Personally what I do is replace the tape immediately after innoculation. Even though I have a dry vermiculite layer, I just want to take all precautions against contamination, and this is the cakes most vulnerable time. After about a week or so (after the spores are germinating, and I know the mycelium is starting to take a hold) I remove the tape and loosen the lids.

This is my second batch and out of 17 jars total i have lost none to contamination. I haven't had any jars stall either.

For one jar though it was a miracle from above that it didn't become contaminated. See I am incubating them upside down (cause i'm using a heating pad and I want the lid and dry vermiculite layer to buffer in case it gets too hot), and I also have the jar lids loose. Well, I went to pick one up and grabbed it by the glass, lifted up, and the lid came off and out slid the cake halfway. Totally exposed to the air, and with only mycelium at the inoculation points.

I quickly flipped it over and slammed the lid on. I even put a new fresh vermiculite layer on top (*unsterilized*), and put it back. The jar continued to 100% colonization with 0% contams. I don't know how it worked, but hey, I'm not complaining.

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Trying to rationalize with an irrational person, is in itself irrational!

GT

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Trying to rationalize with an irrational person, is in itself irrational!

GT

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Trying to rationalize with an irrational person, is in itself irrational!

A question about the filter patch bags: generally, how much faster is the colonization?