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mysticalshroom975
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Registered: 07/03/20
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Old and underhydrated mushrooms
#27035926 - 11/12/20 08:22 PM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
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My question is a three parter.
1) My recent mushroom grow resulted in very cracked caps. I originally thought that was because I used spores from a 5 year old syringe stored in a hot closet on the second story. Summer temps usually get to 90-95F. But after hydrating them after the second flush, the cracked caps went away. Has anyone else experienced this?
2) I've been a bit busy lately and forgot to check on the mushrooms during a flush. By the time I checked on them, there were spores everywhere and I noticed the gills were angled which I presume were a natural process to release the spores. Do they lose potency if they're over ripe?
3) How long do freshly picked mushrooms last if they're kept in the fridge? Are they okay to save if they've noticeably started to dehydrate?
My main question is: should I keep the mushrooms or should they be tossed? And if so, why?
Edited by mysticalshroom975 (11/12/20 08:27 PM)
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PBJ710
Strangler


Registered: 07/05/19
Posts: 2,623
Last seen: 18 days, 13 hours
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1. IME cracked caps are a symptom of too much FAE. Your temps are compounding this. Also anything above 80f is inviting contaminations.
2. Possibly, but it should be negligible.
3. If stored optimally you can get a couple weeks out of them in crisper in the fridge, but if you don't have a plan to use them very soon I would dehydrate them.
Dehydrated is optimal for storage - the faster its cracker dry after harvesting the better. If you intended to say 'started to decay', then I would say it's time to toss them.
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mysticalshroom975
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Registered: 07/03/20
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Re: Old and underhydrated mushrooms [Re: PBJ710]
#27036149 - 11/12/20 11:59 PM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
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What's FAE? The 90-95F was just the temps the syringe was stored at occationally, not mushroom growing temps. I actually wasn't intending to grow anything from that syringe as I forgot about it, but thought why the hell not when I had some fresh agar. I was surprised to see mycelium somewhat quickly after inoculation. Although it would break up as it grew out which I’ve never seen before. I currently have them fruiting in 73F.
I've been picking the mushrooms as they come to maturity and store them in a paper bag in the crisper. The oldest shrooms in the bag were about 2 weeks and were starting to dehydrate in the fridge. Definitely would have tossed them if they started to decay I haven't been dehydrating them as they're picked because sometimes I only pick a few and it doesn't justify running the 650W dehydrator to me.
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sh4d0ws
LSx


Registered: 02/26/08
Posts: 12,086
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FAE = fresh air exchange
If your sub is too dry and there isn't enough humidity in your tub / fruiting chamber you can get cracked caps even if your FAE is on point.
I have experienced cracked caps before too, relative humidity in my tubs was extremely low. You can aid this by misting but, you don't wanna over do it. Too wet will cause problems as well.
There is a balance, with more experience you will dial it in 
What are you growing in? monotubs? or a fruiting chamber for cakes?
I wouldn't toss the mushrooms, but I don't like to leave mushrooms in my fridge too long. I do this if my dehydrator is full otherwise they go straight to the dehydrator after harvest. If you leave them in the fridge too long they will dry out and lose potency, or if they don't have much air exchange they will just straight up rot to mush. In my experience leaving them in the fridge longer than 7 days can start to cause problems, but I use tupperwares with foil covering it...so they don't dry out as yours are doing. It would be hard to judge how much potency is lost until you eat them, but...they will still get ya high, just maybe not as high
With a dehydrator you are drying them out quickly, slow drying will cause potency loss
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mysticalshroom975
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Registered: 07/03/20
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Last seen: 9 months, 2 days
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Re: Old and underhydrated mushrooms [Re: sh4d0ws]
#27036215 - 11/13/20 01:00 AM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
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Hmm, I'm pretty confident that there was enough air exchange, I had the lid lifted about 3/4 inch. I also tried to regularly mist the walls and lid to increase humidity, but maybe the lid was too high and let out too much moisture. I added some extra water, poured a bit onto the substrate (not enough to go under the block, but just sitting on the top). I'm thinking it should be all absorbed. I used a really large tub so when I filled it up to soak, the block can easily break when I drain it. Trying something new. They're growing in coir btw.
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Zakkery



Registered: 10/15/18
Posts: 293
Loc: UK
Last seen: 6 days, 17 hours
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1- You may have had plenty of FAE, but by the sounds of it your sub was way too dry. If your caps are cracking it's because your fruits are dry as balls. Which also explains why the cracks disappeared when you hydrated it properly.
Misting the lid/walls is pointless. You mist the fruits and sub until you see small water droplets beading on the surface. This is what we mean by good surface conditions.
2- Maturity doesn't affect potency. Spores taste gross, that's about it.
3- If you're worried about your fruits going bad, just make tea and freeze it or dehydrate them properly. Should be fine for a couple weeks in the fridge though.
Hopefully that clears some points you were missing up.
All the best bro
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mysticalshroom975
Stranger


Registered: 07/03/20
Posts: 78
Last seen: 9 months, 2 days
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Re: Old and underhydrated mushrooms [Re: Zakkery]
#27037353 - 11/13/20 04:25 PM (3 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Zakkery said: 1- You may have had plenty of FAE, but by the sounds of it your sub was way too dry. If your caps are cracking it's because your fruits are dry as balls. Which also explains why the cracks disappeared when you hydrated it properly.
Misting the lid/walls is pointless. You mist the fruits and sub until you see small water droplets beading on the surface. This is what we mean by good surface conditions.
2- Maturity doesn't affect potency. Spores taste gross, that's about it.
3- If you're worried about your fruits going bad, just make tea and freeze it or dehydrate them properly. Should be fine for a couple weeks in the fridge though.
Hopefully that clears some points you were missing up.
All the best bro 
This was very helpful. Thanks!!
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