Jrey16 said:

Getting a 30cc LC syringe tomorrow. I was wondering if I will be able to use 10ccs for example and then store the syringe in the fridge for later use? The person giving it to me said no since it is sterile and once I open it and use it contaminants can get in so I should use that whole 30cc. Just want to know others opinions and experiences.

---

djbluntmagic said:

djbluntmagic said:

Just made a connection at the farmers' market for bulk grains. They offer wheat, oats, rye, and I think spelt? all at $3/lb, and einkorn at $4. What does the hivemind like out of these options?

---

Pennock said:

I would look around more cuz thats quite expensive for grain. In the states at least you can get a 50lb bag of oats for like 20 bucks…. 50lb bag at $3 a pound is $150? That’s crazy in my opinion.

---

I haven't had much luck finding a local grain source. No bulk food/co-op stores near me that I can find. No feed stores in the city. So this is what I've got. I'm not really worried about the prices, just looking for recommendations on grains offered.

---

Pennock said:

djbluntmagic said:

I haven't had much luck finding a local grain source. No bulk food/co-op stores near me that I can find. No feed stores in the city. So this is what I've got. I'm not really worried about the prices, just looking for recommendations on grains offered.

---

Understood! I've only used millet but from what I've read I would think Wheat would probably be the best choice of those. Some seem to find oats hard to work with and rye berries I believe can be a complicated prep... If I'm wrong I hope someone corrects me.

---

IMO rye is not too bad. You can get away with pouring into water that has just been boiled and leaving it off the heat for about 45 minutes - see Spitball's quick rye prep. I did get some burst grains with that method, probably from the shock of cold grain into boiling water. If I try it again I'll probably bring the water to boil with the grain in it, but will need some experimentation to find the right time to leave it sitting after the water boils.

Lots of different grain will work. I mostly use wheat because it's fairly cheap here and I can reliably prep it. Millet has the nice advantage of being easy to prep without any boiling, and if you don't mind some starch and can shake your jars immediately after the PC depressurizes, it's pretty suitable for no-prep. Milo/sorghum is easy and cheap too, though it is often really dirty and wants to be washed before hydrating.

Fuck oats. But really, they are pretty readily available many places as horse feed, and while it's tricky to get them hydrated perfectly, many people use only oats with plenty of success. I've just had more consistently non-fucked jars with wheat, but then again I was much more of a noob when I had oats around.

Consider also getting a brewer's bag or a 5 gallon paint strainer bag. Prepping the grains in a bag was a game changer for me. You can rinse (if needed), soak and/or boil, and drain in the sink, without taking the grain out of the bag.

Edit: DJ, if you're in the US, you will get better prices getting grain shipped to you from a mill than what you got quoted at the farmer's market. See e.g. centralmilling.com.

Threads2theSoul said:

Agar that has grown little invitro pins - what is your favorite way of using those pins and why?

---

djbluntmagic said:

djbluntmagic said:

Just made a connection at the farmers' market for bulk grains. They offer wheat, oats, rye, and I think spelt? all at $3/lb, and einkorn at $4. What does the hivemind like out of these options?

---

Pennock said:

I would look around more cuz thats quite expensive for grain. In the states at least you can get a 50lb bag of oats for like 20 bucks…. 50lb bag at $3 a pound is $150? That’s crazy in my opinion.

---

I haven't had much luck finding a local grain source. No bulk food/co-op stores near me that I can find. No feed stores in the city. So this is what I've got. I'm not really worried about the prices, just looking for recommendations on grains offered.

---

Threads2theSoul said:

Agar that has grown little invitro pins - what is your favorite way of using those pins and why?

---

But if not that I slice a pin off with a scalpel and toss it on another plate.

mooofie said:

Hopefully a quick question:

Given prepped, PC'd and inoculated (blue oyster LC) grain jars - Ball quart wide-mouth with 1/4" ventilation hole and microppose filter on that hole, 3/4th full - what is the right thing to do with them?

OK to store them out in the open on a shelf? Or should they be stored in a box? Or in an unused pantry drawer?

How big is the risk of them dying out through the filtered air-exchange hole? If it's not practical to store them in a closed box, could a bunch of ziplocs be used, as long as they're opened on occasion?

---

Phaethon said:

They don't need special handling. Put them on a convenient shelf. Just try to use them soon after full colonization, aged/consolidated oyster mycelium is a bitch to break up even if perfectly clean, which is honestly a bit unlikely from vendor LC.

Did you take a sample of LC to agar for later batches?

---