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 Chemical_Smile
Making Love WithMy Ego
Registered: 09/20/01
Posts: 2,217
Loc: coming down fast, miles a...
Last seen: 21 years, 2 months
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 Rookie needs troubleshooting help 
#399519 - 09/20/01 08:36 PM (23 years, 3 months ago) |
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I just lost my first batch of substrate to cobweb mold and some funky yellow stuff. Here are the steps I took in sterilization please tell me if you see something I forgot or screwed up. (1) I shut off all sources of breeze in room except for hepa filter. (2) I ran hepa for two hours previous to the work. (3) I cleaned my work table with so much alchohol and lysol that I got a buzz from the fumes. (4) I showered and wore clean clothes. (5) I used scope and a surgical mask. (6) I resprayed room with lysol every 5 minuites or so (my room still stinks from it) (7) I wore latex gloves then washed my hands with alcohol. (8) Every thing on my work table got drowned in alcohol and lysol (even the botles themselves. (9) microwaved bags of substrate (from mushroom magic) 2minuits on high as directed. (10) I put peroxide in with perlite and water for a steril (?) humidity base. (11) I used spore syringe (cleaned tip w/alcohol) from a reputable source (hawks eye)
Any ideas what could have happened ?????
I only have my bedroom to work in and I wondered if carpet and large bookshelves (hard to sterilize) might be causing me problems.
Any advice would be much appreciated
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 isis
addict
Registered: 05/16/01
Posts: 484
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 Re: Rookie needs troubleshooting help [Re: Chemical_Smile]
#399529 - 09/20/01 08:44 PM (23 years, 3 months ago) |
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It sounds like you were very careful. A few questions. What did you use as a substrate?How did you sterilize your substrate? What kind of hepa filter did you use? I'm only asking because some of the filters that can be bought are not as good as they would have you think.Many of them have huge leaks and serve to filter, but they also blow out contaminants and stir up contams. Also, don't assume that syringes from reputable people cannot be the source of contams. It doesn't sound like it in this case, but just FYI.
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darkfly
LysergicExperimenter
Registered: 09/16/01
Posts: 1,169
Last seen: 9 years, 5 months
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Re: Rookie needs troubleshooting help [Re: isis]
#399535 - 09/20/01 08:50 PM (23 years, 3 months ago) |
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That doesnt sound like a very long time in the microwave.
darkfly
-- too much trippin and my soul is worn thin
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Everything Is Blue In This World. The Deepest Shade Of Mushroom Blue.
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777D777
member
Registered: 08/19/01
Posts: 182
Loc: The Universe
Last seen: 22 years, 5 days
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Re: Rookie needs troubleshooting help [Re: darkfly]
#399539 - 09/20/01 08:54 PM (23 years, 3 months ago) |
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Yeah i agree. I have tried the nuking tek and everytime i do i get contams (no matter if it's 2 or 7 min on high). I think the best way to go is to not do the micro. Try a PC. or boil for an hour. It's the temp that kills the contams so just get the shit really hot but not too hot to dry your shit out. yeah . . .
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0----> Tripz420 is a thief! <----0
0----> sporeman is too! <----0
FSR!
Old School Toadstool's!
Hawkster's Eye!
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Chemical_Smile
Making Love WithMy Ego
Registered: 09/20/01
Posts: 2,217
Loc: coming down fast, miles a...
Last seen: 21 years, 2 months
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Re: Rookie needs troubleshooting help [Re: Chemical_Smile]
#399542 - 09/20/01 08:58 PM (23 years, 3 months ago) |
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I used a subtrate I got From Mushroom Magic. Its a mix of: vermiculite, flax, organic brown rice grits, limestone, dextrose, gypsum (I'm clueless about the ratio for all this). The hepa filter is a Holmes model (filter#HAPF30). It is a little on the small side but seems to kick out a lot of suposedly clean air. It also has a built in Ionizer.
Thanks for the input Isis!
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Chemical_Smile
Making Love WithMy Ego
Registered: 09/20/01
Posts: 2,217
Loc: coming down fast, miles a...
Last seen: 21 years, 2 months
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Re: Rookie needs troubleshooting help [Re: Chemical_Smile]
#399544 - 09/20/01 09:00 PM (23 years, 3 months ago) |
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I am buying a PC this week. Thanks for the input Yall.
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isis
addict
Registered: 05/16/01
Posts: 484
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Re: Rookie needs troubleshooting help [Re: Chemical_Smile]
#399558 - 09/20/01 09:24 PM (23 years, 3 months ago) |
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I don't know a thing about mushroom magic. I obviously miised part of your post. You really will lick most contamination problems if you get a pc. Two minutes is not long enough to sterilize anything. Now people have good success using PF tek and boiling the jars as stated in the instructions, but a pc will make a huge difference.. I'm sorry that you project ended in failure. But here' some advice...follow one of the proven methods like PF and you will grow some mushies. The substrate has to be sterilized or you will end in failure. That's were your problem lies. It sounds like you wer extra careful with the rest.Read up on PF tek. It works.
As far as the hepa filter, I had the same one. It works great for general stuff, but to be honest I'm not sure how useful it is to you with the mushrooms. It filters, but it also has many leaks were bacteria and fungus can get through and be blown right out of the front. At he same time, it blows a great amount of air into your working area kicking up contams. I found, I had better success not using it. It's best to leave the contams settled on the floor or where ever they may be rather than have them airborne.Just my two cents worth.
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Anonymous
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Re: Rookie needs troubleshooting help [Re: Chemical_Smile]
#399563 - 09/20/01 09:42 PM (23 years, 3 months ago) |
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Post Deleted a la Obscurity
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Lt.Berkenstine
Stranger
Registered: 03/10/16
Posts: 305
Last seen: 8 years, 2 months
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Sounds like you didn't use a still air box. A hepa filter is going to help a lot, but won't completely do the trick. You still kick up millions of dust and mold particles when you walk on a carpet. What you need to do is look up a STILL AIR BOX tek and read up on sterile procedure. Everything you're doing is good (accept for being high on Lysol), but I think you're missing the most important part of sterile procedure.
You really should buy a pressure cooker before moving on. I have never tried to sterilize something in the microwave besides the burrito that's been sitting in my fridge for 2 weeks.
The most important piece of information to take from my response is this: almost everyone that grows successfully on this site uses a still air box or a laminar flow hood. The still air box is my personal favorite and is definitely the cheapest choice. I think once you get a pressure cooker, take that careful tedious approach to the still air box, and you'll be free of the contam problem.
I've had one singular jar contaminate ever. All I do is coat my old dusty closet in Lysol(I wear an $8 painters mask so I don't get cancer from the aerosol), and do all of my inoculations on a small table with a still air box about 2.5 feet off of my closet floor. (I get on my knees for easy access  )
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B+ outdoor bouquet GT monotub monster
 
Don't sass me.
Edited by Lt.Berkenstine (05/15/16 08:27 AM)
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Lt.Berkenstine
Stranger
Registered: 03/10/16
Posts: 305
Last seen: 8 years, 2 months
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I would also recommend not touching the needle tip at all, even to clean it. They send it to you sterile in a little plastic tube in a little plastic pouch so carefully take it out and insert it into the syringe in your sterile environment (that's your SAB/stillairbox). If you want to re-use an old needle, heat it up with a blowtorch until it's red hot and then push some liquid out to cool it down before inoculating. Flame the needle every time you think it might have touched something it shouldn't have including open air.
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B+ outdoor bouquet GT monotub monster
Don't sass me.
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dankington
The Stranger
 
Registered: 03/14/15
Posts: 4,577
Loc: 8te
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Did you notice this was 14 years old? 
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Lt.Berkenstine
Stranger
Registered: 03/10/16
Posts: 305
Last seen: 8 years, 2 months
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Re: Rookie needs troubleshooting help [Re: dankington]
#23229228 - 05/15/16 09:04 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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How did it pop up then? I sure didn't. My bad! I wonder why it showed up on my thread list
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B+ outdoor bouquet GT monotub monster
Don't sass me.
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Lt.Berkenstine
Stranger
Registered: 03/10/16
Posts: 305
Last seen: 8 years, 2 months
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I'm an idiot. Derp. Probably on the similar threads tab 
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B+ outdoor bouquet GT monotub monster
Don't sass me.
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Captcrunch90
Noob Enthusiast
Registered: 05/10/16
Posts: 129
Loc: Wonderland
Last seen: 8 years, 1 month
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Haha, I thought it was cool that there were 2 dudes who joined in '01 that were still active.
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