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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: bloodssonnew] * 1
    #29703521 -

nothing about this thread is silly like it says in the title
:camping:


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⁂ guides | grows | supreme air box | sporeaddict ⁂

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: fiddle_head]
    #29703586 -

fiddle_head said:
nothing about this thread is silly like it says in the title
:camping:


Oh well, I came here to embarrass myself, and I can’t even get that right!

Thanks for all the good feedback people!

Edited by kyu (10/20/26 11:28 AM)

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: Huskies] * 1
    #29703595 -

Huskies said:
How low on the agar powder do you think you can go then? Obviously if its runny it aint good, but any solidness at all should be good enough for the mycelium don't ya think?



That's a good question.
I don't know enough about how exactly shrooms pull water from agar. Is it direct digestion? Is it penetration and absorption?
I think it's worth experimenting with agar density. Weaker agar could be easier to melt, but we still need it stable enough.

Unfortunately, I don' have an established process where I could change one variable at a time and see what happens. Temperatures swing, cultures aren't clean, etc. etc. But I'll do my best.


--------------------
You gave me a wonderful, wonderful world,
And you gave me eyes to see it,
And you gave me LSD to open them.

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: kyu] * 1
    #29706782 -

no u are doing good


--------------------
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⁂ guides | grows | supreme air box | sporeaddict ⁂

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: Pastywhyte] * 1
    #29706833 -

Pastywhyte said:
I like this idea, very similar to something I was doing way back when I was messing around with the idea of reusable substrate.

https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/25638606/vc/1


This is fucking riveting. I am enraptured. Hot damn.

--

fiddle_head said:
no u are doing good


Big agree.

Here's an experiment I'm curious about: How does this perform compared to coir for cultures that trend big in size or weight?

I have heard that straw can give better size than coir because its tubular nature makes water delivery less effortful for the mushroom. Which lets them slurp up more water and get big (since fruits are mostly water anyway).

A couple shoe boxes of coir vs water agar running a clone culture from a makilla, melmac, other big boi would be interesting. Does one fruit bigger/heavier than the other?

It would be great if this had water delivery properties that let us squeeze out a little more performance.

--

Confession: I have long fantasized about doing an orbeez grow.


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—  𝖈 𝖔 𝖓 𝖋 𝖊 𝖘 𝖘  —


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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: kyu] * 1
    #29707009 -

I love this idea, and am looking forward to seeing the progress. As othe projects wrap I would like to start a few trials in this area myself.


This is a dumb question because I am very new to mycology: Would silica gel be a viable option?


We use silica gel in some of our hydro gardens, and in our orchids to improve nutrient uptake, and I know that 50/50 coco coir and silica gel is a popular substrate among growers of hydroponic pot, so it seems like that could be a viable option here.

Can't wait to see more, and hopefully contribute myself!


--------------------
Read the guide, read it again, understand the guide, then start the hobby.

I have no idea what I am doing, but I'm having fun doing it!

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: kyu] * 1
    #29707064 -

Just to be clear maybe I wasn't: I was referring to the fact that you did entitle the thread 'silly' and it was a socially tactful way to both introduce a new idea and demonstrate humility through self-deprecation, it was successful and well received, and I believe the idea is valuable.


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⁂ guides | grows | supreme air box | sporeaddict ⁂

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: Rasmodius]
    #29707245 -

Rasmodius said:
Here's an experiment I'm curious about: How does this perform compared to coir for cultures that trend big in size or weight?


My impression after (only) two runs - agar released water slower than straw/coir would. But I used big and dense agar chunks both times, and that could be the bottleneck.
I see two ways to regulate water availability:

1) Smaller pieces = more contact surface = faster water absorption
Like, why not just pass agar through a meat grinder? Fast, easy, efficient, and you can regulate the particle size. I'll try this, should be satisfying as fuck.

2) Smaller agar:water ratio (as Huskies suggested) = thinner agar = faster water absorption.

It's only a speculation at this point, but both options seem worth playing with.


--------------------
You gave me a wonderful, wonderful world,
And you gave me eyes to see it,
And you gave me LSD to open them.

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: kyu] * 1
    #29707267 -

I'm going to do this right now I'm inspired. I have a QT of MS Yeti that is a bit baccy, so I'm going to split it into two.

Found a link with certain ratios of agar for firmness.

https://tripathiproducts.in/blog/ideal-agar-agar-ratios-for-perfect-gel-every-time

I'm going to try medium firm at 4g per 500ml, and adjust for a second batch after.


--------------------
I call them Huskies cause they Mush!


Huskies' Grimoire
The Official Wild Cubensis Thread
Easy Instant Pot Agar
Let's Talk Cowtek

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: kyu]
    #29707320 -

Time for a teaching moment. Here's a very successful self-sabotage attempt.

The core idea behind spawning to water agar is having no free-roaming nutrients. Zero. It's not so much about sterility, but about keeping organic particles out.
This means using filtered water, clean equipment, clean gloves, and minimal exposure to open air.
Otherwise, this happens.



What you see above are germinated dust particles. It could be a mystery if I was working with other bulk substrates. But here, there's no other suspects.
In my previous runs, unscrewed jar lids were good enough. So, I assumed that loosened container lids would also work, no need to mess with polyfil etc. Wrong. Too much dirty air.

The two remaining Ochra jars wasted on... honestly, I'm not even sure what I was going for. Humor aside, this setup was genuinely stupid. It could still fruit, but I better trash it. Don't want those black spots sporulating, even if they don't grow further.
Aaand I'm finally out of ms culture. Now I need to get my shit together, clean the room, and start over with the clone I took earlier.


--------------------
You gave me a wonderful, wonderful world,
And you gave me eyes to see it,
And you gave me LSD to open them.

Edited by kyu (10/24/26 06:18 PM)

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: Huskies]
    #29707322 -

Huskies said:
I'm going to do this right now I'm inspired. I have a QT of MS Yeti that is a bit baccy, so I'm going to split it into two.

Found a link with certain ratios of agar for firmness.

https://tripathiproducts.in/blog/ideal-agar-agar-ratios-for-perfect-gel-every-time

I'm going to try medium firm at 4g per 500ml, and adjust for a second batch after.


Yaaay, I'm glad you're joining, looking forward to seeing your results!

By the way, I've just found out that white food colorant (E170) is purified calcium carbonate. I guess it could work as a PH buffer to some extent.

I was researching colorants to find a good black dye to block light and avoid internal pinning.


--------------------
You gave me a wonderful, wonderful world,
And you gave me eyes to see it,
And you gave me LSD to open them.

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: kyu] * 2
    #29707360 -

So I did two batches of agar, one with 4g per 500ml with a drop of brown food coloring, and another one more 5.5g without any.



I only saw your post after nonchalantly tearing them up with a spoon after letting them settle in a fridge, uncovered lol ooops!

Both were firmer than I thought they would be after the fridge. I think you could easily go as low as 3g if not less. Mine were notable gelatinous cubes.

Based on your advice, I just put them each a ziplock bag without any holes for now. I used a half quart so I’m hoping that it will outcompete any nasties.

I squished them up a bit in the bag with the wbs.



--------------------
I call them Huskies cause they Mush!


Huskies' Grimoire
The Official Wild Cubensis Thread
Easy Instant Pot Agar
Let's Talk Cowtek

Edited by Huskies (10/24/26 07:29 PM)

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: Huskies] * 1
    #29707634 -

That looks like... chocolate muesli! :tongue:

Don't worry yet. My containers sat there for a while before the mold established. If agar is colonized quickly enough, I bet on shrooms digesting all the dust.

I've tried bags like this, they stalled until I poked them here and there with a syringe needle (just, like, ten pokes per bag). I think it needs some air movement to consolidate well, especially when bacteria steal oxygen.

I'll try no more than 4g/500ml next time, thanks!


--------------------
You gave me a wonderful, wonderful world,
And you gave me eyes to see it,
And you gave me LSD to open them.

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: kyu]
    #29708688 -

Less than 48 hours later, I have the following to report.





1- Fluffy mic and no obvious mold yet.

2- They lost a significant amount of water, and the mycelium is not colonizing the submerged areas nearly as well.

3- Not sure if the heavy sweating is due to the low amount of agar used or its natural part of digestion. I'm thinking the former, but the 4g bag used to be brown, its already green, so the mycelium is working.

4- I had them in the bags, with just a smidgen open at the zipper, but that amount of water, I decided on the spot to increase FAE so I made some holes with a needle.


--------------------
I call them Huskies cause they Mush!


Huskies' Grimoire
The Official Wild Cubensis Thread
Easy Instant Pot Agar
Let's Talk Cowtek

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: Huskies]
    #29709291 -

Huskies said:
2- They lost a significant amount of water, and the mycelium is not colonizing the submerged areas nearly as well.



Alright, you can worry now :sadyes:
So much free water is bad news.

Now I want to make a few lumps of agar of various densities and just play with them without inoculation, see how they behave, how they react to pressure, whether they drool a lot over time etc.

DON'T PATENT DISPOSABLE AGAR DILDOS, THE IDEA IS MINE


--------------------
You gave me a wonderful, wonderful world,
And you gave me eyes to see it,
And you gave me LSD to open them.

Edited by kyu (10/27/26 03:22 AM)

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: kyu]
    #29709486 -

Was that a standard issue for you? Or with more solid agar there is less of that going on?


--------------------
I call them Huskies cause they Mush!


Huskies' Grimoire
The Official Wild Cubensis Thread
Easy Instant Pot Agar
Let's Talk Cowtek

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: kyu]
    #29710334 -

As the owner of two freshly sterilized vegan, organic, biodegradable 1qt agar dildos. I promise I will not pursue your IP.


I am realizing I should have lined the quart jars with a mesh bag to shred the agar while keeping it generally sterile. I have cheese cloth bags, but I think that would be too fine and result in a dense substrate. Does anyone have any ideas for shredding the agar in the jar it was sterilized in, but at a more appropriate size?


--------------------
Read the guide, read it again, understand the guide, then start the hobby.

I have no idea what I am doing, but I'm having fun doing it!

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: shroom_fae]
    #29710490 -

Huskies said:
Was that a standard issue for you? Or with more solid agar there is less of that going on?


No, that shouldn't happen. I'm not sure what exactly you meant earlier by "squishing them up" but pressure could be the cause.
After consulting my AI bitch, I've learned that agar is basically free water trapped between agar strands - pressure or damage makes the gel weep, similar to a sponge. And softer agar weeps more readily. The general recommendation (still speculative) was to go with finer-cut but solid agar wedges, which are still ~95% water but are more stable and easier to handle.



shroom_fae said:
I am realizing I should have lined the quart jars with a mesh bag to shred the agar while keeping it generally sterile. I have cheese cloth bags, but I think that would be too fine and result in a dense substrate. Does anyone have any ideas for shredding the agar in the jar it was sterilized in, but at a more appropriate size?


That's a neat idea! I imagine that long and thin agar "straw" could offer good structure, but yeah, it shouldn't be too thin.
Not sure what to suggest. Out of the jar, we could squeeze a lump of agar through some kind of wire basket. Or a badminton racquet?
But inside, no ideas so far. Please share if you come up with a solution.


--------------------
You gave me a wonderful, wonderful world,
And you gave me eyes to see it,
And you gave me LSD to open them.

Edited by kyu (10/28/26 07:30 AM)

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: kyu]
    #29711683 -

kyu said:


What you see above are germinated dust particles.


Shiiiiit I just realized what exactly I did wrong here.
Once agar solidified in the pot, there was some condensate, so I decided to wipe it WITH A PAPER TOWEL :facepalm:
I did it cuz I was stoned as fuck.
I then forgot about it cuz I was stoned as fuck.
Yup, that paper towel was dusty enough.

Conclusion: when dipping paper towels in your agar, be stoned as fuck, because you'll need an excuse later.


--------------------
You gave me a wonderful, wonderful world,
And you gave me eyes to see it,
And you gave me LSD to open them.

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Re: Spawning to shredded water agar (silly experiment) [Re: kyu]
    #29711696 -

:laugh2: yea I blame the weed when I drop a gar plate in the sab :popcorn:


--------------------





An enigma some caerulescens n a mono 😎

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