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Bulk Substrate Contamination
    #26002362 -

Hey, I've been having mass contamination of my substrate lately just wanted to ask a couple questions and hopefully get to the bottom of this.
So I've made probably 50 monotubs over the past few months and all of them have contaminated lol... I'm using 7lb grain spawn bags inoculated with agar, everything in front of a flow hood. My substrate is 40% hpoo, 40% Coco, 20% verm, 5% gypsum. Pasteurizing in a sort of steam sterilizer style bin. (2 big sterilite bins one inside the other with spray foam in between, with 2, 1500 watt water heater elements) 32l sterilite tubs for substrate containers, I do 8qt spawn to 10qt substrate.

Anyways, I've been getting 100% contamination and I'm not sure why, my grain spawn seems to be fine, I've had only 2 bags contam out of the 150 I've made. It always seems to happen between day 7-10 after spawning to bulk substrate, never before day 7, it always seems to be surface contamination, and its almost always mean green. The fact that it's always about a week after spawning, and always surface leads me to believe it's one of three things.

1. I'm sterilizing my sub by accident
2. Environmental factor (my house is trich infested)
3. Grain Spawn not clean (this is the least likely to me)

Thanks in advance to anyone to answers.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: do.what.you.want]
    #26002917 -

No thoughts??

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: do.what.you.want]
    #26002936 -

Do it without hpoo if you are sure about your spawn...if cvg contaminate, your spawn wasn't clean


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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: nix21]
    #26002941 -

Good point, idk why I didn't think of this lol. Maybe I'll break out the old pillow case and run a side by side too, just coir, hpoo pillowcase method.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: nix21]
    #26002942 -

Sounds like you are partially sterilizing your hpoo which is contam central.
Try a few tubs using just coir


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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: nix21]
    #26002944 -

In your opinion does it make sense that I could have over 100 spawn bags done, only lose 2 to contamination but possibly they could still be dirty somehow?

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: nix21]
    #26002946 -

When reading thru ur post I thought maybe u were accidently sterilizing ur sub also but :shrug: another big one for me is u can have clean spawn but if ur substraight is too wet it will contam...

Were u using the same substraight for the bags? Different conditions can produce different results with the same spawn...

I think I should go back to using coir until u can know for sure that ur not sterilizing the hpoo mix. Or pasteurize a small batch of hpoo in ur oven to see if that makes the difference.


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The thing about deceit is, you don't know your being deceived...

The only thing I am sure about is that I know nothing - socrates

Believe nothing you hear and half of what u see.

Edited by Apc123 (05/20/19 08:25 AM)

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: Apc123]
    #26002949 -

Hpoo is finicky. If I were eliminating variables, that would be the 1st to go.

If that doesnt work, then comtinue using coir but work on your spawn. Check
your lids, your technique, your hood with blank dishes, etc.


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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: natedawgnow]
    #26002965 -

I think you're right, sometimes just writing out my question and reading it over a few times helps clarify things for me. I think I'm just accidentally sterilizing, one odd thing is that I throw about 10, 8lb bags of substrate in my steam sterilizer thing I put temp probes in 5 of the 10 and it seems to be heating up very unevenly, either that or my probes are reading the wrong temps, but I calibrated them just before using, so idk. It's a mystery and it's making me so mad lol. It's funny when I was a beginner I got away with virtually no sterile technique, too wet substrates, contaminated substrates that I would fruit anyways and I always got fruits. Now with my flow hood, agar work, "sophisticated" sterilizer setup I can't seem to get even a fucking gram lol...

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: natedawgnow]
    #26002967 -

Yeah, part of the reason why I think my spawn is fine is because I've made 1000 plus agar dishes and I've had maybe 10-20 contaminate, if that.
Also my spawn always smells clean the grains are never sticky, or dry.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: Apc123]
    #26002974 -

Thanks, yeah I'm pretty sure it's just pasteurisation, the more I think about it.

I will try to pasteurize some with the pillow case method or oven method.

I might even sterilize some substrate and inoculate in spawn bags.

Thanks for the input guys, appreciate it.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: do.what.you.want]
    #26003010 -

I recommend this: https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/21126535#21126535

Im personally not a fan of the pillow case or oven methods.  especially doing multiple trays they heat very unevenly.  at least in my crap oven


--------------------
weed gets you through times of no money better than money gets you through times of no weed...  -the fabulous furry freak bros
If you can buy it, you can burn it!



https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/25947396#25947396

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: TedsDead]
    #26003023 -

Why are you using manure? I would stop, but it's your stuff.


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My no pour Petri TEK - https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/27252059/page/1

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: do.what.you.want] * 1
    #26003044 -

Do you always pour your dishes in front of the same spot on your hood?

What I mean is, take 9 blank dishes, and open 1 in each corner of the hood,
top and bottom, left and right, and center to make sure you dont have any pin holes
that could be fucking you up


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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: do.what.you.want]
    #26003054 -

do.what.you.want said:
In your opinion does it make sense that I could have over 100 spawn bags done, only lose 2 to contamination but possibly they could still be dirty somehow?



yes, it's possible.. sometimes contams doesn't show clearly before spawning or better say before introducing to FAE.. but i would say hpoo is your problem.. idk whats your plan with this hobby.. if we are talking about cubes., hpoo will give you better yield but its massive contam vector if not done properly, so you throw months of cleaning and colonizing for bunch of grams... if you are doing that much tubs and petris as you say, you will have kilos and kilos with coir only (without verm and gypsum) .. and with hpoo you will get zero or kilos + 30%...


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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: natedawgnow]
    #26003060 -

natedawgnow said:
Do you always pour your dishes in front of the same spot on your hood?

What I mean is, take 9 blank dishes, and open 1 in each corner of the hood,
top and bottom, left and right, and center to make sure you dont have any pin holes
that could be fucking you up



He's using an incubator made from old tile bucket heaters to pasteurize. I would have thought that sometime in those 50 tubs he would have checked and realized that he isn't reaching the necessary temperature with that set up. This whole thread is hard headed.

OP if you're growing cubes use Coir, or Verm and coir, add coffee and gypsum if you want but stop using shit. It's a pita to cook and unnecessary unless you're growing pans. 50 tubs is a hard knock lesson.

It's preposterous to even consider the spawn caused it. /headache


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My no pour Petri TEK - https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/27252059/page/1

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: Professor X]
    #26003072 -

Professor X said:
OP if you're growing cubes use Coir, or Verm and coir, add coffee and gypsum if you want but stop using shit. It's a pita to cook and unnecessary unless you're growing pans. 50 tubs is a hard knock lesson.

It's preposterous to even consider the spawn caused it. /headache



:whathesaid:

if OP have problem with pasteurization process i wouldn't recommend coffee.. stick to C(V)(G)...


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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: nix21]
    #26003140 -

I sterilize coffee but use it at one cup of wet grounds to a brick of coir and 2 quarts vermiculite with no issues.

But yes, try some good old plain coir or coir and verm subs and when you get confident add coffee.


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My no pour Petri TEK - https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/27252059/page/1

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: Professor X]
    #26003193 -

Just post pictures of your agar, your spawn, and your grows. Then we can help you narrow the problem down

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: Professor X]
    #26003213 -

Professor X said:
but stop using shit. It's a pita to cook and unnecessary unless you're growing pans. 50 tubs is a hard knock lesson.



Hpoo and cpoo have a lengthy and proven track record with cubes, but i absolutely agree that coir is way easier and much more newbie friendly. 50 tubs IS a pretty tough lesson.

OP: can you describe your pasteurizing process? You should be keeping the substrate between 140-160* F for no longer than 90 minutes. Somewhere between 60-90 minutes is ideal. As others have said, 2 contam'd bags out of 150 means your spawn+technique is fine, your house could still be a factor, but i don't believe it's likely, so that leaves sterilizing your sub.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: natedawgnow]
    #26007001 -

True, I feel like I inoculate dishes in different spots, for a while I was pouring like 100 dishes at a time so I had to use the whole flow hood working space, but it's worth a shot.

Edited by do.what.you.want (05/22/19 10:07 AM)

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: do.what.you.want]
    #26007021 -

do.what.you.want said:
True, I feel like I inoculate dishes in different spots, for a while I was pouring like 100 trays at a time so I had to use the whole flow hood working space, but it's worth a shot.



Wow that is a shitload of plates to pour at one time!


--------------------
JJ

Draw unto others as they have been drawn to you.... WSP

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: newtomyc]
    #26007157 -

Hey, yeah lol its been a hard knock lesson for sure...

I'll post some pictures so I can explain things a little more clearly. my pasteurization process is filling PP bags (same size as the 14a unicorn bags but without the filter) with 10qts of sub mix, 40% coir, 40% hpoo, 20% verm, 5% gypsum, water to field capacity, about 2-2.5lbs water depending on how dry the ingredients are. Then I pack them down to get a consistent feel between each bag, stick a temp probe in every bag, zip tie it closed. Load the bags into my chamber, plug in the heating elements let it cook until they're around 100F, then I unplug the elements, let it sit until 140F then I start a 60 min timer, the bags climb to 165 max, then I pull them out of the chamber and let them cool, they usually take about an hour and a half to cool to below 140F.


Packed bags



Loading bags into chamber



Closed chamber with 5 bags all temp probed ( I also throw 65lbs of weights on the lid just to get a bit of a seal, forgot to put em on for the pic.)



Plugging in hearing elements to start cooking


I think my first few runs maybe I didn't pack the substrate tight enough, or my probes weren't all in the center of each bag, or maybe I filled my bin with too many bags, because my temperatures were wildly different my first few pasteurization runs, plus my first run I did 20 bags, second run 15 bags, third was 10 and the temps seemed to even out more and more every time I tried. Last night I did 5 bags alone and the temps stayed within 6 degrees of each other and they all hit 140 within 8 minutes of each other. Thanks for your input.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: newtomyc]
    #26007184 -

Lol yeah, I've poured 180 once but I could barely even fit them in front of my flow hood. Sectoring was a bitch to understand for me, so I kept thinking I could see sectors, next thing you know I've gone through a 500 box of

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: natedawgnow]
    #26007195 -

natedawgnow said:
Sounds like you are partially sterilizing your hpoo which is contam central.
Try a few tubs using just coir




This right here.

50 monotubs... christ man that is horrible .

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: Professor X]
    #26007200 -

I was using temp probes in every bag, but the bags were heating up very unevenly. My first run I did 20 bags, then 15, then 10 and just did a few runs between 5 - 10, I did notice that my temps were getting more and more even with a little tweaking every run. The thing is I only wanted to change one variable at a time so that I knew what I did differently. First I thought my sub was too dense because I was using powder verm, so I got chunky stuff, tried again, Same issue. I would like to think I wasn't being hard headed but cautious in only changing one variable at a time. But I am pretty hard headed in general so maybe I'm just still doing it lol.

Last night I did 5 bags packed them good and tight, made sure temp probes were directly in the middle of substrates, left some spacing between the bags in the chamber and they heated up pretty evenly, all within 6 degrees of each other, so I think if it's not pasteurization that Is giving me this headache then this batch will pretty much prove it. If I get contams again i'll make a sub mix of just coir, verm and gypsum.

Thanks for your input.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: nix21]
    #26007204 -

Good point, maybe I'm just being stubborn, or maybe I don't want to admit I can't seem to get this to work for me. I think I generally have a hard time admitting defeat, Im giving it one last chance and if I fail again I will have to try just coir, verm, gypsum. If it does work then I know it's my pasteurization.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: bodhisatta]
    #26007277 -

Thanks for weighing in bod, I appreciate it. I don't have new dishes kicking around right now but I can show you older ones. Also I'm just using monotubs I'm going to mix 5 up today and I can post some pics afterwards. I use a Standard MEA mix, 1000ml water 20g agar 30g malt,
Pc at 15 psi for 30 mins, pour when bottles cool enough to hold with my bare hand. I let them cool for an hour or so in front of hood, then I wrap them with parafilm, 3 times around so it doesn't dry out and crack.

Agar bottle



Synthetic filter disk melted into lid



Dish from bottom



Dish from side



Dish from top



My grain process is pretty standard, I clean and soak 38lbs of dry wheat kernels in a cement mixer for 18-24 hours, then I cook them on a propane burner in a big pot, mix it with a drill/paint mixer, bring to a boil, simmer about 10 mins, or until they're soft enough to squish between my fingers easily. Strain them, pour then back into the mixer, let them spin until they're cooled and dry to the touch, bag them, 7lbs per bag, it makes 10 bags. Then I fold the tops down accordion style I don't use tyvek sleeves in bags, I load 6 in my aa41, and 4 in my presto 22qt, bring them to temp, cook them 3 hours at 15psi, once done cooking I cool them in front of flow hood, the next day I unload in front of flow hood, inoculate, one dish per bag, seal, shake and then let em sit until about 25% colonization roughly day 6-7 days, then I shake, and they seem to almost always take between 12-15 days until 100% colonization.

2 runs worth of bags



Bag from the front



Bag for the bottom



These bags have been sitting for about 2 weeks after full colonization because I didn't want to lose all of the colonized grains I've made from this issue.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: Fungshoo]
    #26007284 -

I think you're right.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: do.what.you.want]
    #26007565 -

do.what.you.want said:
the bags climb to 165 max, then I pull them out of the chamber and let them cool, they usually take about an hour and a half to cool to below 140F.



That's it. With the temp probe in the center, you are getting an accurate reading of the center of the sub, but that is also the most insulated from the outer "layers" of sub. The substrate nearest the outside "edges" of the bags are going to be hotter than the center, so you are definitely partially sterilizing your sub. This is actually normal for the most part, when you pasteurize some will sterilize as well, but as it cools down, the bacteria recovers and spreads throughout. Because the center is also reaching 165* F, that is a little too hot, I would err on the safe side and not let the center reach higher than 155* F.

Also after they are fully colonized, do you let them consolidate for a few more days or bulk immediately?

Edited by MLPismyOPSEC (05/22/19 03:10 PM)

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: MLPismyOPSEC]
    #26008056 -

Are you sure about those temps, because I've always read that you want the sub to be 140-170 and that getting it to the high end of the temperature range is a good thing? I remember reading Frank Horrigans grain spawn Tek and I'm like 90% sure he says 140-170.

I don't let my grain spawn consolidate, I let my substrates consolidate, but for spawn I just make sure it's colonized fully, I don't leave it to sit for an extra week after colonization like I do with substrate, but I've never broke into a bag and seen uncolonized kernels in the middle or anything like that. I was under the impression that consolidation only helps with substrates because you're giving the mycelium time to digest everything.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: MLPismyOPSEC]
    #26008087 -

Ahhh, you are right, I re read Frank's tek and the first part of the tek is for jars of substrate, that's where he says if it goes past 170 for 10 - 15 mins it's partially sterilized. Then I scrolled further down and he does it with a substrate bag, and he says if your temp goes upto 165 for more than a few minutes you've probably partially sterilized your substrate. Lol guaranteed that's what I'm doing, I feel so stupid now! Lol

Thanks everyone for your input, I appreciate the help. I'll keep you posted on how things work out. But I bet that's all it was, a combination of tweaking my bin to heat more evenly, and the wrong temp range. I'm gunna make new subs tomorrow and get things rolling again.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: do.what.you.want]
    #26008265 -

do.what.you.want said:
but I've never broke into a bag and seen uncolonized kernels in the middle or anything like that. I was under the impression that consolidation only helps with substrates because you're giving the mycelium time to digest everything.



I'm under the impression both are beneficial, but no uncolonized kernels are a good sign! Let us know how the next batch turns out :thumbup:

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: MLPismyOPSEC]
    #26008965 -

MLPismyOPSEC said:
do.what.you.want said:
the bags climb to 165 max, then I pull them out of the chamber and let them cool, they usually take about an hour and a half to cool to below 140F.



That's it. With the temp probe in the center, you are getting an accurate reading of the center of the sub, but that is also the most insulated from the outer "layers" of sub. The substrate nearest the outside "edges" of the bags are going to be hotter than the center, so you are definitely partially sterilizing your sub. This is actually normal for the most part, when you pasteurize some will sterilize as well, but as it cools down, the bacteria recovers and spreads throughout. Because the center is also reaching 165* F, that is a little too hot, I would err on the safe side and not let the center reach higher than 155* F.





yup, I would say that's it as well.  your plates and bags seem all fine an dandy.  if my center temps exceed 160F I often see trich


--------------------
weed gets you through times of no money better than money gets you through times of no weed...  -the fabulous furry freak bros
If you can buy it, you can burn it!



https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/25947396#25947396

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: TedsDead]
    #26009968 -

Lol what a dumb mistake, that's what I get for assuming it was the same as the quart jars I used to use. Thanks for the input.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: MLPismyOPSEC]
    #26009970 -

Thanks again man, I appreciate it.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: do.what.you.want]
    #26010040 -

sooo... you may want to try this too.  what I do is: bucket tek all my coir,  water bath pasteurize some straw, and do a few bag of manu on the stove-top in  bags.  then mix everything up at the ennd.  that way you can dial every thing in in smaller quantities 2 bags of manure on the stove can do a bunch of buckets depending on your ratio.  an you just have to make sure those 2 bags are consistent instead of however many are in your steamer.  it could be that your steamer build heats unevenly and needs some alterations?


--------------------
weed gets you through times of no money better than money gets you through times of no weed...  -the fabulous furry freak bros
If you can buy it, you can burn it!



https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/25947396#25947396

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: TedsDead]
    #26010694 -

Thanks man, I'm gunna stick to the steamer for now, I am doing about 40lbs of sub every 4 days so it just seems like it would be a real hassle to do everything separately. Yeah, I've been tweaking my steamer and I think I have it dialed in now, every sub run I do it gets a bit better, the last one I did all the bags were within 3 degrees of each other.

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: do.what.you.want]
    #26010771 -

wanna post a pic of your steamer build  once you get it dialed in?  I don't have the space for one now but one day...


--------------------
weed gets you through times of no money better than money gets you through times of no weed...  -the fabulous furry freak bros
If you can buy it, you can burn it!



https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/25947396#25947396

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Re: Bulk Substrate Contamination [Re: TedsDead]
    #26010781 -

+1! There are a small handful of steamer teks here, and AFAIK only one set-and-forget bulk pasteurizer. Would love to see more, automation makes life easier.

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