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ChristianTaylor5
Mammal


Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 195
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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Is this Okay?
#7486657 - 10/04/07 10:00 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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My HighMountainCompost arrived today and I was very excited. But then I experienced something different from my runs prior to this one.
When spawning cakes I noticed they had a mushy consistency as opposed to the "harder" "dryer" consistency they have had before. They also looked a little uncolonized in the middle when breaking them apart.
What should I make of this?
I stopped spawning half way through because I wanted to ask people here what they thought before I continued.
Thanks,
-CT
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ChristianTaylor5
Mammal


Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 195
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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I should also mention that when I came across a cake that wouldn't slide out I would have to poke my finger in and scoop it out. It would stay together for the most part but seemed very sticky in some areas.
What the hell is going on here, I could really use some advice or shared experience.
Thanks you,
-CT
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Chi Ro
Jive Ass Turkey


Registered: 09/22/07
Posts: 211
Loc: Right hurr!
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Maybe your cakes had a different moisture consistency than your first cakes did? Maybe you let your cakes over-colonize last time, and you didn't let them colonize nearly enough this time. The stickiness is likely a result of the cakes being spawned earlier than you did last time too.
I'd worry about sticking your finger in your cakes. Did you wash your hands? Were you wearing gloves wiped down with alcohol? Anything to prevent contamination?
I'm sure the situation with the cakes being more wet then usual isn't a big deal, as long as they're mostly colonized. However, you might want to be a little more careful with your sterilization practices next time.
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ChristianTaylor5
Mammal


Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 195
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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Re: Is this Okay? [Re: Chi Ro]
#7486996 - 10/05/07 12:13 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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I had just sprayed my hands down with alcohol before poking around with my finger.
I had a feeling the cakes being like this had to do with to much water content, I bought my jars pre-sterilized from mycopath. The water inside the jars appears to pool up in some areas more than others.
If this is correct, and my cakes have slightly to much water content then what are the possible negative outcomes?
Should I just let my remaining jars sit for another week or so to see if they can colonize inside more, or should I use them now to avoid the risk of stalling (Is that even a risk)?
I though I should add that the jars look completely colonized from the outside.
I am very concerned about this and don't know what to do, could someone tell me what is my best bet in this situation?
Thanks,
-CT
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The shroomy 1
Luminous beings surround me




Registered: 03/27/07
Posts: 5,543
Loc: The Aether
Last seen: 5 months, 5 days
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I feel you're going about this the wrong way. Over colonization is not a bad thing. I usually wait till I visibly see the cake kind of shrunken. It pops out without any help at all. You shouldn't have to be poking around to get it out.
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AMU Q&A thread.
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Chi Ro
Jive Ass Turkey


Registered: 09/22/07
Posts: 211
Loc: Right hurr!
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Patience is a virtue. Wait for your cakes to colonize more next time.
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ChristianTaylor5
Mammal


Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 195
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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I understand this, thats why I stopped after I realized all my cakes were in this condition. BTW, I only had to poke 2 cakes out of 20, all others came out easily.
I am just a little worried, I dont want them to stall while I am waiting for them to colonize more because they have to much water content.
What should I do?
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ChristianTaylor5
Mammal


Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 195
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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I have not used all my cakes, I only popped 2/5 of what I have.
I am just worried about them stalling. Is this a possibility?
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Chi Ro
Jive Ass Turkey


Registered: 09/22/07
Posts: 211
Loc: Right hurr!
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Don't worry about them stalling, just give them a little more time to fully colonize.
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ChristianTaylor5
Mammal


Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 195
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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Re: Is this Okay? [Re: Chi Ro]
#7487225 - 10/05/07 01:55 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Okay.
Maybe I should throw them in an incubator to speed growth and heat them up enough to disperse the water that remains throughout the jar more evenly. It seems to be pooling slightly.
So was I wrong to think that to much water content can cause stalling in pf jars?
Thanks,
-CT
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ChristianTaylor5
Mammal


Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 195
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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What are the possible outcomes of overhydrated pf cakes?
-CT
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mycocurious
Mike O. Kuerias



Registered: 02/09/07
Posts: 1,265
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1. No, you don't want to incubate them to try to speed things up, you'll only "awaken" up any dormant contaminates that might also be present.
2. The possible outcome of a cake that's too-wet is an inability to colonize the overly wet portions of the substrate - usually because of the lack of oxygen in those "drowned" areas...and then the anerobic bacteria tend to spring into action in those places.
---- As for remedies, I would wait another four or five days before spawning the rest and during that time, try shifting their positions a couple times a day. Lay them on one of their sides, and then once or twice a day, rotate them a quarter turn.
If the cakes aren't too-too wet, gravity over time will help redistribute the extra moisture more evenly throughout the uncolonized portions of the cake ... but more importantly, it will give those previously over-saturated portions of the substrate a chance to "breath" and therefore, speed up / kick-start colonization again in that area.
--- It's not a silver bullet, but it's an option. Hopefully someone more experienced in cakes will chime in, I've done a couple runs of them before switching to grains out of practicality.
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Don't mistake my tone for a "matter-of-fact" attitude. I'm just presenting what I believe to be correct, until I'm corrected... - How Myco-Curious Prepares Coir & Compost Substrates - How Myco-Curious Builds A Bulk Humidifier - How Myco-Curious Builds An Automated Greenhouse ------------------------------------ figgusfiddus said: Keep in mind that inoculating or whatever in front of a flow hood won't help your bad substrate, your bad inoculant, your bad sterile procedure, etc. etc. etc. It's not a +3 flowhood of magic, it's just a tool.
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ChristianTaylor5
Mammal


Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 195
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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Alright, I will give them some more time and turn them every day. This will work out nicely because I have already spawned 20 half pint cakes to 10lb of HMC. So this way I will also get to follow the growth in these bags, which I possibly spawned too early. I will tell you what though, if these bags start to show strong growth then I will be very content.
So tell me if I got this right: 1. Let jars sit for another 5-7 days while tuning them daily 2. Monitor growth inside bags I have already spawned to
Although my cakes seem to be over-hydrated, they don't seem to be so much so where growth was dramatically hindered. Would it be safe to assume that because they have colonized in these oversaturated jars that they will most likely not stall out due to over hydration?
Thanks guys,
-CT
Edited by ChristianTaylor5 (10/05/07 07:03 PM)
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