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Josex
#cheat_code


Registered: 11/13/15
Posts: 8,995
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I've hit a fucking wall...
#23990760 - 01/07/17 08:08 PM (7 years, 23 days ago) |
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I started a bunch of agar projects on November 26th and still have nothing to show for it, had to trash all my plates 
On November 26th I nocced 20 plates with spores from different cube prints, they all germinated without problems but the growth was very slow. I then took 50+ transfers from those ms plates and the wedges took 4 freaking days to start leaping off onto the agar, and a week after the leap off, the cultures only grew a few millimetres from the wedge, so I knew something was terribly wrong.
I trashed all those plates in utter disgust and started new agar projects, always experiencing the same issue. I'm not exaggerating if I say that I had to trash 150+ plates
I was so puzzled as to why this happened that I became paranoid about every single ingredient in my agar recipes, however unlikely: bottled water, my food color, my agar, brf, potato flakes, lme... everything
In order to eliminate all the possible vectors that were slowing my cultures down I first played around with different agar recipes and lower nute ratios, varying from 1 to 2% agar and 1 to 2% nutes.
Finally I made some batches only using distilled water (just in case the bottled water I was using had something to do) pure lme and pure agar, no food coloring added because I had been adding food coloring to my agar and I also wanted to make sure this wasn't a possible vector this time.
So my last batch of plates was as pure and pristine as it gets, and still my cultures were slow af!
So after all this trial and error I finally understood that this had nothing to do with my recipes, there was def something I was missing here.
I was pcing my agar for 30 min give or take at 15 psi, but the problem is that I've been keeping the plates in the pc overnight after the pc cycle and let the pc cool on its own until the next day when I open it. Take into account that I pc my agar in my new 941 AA and it takes a long ass time for it to cool down, possibly cooking the plates more than it's good. Also, the consistency of my agar didn't feel good, very hard and maybe dry and probably the sugars in the agar got caramelized
Today I nocced 23 MEA plates that were sterilized for 20 min after reaching 15 psi and took the plates out as soon as the pressure dropped to zero. I hope this works cos if not I might as well give up.
Edited by Josex (08/28/20 11:40 AM)
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cronicr



Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 61,436
Loc: Van Isle
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Josex]
#23990777 - 01/07/17 08:13 PM (7 years, 23 days ago) |
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keep swinging lol
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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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Josex
#cheat_code


Registered: 11/13/15
Posts: 8,995
Loc:
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: cronicr]
#23990787 - 01/07/17 08:17 PM (7 years, 23 days ago) |
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What do you mean keep swinging? I just wanna know if someone has experienced this. It's driving me nuts, almot 2 months culturing and ive got nothing, zero... Feeling really down, dont give a flying fuck about swinging, dont project, dats not whats going on here man
Edited by Josex (01/07/17 08:18 PM)
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cronicr



Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 61,436
Loc: Van Isle
Last seen: 2 years, 9 days
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Josex]
#23990803 - 01/07/17 08:23 PM (7 years, 23 days ago) |
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i take it you are doing no pours correct? just try change your recipe, you would see easily if you were cooking them too long they would go dark as fuck...keep it simple and post some pics
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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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Mycolorado
Hobbyist


Registered: 07/23/16
Posts: 8,529
Loc: Interdimensional Bootcamp
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Josex]
#23990817 - 01/07/17 08:28 PM (7 years, 23 days ago) |
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What temp are they growing at? My bench is in the basement where it's around 69F and things grow very slowly. You may just need to be patient. Maybe work with less plates, but like cron said, keep at it...sounds like you're on the right track. Pics would help.
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Josex
#cheat_code


Registered: 11/13/15
Posts: 8,995
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: cronicr]
#23990819 - 01/07/17 08:28 PM (7 years, 23 days ago) |
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Ive been using 3 different recipes with different ratios, I dont think is that. Maybe keeping them in the pc overnight dried them out or something.
Anyway, this post was wrong from the beginning, shouldnt have posted it cos Im going to discover if it was the pc or not soon enough, just feeling like shit is all
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Subnet Mask


Registered: 05/08/15
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Josex]
#23990855 - 01/07/17 08:39 PM (7 years, 23 days ago) |
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If you don't have contams I wouldn't worry about it. Just grow that shit out and fruit them.
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Josex
#cheat_code


Registered: 11/13/15
Posts: 8,995
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Mycolorado]
#23990915 - 01/07/17 08:57 PM (7 years, 23 days ago) |
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Quote:
Mycolorado said: What temp are they growing at? My bench is in the basement where it's around 69F and things grow very slowly. You may just need to be patient. Maybe work with less plates, but like cron said, keep at it...sounds like you're on the right track. Pics would help.
Im wearing a tshirt in my house in the middle of winter, really warm climate here. Like I said in the op; my cube wedges took an avarage of 4 days to leap off on the agar and after a week + only grew 3 or 4 millimetres from the wedge, aint nobody got time for that, i just trashed them because im looking for a vigorous culture to noc grains with, not these sluggish things. Ok pics, this is one Mx Jalisco culture that Ive kept for the lulz, wedge was transferred on 29/11, pics from side and bottom. All the other plates in the trash.


Gonna take some wedges from it tomorrow with plates taken out of the pc after pressure drops, we'll see if that'll perk it up a bit.
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WeavieWonder
Time Travel Sucks



Registered: 08/18/16
Posts: 1,455
Loc: USA
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Josex]
#23991187 - 01/07/17 10:25 PM (7 years, 23 days ago) |
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Keep at it. Agar work is really worth learning. It opens up a lot of doors to cultivation. Hitting a wall sucks, just got to be patient with yourself and fight through that shit. I am just getting over something similar with grains. After months of trail and error, eventually got my shit straightened out. Worth the wait, as I am experiencing significantly better results.
Relatively new to agar myself. I have great results using a premixed MEA @ 37 g/L. No dye, and I use tap water. I PC it for 30 minutes @ 15psi. Letting your plates cool overnight in the PC is ok. Maybe try a pour tek next time. No pours are great, but it never hurts to try something new to get over a hump.
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WeavieWonder
Time Travel Sucks



Registered: 08/18/16
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LOL
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Bunya


Registered: 06/04/16
Posts: 601
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Maybe your spores are shit.
-------------------- Bunya cones kill.
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Josex
#cheat_code


Registered: 11/13/15
Posts: 8,995
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Bunya]
#23991242 - 01/07/17 10:51 PM (7 years, 23 days ago) |
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Quote:
WeavieWonder said: Keep at it. Agar work is really worth learning. It opens up a lot of doors to cultivation. Hitting a wall sucks, just got to be patient with yourself and fight through that shit.
I appreciate the encouragement, but it's nothing to do with my recipes or technique, Ive gotten damn good with the scalpel in this last month after so many plates. The only contam I got was from a pan syringe, some fluffy shit started to grow very fast, the only fast growing myc I had mind you, so i expanded the shit out of it only to discover that it was mold 
The only wall here is that I can't understand why all my cultures were so slow. Im pretty sure it was the pc, it was still hot af some hours after the pc run.
Im going to take the plates out as soon as the pressure drops to zero from here on out and will report the results.
Quote:
Bunya said: Maybe your spores are shit.
Ive been using 3 different cube prints, very fresh and received from good cultivators here. One mexicana jalisco and pan cyan syringe
They can't all be bad
Edited by Josex (01/07/17 10:57 PM)
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PinPornProducer
Buy the ticket, take the ride



Registered: 08/23/14
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Josex]
#23991329 - 01/07/17 11:42 PM (7 years, 22 days ago) |
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Quote:
Josex said: What do you mean keep swinging? I just wanna know if someone has experienced this. It's driving me nuts, almot 2 months culturing and ive got nothing, zero... Feeling really down, dont give a flying fuck about swinging, dont project, dats not whats going on here man
Pm me, I'll hook you up bro
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Unknown error



Registered: 12/21/16
Posts: 420
Loc: Lost in green lane
Last seen: 8 hours, 6 minutes
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Josex]
#23991467 - 01/08/17 01:15 AM (7 years, 22 days ago) |
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Iv had exactly the same problem, can't seem to get any mycelium to take to the agar. Iv tried mea and pda with no better results. So I think it might be something to do with the agar powder I'm using as it's the only ingredient that I haven't changed yet. https://files.shroomery.org/files/17-001/385923215-IMG_0456.jpg
This is some pan cyan nocced up with a ms syringe on 27 Nov. https://files.shroomery.org/files/17-001/385922697-IMG_0454.jpg
Here are some transfers from some other semi usable plates made at the same time. Transferred on 30 Dec. https://files.shroomery.org/files/17-001/385922314-IMG_0451.jpg https://files.shroomery.org/files/17-001/385921834-IMG_0449.jpg
It's been the same story with the ban hua Thai strain from colonised grain and clones. It just won't seem to spread on to the agar.
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Josex
#cheat_code


Registered: 11/13/15
Posts: 8,995
Loc:
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Quote:
Unknown error said: Iv had exactly the same problem, can't seem to get any mycelium to take to the agar. Iv tried mea and pda with no better results. So I think it might be something to do with the agar powder I'm using as it's the only ingredient that I haven't changed yet. https://files.shroomery.org/files/17-001/385923215-IMG_0456.jpg
This is some pan cyan nocced up with a ms syringe on 27 Nov. https://files.shroomery.org/files/17-001/385922697-IMG_0454.jpg
Here are some transfers from some other semi usable plates made at the same time. Transferred on 30 Dec. https://files.shroomery.org/files/17-001/385922314-IMG_0451.jpg https://files.shroomery.org/files/17-001/385921834-IMG_0449.jpg
It's been the same story with the ban hua Thai strain from colonised grain and clones. It just won't seem to spread on to the agar.
I know the feel man, it's puzzling and frustrating as hell. I hope you find a way to make it work. Your wedges are even lazier than mine and that's saying something.
If you have the time I'd love to read all the steps you do to whip up a batch of agar and maybe we can find something that looks sketchy.
I don't think it's your agar though, looks like the real deal. This is the one I use:
 In the ingredients you can read E406, but I looked it up and that is just the additive number for agar agar, so there can't be anything wrong with my agar either.
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Th3Issu3
Stranger Danger


Registered: 12/30/14
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Josex]
#23992287 - 01/08/17 12:27 PM (7 years, 22 days ago) |
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Step one, click on my agar tek....
Step two, fuck bitches.
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Josex
#cheat_code


Registered: 11/13/15
Posts: 8,995
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Th3Issu3]
#23993004 - 01/08/17 04:44 PM (7 years, 22 days ago) |
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Way to plug... It's that a tek or just how you do things? Can't see anything new there or relevant to my problem
Edited by Josex (01/08/17 05:03 PM)
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mushboy
modboy



Registered: 04/24/05
Posts: 32,281
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Josex]
#23993074 - 01/08/17 05:11 PM (7 years, 22 days ago) |
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if it helps i use pastyplate recipe and pc at 15psi for 40-45min every time.
never had any issues with my agar. ive let them sit in during cooling and open the next day ive taken them out the second the burning hot pc reached zero psi. no issues.
have you tried a simpler agar mix? like nothing with malt extracts and shit.
Edited by mushboy (01/08/17 05:17 PM)
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Crispykoot
Jello Wrangler



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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: Josex]
#23993091 - 01/08/17 05:18 PM (7 years, 22 days ago) |
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Maybe this will help, maybe not. Change agar for sure.
I'm new with agar... here is what I am doing and it works. This is a pour Tek. I can't remember who's tek this is but...
1) Take 500ml unchlorinated water and put into a sauce pan 2) Add 9 grams agar agar food grade powder (organic or high quality) 3) Add 8 grams of Light malt extract powder 4) Heat and stir as needed until it hits 90 C. 5) Pour into a 1 liter mason jar
Lid prep: Take a metal lid and cut a wedge out of it with tin snips, maybe 1/4 inch-ish at the widest point. This allows for easy pouring.
6) Place the metal lid on the jar, put on a filter disc, put on the ring, tighten it and cover with foil. 7) Put into PC with mfg. rec. amount of water, vent air, bring to 15 psi, PC for 1/2 hour 8) Turn off PC 9) When PC is at 0 PSI (1 hour for me) Open it and take the hot jar and put it into a little tupperware container not much bigger than the jar, but big enough to hold water up to the level of agar in the jar. 10) Pour hot water from PC into the tupperware up to the level of the agar. Try to get it to be around 47-50 C 11) When you hit 47 C, You are ready to pour. 12) Take things to the flow hood, remove the foil from jar, wipe it down. (in front of hood) 13) Remove the ring and filter, set them aside and pour. 14) When agar has set, you can transfer.
You can get 18-20 plates like this. Pretty firm. If you want less firm, use 600 ml water, 8 grams agar, and 8 grams light malt extract powder. You get maybe 22 or more with that.
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Shadowboxing the apocalypse and wandering the land
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Josex
#cheat_code


Registered: 11/13/15
Posts: 8,995
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Re: I've hit a fucking wall... [Re: mushboy]
#23993095 - 01/08/17 05:20 PM (7 years, 22 days ago) |
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Actually I only made lme batches after doing a lot of pasty's pda and BRF plates, anyway lme it's just a powdered ingredient, even simpler than pda. That's the thing mush,you take your plates out when the pc is still hot and pressure drops and I've been keeping them in there 12+ hours, probably dried the hell out of the agar. I couldn't touch my pc 3 hours after the pressure dropped without burning myself.
Yesterday did the first batch of plates that were taken out of the pc as soon as the gauge read zero, I hope this works.
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