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Thanos407
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BRF cake birthing clarification (Seen in "Let's Grow Mushroom" Vids)
#27062000 - 11/28/20 06:09 PM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Greetings all!
I have a few questions about a method I saw in Let's Grow Mushrooms that I want to try.
As seen in the screenshot below from the video "Growing Mushrooms on Brown Rice Flour" time-mark 33:27:

1) The BRF cakes are birthed after 2-weeks post full colonization
2) They are dunked overnight
3) They are then placed back into jars inside a shotgun fruiting chamber (SGFC) and allowed to fruit
4) every 4-5 days he will fill jars with water for 3-4 hours to rehydrate.
Is this a workable method to grow all mushrooms or just the Shiitakes in this video?
I want to try this strategy because I don't like rolling cakes in vermiculite... it's messy and the grains don't seem to stick. The point of these cakes is for me to get a few fruits and grab cultures of the best from the bunch, then start isolating.
Another question, is 2-weeks post full colonization still the best way to go about it? I have a jar that's already pinning. Safe to birth that one if only 1-week after colonization?
Thanks for your advice!
Edited by Thanos407 (11/28/20 06:10 PM)
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Thanos407
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Re: BRF cake birthing clarification (Seen in "Let's Grow Mushroom" Vids) [Re: Thanos407]
#27062832 - 11/29/20 10:54 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Hi all, hoping someone knowledgeable can give me their recommendations. It’s time to birth these babies!
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Josex
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Re: BRF cake birthing clarification (Seen in "Let's Grow Mushroom" Vids) [Re: Thanos407]
#27062847 - 11/29/20 11:04 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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You can do all of that with cubes too, can't see anything wrong with the method. However, I'd only bottom water when pins start to appear, otherwise the colony won't have a use for that water and it will stay there pooling at the bottom doing nothing.
2 weeks consolidation might be a bit excessive, a week is enough.
After birthing the cakes I'd put a fresh layer of dry vermiculite right out of the bag on all bottles and spray them down good until the verm darkens.
Be watchful the verm layer stays properly hydrated until they fruit out, mist as needed.
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Pearl
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Re: BRF cake birthing clarification (Seen in "Let's Grow Mushroom" Vids) [Re: Thanos407]
#27062850 - 11/29/20 11:06 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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It's safe to birth at 100% colonization, but a real 100%. That extra week is just to make sure the middle is colonized and that you don't get trigger happy with cakes that aren't 100% yet. Uncolonized bits invite other things to take hold.
The problem I'd bet you'll have with this method is side pinning, as the side will 100% have favorable conditions to the top unless you keep at it. You also won't get the optimal amount of mushrooms from the materials used.
That method for growing isn't for all types of mushrooms. What type are you trying (assuming cubes)?
Where are you at in the growing process? Still deciding what to do or have you started making things (brf jars/SGFC)?
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Thanos407
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Re: BRF cake birthing clarification (Seen in "Let's Grow Mushroom" Vids) [Re: Josex]
#27062983 - 11/29/20 12:58 PM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Josex said: After birthing the cakes I'd put a fresh layer of dry vermiculite right out of the bag on all bottles and spray them down good until the verm darkens.
Be watchful the verm layer stays properly hydrated until they fruit out, mist as needed.
Thanks for your reply Josex.
I want to avoid the verm layer alltogether though, so I'm not sure we're on the same page. Ideally, I want to drop the soaked, verm-free cake in the jar and rehydrate every 4-5 days post-pinning. Just like in the video.
Now that I'm thinking of it, it seems like it may dry out quickly this way.... but, then I remembered, I also will place jars on perlite in a SGFC...
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Thanos407
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Re: BRF cake birthing clarification (Seen in "Let's Grow Mushroom" Vids) [Re: Pearl]
#27062995 - 11/29/20 01:04 PM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Pearl said: It's safe to birth at 100% colonization, but a real 100%. That extra week is just to make sure the middle is colonized and that you don't get trigger happy with cakes that aren't 100% yet. Uncolonized bits invite other things to take hold.
The problem I'd bet you'll have with this method is side pinning, as the side will 100% have favorable conditions to the top unless you keep at it. You also won't get the optimal amount of mushrooms from the materials used.
That method for growing isn't for all types of mushrooms. What type are you trying (assuming cubes)?
Where are you at in the growing process? Still deciding what to do or have you started making things (brf jars/SGFC)?
Thanks for your reply Pearl.
I think I'm willing to deal with side-pins... those tend to be some of my largest fruits after rising from the sides and making their way to free air.. I'm willing to deal with that. The video also explains how this will turn out.
Yes cubes. I have 10 different varieties. Each went to agar first, then each into separate BRF cakes next. I want to see which performs best. Isolate and move to bulk. I have a little experience with successful bulk and cake grows.
I just really don't like messing around with messy verm cased cakes.
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Josex
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Re: BRF cake birthing clarification (Seen in "Let's Grow Mushroom" Vids) [Re: Thanos407]
#27063008 - 11/29/20 01:16 PM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Thanos407 said:
Quote:
Josex said: After birthing the cakes I'd put a fresh layer of dry vermiculite right out of the bag on all bottles and spray them down good until the verm darkens.
Be watchful the verm layer stays properly hydrated until they fruit out, mist as needed.
Thanks for your reply Josex.
I want to avoid the verm layer alltogether though, so I'm not sure we're on the same page. Ideally, I want to drop the soaked, verm-free cake in the jar and rehydrate every 4-5 days post-pinning. Just like in the video.
Now that I'm thinking of it, it seems like it may dry out quickly this way.... but, then I remembered, I also will place jars on perlite in a SGFC...
You can run a side by side, verm layer vs no verm layer. The difference is going to be so big it will be enough to convince yourself for future grows.
Without a casing (hydrated verm layer), brf/verm substrate doesn't pin very well and it can dry out. The verm layer is also there to make for a better pinning platform.
It's the reason cakes are dunked and rolled in verm too. What you're going to do is called top-fruting, since you can't "roll" a cake that's going to be fruited in the jar, the top layer will have a similar effect. It will also help maintain nice surface conditions, therefore reducing the chance of side pins.
But hey you seem convinced, so maybe you must know what you're doing right?
Also, cubes are not shitake.
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Thanos407
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Re: BRF cake birthing clarification (Seen in "Let's Grow Mushroom" Vids) [Re: Josex]
#27063042 - 11/29/20 01:44 PM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Josex said: You can run a side by side, verm layer vs no verm layer. The difference is going to be so big it will be enough to convince yourself for future grows.
Without a casing (hydrated verm layer), brf/verm substrate doesn't pin very well and it can dry out. The verm layer is also there to make for a better pinning platform.
It's the reason cakes are dunked and rolled in verm too. What you're going to do is called top-fruting, since you can't "roll" a cake that's going to be fruited in the jar, the top layer will have a similar effect. It will also help maintain nice surface conditions, therefore reducing the chance of side pins.
But hey you seem convinced, so maybe you must know what you're doing right?
Also, cubes are not shitake.
Okay, maybe I should just suck it up. Thanks for laying it out for me.
Let me ask you this though, so I'm sure I understand.
I would first soak the cakes overnight
1) place back in mason jar and then pour fresh verm over the top?
2) I roll soaked cakes in fresh verm, and place back in bottle?
This would be the same as just placing on foil and doing standard Tek ... but with less than optimal barrier with it being in a jar.
Which of these would you recommend?
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Josex
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Re: BRF cake birthing clarification (Seen in "Let's Grow Mushroom" Vids) [Re: Thanos407]
#27063067 - 11/29/20 02:05 PM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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The first. Just make sure to spray down the verm you add until saturated, put the cake in the fruiting chamber and maintain good surface conditions by misting daily as needed. You're not going to regret it man. Cakes without a verm layer or a roll suck big time.
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Thanos407
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Re: BRF cake birthing clarification (Seen in "Let's Grow Mushroom" Vids) [Re: Josex]
#27063075 - 11/29/20 02:07 PM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Josex said: The first. Just make sure to spray down the verm you add until saturated, put the cake in the fruiting chamber and maintain good surface conditions by misting daily as needed. You're not going to regret it man. Cakes without a verm layer or a roll suck big time.
Sounds good, I'll go that route. Thank you!
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