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Surfingmycelium
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Registered: 07/03/20
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Contamination?
#26824587 - 07/15/20 08:03 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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So got a liquid culture kit from a reputable site and injected it with a PE spore syringe from another reputable site. Did this in a very sterile environment (well I thought so anyway) and injected two bags of grain spawn, also got from reputable sites.
So they were inoculated on July 3rd with the liquid mycelium, about 8 - 10ccs each
Looked today and half of the 3 pound bag, with all Millet, is white and colonized nicely and the other half looks like this

And the other bag is a 2 pound, 5 grain bag that isn’t really colonizing as fast. The spore syringe colonized other bags faster. It also smells kinda sweet by the filter patch. Where it is colonized it is a nice white color but it’s not moving really at all. Seems to be stalled. Even tried mixing it up inside the bag a few days ago. I’d think after 11 days with liquid mycelium they’d both be completely colonized by now. Spore syringe bags were after 14.
Are both of these bags contaminated? Is it possible my liquid mycelium is bad in the jar? There’s so much of it left. That would really suck. Or is it just the bags maybe? The spore syringe was good because a few half pint jars were inoculated AFTER the liquid culture kit and they are both going nicely. Almost fully Colonized after being inoculated on June 20th.
What do you guys think?
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WyoMX

Registered: 07/06/15
Posts: 2,151
Loc: PNW
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People basically never go syringe to liquid. Syringes have a very high chance of carrying bacteria or other contams with them so that's why we clean them up on agar then use agar to inoculate the liquid. There's a high chance that your liquid is no good. Pics would help for people that know probably.
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redhandmat
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Registered: 05/09/19
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Doesnt look good to me my friend. Looks bacterial at least. My jars usually take 15 to 20 days to be completely colonized with agar. I dont think LC is soo much faster than agar, so still have time. But this bag does not look good too me. It has weird colors in some parts, and looks very wet. Especially the bottom part.
All I can say is that if you dont want to play Russian roulette with your grows is to start with agar. At least then its possible to know when things went wrong and you can eliminate the plates being the source of contam. For all we know it could be your millet prep and PC that went wrong, your inoculation technique maybe. But its impossible to know because you are working with cultures you have no idea if they are clean or not.
My statistics teacher used to say if "you put shit into the data then the statics program will give you shit". This works for mushrooms too. If you give it shit culture you get a shit grow. And I should know because Ive had a lot of shit grows my friend.
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Surfingmycelium
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Yeah. This is all still new to me. I had a PE syringe and The website said turn one syringe into 10! So I was like, okay that sounds good to me. Lol.
But, unfortunately, I’m quickly learning about how easily contams happen now.
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redhandmat
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with agar you can turn one shitty syringe into hundreds if you want to. With just one fruit you can make a spore print and make as much mushrooms as you want. But that doesnt matter. In this hobby what you want is to have patience, take what you have and slowly make it better. Start with that syringe, take it to agar, clean that agar up, multiply it, take it to grains, then make as much mushroom as you heart wants.
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Surfingmycelium
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So, is there a way to test if my liquid mycelium is bad or should I just toss it to be safe? There’s a huge nice cloud in there, if it’s good I’d gate to get rid of it, especially since I don’t have anymore PE Spores. Well if my cakes come out I guess I can print one.
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Surfingmycelium
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Oh wait! You can’t print PE, right? I forgot.
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redhandmat
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Quote:
Surfingmycelium said: So, is there a way to test if my liquid mycelium is bad or should I just toss it to be safe? There’s a huge nice cloud in there, if it’s good I’d gate to get rid of it, especially since I don’t have anymore PE Spores. Well if my cakes come out I guess I can print one.
Yes I just told you....AGAR!
Quote:
Surfingmycelium said: Oh wait! You can’t print PE, right? I forgot.
You can take a swab under the gills and then put it to agar. Or you can just cut a piece of inside the mushroom and clone it on agar.
What Im saying is: AGAR!
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Surfingmycelium
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Oh, I read somewhere you couldn’t put liquid mycelium on agar cause it was too wet or something. Maybe I read someone’s post who didn’t know what they were talking about and I’m too much of a noob to know any different.
But thanks! Will definitely put a few drops on an agar dish.
Just made a SAB and gonna clone the biggest mushroom from the first flush and possibly only flush. Only have 5 agar plates for now but gonna order more soon. Really wish these canners would would be available again. It will be so much cheaper then.
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redhandmat
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I also just have 5 agar plates, which is very little. But I have glass reusable ones. And I grow very little so its fine. But Im gonna order an extra 10 or so as well as slants so that I can save cultures and so on. Agar is fast and you will actually know what to expect.
I would just shake the syringe well, and then drop a single drop in the middle of the agar plate. As soon as you see that you have some growths you transfer those to new plates and see what is myc and what is shit. Cloning is also very nice. Clone a good looking mushroom from a cluster (mushrooms grouped together), thats what cultivators usually go for.
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Surfingmycelium
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So, I looked around for agar tutorials and usually they just show you how to put it to agar. I want to know what to look for when transferring it again. I know you don’t want the puffy stuff but the rhizomorph looking kind (at least I think that’s the right term) but does it matter what section you cut or does some look better then others?
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redhandmat
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Quote:
Surfingmycelium said: So, I looked around for agar tutorials and usually they just show you how to put it to agar. I want to know what to look for when transferring it again. I know you don’t want the puffy stuff but the rhizomorph looking kind (at least I think that’s the right term) but does it matter what section you cut or does some look better then others?
It comes down to experience. but the rule of thumb is to take from the best looking mycelium (clean, no weird growth, nice form to it) from the leading edge. Meaning you take a tiny bit of myc that looks good to you on the edge of the growth that has come furthest along. Initial plates are usually tomentose, but then they turn rhizo after a few transfers. But you shouldn't think too much on rhizo and tomentose, just think healthy, good looking, not contaminated.
Its very easy as long as you keep your sterile tek in mind, move your hands wisely, be clean and thoughtful about everything.
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Surfingmycelium
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Thanks that helps a lot!
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Forevergreen
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Quote:
redhandmat said: with agar you can turn one shitty syringe into hundreds if you want to. With just one fruit you can make a spore print and make as much mushrooms as you want. But that doesnt matter. In this hobby what you want is to have patience, take what you have and slowly make it better. Start with that syringe, take it to agar, clean that agar up, multiply it, take it to grains, then make as much mushroom as you heart wants.
In my case shitty syringes turn into shitty plates.
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redhandmat
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Registered: 05/09/19
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Quote:
Forevergreen said: In my case shitty syringes turn into shitty plates.
Got to transfer and clean that up my friend. Unless you've gotten such a bad syringe that its basically just contams and nothing else.
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