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Azul
Old Man



Registered: 05/13/12
Posts: 127
Loc: USA
Last seen: 10 months, 7 days
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Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags
#23843623 - 11/17/16 09:59 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Hi, haven't posted in a while but started lurking again recently. A friend gave me about 150 spawn bags he had in a storage unit and I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction on how to use them, maybe a link to a good tek or grow log? I searched the forums but I couldn't find a good tek with pictures.
The bags I was gifted are about 22"x8" (with the sides folded in) and have an air filter on them. I was wondering how much should go in each bag? And how long they need to be pressure cooked? How should they be sealed, and when?
Up until now I've used Frank's 12 step guide and have gotten pretty good at it. Would G2G inoculation be a good idea with these bags? My friend who gave me the bags recommended inoculation with liquid culture.
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Azul]
#23843628 - 11/17/16 10:01 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Azul
Old Man



Registered: 05/13/12
Posts: 127
Loc: USA
Last seen: 10 months, 7 days
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23843658 - 11/17/16 10:12 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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I looked and your tek compendium and was reminded of Frank's spawn bag tek, that is basically what I was looking for, thanks.
Even still if anyone has anything good to post feel free to give me some more info
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Marty Mycfly
Time Traveler


Registered: 12/16/13
Posts: 976
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Azul]
#23843709 - 11/17/16 10:36 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Prep your grain and load the bags, 6# should be about what you want for those, and the tyvek sleeve trick works great, I believe Frank has it shown in his tek. Pc for 2-2.5 hours, pull the bags out after the PC loses pressure and put them in a tote or in front of a hood. You can seal the bags after inoculating with a sealer or other things like zipties if you are in an SAB, are you inoculating in an SAB or in front of hood? If in an SAB, do 1 bag at a time and have the bag on one side of the SAB and the grain jar in the other, unfold the bag sideways towards the grain jar, open the grain and pour into the bag, since the grain will be sitting on the side of the bag still lift the top of the bag up without touching the top of the SAB, fold the top over about 1/2 an inch and then fold it in a few times and slip the zip tie onto it. Inoculate your spawn bags with master jars or even LI works great and skips you a step.
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Azul
Old Man



Registered: 05/13/12
Posts: 127
Loc: USA
Last seen: 10 months, 7 days
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Marty Mycfly]
#23843805 - 11/17/16 11:18 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Marty Mycfly said: Prep your grain and load the bags, 6# should be about what you want for those, and the tyvek sleeve trick works great, I believe Frank has it shown in his tek. Pc for 2-2.5 hours, pull the bags out after the PC loses pressure and put them in a tote or in front of a hood. You can seal the bags after inoculating with a sealer or other things like zipties if you are in an SAB, are you inoculating in an SAB or in front of hood? If in an SAB, do 1 bag at a time and have the bag on one side of the SAB and the grain jar in the other, unfold the bag sideways towards the grain jar, open the grain and pour into the bag, since the grain will be sitting on the side of the bag still lift the top of the bag up without touching the top of the SAB, fold the top over about 1/2 an inch and then fold it in a few times and slip the zip tie onto it. Inoculate your spawn bags with master jars or even LI works great and skips you a step.
Thanks for the reply, I'll be using a SAB and I really appreciate the inoculation rundown. Do any zipties work? Like just get a pack of regular plastic zipties I can buy from walmart or home depot? What are the advantages/disadvantages of using a sealer? Or is it really just for use with a flow hood?
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Marty Mycfly
Time Traveler


Registered: 12/16/13
Posts: 976
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Azul]
#23843842 - 11/17/16 11:46 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Any Zip tie will work, in an SAB I found it makes it nice to have them looped already when you put them in there so you only have to grab it and tighten it when you get the bag folded. And sealers are a pain with an SAB, I assume, I never used one while working in an SAB, but it seems like it would be more of a hassle than it's worth.
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Marty Mycfly]
#23844776 - 11/18/16 10:06 AM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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So you have good success rates doing bags in an SAB? I never tried because it seemed like there was no way it'd go smoothly without a flowhood.
Glad I popcorned this thread!
Although, the one time I tried zip ties it didn't seem to get a complete seal and made little holes in the bag. Surely first timers mistakes though
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Sirtalis



Registered: 10/05/16
Posts: 409
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23844800 - 11/18/16 10:15 AM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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I'm going to be doing something similar with my bags. No flow hood, just a SAB. Maybe two zip ties to really make sure nothing gets inside?
How about giving the bag enough oxygen? SAB seems risky to leave air in the top, but I guess with proper sterile technique it should be fine. I'm just nervous about puffing the bags up with SAB air.
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Sirtalis]
#23844805 - 11/18/16 10:17 AM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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If I remember right thats the main disadvantage of SAB spawn bags, you can't get a good air plenum up top.
I wouldn't try to suck any air into the bag this way, sounds like its asking for contam
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filthyknees
no coincidence


Registered: 03/08/13
Posts: 6,283
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23844811 - 11/18/16 10:19 AM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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If you have a few hundred $ to spare spawn bags will be way easier with a sealer and flowhood.
I've done over 50 bags in a large sab with both zipties and tie wire. Folding each of the bags is tedious, a sealer takes about seven seconds. When doing more than a few bags at a time it is way more streamline without folding and tying.
After using a flowhood/sealer I'll never be going back to sab.
-------------------- But if you're in a hurry, and really got to go If you're in a hurry, might have to find out slow That it's one thing to try and another to fly You get there quicker just a step at a time It's one thing to bark, another to bite The show ain't over till you pack up at night
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Marty Mycfly
Time Traveler


Registered: 12/16/13
Posts: 976
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: filthyknees]
#23845043 - 11/18/16 11:41 AM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Yeah the main disadvantage I would say is not getting a plenum of air into the bag, in front of a hood you let the bag fill up with HEPA air before sealing. An SAB for bags is not optimal but can be done, I had good success with it before getting a flowhood, in fact bags were my main push for getting my hood built.
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Marty Mycfly]
#23845071 - 11/18/16 11:52 AM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Same, I don't really see the point of flowhoods unless you're doing bags. I just have such good success rates as it is.
If you get an SAB big enough to do G2G with quart jars with room to spare, you're good2go.
Edited by Psilosopherr (11/18/16 11:54 AM)
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Sirtalis



Registered: 10/05/16
Posts: 409
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Marty Mycfly]
#23845303 - 11/18/16 01:58 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Marty Mycfly said: Yeah the main disadvantage I would say is not getting a plenum of air into the bag, in front of a hood you let the bag fill up with HEPA air before sealing. An SAB for bags is not optimal but can be done, I had good success with it before getting a flowhood, in fact bags were my main push for getting my hood built.
Interesting. I have a HEPA and a SAB but no flowhood. Maybe just running the HEPA in the SAB room for a couple hours before inoculation would help ensure the air is fairly clean, then take the chance inside the SAB for getting a plenum of air. Tricky but I think with careful maneuvering it's possible. Flow hoods are just not a possibility for most of us.

I think this could solve the plenum of air problem. Method would be: PC bags --> g2g in SAB --> seal immediately ---> hang bags for plenum of air
Here's the tek this is taken from: https://www.shroomery.org/8398/Preparing-spawn-bags
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Sirtalis



Registered: 10/05/16
Posts: 409
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Sirtalis]
#23845311 - 11/18/16 02:00 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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The next question would be if a zip-tie would be enough to actually seal the bags, or would it suck air through the zip-tie "seal". My guess is the zip tie would be the area with the least resistance.
Anyone have a picture of how they seal with zip-ties to make sure it's airtight?
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Sirtalis]
#23845316 - 11/18/16 02:01 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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maybe a temporary zip tie until you're out of the SAB so you can use an impulse sealer?
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Marty Mycfly
Time Traveler


Registered: 12/16/13
Posts: 976
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Re: Need Help: First Time Using Spawn Bags [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23845412 - 11/18/16 02:31 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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That's a good idea for air with the hanging trick. The ziptie has makes a pretty rock solid seal, Im sure you could somehow fashion a way to hang a bag like that even with the zip tie on.
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