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ouuwee
Garden of Weeden


Registered: 03/22/20
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Storing bulk mushrooms
#26694191 - 05/25/20 04:44 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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What is a cheap and effective way to store lots of dried mushrooms? I've used mason jars and honestly they get filled up very quick and I rather use the mason jars for grain spawn. I know you can grind it up into powder, but don't want to deal with possibly losing potency. I rather keep them in its original dried state. So where could I get some huge airtight containers? Huge as in.... a monotub but unfortunately, monotubs aren't airtight.
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Sockadin



Registered: 01/03/10
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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: ouuwee]
#26694196 - 05/25/20 04:53 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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Buy an vacuum sealer. The rolls that you can make bags out of are cheep!
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LSA Woodrose
Stranger

Registered: 02/05/20
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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: ouuwee]
#26694201 - 05/25/20 04:59 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
ouuwee said: What is a cheap and effective way to store lots of dried mushrooms? I've used mason jars and honestly they get filled up very quick and I rather use the mason jars for grain spawn. I know you can grind it up into powder, but don't want to deal with possibly losing potency. I rather keep them in its original dried state. So where could I get some huge airtight containers? Huge as in.... a monotub but unfortunately, monotubs aren't airtight.
I am just using mason jars, but not those very small ones. I think they are a pint. I agree, it can be very annoying, as I am drying and filling them as my cakes fruit in my first, n00b grow. I like the mason jars, to be honest. They are glass, airtight, easy to work with, and each one gets its own desiccant. They can be somewhat cumbersome, since its hard to fit more than like 3/4 ounce of dried. Like You, I refuse to mass-powder everything at once. Since this is my first grow ever, I have taken to powdering up and encapsulating about 3/4 ounce at a time for easy consumption. When I get down low with my current 72 capsules (now down to like 40+) I'll powder another batch.
What's your beef with having a bunch of mason jars, though? I have 6 mason jars right now in various stages of fullness, and total of roughly 4+ ounces dried, labeled for species, etc. But even if the mycelium gods are really generous, and I end up with 6-8 ounces in total after all flushes, so what? I honestly believe that its better to have smaller containers so I can keep all my shrooms compartmentalized, labeled with strain and approximate dates dried. I even have two jars of randomly mixed Golden Teacher and Costa Rico. The way I see it is if I end up with a ton of dried shrooms, say about 6-8 ounces, then between at least one jar in capsules, and the rest, I will likely have about 8 mason jars. I really wouldn't want to store them all in one or two bigger containers. Another thing I consider is that I don't want to keep opening and closing large containers, which is another reason I keep them in smaller ones. I only open the jars up when I want to add more dried shrooms, until the jar is filled, or when I want to powder the contents of a jar and stuff them in capsules. Also, by using pint mason jars, with each jar getting its own desiccant, it makes everything easy to keep track of.
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Sockadin



Registered: 01/03/10
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When you get to the bulk fruiting stage you can pull alot of shrooms off of a tub. More than will reasonably fit in large qrt jars. This is when you need a vacuum sealer. Set it on gentle and interior it when it is almost done pulling all the air out. Just hit the seal button, otherwise it will crush all your mush.
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LSA Woodrose
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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: Sockadin]
#26694209 - 05/25/20 05:05 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Sockadin said: When you get to the bulk fruiting stage you can pull alot of shrooms off of a tub. More than will reasonably fit in large qrt jars. This is when you need a vacuum sealer. Set it on gentle and interior it when it is almost done pulling all the air out. Just hit the seal button, otherwise it will crush all your mush.
This is true. I suppose if I were a lot more experienced growing mushrooms, growing in bulk, and ended up with 20 ounces, rather than the paltry 4+ I have now, hoping for another 2 ounces when all is said and done, I would likely balk at using mason jars as well.
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A.k.a
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Registered: 10/27/19
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I bought a case of half gallon jars thinking they’d hold more than enough but I filled them up real quick. You can cram 5-6 ounces in one if you compress them.
Now I’m doing freezer bags that hold 4-5 ounces inside a tote with a gasket lid to seal it up and desiccant packs.
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LAGM2020     
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CosmicGiggle
Aspiring

Registered: 11/19/19
Posts: 265
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If you’re storing them long term and use a vacuum sealer, i would throw a desiccant pack in there if you don’t suck all of the air out to avoid crushing them. I bought my vacuum sealer almost a decade ago and it’s still kickin. Great investment
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pureshrooming
feels like a stranger


Registered: 05/28/18
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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: A.k.a]
#26694430 - 05/25/20 08:07 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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Mylar bags that I can fit 1/2 oz with an oxygen absorber tossed in and heat sealed. I'll be purchasing a vacuum sealer soon tho.
I was/still am using half gallon mason jars but other than feeling like an apothecary with them all filled up, storage was cumbersome and not very discrete.
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Zakkery



Registered: 10/15/18
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This is a lovely problem to have, haha. I look forward to the day I need to invest in a vacuum sealer.
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A.k.a
Stranger



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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: Zakkery]
#26694454 - 05/25/20 08:26 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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This got me curious so I checked it out and sterilite tubs with the gasket lids are supposed to be air tight.
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LAGM2020     
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poisoned
untitled



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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: A.k.a]
#26694468 - 05/25/20 08:34 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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I tried with vacuum sealer and all you get out is crumbled shrooms. While they're fine for me, I can't really pass mushroom dust to friends.
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LSA Woodrose
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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: Zakkery]
#26694521 - 05/25/20 09:05 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Zakkery said: This is a lovely problem to have, haha. I look forward to the day I need to invest in a vacuum sealer.
Tell me about it! I'm starting to get intimidated reading this thread, with my dinky little PF Tek grow.
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LadysKnight
Hello Ladies


Registered: 10/09/15
Posts: 1,751
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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: poisoned]
#26694525 - 05/25/20 09:07 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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I just don't trust anything but glass for long-term storage. Half gallon mason jars only.
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DigDug
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Registered: 05/05/20
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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: poisoned] 1
#26694589 - 05/25/20 09:53 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
poisoned said: I tried with vacuum sealer and all you get out is crumbled shrooms. While they're fine for me, I can't really pass mushroom dust to friends.
Same here.. Turned an ounce into about the size of a golf ball
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ouuwee
Garden of Weeden


Registered: 03/22/20
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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: A.k.a]
#26694592 - 05/25/20 09:55 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
A.k.a said: This got me curious so I checked it out and sterilite tubs with the gasket lids are supposed to be air tight.
This might be what I'm looking for, hopefully other people who uses this method can chime in and tell us his/her experience with long term storage using this way. I've heard lots of people complain about how tubs are airtight but when filled with water, it leaks. So many people question whether they are truly airtight.
I was looking at home depot and I came across a 5 gallon bucket lid that is supposed to make the bucket airtight and leak proof.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite-5-gal-Screw-Top-Lid-5GAMMA6/203205720
I might be able to put the mushrooms in ziploc bags for labeling and to add a desiccant pack. Then I'll just have a huge pile of zip loc bags inside an airtight bucket/container.
Edited by ouuwee (05/25/20 10:00 AM)
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natedawgnow
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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: DigDug]
#26694599 - 05/25/20 09:58 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
DigDug said:
Quote:
poisoned said: I tried with vacuum sealer and all you get out is crumbled shrooms. While they're fine for me, I can't really pass mushroom dust to friends.
Same here.. Turned an ounce into about the size of a golf ball 
Just stop the vacuum as soon as you hear the first crunch. Dont actually suck all of the air out or you'll powder them 
Vacuum sealed is the best storage method. Jars work if you're only growing a couple Oz at a time. I dont have space for 50 jars of dry mushrooms. Plus I need those jars for more spawn
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A.k.a
Stranger



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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: ouuwee]
#26694600 - 05/25/20 09:59 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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I know someone here stores them in a bucket with desiccant packs.
I haven’t had problems with ziplocks in a gasket tub but I have super low humidity so it’s not a good test of it’s capabilities.
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LAGM2020     
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micelio
Song of Silence


Registered: 04/22/14
Posts: 1,547
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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: ouuwee]
#26694609 - 05/25/20 10:02 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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Pet food containers from Costco.. They have a rubber gasket. Cracker dry year round.
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ouuwee
Garden of Weeden


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Re: Storing bulk mushrooms [Re: micelio]
#26694618 - 05/25/20 10:07 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
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I have a crap load of sterilite gasket tubs... might have to make use of them
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alaskappalachian
Entitiologist


Registered: 10/22/19
Posts: 1,688
Loc: The 49th Dimension
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Quote:
LadysKnight said: I just don't trust anything but glass for long-term storage. Half gallon mason jars only.
I'm a glass guy too. 
Quote:
pureshrooming said: but other than feeling like an apothecary with them all filled up
I am decidedly living the apoccethary life, but I already was thanks to herbs, fish, jam/preserves, fermented foods, veggies, dry goods, etc. in jars by the dozen stacked on shelves galore. I like the look. Feels old-world and shit. I also feel like jars (clean, dry jars with a proper lid) store mush better than plastic. I have a couple vac sealers and don't use them much. Biggest issue is cost. Half gallons get pricey after a few cases... If I was living by the poket I would use up the half dozen rolls of bag plastic sitting on the shelf... I do keep my jars in a tote like A.k.a but started doing that to keep light out and in case of earthquakes (I put thin foam between them to bufffer).
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