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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


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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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Everything you need in one spot.

My Q&A thread. Ask me questions here rather than in Private Message
Bod's chat thread

5g a day keeps the 5g away

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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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Mushrooms, Mycology and Psychedelics > Mushroom Cultivation
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