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 avarrin
family
Registered: 07/23/00
Posts: 185
Loc: chattanooga, tn
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
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 First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. 
#662036 - 06/04/02 06:43 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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Well, my first attempt @ birdseed has been a failure. I tried two different methods...
On the first... I loaded the birdseed directly into the jars.
On the second... I let it soak overnight.
I am guessing that my syringe was contaminated, because all jars have been overtaken by the mean green contam. Was even using filter disks... damn contams!
I pressure cooked for an hour.. is that long enough? Should I have went longer?
~ava
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* all flames are subject to /dev/null
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 mushie
newbie
Registered: 05/25/02
Posts: 32
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 Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: avarrin]
#662043 - 06/04/02 06:46 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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you lucky I couldn to even get the seed to cme out right. I pc for an hour and when Itook tem out the seed was stuck togther. I shook and shook but it looks like a glu stick was in the bottom lol what did you do that I missed?
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avarrin
family
Registered: 07/23/00
Posts: 185
Loc: chattanooga, tn
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: mushie]
#662065 - 06/04/02 06:58 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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I added gympsm to the seed before I pressure cooked it... and as soon as the pressure dropped to 0 on the cooker, i opened up and shook the hell out of them. I really didnt have that much problem with them sticking together... everything was going great until today... and i look, and there is green on ALL of the jars.
~ava
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* all flames are subject to /dev/null
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Anonymous
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: avarrin]
#662071 - 06/04/02 07:02 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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If the actual mycelia are turning green it could be that yr cakes are dessicated. you might add water and see if the green grows or goes away.
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Bruiser
Fuel Injected Suicide Machine
Registered: 04/17/02
Posts: 15,255
Loc: Hell
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: avarrin]
#662079 - 06/04/02 07:06 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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It may have been the syringe, or it could have been your technique. Did you spray your entire work area down with Lysol before innoculating? Did you let your jars fully cool down? Was there too much/too little water in your jars. Without a little more info, it could be a combination of things that caused your contams. Sorry to hear, but don't give up. It was just a practice run, right?  Mushie- check out what Anno said in your post about the birdseed sticking together. When the birdseed is done PC'ing and the pressure has returned to zero, take the still hot jars out and shake them. Use a sterile towel or cloth to hold them if they're too hot. Then put them back into the PC and let them fully cool down. The seed won't clump together as much. 
-Bruiser
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-I put the chrome to your dome
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avarrin
family
Registered: 07/23/00
Posts: 185
Loc: chattanooga, tn
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: Bruiser]
#662094 - 06/04/02 07:15 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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Yes, sprayed entire area with Lysol... even have a Hepa Filter specifically designed to filter out mold spores... etc. out of the air. Yes, I let the jars cool for an entire day before innoculation.... and I innoculated through the filter disks and taped up the place where the needle went.... and between every innoculation, I dipped the needle in alcohol.
But... your right, it was just a practice run... hell, I didnt even expect to get this far on my first time... I just hope my other syringes are not contaminated... because they are my last ones 
~ava
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* all flames are subject to /dev/null
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Bruiser
Fuel Injected Suicide Machine
Registered: 04/17/02
Posts: 15,255
Loc: Hell
Last seen: 16 years, 2 months
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: avarrin]
#662134 - 06/04/02 07:40 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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Well, I'm glad to see you're keeping your chin up about it. Keep us updated on your next batch. Hope all goes well. I'm finishing up some colonization on some jars I did, and then I'm going to case. Out of the 8 I just did, none contaminated! (yet, LOL) It's the first time I tried soaking and rinsing. It's working out well for me so far.
-Bruiser
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-I put the chrome to your dome
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mycochip
newbie
Registered: 05/19/02
Posts: 33
Loc: AZ
Last seen: 21 years, 9 months
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 Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: avarrin]
#662159 - 06/04/02 07:51 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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Try flame sterilizing the needle between each innoculation. I've read alot of different opinions about whether to flame or not, lots of ppl say an alcohol wipe is fine, but in my expirience when I started flaming the needle before each jar my contaimination rate went way down. I've only lost 2 jars out of 24 since then. My first time when I just did an alcohol wipe I lost 24 out of 24.
It's an extra step but well worth it.
Good Luck with the next batch.
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avarrin
family
Registered: 07/23/00
Posts: 185
Loc: chattanooga, tn
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: mycochip]
#662275 - 06/04/02 08:23 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thanks for the advice.. I will for sure try that, because obviously... something isnt right. Btw... how long do you all pressure cook your seed for? Is 1hr enough? and what type of seed do you perfer? penningtons?
~ava
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* all flames are subject to /dev/null
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mycochip
newbie
Registered: 05/19/02
Posts: 33
Loc: AZ
Last seen: 21 years, 9 months
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: avarrin]
#662298 - 06/04/02 08:33 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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I haven't tried birdseed yet. that was gonna be next but i killed my pc. I fell asleep while cooking a batch and now it doesn't seal. So for now I'm stuck w/ BFR 'cause that can be boiled w/ no problem.
I've read you have to pc for at least and hour maybe longer.
Do a search you'll get lots of info.
Happy Shroomin' 
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Addict
addict
Registered: 05/12/02
Posts: 519
Last seen: 20 years, 1 month
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: mycochip]
#662301 - 06/04/02 08:34 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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I flame and wipe with alcohol before each single hole innoculation on every jar/bag ect! ITS A MUST DO NOT take the chance
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Bruiser
Fuel Injected Suicide Machine
Registered: 04/17/02
Posts: 15,255
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: avarrin]
#662313 - 06/04/02 08:43 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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I cook my birdseed for an hour and 15 min. I haven't had any problems so far, and very little if any burst seed. I've flamed my needle between jars, and I've also just wiped with alchohol. I haven't had any problems either way. I did a search on flaming needles, and found that some people do and some people don't. I do agree however, that if you're getting contaminated jars and you're not flaming the needle, that you need to do so to see if it takes care of your contamination problem.
-Bruiser
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-I put the chrome to your dome
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avarrin
family
Registered: 07/23/00
Posts: 185
Loc: chattanooga, tn
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: Bruiser]
#663012 - 06/04/02 04:02 PM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thanks for all the great advice! I will pickup an alcohol lamp tomorrow, create some more jars.. and be sure to let you guys know how everything turns out.
~ava
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* all flames are subject to /dev/null
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homebrew
member
Registered: 06/02/01
Posts: 117
Last seen: 21 years, 3 months
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: mycochip]
#663187 - 06/04/02 06:32 PM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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Yer lucky its only the seal, I did the same thing (fell asleep) and awoke when the emergency relief valve blew: looks like someone took a shot at the kitchen ceiling with a 9 mm. You should be able to buy a replacement seal pretty easily.
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 DERRAYLD
Constructus
Registered: 05/13/02
Posts: 11,267
Loc: South Africa
Last seen: 1 minute, 22 seconds
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: homebrew]
#663273 - 06/04/02 07:23 PM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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Also try leaving your sterilised jars for 3 days or so to see if they are contaminated.
That way there's no spore lost or used.
If a jars contaminated toss it and start again.
I reasently had a jar start bluing because I had shaken it, wasn`t worried because I know it`s not contaminated.
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avarrin
family
Registered: 07/23/00
Posts: 185
Loc: chattanooga, tn
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: DERRAYLD]
#663479 - 06/05/02 01:31 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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Ive tried that, usually the contams dont show up until after about 5 to 6 days... Is that too long to wait to innoculate? Or will the substrate still have plenty of nutrients?
~ava
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* all flames are subject to /dev/null
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Anonymous
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: avarrin]
#663556 - 06/05/02 03:30 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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I never flame sterilize or alchohol wipe..its a waste of time.
Your needle will never be as sterile as it was when you first took it out of the package. It has been sterilized and sealed using professional means, not a bic lighter.
After innoculating your first jar, the needle should still be sterile. Your substrate is sterile right? If not, then you are wasting your time no matter how clean your needle is!
And I would not bother innoculating a jar of grain unless the grain looks properly cooked.
Try 1/2 cup grain, 1/3 cup water. pc 1 hr at 15 psi. Grain should look dry. Maybe a bit of wet near the bottom, shake jar up to disperse. Let cool and innoculate.
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avarrin
family
Registered: 07/23/00
Posts: 185
Loc: chattanooga, tn
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: ]
#663587 - 06/05/02 04:02 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thats exaclty what I did. EXACTLY! No grains stuck together... hardly any exploded kernels... but still got contams, which is why i believe it to be the syringe. I would haev said it was the substrate... due to me not letting it soak overnight, but I also let a batch soak overnight.. and those still failed. Im gunna try again today... this time with an alcohol lamp. Ill let you know how everything turns out...
~ava
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* all flames are subject to /dev/null
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Snobrdr311
outdoorenthusiast
Registered: 09/03/01
Posts: 1,468
Loc: Midwest
Last seen: 10 years, 11 months
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Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: avarrin]
#663973 - 06/05/02 09:15 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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it was your syringe my friend.. try using new syringes and being as sterile as possible. I am certain it was your syringe, everything else you did was perfect. This has happened to me before as well.. it's the syringe. The older the spores the more prone to contams they become.. make sure everything you do from the point of making the print to making the syringe is sterile.
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mycochip
newbie
Registered: 05/19/02
Posts: 33
Loc: AZ
Last seen: 21 years, 9 months
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 Re: First Attempt @ Grains... Failure. [Re: homebrew]
#664128 - 06/05/02 10:43 AM (22 years, 3 months ago) |
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Homebrew,
LOL
I woke up to smoke. I always put a washcloth in the pc so the jars won't break and thats what was burning. Only lost two jars out of eight so that's not bad.
I'll have to look into getting a seal. Thanks, I never thought of that.
Peace 
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