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Justin Case
Stranger
Registered: 09/22/16
Posts: 2
Last seen: 7 years, 3 months
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Silica gel chamber not working?
#23667022 - 09/22/16 02:03 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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Hi everyone After fan drying for one day, I have made a silica gel chamber following this guide https://www.shroomery.org/11271/Silica-Gel-Chamber Mine is pretty similar. The silica balls that I use are fresh and I am sure they are working as some get darker/ have changed colours overnight. Instead of tin foil I have use parchment paper. I have also made sure that there is some space betweent the two layers and so the shrooms are not touching directly the silica layer, and the silica layer is not touching the bottom of the box. This morning however I have found my shrooms to be softer and less dry than when I have put them in the box yesterday evening, after one day of fan drying. I just want to make sure something is not working backward and pulling some humidity in rather than out...Should I make sure there is no air on top of the shrooms for example by filling this space with kitchen towel? My theory is that the silica at the bottom could pull the humidity from the air that was trapped on top through the shrooms layer? Other aspect could be too much mushrooms - some are on top of others. Your advice is more than welcome, I would hate to lose those two flushes...
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Tira



Registered: 11/20/10
Posts: 1,202
Loc: Turkey
Last seen: 6 years, 3 months
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Re: Silica gel chamber not working? [Re: Justin Case]
#23667027 - 09/22/16 02:11 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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I've tried that chamber in the past too and had the same experience. Fan drying them is better IMO. I had my fruits cracker dry just by fan drying them on paper towels.
But dry fruits will absorb moisture from the environment so you might consider packing them in ziplock bags with silica gel packs in them, that'll help keeping them cracker dry.
-------------------- Useful Links for Beginners The Basics AMU Teks Frank''s Teks Agar Noob Forum Reccomended Teks Agar for guaranteed spawn, Proper pasteurization for guaranteed substrate.
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Kenetic
Nam Sayin



Registered: 08/24/14
Posts: 4,389
Loc: I don't believe in land
Last seen: 5 years, 3 months
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Re: Silica gel chamber not working? [Re: Tira]
#23667130 - 09/22/16 04:06 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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If you MUST go that route try damp rid. Works great. Get a tuppaware bowl and put a generous amount of damprid in the bottom. Put a few layers of paper towels on top of the damprid. Put your fan-dried shrooms on top of the paper towls. Close the lid tight, and your done.
A dehydrator is much more efficient and cleaner as well. Sounds like you are just ruining your shrooms. What a waste, to go through all that effort and let your shrooms rot.
And Tira, you must live in a desert.
-------------------- Todo Cambia    DMT said: Everyone know's me, they just don't know it yet
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Tira



Registered: 11/20/10
Posts: 1,202
Loc: Turkey
Last seen: 6 years, 3 months
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Re: Silica gel chamber not working? [Re: Kenetic]
#23667170 - 09/22/16 04:51 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
kenetic said:
And Tira, you must live in a desert.
Not desert but I guess Turkey has a hotter climate compared to USA
-------------------- Useful Links for Beginners The Basics AMU Teks Frank''s Teks Agar Noob Forum Reccomended Teks Agar for guaranteed spawn, Proper pasteurization for guaranteed substrate.
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Justin Case
Stranger
Registered: 09/22/16
Posts: 2
Last seen: 7 years, 3 months
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Re: Silica gel chamber not working? [Re: Tira]
#23669950 - 09/23/16 01:56 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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Thanks for your answers. For now I think I'll keep drying them with the fan - which is what I did since I have removed them from the chamber. They dry well and in another 12 hours I think I'll have the "cracker dry" stage. Glad I saved those little guys!
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Kenetic
Nam Sayin



Registered: 08/24/14
Posts: 4,389
Loc: I don't believe in land
Last seen: 5 years, 3 months
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Re: Silica gel chamber not working? [Re: Justin Case]
#23670078 - 09/23/16 05:11 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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sigh
-------------------- Todo Cambia    DMT said: Everyone know's me, they just don't know it yet
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Rosen_Rot
Learning



Registered: 12/06/14
Posts: 1,225
Loc: Goa
Last seen: 11 months, 22 days
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Re: Silica gel chamber not working? [Re: Kenetic]
#23670086 - 09/23/16 05:17 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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I dry mine infront of a fan, we have around 60% RH on average year round. Takes around 2 days on low setting to dry them to cracker quality and then I just put them in air tight jar full of silica packets. Mushrooms lasted for many months
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"The internet has one rule; use or be used" - Bjeldiablo ''there is no loneliness, only moments where contentment is fleeting'' SBJs "The Basics" 3iRiS9 "Cirque du freak" B+ BONANZA
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enlightenment
alchemist


Registered: 08/09/09
Posts: 1,647
Loc: Europe
Last seen: 8 months, 22 days
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Re: Silica gel chamber not working? [Re: Rosen_Rot]
#23670091 - 09/23/16 05:29 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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You could use your oven on a low setting to get them cracker dry. Works almost like a food dehydrator.
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Kenetic
Nam Sayin



Registered: 08/24/14
Posts: 4,389
Loc: I don't believe in land
Last seen: 5 years, 3 months
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Re: Silica gel chamber not working? [Re: Rosen_Rot]
#23670093 - 09/23/16 05:30 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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Maybe so. Maybe we just have different definitions of cracker dry.
-------------------- Todo Cambia    DMT said: Everyone know's me, they just don't know it yet
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enlightenment
alchemist


Registered: 08/09/09
Posts: 1,647
Loc: Europe
Last seen: 8 months, 22 days
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Re: Silica gel chamber not working? [Re: Kenetic]
#23670095 - 09/23/16 05:33 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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my definition of cracker dry: you can not bend the mushroom. If you try to bend it, it breaks.
Like a cracker. Not leathery.
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Inocuole
Scalpel of Evil's Bane



Registered: 11/21/11
Posts: 24,863
Loc: ★
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Anything short of cracker dry is not dry at all. If it doesn't crumble into dust in your hand, it's not cracker dry. A fan cannot get mushrooms cracker dry by itself.
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enlightenment
alchemist


Registered: 08/09/09
Posts: 1,647
Loc: Europe
Last seen: 8 months, 22 days
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Re: Silica gel chamber not working? [Re: Inocuole]
#23670173 - 09/23/16 06:35 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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A fan without some heat is not enough. That's true. If the residual moisture is low enough to break the mushrooms you are fine to store them for at LEAST 6 months in a sealed jar. The moisture content is low enough to prevent rotting or mold.
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