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dr0mni
My Own Messiah
Registered: 08/21/04
Posts: 2,921
Loc: USF Tampa, Fl
Last seen: 16 years, 9 months
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help me solve contamination problems
#4077215 - 04/20/05 01:47 PM (18 years, 10 months ago) |
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I just made two amazonian BRF casings using 2.5 cakes per casing. Cased with 60/40 coir/verm with no pH buffer (I only have hydrated lime and figured that it might be two much since the pH is already neutral and hydrated lime is not long acting.
My last casing made with 50/50 verm/peat + hydrated lime had minor cobweb after the second flush. But these new ones have been in the incubator for only a few days and are COVERED in cobweb. I don't feel like battling this shit, so I just sprayed it down with h2o2, and if it comes back again I'm just going to throw them out.
I'm assuming that this infection came from the last one. Is it almost impossible to avoid contamination when your fruiting chamber is in a carpeted room? If I seal off the casings better next time with saran wrap during incubation and only open them in filtered air even when fruiting, would this help?
Will I have less contamination worries if I just use cakes (seeing as I'm only growing for personal use, yeilds aren't a big worry)?
I know skipping the pH buffer is probably my biggest mistake, so next time I'm going to use something like oyster shells.
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IGnosticAbhorI
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Registered: 11/06/04
Posts: 4,899
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Re: help me solve contamination problems [Re: dr0mni]
#4077228 - 04/20/05 01:49 PM (18 years, 10 months ago) |
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PM me about tyvek (if you need.want it and i'll see what i can do
I'll reply in about 8 hours, time to go to work
Sry to hear about ur contams, i had green mold forever, finally got rid of it and then moved to tyvek and grains
Good luck
TC
-Gnostic
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IGnosticAbhorI
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Re: help me solve contamination problems [Re: IGnosticAbhorI]
#4077232 - 04/20/05 01:51 PM (18 years, 10 months ago) |
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...p.s....when in doubt toss it out....
You're harboring contams, and you more than likely didnt kill all of it,
I'd throw it out and clean everything well...that includes the room and all ur terriums...
Gl
-Gnostic
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Hambo
Limey
Registered: 09/23/04
Posts: 497
Loc: UK
Last seen: 17 years, 1 month
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Re: help me solve contamination problems [Re: dr0mni]
#4077813 - 04/20/05 04:04 PM (18 years, 10 months ago) |
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They're getting it in the incubator? Do you cover them when they go in there?
If you meant in the terrarium I would say that I've had a lot less contam hassle since I ditched the terrarium and started just fruiting casings in tubs, straight verm, with a clear bag over them. Not that I had a lot of hassle before but they seem to do better this way anyhow.
If you meant in the incubator maybe you should clean it out, you probably already did that once though.. try another room in the house maybe also. Could be something you've overlooked just dripping cobweb spores everywhere in the room or something, I think cobweb is supposed to be related to mildew or some such mold.
Oh and I always put plastic or cling film over each casing when incubating, then seal it by stretching a big rubber band around the lip of the container.
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dr0mni
My Own Messiah
Registered: 08/21/04
Posts: 2,921
Loc: USF Tampa, Fl
Last seen: 16 years, 9 months
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Re: help me solve contamination problems [Re: Hambo]
#4078288 - 04/20/05 06:07 PM (18 years, 10 months ago) |
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well, now that you mention it, it most likely was from the incubator. I haven't really cleaned it out since I started using it. And i had left two towels in the bottom to insulate it from the heat pad. I just switched over to a TiT setup and they were unneccessary, but I was just too lazy to take them out...
They are gone now. And I suppose I should clean out the tub entirely...
What could I do with tyvek? None of the contamination is in my jars. I'm pretty proud to say that I haven't had a single jar contaminate so far!
I guess I'll just clean the tub and try to keep my room cleaner, but I don't think I can make too much of a difference with this carpet. Maybe I should invest in a big ol' HEPA instead of this tiny fucking thing I got from Target that probably isn't even a true HEPA.
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BlkXtasy
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Registered: 04/01/04
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Last seen: 18 years, 10 months
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Re: help me solve contamination problems [Re: dr0mni]
#4078557 - 04/20/05 07:09 PM (18 years, 10 months ago) |
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Best thing:
Follow the PF Tek on casing...it's simple and works wonder. I use a small aluminum pan, and put 1-2 cakes in there...2 will fill the whole pan, but 1 will have mycelium running through 1-2 extra days.
So, you start with water and perlite first...put that junt in the oven at 400 for 1 hour. Take it out and let it cool (alum foil on top)...after it cool, crumble the cakes (make sure to use those plastic hospital type gloves with Lysol on them to sterilize them) crumble the cakes...and sit in the dark with saran wrap on top...after the mycelium is going crazy, do a mix with 1/2 peat moss (humous) and 1/2 vermiculite...put water in it just so when you squeeze, some will come out...sterilize that with the same temp and time as above...after it cool, put it on the cakes...and set it and forget it *laugh* Probably like 4 days though mycelium will be running through...also, that saran wrap should have holes punched in them...
Don't make things to dificult with all these casing techs...you just need peat moss, perlite and vermiculite. You don't need the oyster shells...I did that before...now, it does make quite a difference though...if you want these shells, call any seafood restaurant and ask them what they do with them...likely they'll have alot, but you need a hammer to crack them!!!
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dr0mni
My Own Messiah
Registered: 08/21/04
Posts: 2,921
Loc: USF Tampa, Fl
Last seen: 16 years, 9 months
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Re: help me solve contamination problems [Re: BlkXtasy]
#4079614 - 04/20/05 11:33 PM (18 years, 10 months ago) |
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no offense, but I know how to make a casing. I've read every single tek and have a pretty good idea of the theory behind it all. My problem is contamination.
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IGnosticAbhorI
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Registered: 11/06/04
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Last seen: 9 months, 24 days
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Re: help me solve contamination problems [Re: dr0mni]
#4079741 - 04/21/05 12:23 AM (18 years, 10 months ago) |
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They are gone now. And I suppose I should clean out the tub entirely...
Yea, do that...
You're prob. is you're working environment...
I'd clean everything and when you do all of you're casings, sterilyze what you can (casing layer, use alcohol to clean trays) and either do it in a glove box or in the open air outside....Most places have less shit floating around outside than in....Only a true Clean Freak has a house cleaner than outside...
You dont have old dirty clothes or wet rags or dirty dishes laying around...do ya
-Gnostic
Gl
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dr0mni
My Own Messiah
Registered: 08/21/04
Posts: 2,921
Loc: USF Tampa, Fl
Last seen: 16 years, 9 months
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Re: help me solve contamination problems [Re: IGnosticAbhorI]
#4080822 - 04/21/05 10:54 AM (18 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
IGnosticAbhorI said: You dont have old dirty clothes or wet rags or dirty dishes laying around...do ya
guilty as charged! I'm gonna start being super anal about my room now...
I cleaned my room today and checked on the casings after I sprayed them yesterday with h2o2, and all the cobweb was gone, except for a small spot on one which was propmtly sprayed down.
I patched these and put them in the FC, but haven them isolated trays with transparent plastic lids. There is nothing else in the FC right now, so nothing to spread to. If even a smidgen shows up I'm throwing it out... FOR REAL THIS TIME! LOL! I'm just hopin' the peroxide did the trick...
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