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LSA Woodrose
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LogicaL Chaos]
#26505907 - 02/27/20 05:43 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
LogicaL Chaos said: That steam rack looks perfect 
The other alternative is a tamale steamer which is a pot with a built-in steam rack. But that choice u have there works great too. As long as it fits, dont overthink it. It will be OK.
Also, do not order the tall regular mouth jars! They are a pain to work with. Get wide-mouth only.
Funny you say that! I came so close to ordering the ones in my post above, with the gold and silver colored lids. I mean really close, because they were labeled as wide mouth on Amazon. But something didn't look right and I couldn't figure out what it was at first. So I went back to the videos and noticed that the jars they used were shorter and apparently a little wider, not just at the top but throughout the height of the jar. They would have gotten to me tomorrow, and that was the only large half-pint set that Amazon had that didn't have a delay.
I decided that I really need to just be a good little boy and simply do as I'm told, so I decided to order the ones that are not only labeled as wide-mouth, but look like they are the exact jars from the videos. Even though I am chomping at the bit to get started, I decided it would be best to get those jars, since that's what RogerRabbit uses, even though they won't get to me until next week sometime. Better to delay my starting time by a week and just make this as idiot-proof as possible. Thanks to all the sage advice from you and others, of course!
That said, I have my containers (both for the SGFC and the SAB) and the unnamed sponsor site is actually sending me an extra syringe of some unspecified P. Cubensis strain, because I mentioned I got their name from Shroomery.org. Oh, and I ordered Golden Teacher, since that's what most people recommend to get started with. I will find out soon enough what the second syringe has in it. Hopefully it will be a relatively n00b-friendly strain lol.
I have a 2 Cubic foot bag of Vermite, from Home Depot, and am waiting for everything else to come. Even though everything else will be here tomorrow, obviously I'll have to wait for the jars, so I won't get started until they get here.
Well, I am officially excited now! Hopefully this goes well. I totally can't wait to get started. Even if this first grow crashes and burns, I will try to learn as much as possible. Plus, once I get started, I have...what, about 4+ weeks to keep studying and preparing for my next grow? 
By the way, I am ordering that steamer right now. Thanks for chiming in, my friend!
***And thanks to EVERYONE for all your help! Even if I am going with Pf Tek now, I am totally open to try new things once I get to a level where evolve from Complete-N00b to Novice.
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LogicaL Chaos
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LSA Woodrose] 1
#26505952 - 02/27/20 06:48 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Right on man. Sounds like youre on the road to total Shroomy Success!
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Demetrius18
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LogicaL Chaos] 1
#26506672 - 02/27/20 02:49 PM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Yup the steamer is just a platform, you should've gotten the jars in store tho so you could look for any broken cuz having them shipped increases chances of getting broken ones. I'm sorry but I just can't sit on my hands while you run in circles. It's the same process until the jars are ready just different grains and different prepping but it's the same underlying process. Once your jars are done colonizing is the main difference.
With SGFC you drill a million holes, you have to set it up on a rack because the bottom needs airflow too, and personally, if the perlite is not reusable, it feels like money down the drain.
Once the cake is done colonizing the mushrooms grow out of it. The only difference with bulk is that you rip up the cake into compost or coco coir. Then, the exact same way the white stuff turns into a cake, it will do the same to the compost. Then you wait with all the holes taped shut untill the whole thing is like a cake, THEN open the holes to introduce fruiting conditions.
So pretty much the same thing but a wider flatter higher surface area cake, and you drill 6 holes in a tub rather than 50. No perlite needed because the compost/(vermiculite mixed in) retains water.
So, obviously pick your own procedure, but get familiarised with the process the mushrooms themselves go through. If you don't, I feel you will struggle more than necessary.
-------------------- This account is purely theoretical, I will be king of the pirates!
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LSA Woodrose
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: Demetrius18]
#26507575 - 02/28/20 03:26 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Demetrius18 said: Yup the steamer is just a platform,
Yeah, that's what I figured. I also measured, and the one I ordered fits very nicely into my two larger stock pots, but not the two smaller ones, as the diameters are a smidge too small. My largest pot is I think an 18 or 20 gallon stock pot, which I believe would be a great sweet spot, since I will be able to sterilize more jars at once as well as well as use more water so that hopefully it doesn't boil off during the 90 minute simmering/boiling.
I know you can add more water to the pot if the water levels get too low, but I worry that would throw the calculations off in terms of getting to 90 minutes of steam to sterilize.
***Related to the adding more water issue, one thread in this forum had the OP admonishing people to use hot water from the tap. Even knowing very, very little about growing mushrooms, I have to flatly disagree with this premise. Hot water from the hot water faucet is agreed on by all experts to be a no-no to drink. Because of the hot water heater/tank and the fact that hot water dissolves a lot more of the toxins lining the pipes than the cold water pipes. I could be wrong, and please correct me if I am, but to my way of thinking, adding water to a sterilizing pot that is well known to contain more toxins than would come from the cold water pipes, sounds like a very bad idea. Maybe how I would handle this is to have a second pot with water at or close to boiling, and simply add water from that pot to the sterilizing pot. But everything in me says DO NOT use water from the hot water faucet.
Quote:
Demetrius18 said: you should've gotten the jars in store tho so you could look for any broken cuz having them shipped increases chances of getting broken ones.
Yeah, I honestly hadn't thought of this. Although, in my defense, I did look around for the jars locally. I live in Brooklyn, and unfortunately, these are difficult to find locally. There is a Walmart in Nassau County, Long lsland, but that's a bit of a trek for me, and I figured it was better to just order them. You are correct, though, that shipping can damage them. However, to be honest, I have ordered many glass and breakable things from Amazon, and not once did anything come broken. Still, one good thing is that Amazon has buyer protections, and the sellers want my good reviews and good ratings. So if any are broken, I am quite convinced the seller would make good, or Amazon would refund me.
Still, you are 100% correct. Next time I need glassware for growing, I will take the drive out to Long Island. If for no other reason than, even if the seller is very accommodating, or Amazon refunds my money if they aren't, this will delay my starting by a week or more. So thanks for chiming in with this! As I said, I hadn't thought of it.
Quote:
Demetrius18 said: I'm sorry but I just can't sit on my hands while you run in circles.
Why on Earth should you be sorry? For trying your best to help me? Where I come from, that means I owe you my gratitude, not my consternation. So THANK YOU again! 
Quote:
Demetrius18 said: It's the same process until the jars are ready just different grains and different prepping but it's the same underlying process. Once your jars are done colonizing is the main difference.
With SGFC you drill a million holes, you have to set it up on a rack because the bottom needs airflow too, and personally, if the perlite is not reusable, it feels like money down the drain.
Is the Perlite reusable? If not, then as inexpensive as it is, I'm forced to agree with you. However, at some point early on, I had to make a decision, since I didn't know enough to make an informed determination as to which way was the best way. I decided to embrace Pf Tek from start to finish, using RogerRabbit's videos as if I was a Born Again Christian and they were the Bible. Once I get my first successful grow out under my belt, then I can start to worry about nuances, saving money, or other procedures. But those videos are so F-ing clear and easy to follow, I honestly believe that this course, for a first grow, is probably the best.
Are there better Teks out there? I have no idea. And perhaps I will find out in the coming months.
Quote:
Demetrius18 said: Once the cake is done colonizing the mushrooms grow out of it. The only difference with bulk is that you rip up the cake into compost or coco coir. Then, the exact same way the white stuff turns into a cake, it will do the same to the compost. Then you wait with all the holes taped shut untill the whole thing is like a cake, THEN open the holes to introduce fruiting conditions.
So pretty much the same thing but a wider flatter higher surface area cake, and you drill 6 holes in a tub rather than 50. No perlite needed because the compost/(vermiculite mixed in) retains water.
So, obviously pick your own procedure, but get familiarised with the process the mushrooms themselves go through. If you don't, I feel you will struggle more than necessary.
All this sounds great, and I am paying attention. Like I said, I chose the Pf Tek because many in this forum recommended it, when I was starting to ask questions, and because the videos are like a clearly delineated roadmap that lol even I can follow. But in the future, I am totally open to new ways of doing things.
Thanks again for your incredibly detailed post and information!
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LogicaL Chaos
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LSA Woodrose] 1
#26507641 - 02/28/20 05:50 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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18 gallon pot is pretty freakin huge. Its way overkill for even 20 jars at one time. But pots are easy to find if u need a smaller one.
I always fill my pots with hot water. There seems to be "hard water residue" at the bottom of the pot but it aint a big deal. If youre really concerned, buy some gallons of water.
Unlikely that the jars would be broken but i guess it could happen 
Stick with the PF Tek for now since u are an Uber-n00b. I still use it with great yields for personal use. After 13 years, Ive feel like Ive finally mastered it 
Perlite is reusuable for multiple grows but it needs to be washed with hot water inbetween grows to prevent algae from growing on it. I also recommend 2 bags of perlite instead of one for the SGFC. It works great with extra perlite.
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LSA Woodrose
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LogicaL Chaos]
#26507672 - 02/28/20 06:31 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Logical Chaos, thanks for the answers!
Let me ask you this, would a large stock pot be a liability. Oh LOL, and my bad, I meant to say 18 quarts not gallons. LMAO I think the pot is between 18 and 20 quarts, which would be between 4 1/2 and 5 gallons.
Good to know about washing and reusing the Perlite. Oh, when you say two bags, how much are you talking? Because the bags are all different sizes. The bag I purchased, for instance is I think 2 ft.³. It’s a pretty big bag. But if you say you think I need any more then I’ll get more. My SGFC is going to be in a 70 gallon clear container. It looks to my eyes, like the bag I have will give me the 405 inches of perlite I need. Should I be shooting for more than that? Or possibly my eyes are wrong.
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LSA Woodrose
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LSA Woodrose]
#26508045 - 02/28/20 11:43 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Update: Looks like I may be getting started a little sooner than I thought, as the shipping and pickup on 90% of my supplies was much faster than expected. Even the 24 jars, which Amazon said would take until next Thursday or Friday to get to me, came today. Now I am just waiting for the Vermiculite and the spores, which should be to me early next week.
Oh, and, Demetrius18, you'll be happy to know that all 24 jars are intact, and not a shard of broken glass. I took the outer lids off every jar to make sure that the top, threaded part of the glass on each weren't chipped or broken. I figured that would be all right, since I will be sterilizing them anyway.
In addition to the questions in my last post, here are a few more:
I was thinking of using one syringe to inoculate 12 jars, which would basically mean that I would have to get around 0.833 cc's per jar. Divided by 4 holes, that would mean about .28 cc's per jar-hole. Is this something I should do? Or should I be sticking with 1 cc per jar, so only inoculate 10 jars?
Is there an upper/lower limit to how much I should stretch out a 10cc syringe? A few Internet articles I read said that you really only needed a drop or two for each of the four holes in every jar. But I wonder if there is such a thing as being too thrifty and miserly with the syringe? Meaning how many jars, per 10cc syringe is too much? How many is too little? What's the sweet spot?
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Demetrius18
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LSA Woodrose] 1
#26508850 - 02/28/20 08:23 PM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Ay, props man, I guess I've just had bad luck with mailed glassware. I love how detailed your responses are in the organizational sense.
My opinion has changed because I thought you had to buy new perlite per run which made my wallet scream. As far as the water I would agree in general with your points, however it is steam sterilized so the metal deposits in bad pipes will usually residue along the bottom. This is also case by case as you can get a water filter that works for either all plumbing or showers and taps or something of the like which I 'think' eliminates that issue but eh.
Only reason I apologise is that you've said you're sticking to your Tek but I'm still pelting you with other teks lol. As far as your inoculation, a single drop would potentially work but the more you add gives increased chances and speed for colonization to a degree. Personal opinion here, I would imagine it to be simpler and less hassle to just use one hole per jar because colonization would be a bit different maybe faster with all four, but considering your situation of 10-12 jars that's 40 inocs. Just seems like it would be more work and (slightly) higher risk of contamination by messing with them more than need be, as well as trying to featherweight a quarter CC every time (they can be tricky and it's easier than you'd think to accidentally do a whole CC unintentionally).
I guess it depends where you get the spores but I think they load you up with extra like 12-13cc even though it's advertised as 10cc. I wouldn't count on it but it's within the realm of possibility, if it is the case that solves your dilemma. If not, just ballpark as close as you can get to .8 or just eyeball right before 1cc and do the 10 jars, and make do with the last 2. I think it might be easier to do 1cc for 10 jars because it seems you like everything exact and in order so rather than trying to complicate it 1:10 makes it clear cut. I think you should see how many cakes (jars) will fit your SGFC comfortably so you know how many jars to make.
My own lil blurb, I used spawn bags as I dove into this while researching simultaneously, I did proper SAB procedure and identical flame sterilizing and wiped bags with alcohol. I did 3x 1lb bags of rye berry, one AA+, one Cambodian, and last Wollongong. I did 3 CC's per each (sized maybe like a quart jar each) and kept them around 75. The AA+ and cambo started but Wollongong did nothing. The cambo bag had a fold in a sticker over the port which makes me thing mold got in through there, as it grew fine until a couple weeks it started looking grey rather than white so I tossed it after further inspection.
The AA+ grew fine and I recently moved it to bulk and will initiate fruiting any day now, however the Wollongong didn't do anything for three weeks, (don't do this at home kids) I got frustrated and reinoculated it with another 2 or 3 CC's. It still has not grown anything mycelium mold or otherwise.
My point for the story is you can get very differing results from the same procedure. Good luck man, hope it goes well!
-------------------- This account is purely theoretical, I will be king of the pirates!
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LSA Woodrose
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: Demetrius18]
#26509361 - 02/29/20 07:57 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Demetrius18 said: Ay, props man, I guess I've just had bad luck with mailed glassware. I love how detailed your responses are in the organizational sense.
Thanks, brother! I really appreciate it.
Quote:
Demetrius18 said:My opinion has changed because I thought you had to buy new perlite per run which made my wallet scream.
The cost of the Perlite is also a concern to me, to be honest. This is why I trying to decide how many jars to inoculate. I purchased a huge 70 Quart clear Sterilite box, but if I only decide to create 12 cakes from 12 jars, then I am going to have this huge, practically empty SGFC with 12 cakes all consolidated together, more centrally located. Which is not bad in and of itself, but this will double or triple the amount of Perlite I need to use, which seems like a big waste. On the other hand, since I am getting 2 syringes, one with Golden Teacher and the other some as yet unknown strain of P. Cubensis, maybe I should just go for broke and do 24 jars to make 24 cakes.
That would have the virtue of fitting better into the massive 70 Qt box. If, instead, you folks all think its best to just do 12 or even 10, then maybe I should just buy a much smaller box, like this 30 Quart Clear Sterilite Container from Home Depot? Its depth and width are 12.25" x 18.3", and the height is only like two inches less than the 70 Quart I purchased. That space should easily accommodate 12 cakes. On the other hand, if I go with the 24 jars, then I can stick to the huge 70 Qt box.
Quote:
Demetrius18 said: As far as the water I would agree in general with your points, however it is steam sterilized so the metal deposits in bad pipes will usually residue along the bottom.
What about just having a tea kettle with simmering water right next to my stock pot? This way, if I need to add more water as water may boil off, wouldn't it make a lot more sense, just to use that? Then I have one less niggling issue in my head about possible hot water contaminants? Even if it is negligible, as you and Logical Chaos suggest, it isn't exactly a hardship to just add that one extra layer of cleanliness, right?
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Demetrius18 said: Only reason I apologise is that you've said you're sticking to your Tek but I'm still pelting you with other teks lol.
No need to apologize at all! I appreciate the help, and may use other suggestions, such as yours, in future grows.
Quote:
Demetrius18 said: As far as your inoculation, a single drop would potentially work but the more you add gives increased chances and speed for colonization to a degree. Personal opinion here, I would imagine it to be simpler and less hassle to just use one hole per jar because colonization would be a bit different maybe faster with all four, but considering your situation of 10-12 jars that's 40 inocs. Just seems like it would be more work and (slightly) higher risk of contamination by messing with them more than need be, as well as trying to featherweight a quarter CC every time (they can be tricky and it's easier than you'd think to accidentally do a whole CC unintentionally).
I hear you on all this! I will say, however, that I have pretty light hands when I want to. I also have some extra empty syringes, as I had them on hand for use with transferring content from one Cannabis vape cartridge to another, when the one I had broke. I used syringes for it, and one thing I like about working with syringes (and I have used them for aqueous solutions as well) is that because the chamber is so thin, a CC is a pretty large vertical area. So I am pretty confident that I can mete out at least 1/4 CC per hole. I am a little bit wary of doing approximately .208cc's per hole, so I can get 12 jars inoculted with 10ccs, but I think I can handle it. Also, since I assume spores are in aqueous solution, I can practice with an empty syringe between now and the time mine come to make sure I can meter out the proper amount.
Quote:
Demetrius18 said:I guess it depends where you get the spores but I think they load you up with extra like 12-13cc even though it's advertised as 10cc. I wouldn't count on it but it's within the realm of possibility, if it is the case that solves your dilemma.
I didn't know this! I don't want to mention the name of the site sponsor in public forum, as apparently that's against the rules. I will say that it is probably the most popular sponsor for spores on the site and they always works so hard to make customers happy.
'Nuff said. lol
Quote:
Demetrius18 said: If not, just ballpark as close as you can get to .8 or just eyeball right before 1cc and do the 10 jars, and make do with the last 2. I think it might be easier to do 1cc for 10 jars because it seems you like everything exact and in order so rather than trying to complicate it 1:10 makes it clear cut. I think you should see how many cakes (jars) will fit your SGFC comfortably so you know how many jars to make.
I agree. I could always start out with the intent of doing 12 jars, but if it ends up being too much of a hardship or too annoying to measure, can just switch over to 1cc per jar, for 10 jars. Unless, of course, like you said, I get more than 10cc's in the syringe, which solves the problem.
Quote:
Demetrius18 said:My own lil blurb, I used spawn bags as I dove into this while researching simultaneously, I did proper SAB procedure and identical flame sterilizing and wiped bags with alcohol. I did 3x 1lb bags of rye berry, one AA+, one Cambodian, and last Wollongong. I did 3 CC's per each (sized maybe like a quart jar each) and kept them around 75. The AA+ and cambo started but Wollongong did nothing. The cambo bag had a fold in a sticker over the port which makes me thing mold got in through there, as it grew fine until a couple weeks it started looking grey rather than white so I tossed it after further inspection.
The AA+ grew fine and I recently moved it to bulk and will initiate fruiting any day now, however the Wollongong didn't do anything for three weeks, (don't do this at home kids) I got frustrated and reinoculated it with another 2 or 3 CC's. It still has not grown anything mycelium mold or otherwise.
My point for the story is you can get very differing results from the same procedure. Good luck man, hope it goes well!
Argh! I was so afraid you were telling a story of how you did everything right and got screwed by the fickle gods of mold and bacteria. Sorry to hear this. Hopefully, I fare better with my first grow.
Question: The videos from RogerRabbit say to use 4-5 inches of Perlite. Logical Chaos says to fill the tub up about halfway. I think the cost of one to the other is a sizable difference. Is there any reason I should blow off RogerRabbit's advice on this? Not sure I really need a whopping 4 cubic feet of Perlite, but you guys know better than me.
Question2: Restating from above, if I go with only 10-12 jars/cakes in my first grow, am I better served with the 30 Qt Steriite box I linked to above? Again, its 18.13" x 12.25" with a height of 11.5". That would surely fit 12 cakes comfortable, no?
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LogicaL Chaos
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LSA Woodrose]
#26509602 - 02/29/20 10:50 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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I would recommend a smaller tub. A tub thats too large may be difficult to keep the humidity up, therefore your cakes might dry out faster. One of the reasons why i use extra perlite, to prevent dry-out.
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Sockadin



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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LogicaL Chaos]
#26509658 - 02/29/20 11:39 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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24 qrt tub is perfect. The closer your cakes are the better, then they will help each other maintain higher RH in the environment. Also Like logical said 2 bags of perilite you want about 5-6 inches of wet perilite in the bottom of your SGFC. Make sure to elevate it to allow for air to draw up through the bottom and out the top holes.
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LSA Woodrose
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: Sockadin]
#26509776 - 02/29/20 01:23 PM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Sockadin said: 24 qrt tub is perfect. The closer your cakes are the better, then they will help each other maintain higher RH in the environment. Also Like logical said 2 bags of perilite you want about 5-6 inches of wet perilite in the bottom of your SGFC. Make sure to elevate it to allow for air to draw up through the bottom and out the top holes.
The problem is "bags" is a nebulous measurement, as bags have different sizes. Indulge me a second. I purchased a 2 Cubic foot bag of Perlite, which looks like a small bag in the picture I posted. But, I did some calculations based on Home Depot and Amazon and their different sizes. By the way, as an aside, for some reason I can't fathom, Perlite manufacturers put one measurement on their bags and not the other. Weird! (again indulge me lol) The same brand I purchased, Vigoro, has several sizes. Two of them are my 2 Cubic Foot bag for $16.97 and an 8 Quarts bag for $4.49. Of course, they don't bother to convert for convenience sake between the two measurements. But I did manage to look through the Home Depot ad and apparently the 8 Quart bag is .31 Cubic Feet. Which means my 2 Cubic Foot bag of Perlite is 6.45 times larger than the .31 Cubic Foot bag. So a little arithmetic tells me my 2 Cubic foot bag should be equal to 53.33 Quarts of Perlite.
I also did a conversion on Google, which tells me that my 2 Cubic Foot bag is equivalent to a hair under 60 Quarts (59.8442 to be exact). But I won't quibble. Can you see my quandary? Since Cubic Feet is a volumetric measurement, then one would assume that my 2 Cubic Foot bag would completely fill a 60 Quart tub, and would fill 85.71% of my 70 Quart Tub. I decided, spur of the moment, to pause writing this post and do a little experiment, using the 70 Quart tub, which you guys say I shouldn't use for this grow. But let's pretend I do use it. I just went into my basement and took these two pictures, which seem to bear out my findings and conversions from Cubic Feet to Quarts. See pics below.
My point is, regardless of which route I go, I'm pretty sure I have plenty of Perlite!
Now, the reason I brought all this up, is because I have someone in PM who is very knowledgeable telling me that since I am getting two syringes, with one being a freebie for mentioning Shroomery.org to the unnamed site sponsor, that I should just go ahead and inoculate all 24 jars, to make 24 cakes. If I go that route (and I am not sure I will because maybe 12 cakes and a much smaller container is a better idea) then the 70 Qt container should be fine for 24 cakes. Or maybe not?
Question, Logical Chaos: if I am diligent about misting my cakes, would I still have problems keeping the larger tub humid enough? Also, assuming I have a thermometer that also measures humidity inside. I am out of work temporarily right now, recovering from shoulder surgery, so making sure to mist my cakes many times a day wouldn't be a problem.
Hopefully my friend in PM will chime in here, because, like you guys, he is VERY knowledgeable, and he thinks I should just blow my whole load and do all 24 jars at once. So I would like as many opinions on this as possible before making my decision. I am not opposed to scrapping the 70 Quart tub idea and getting a 24 Qt Tub as Sockadin suggests. I just want to have as many opinions as possible before making a decision. Like going to 3-4 surgeons for second, third, and even fourth opinions before making your decision.
Thanks again EVERYONE. You guys are awesome! I mean it. 
Edit: Ha! I just noticed in my blow up picture that there is a conversion to quarts in the bag I purchased. I just didn't see it in the web ad or when I bought it. It's 56.63 Liters, which is 59.84 Quarts. Yes, I'm an idiot.

Edited by LSA Woodrose (02/29/20 01:37 PM)
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Demetrius18
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LSA Woodrose] 2
#26510732 - 03/01/20 03:08 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Sorry for not answering everything, too sleepy, but I think the smaller tub is better for 12 cakes and you can use the big tub for bulk when you feel comfortable. You will quickly find out after starting the only thing you have to do is wait, so in the time between steps (weeks) you will brush up without some of the initial panic. To each their own, but I feel bulk is simpler and less effort, hope it goes well!
-------------------- This account is purely theoretical, I will be king of the pirates!
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LSA Woodrose
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: Demetrius18] 1
#26511347 - 03/01/20 12:38 PM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Thanks, Demetrius18!
If someone can answer my questions above, it would be greatly appreciated.
That said, while waiting for my spores and Vermiculite to arrive between tomorrow and Wednesday, I took another step toward the promised land with my SAB in a 116 Quart see-through Sterilite tub. I went to my Dad's house, and he had a 5" circular saw blade, and voila! 

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Sockadin



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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LSA Woodrose] 2
#26511356 - 03/01/20 12:48 PM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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I love this thread so much....
That being said, 5-6 inches of perilite in relation to the size of the tub. A smaller tub means less volume. If you run the larger tub you may need all that perilite. So basically you want the bottom 5/8 of the tub to be perilite. You can use the large tub but I recommend putting your cakes closer together because they will create their own micro climate. I remember when I first started to grow that I bought to large of a tub and spread them out thinking they needed more room. But after many many grows I realize that I seldom make enough cakes to properly fill my grow chamber. There is also some new tech that someone was working on using core instead of perilite in a closed fruiting system but I'm not sure who that was
Edited by Sockadin (03/01/20 12:49 PM)
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LSA Woodrose
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: Sockadin]
#26511376 - 03/01/20 01:05 PM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Sockadin said: I love this thread so much....
That being said, 5-6 inches of perilite in relation to the size of the tub. A smaller tub means less volume. If you run the larger tub you may need all that perilite. So basically you want the bottom 5/8 of the tub to be perilite. You can use the large tub but I recommend putting your cakes closer together because they will create their own micro climate. I remember when I first started to grow that I bought to large of a tub and spread them out thinking they needed more room. But after many many grows I realize that I seldom make enough cakes to properly fill my grow chamber. There is also some new tech that someone was working on using core instead of perilite in a closed fruiting system but I'm not sure who that was
I totally agree with all of this, thanks!
The thing is that I am going to hold off on making my SGFC until a day or two before I am ready to birth the cakes. The reason is that I want to measure the additive diameters of all the cakes when ready to birth them to make sure that they are going to be close enough together. I intend to inoculate all 24 jars, but this, of course, begs the question: because of my n00blet'ness, what if half my jars have mold in them and I have to toss them?
Then I will be stuck with a massive 70 Quart SGFC and only 12 cakes to put in. As you assert, quite correctly I might add, if I am either left with a lot less than 24 cakes when the time comes, or if last minute this week I decide to only inoculate 12 jars, then not only will I be needlessly wasting a boatload of my Perlite, but the cakes will be spaced far too much from one another. Which could, I assume, compromise my grow, right?
So if worse comes to worse, and for whatever reason I have less cakes than I intended, perhaps a lot less, it would probably be best to wait until I am almost ready to birth them. Then I can either stow my 70 Quart extravaganza container for a future grow lol and run to Home Depot for a much smaller one, or if I end up with 24 cakes (Goddess willing!) then I can go ahead and make the SGFC out of the big one I have.
Does this sound like a plan to you?
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Sockadin



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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LSA Woodrose] 1
#26511544 - 03/01/20 03:01 PM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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So I thought about mentioning the lids to contamination factor but didn't. And cakes to far apart aren't gonna hurt anything. We just want optimal vs good enough.
Also you are never wasting perilite because it is reusable and so either way you should be fine
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LSA Woodrose
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: Sockadin]
#26511987 - 03/01/20 09:01 PM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Sockadin said: So I thought about mentioning the lids to contamination factor but didn't.
I'm sorry, not sure what this means. I agree with your other points. Like I said, I'll just wait to start the actual SGFC construction until I know how many cakes I will be birthing. This way I can settle on the size I need based on the sheer volume of cakes.
By the way, I noticed that the humidity in my bedroom and in the bedroom closet where I intend to put my inoculated jars and eventually my SGFC tonight/today was only around 24%. Every other time I checked it was a hair over thirty, which I have read is the threshold for humidity needed. Honestly, I have never looked at humidity numbers before, so I'm not sure whether the 30+ I observed over the entirety of last week is the norm in my home or if this 24% is.
I would prefer not to have to invest in a humidifier, since I have already spent so much money on this so far. But obviously if I have to, I will. I may wait a day or two if my spores come tomorrow to start up, to see if this number goes up. I will say its been very dry weather, no rain, for the past couple of days, so this may be atypical. Again, though, not sure.
If the ambient humidity does fluctuate, presumably based on rain and such, will I need a humidifier, or would I just have to mist more? Of course, since you don't mist the jars, I may have to find another place for them. Particularly since I want to add a 6500K light to the mix,
Speaking of which, what if I did mist the jars a little if the humidity is particularly low that day? Is that a no-no?
By the way, I live in NY City, in Brooklyn, a few blocks walking distance from water in several inlets between Canarsie and Bergen Beach as well as Jamaica Bay. So I don't tend to think of my area as dry and arid, like Arizona or Nevada. NY City does tend to get humid. I always assumed in the winter, too.
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Sockadin



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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LSA Woodrose] 1
#26512304 - 03/02/20 05:05 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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While they are in the jar you shouldn't have an issue. Once they are in the SGFC is when you might have to watch humidity a little. But because of the design of the SGFC, which creates its own climate you should be fine. Lower RH outside the chamber will just increase the amount of draw through the bottom of the chamber and out the top. I would just make sure your perilite doesn't become dry.
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LSA Woodrose
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Re: I Need A Lot of Help to Start Cultivating Mushrooms - Total N00b Here! [Re: LSA Woodrose]
#26512309 - 03/02/20 05:11 AM (3 years, 10 months ago) |
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Anyone want to chime in on this?
My spores were supposed to come today, but it looks like they are delayed in USPS. Probably a good thing, since I don't want to get started until I can make sure to be able to control for both temperature and humidity, particularly in the really long 4+ week period of colonization. On that topic, in looking around to try and research this issue, I came across this thread [here] on this site. Two quotes from there:
Quote:
During colonisation there is no need to worry about humidity. It will have a filter for gas exchange that'll hold humidity down.
Quote:
During colonisation there's no such thing as too much or not enough humidity. But there is such a thing as too wet or too dry. This is determined by the amount of water you put in when you prep, and how well you mixed it up. As they say, always ajm for stuff on the dry side. Much better for colonisation. Is this true? Because why wouldn't humidity be necessary for colonization?
This would at least seem to contradict this, from RogerRabbit's video page:
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For this terrarium to function properly, you’ll want to have an ambient humidity in your room of 50% or greater. If you live in a desert or very dry climate, you’ll want to run a cool mist humidifier in the room your terrarium is located to raise the humidity to 50%. This becomes especially critical during the winter months when indoor humidity is often very low.
Edit: Although I just read further and re-read that page, and it seems like he is talking about the Terrarium/SGFC and not the colonization phase? Not sure, though.
Edit2: Oops! You Ninja'd me, Sockadin! I was writing my post while you posted yours. lol
Edited by LSA Woodrose (03/02/20 05:13 AM)
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