|
ShurAnatomist
Philosopher in Training


Registered: 01/18/23
Posts: 5
Last seen: 3 months, 21 days
|
Does Coffee Effect Mycelial Growth?
#28679996 - 02/28/24 04:29 PM (3 months, 26 days ago) |
|
|
I am starting a new grow, and want to do some testing of my own regarding the effects of coffee on mycelial growth. There seems to be a lot of discourse, and I cannot find a census that seems satisfactory. Thus, I am just going to try and find out myself.
I am experimenting with four groups: A, B, C, and D, with three jars per group. The groups will either be traditional Russel Stephen's PF Tek ratios or variations. The two variables I want to work with are coffee grounds and coffee.
I took 1.5 Cups of coffee grounds and placed them in 4 cups of water. I brought the water to a rapid boil and then removed it from the heat for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, I poured off the coffee. I then placed the grounds on a baking sheet with parchment paper and placed them in the oven set to Low Broil for around 20 minutes. They were not completely dry when they came out, but there was no water left on any surfaces they touched.
The containers that the mycelium will be growing in are 1-pint mason jars. The jars have two holes drilled into the lids. One hole has Permatex Ultra Red that has been given adequate time to cure to make a self-healing injection port. The other hole has been filled with Polyfil.
Group A is a traditional Russel Stephen's PF Tek with the following mixture per jar: - 1 Cup of vermiculite - 1/2 Cup of Brown Rice Flour - 1/2 Cup of Water
Group B has the following mixture per jar: - 1 Cup of Vermiculite - 1/2 Cup of water - 1/2 Cup of Brown Rice Flour - 1/4 Cup of Used Coffe Grounds
Group C has the following mixture per jar: - 1 Cup of Vermiculite - 1/2 Cup of Coffee - 1/2 Cup of Brown Rice Flour - 1/4 Cup of Coffee Grounds
Group D has the following mixture per jar: - 1 Cup of Vermiculite - 1/2 Cup of Coffee - 1/2 Cup of Brown Rice Flour
After creating the mixtures and putting them into their respective jars, I placed foil over the lids and sterilized the substrate with steam for 90 minutes.
A note on substrate appearances:
- The Group A substrate is how you would expect for a PF Tek - The groups with coffee in them seemed to be more grainy and I didn't have to mix them as thoroughly to remove clumps.
I will be inoculating the substrates with 0.5-1.0mL of Golden Teacher spores from a spore syringe and documenting their growth.

Group A before sterilization

Group B before sterilization

Group C before sterilization

Group D before sterilization
|
thirdeyewild



Registered: 11/01/13
Posts: 978
Loc:
|
Re: Does Coffee Effect Mycelial Growth? [Re: ShurAnatomist]
#28680342 - 02/28/24 08:36 PM (3 months, 25 days ago) |
|
|
Interested to see how D behaves compared to A. Going from spores though you won't know what was genetics and what was results of the coffee. You need to use the same genetics in each jar. Generally cubes don't colonize grounds and that leaves them free to be colonized by something you don't want. It can still work but it increases the risk of contaminates.
Edited by thirdeyewild (02/28/24 08:39 PM)
|
ShurAnatomist
Philosopher in Training


Registered: 01/18/23
Posts: 5
Last seen: 3 months, 21 days
|
Re: Does Coffee Effect Mycelial Growth? [Re: thirdeyewild]
#28682947 - 03/01/24 06:06 PM (3 months, 24 days ago) |
|
|
Hi! Thank you for the input! I'm excited to see the results! If you don't mind, would you be able to point me in the direction of where you got your info on genetics and cubes not colonizing coffee grounds? I'd really love to elucidate myself a bit on those topics! Thanks!
|
thirdeyewild



Registered: 11/01/13
Posts: 978
Loc:
|
Re: Does Coffee Effect Mycelial Growth? [Re: ShurAnatomist]
#28682957 - 03/01/24 06:16 PM (3 months, 24 days ago) |
|
|
I've tried adding coffee grounds, so have many others on the boards. You run single genetics as a control. Different genetics perform differently. So basically you won't know if your experiment results are from something you added or the performance of different strains. Going from ms you will end up using several set of genetics. Any comparative nutrient experiments or environment experiments should be run using a clone.
|
hamloaf
Pork Block ®©™√


Registered: 12/23/09
Posts: 22,046
Loc: ation undisclosed.
Last seen: 2 hours, 25 minutes
|
Re: Does Coffee Effect Mycelial Growth? [Re: thirdeyewild]
#28682979 - 03/01/24 06:36 PM (3 months, 24 days ago) |
|
|
Even though clone cultures may share similarities, they still possess various genetic compositions.
|
thirdeyewild



Registered: 11/01/13
Posts: 978
Loc:
|
Re: Does Coffee Effect Mycelial Growth? [Re: hamloaf] 1
#28682988 - 03/01/24 06:43 PM (3 months, 24 days ago) |
|
|
I'm aware of that. But it's a better option for running comparisons than ms or plate isolations.
|
smalltalk_canceled
Babnik



Registered: 07/13/20
Posts: 2,928
Last seen: 2 hours, 42 minutes
|
Re: Does Coffee Effect Mycelial Growth? [Re: thirdeyewild] 1
#28683098 - 03/01/24 07:59 PM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
|
|
In a rush here but one suggested causaility of "coffee" promoting mycelial growth is the nitrogen in coffee products or leftover crushed beans
In my shroomery career i've never been suggested seriously or read a thread where someone heavily uptalks to magic of coffee much less nitrogen, but it stands from other experience and literature that nitrogen could be mycelial promoting
My previous profesional assignment for a gourmet company, the chief lab guy was into Peptone for his agar, thinking it promoted more vitality, but I never saw any sources for this
As many know and will nod to, shroomery looks disfavorably on unnecessary additives for growing cubes. For cubes its not been proved helpful or effacious to introduce cofee.
What has been always said is that its easily contaminable, but that in itself argues promoting growth, not the other way around.
I guess for me it boils down to documenting results, and neccessity,
adding expense has to be done for a reason and it must be verified by common standard
--
All political correct bullshit aside, you are not doing anything wrong by adding say 5-10% dry coffee powder or hydrated bean mass to a substrate mix, in my head that can only help, not fuck up a otherwise normal mix.
-------------------- Willpower is the one true virtue
  
|
hamloaf
Pork Block ®©™√


Registered: 12/23/09
Posts: 22,046
Loc: ation undisclosed.
Last seen: 2 hours, 25 minutes
|
|
Thank you for your insight! Using coffee grounds in mushroom cultivation can provide nitrogen and acidify the substrate, but it's not essential. For beginners, sticking to minimalist substrate recipes is a good approach. Repurposing materials like coffee grounds can be beneficial, but it is first important to understand how to use them safely and effectively.
For example. Fresh coffee grounds can be added to the soak water when growing from grains since they get sterilized during the process. However, it is important to avoid adding fresh coffee grounds directly to bulk substrate, as it can create liquid coffee and cause the substrate to turn green before the mycelium can colonize it. Spent coffee grounds are better suited for use as a bulk substrate additive.
|
thirdeyewild



Registered: 11/01/13
Posts: 978
Loc:
|
Re: Does Coffee Effect Mycelial Growth? [Re: hamloaf] 1
#28684105 - 03/02/24 03:36 PM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
|
|
|
ShurAnatomist
Philosopher in Training


Registered: 01/18/23
Posts: 5
Last seen: 3 months, 21 days
|
|
Thank you for the insight! I wanted to ask, are there any reputable sources or research studies that are peer-reviewed and studied that you could point me to when it comes to the genetics and growth of fungi? I love that the Shroomery allows for documenting an experience, however a lot of the time it seems people make claims that are not supported by anything other than their experience. As someone with a Master of Science, I heavily prefer to have standardized and repeatable trials and studies. Cheers!
|
LadysKnight
Hello Ladies


Registered: 10/09/15
Posts: 2,034
|
Re: Does Coffee Effect Mycelial Growth? [Re: ShurAnatomist]
#28687044 - 03/05/24 09:12 AM (3 months, 20 days ago) |
|
|
Enjoy your coffee!
|
|