|
3SIXTY5
Stranger

Registered: 03/27/20
Posts: 62
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
|
Millet Spawn, fermented??
#27022858 - 11/05/20 09:15 AM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
Hey, so I've been trying to get a millet spawn Tek down, I soak the millet 18 hrs, drain for like 2, fill grain bags with 6lbs each, then I set up my sterilizer, it's like a drum sterilizer essentially, I put a temp probe in 2 bags on the outer edges of my sterilizer, turn them on, wait til the probes in the grain bags reach 180F and then I sterilize for 12 hrs, when I shut off the sterilizers they usually hold like 180-190F for about 4-6 hrs longer so total sterilization time would be like 16-18 hrs roughly.
I've only done 4 runs so far, I've only inoculated the first batch, but the first batch haven't really been growing, I use agar wedges to inoculate, it's a fresh culture that's had 3 transfers, so I don't think it could be a contam from that, or senescence, but it's been like 14 days since I inoculated my first bags and it seems like they started growing a bit then stalled out. My first run I soaked for 24 hrs, and fermentation could have started, it was pretty bubbly when I drained them and had a tinge of sourish smell, but I find even if I soak the grains for 12 hours they have that same sourish smell. I always soak in cold water too. I checked the PH of one of the bags before I inoculated them, if I remember correctly it was like 5.9 and they were the same PH as the millet that hadn't been soaked, so I don't think they were fermented, unless I'm just wrong and fermentation doesn't make it more acidic. Anyways I have a few questions.
1. Could I be fermenting the grains from an 18 hour soak? 2. Would the PH be off from fermentation starting? 3. Is a 12 hr sterilization time enough if I'm starting the timer @ 180F?
|
3SIXTY5
Stranger

Registered: 03/27/20
Posts: 62
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: 3SIXTY5]
#27023138 - 11/05/20 11:56 AM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
Anyone?
|
3SIXTY5
Stranger

Registered: 03/27/20
Posts: 62
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: 3SIXTY5]
#27023925 - 11/05/20 08:08 PM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
Buuuuuump itttttt
|
Josex
#cheat_code


Registered: 11/13/15
Posts: 8,995
Loc:
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: 3SIXTY5]
#27023945 - 11/05/20 08:24 PM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
1. Soaking is common practice and grains starting to ferment is almost unavoidable if you soak for 24 hrs. That shouldn't have any negative effect on your prep though.
2. You're looking in the wrong direction here. Your problem has nothing to do with PH levels.
3. Farms that sterilize for that long always do it at least at boilling temps, and very often reach pressures ranging from 3 to 5 psi, so they go beyond boilling temps. Never heard of farms that did it at 180F.
Your problem may have to do with a failed sterilization, although I wouldn't discard a moisture content issue (grain too dry) or both. I wouldn't strain millet for 2 hours, I'd do it until dripping stops.
Edited by Josex (11/05/20 08:47 PM)
|
Stipe-n Cap


Registered: 08/04/12
Posts: 7,623
Loc: Canada
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: Josex]
#27023998 - 11/05/20 08:54 PM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
|
CocaineBuffet
Stranger



Registered: 08/29/19
Posts: 3,456
Last seen: 55 minutes, 23 seconds
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: Stipe-n Cap]
#27024003 - 11/05/20 09:01 PM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
When I was still soaking my millet I would leave it in there for about 12 hours and then strain it before spreading it across a towel with a fan in front of it for a couple hours. It worked for me but these days I just like to prep the millet by adding a dash of water right before putting them in the PC.
|
Josex
#cheat_code


Registered: 11/13/15
Posts: 8,995
Loc:
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: Stipe-n Cap]
#27024005 - 11/05/20 09:02 PM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
I soak millet for 24 hours and it doesn't burst, though.
|
Stipe-n Cap


Registered: 08/04/12
Posts: 7,623
Loc: Canada
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: Josex]
#27024041 - 11/05/20 09:23 PM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
Hmm,I see...are you just cold soaking, loading and then pc? I'm thinking of making a move to a no heat prep with millet.
Op the gourmet grower over at southwest mushrooms soaks his millet in the spawn bag at 30% water, soaks over night and then pc for 4 hours I believe. I'm not sure how that would pan out with atmospheric steaming?
This is how he preps his bags:
Millit prep 30% water by total weight. 5lb bag = 2267.96 gr total. 30% of 2267.96 = 680.38gr h20 1587.58gr millet + 680.38gr h20
6lbs = 2721.55 gr total. 30% of 2721.55 = 816.46gr h20 1905.09gr millet + 816.46gr h20
This is the guys channel if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/c/SouthwestMushrooms
|
Josex
#cheat_code


Registered: 11/13/15
Posts: 8,995
Loc:
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: Stipe-n Cap]
#27024073 - 11/05/20 09:45 PM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
Yeah cold soaking in a bucket for 24 hrs, throw that water after the soak, scoop the millet with a kitchen seeve, toss it a bit til no dripping and then funnel it into jars. Sterilize for 2 hours at 15 psi. I wish I could use my big strainer that I use for bigger grains but the millet is too small for the mesh and will fall through.
Edit: it's funny you linked that guy's channel because I was watching one of his vids right now.
|
Stipe-n Cap


Registered: 08/04/12
Posts: 7,623
Loc: Canada
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: Josex]
#27024094 - 11/05/20 10:00 PM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
Myers uses this drilled bucket system that looks decent. Skip to like 1:30.
|
3SIXTY5
Stranger

Registered: 03/27/20
Posts: 62
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: Josex]
#27024512 - 11/06/20 07:05 AM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
Thanks for the replies, I probably wasn't clear enough in what I was writing. I soak the grain just to hydrate, soak ---> sterilize no simmer. I'm using my own version of a drum sterilizer, I just start the timer when it reaches 180f, the bags usually reach 200f after a couple hours, I have 60 bags in the sterilizer.
Fermentation won't change the PH? I remember reading that somewhere, but that's good to know.
The grain is hydrated to about 45% moisture, I've checked a few times. After sterilization there's basically no residual moisture in my bags, it all gets cooked into the millet.
I think you're right though, I think I just wasn't sterilizing long enoigh, the first batch has a sort of bacterial smell to them now that they've sat for about 2 weeks.
I did a batch yesterday and sterilized for 16 hrs between 190-205, let's hope it works. I had a hard time finding info on how long @ what temp. But the weird thing is that I haven't really had an issue sterilizing whole wheat kernels with this same technique, that's what lead me to believe I was fermenting them or something, but I also did a soak --> summer --> sterilize with the wheat berries, so maybe that's why. How long should I sterilize in your opinion?
Thanks brotha.
|
3SIXTY5
Stranger

Registered: 03/27/20
Posts: 62
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: Stipe-n Cap]
#27024521 - 11/06/20 07:19 AM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
Yeah, I tried the Southwest mush guys prep method and wasn't a huge fan honestly. I just didn't like how the grains in the bottom of the bag were overcooked and the top of the bags were undercooked, there were a lot more exploded kernels when I did his method.
Don't get me wrong it did work, and after I tossed the bags around a bit the moisture seemed to even out somewhat. It just seems like doing a big soak draining then bagging makes a more consistent cook, all the grains come out nice and hydrated and really it's not much more work.
|
3SIXTY5
Stranger

Registered: 03/27/20
Posts: 62
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
|
Re: Millet Spawn, fermented?? [Re: Josex]
#27024524 - 11/06/20 07:21 AM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
|
|
Oh yeah, also I drain for 2 hrs because I have like 180lbs of hydrated grain in a concrete mixer, I just ratchet strap a fine metal screen over it and dump it into a drain, it takes at least an hour and closer to 2 before it stops dripping.
|
|