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Transcendent Other
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Registered: 04/11/20
Posts: 65
Last seen: 10 months, 11 days
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My first attempt at cakes: Have I failed?
#26691775 - 05/24/20 04:27 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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Not too long ago I undertook a workshop here in London, which set out to teach newbies like myself how to make a substrate, using a 'simple method' suitable for beginners...
However, after 6 weeks, not a sausage!
Spore solution The cakes were made using spore syringe I made myself, following instructions from Zamnesia, using a GT spore print I also made myself, and some sterile water. BRF cakes mixed with vermiculite and water: ratio 2/1/1 respectively.
Sterilise Prior to adding the substrate all equipment was sterilised with 90% isopropyl alcohol. The substrate was then added to glasses, covered in one tight and one loose layer of tinfoil, and steam sterilised (though not in a pressure cooker, just a steamer) along with the rest of the equipment for 90 mins.
Inoculate Once sufficiently cool, the tinfoil covering the substrates were pierced with the syringe at three places along the outer edge of the glass (was advised to do this so the solution was on the outside, and thus I could see as soon as mycelium started to grow), and the looser foil cover replaced. Between each glass, the needle was flame sterilised.
Colonisation The substrates were put in a wardrobe, which is ordinarily empty. Occasionally (every other day or so when I remember), I open the do to let a bit of light and fresh air in, though i'm not actually sure what difference this makes.
During that time I've learned a few things (I.e. that another of my experiments was doomed to fail from the start, because I cooked my grain! Oops).
I had a suspicion about a few things. Like, do people every really use just sterile water and spores? It doesn't seem the must ideal approach, in my honest, fairly novice opinion (thinking due to lack of nutrition). Considering I seem to see the use of liquid myc solutions consisting of sugar and such, or the use of agar, i'm wondering why would anyone ever bother with a spore solution that is just sterile water a spores?
And injecting to the side of the substrate doesn't seem ideal either, as in a sense its as though i'm pushing the spores to the edge of a cliff and they're having to hang on for dear life and the odds are against them.
Should I wait a bit longer or should I ditch my substrates and start over?
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Pantheist
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Registered: 06/05/16
Posts: 38
Last seen: 3 years, 4 months
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Hey bud! I just skimmed your post but spotted your interest in liquid culture. I too was enticed by this, having watched old mushroom cultivation videos that show fast growth etc, it was certainly an enticing option.
After some enquiries on here however, it turns out it's definitely not the way you want to go as a beginner and agar is most certainly a pre-requisite (otherwise, contamination every time)!
If you go to the 'Getting Started' section of the forum, there is a handy flow chart that gives you some decent scope of the parameters you want to work within.
https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/24420178/fpart/1/vc/1/nt/38
Sorry I'm not addressing anything else you've put forward, but I'm sure other people will
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Transcendent Other
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Registered: 04/11/20
Posts: 65
Last seen: 10 months, 11 days
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Re: My first attempt at cakes: Have I failed? [Re: Pantheist]
#26692475 - 05/24/20 11:33 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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Hey, thanks for the info!
Haha yeah I have no idea why that workshop used that method. Also, does anybody bother with that kind of spore syringe? I feel that even if one was an experienced mycologist, using agar or a nutritious solution makes sense over this method every time.
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poisoned
untitled



Registered: 04/17/13
Posts: 1,738
Loc: Yurop
Last seen: 1 year, 3 months
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Spore solution is definitely the method to go for a beginner. You need to re-read Pantheists post.
LC is when you add nutrients to water. Inoculating it with spores is almost a guaranteed failure. You need to produce clean culture on agar and inoculate nutritious solution with an agar piece.
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Roger Clemency
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Registered: 03/23/20
Posts: 2,005
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The reason for spore syringes basically is to be able to grow Brf cakes. Since you can’t get dry spores off a print and into those jars safely and in a way that works, you suspend them in sterile water so they are hydrated and can work their way down onto the substrate. Against the glass is good as spores stick to the substrate all the way down.
LC or liquid culture works much faster as the spores are already germinated and you have live mycelium. To make a proper LC though you need to have a clean culture already. So that would be spore print onto agar, once germinated you cut a wedge of clean mycelium and transfer to another plate and watch it grow out to make sure it’s only the mycelium that you want. Usually you’ll take another transfer after that just to be sure, then into an LC.
There are many ways to do this. Spore syringes are supposed to be a way for new growers to avoid using agar. Spore prints and syringes are never totally clean but brf cakes (like for the PF tek) seem to handle minor bacteria or whatever fairly well most of the time
-------------------- Sour grapes, sweet revenge Heaven starts right where hell ends
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Transcendent Other
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Registered: 04/11/20
Posts: 65
Last seen: 10 months, 11 days
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Re: My first attempt at cakes: Have I failed? [Re: Roger Clemency]
#26696193 - 05/26/20 03:52 AM (3 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
poisoned said: Spore solution is definitely the method to go for a beginner. You need to re-read Pantheists post.
LC is when you add nutrients to water. Inoculating it with spores is almost a guaranteed failure. You need to produce clean culture on agar and inoculate nutritious solution with an agar piece.
Thanks for your reply, and for the details .
Quote:
Roger Clemency said: Spore syringes are supposed to be a way for new growers to avoid using agar. Spore prints and syringes are never totally clean but brf cakes (like for the PF tek) seem to handle minor bacteria or whatever fairly well most of the time
Thanks for all of that, its much clearer now. RE the above quote, I must have ballsed up somewhere along the line then! Haha. Maybe I tried too much too soon - I essentially carried out the entire process myself; generating the spore print, producing the spore syringe, making the BRF cakes etc. Maybe too much too soon for a novice. A lot of first times for me here.
Maybe they'll come through for me yet! In the meantime i'll have a crack at some agar.
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