (moved) [Re: Gr0wer]
#22371701 - 10/13/15 02:40 AM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Sorry for the late reply, just wanted to say thank you immensely to all of those who commented to help. I had no reception up until now, damn rural australia! Thanks again
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