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Mushouse
Mycomancer

Registered: 06/26/06
Posts: 500
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Using rice as a desiccant
#5793280 - 06/26/06 05:37 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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This is my first post, so let me say 'hello' to everyone on the Shroomery forum.
I'm about a week into growing my first ever mushrooms using the PF Tek. I don't see any contamination and I see good mycelium growth, so I believe that my jars will make it to harvest.
I've been thinking about which method of drying mushrooms would be best for me, and I've decided that I will dry them using a desiccant in an air-tight container. The only question that remains is 'which desiccant to use?' I'm a little hesitant about using strange chemicals to dry mushrooms that I will be eating later.
I was at a restaurant a few weeks ago and I noticed that there were grains of rice in the salt shaker that were there to absorb moisture out of the salt. I began to wonder how effective rice would be if used to dry mushrooms.
I plan placing my mushrooms and a good amount of rice in an air-tight plastic container and mixing it up so that every mushroom is surrounded by grains of rice.
How effective does everyone think this will be? It would be a shame if the mushrooms don't dry properly and begin to rot.
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Omnicracker
Crusted Trolltivator

Registered: 09/18/05
Posts: 1,421
Loc: Wal-Merica
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Re: Using rice as a desiccant [Re: Mushouse]
#5793299 - 06/26/06 05:42 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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... but im feeling somewhat nice.
1. no desiccant will touch your shrooms, so dont sweat the chem factor. 2. the rice in the shakers is to slow down the salt flow so you dont get sodium induced kidneystones, or something of that nature. 3. no. no. no.
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SickShroomer
Retired Shroom Master


Registered: 05/25/06
Posts: 361
Loc: Midwest
Last seen: 3 years, 14 days
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Re: Using rice as a desiccant [Re: Omnicracker]
#5793321 - 06/26/06 05:48 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Umm, no!
-------------------- Going to miss the PNW gatherings. I'm not here trying to make anyone feel stupid or to make myself feel good by putting ppl down. I am just here to help fellow shroomerites in there grows. I do this to keep my own knowledge fresh, and to help everyone succeed!
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creamcorn
mad scientist


Registered: 03/13/06
Posts: 2,962
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Re: Using rice as a desiccant [Re: Omnicracker]
#5793324 - 06/26/06 05:48 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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actually, the rice is to absorb moisture, and does work as a desiccant. its not the greatest desiccant so it might be rather slow acting and not very thorough. dessicants aren't really strange chemicals, silica gel is totally safe and harmless, can be dried and re-used indefinitely, and i place the goods directly on top of it to dry... and its very inexpensive.
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assblaster
Stranger
Registered: 06/26/06
Posts: 2
Last seen: 16 years, 10 months
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Re: Using rice as a desiccant [Re: creamcorn]
#5793420 - 06/26/06 06:18 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Where might one acquire silica gel? I know I could find it online, but I don't tend to like buying things for my grows online. Really it's just a paranoia thing. What sort of store would one go to to find it?
Thanks.
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fastfred
Old Hand



Registered: 05/17/04
Posts: 6,899
Loc: Dark side of the moon
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Re: Using rice as a desiccant [Re: assblaster]
#5793444 - 06/26/06 06:28 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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I would make one point. CC is right in his post about rice and whatnot.
Anyway, my point is that you need to fan dry your shrooms before you put them in with the desiccant. If you just put them in with the desiccant it will absorb it's fill of moisture too fast and stop being effective. Fan drying is much faster until a certain point anyhow. So fan dry them until they are somewhat dry THEN desiccate them.
-FF
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creamcorn
mad scientist


Registered: 03/13/06
Posts: 2,962
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Re: Using rice as a desiccant [Re: assblaster]
#5793450 - 06/26/06 06:31 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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hardware stores, home improvement stores, etc.
the easiest source is "crystal" cat litter (its not a brand name, but a type of litter, you'll find a number of brands with "crystal" varieties.) the cat litter kind often has indicator crystals which change color from blue to pink when its saturated, and sometimes contains other ingredients such as "odor absorbers" which is usually no more than baking soda... and sometimes contains fragrance. there's nothing harmful or toxic in any of the ingredients you'll find in cat litter either...
all that aside there's really nothing suspicious about ordering silica gel or any desiccant, no need to be paranoid about it.
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assblaster
Stranger
Registered: 06/26/06
Posts: 2
Last seen: 16 years, 10 months
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Re: Using rice as a desiccant [Re: Mushouse]
#5793466 - 06/26/06 06:39 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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thanks... i really appreciate it.
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Anno
Experimenter



Registered: 06/17/99
Posts: 24,166
Loc: my room
Last seen: 20 days, 17 hours
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Re: Using rice as a desiccant [Re: fastfred]
#5794891 - 06/27/06 03:57 AM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
fastfred said: you need to fan dry your shrooms before you put them in with the desiccant. If you just put them in with the desiccant it will absorb it's fill of moisture too fast and stop being effective. Fan drying is much faster until a certain point anyhow. So fan dry them until they are somewhat dry THEN desiccate them.
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