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fivesenses99
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Registered: 11/12/07
Posts: 52
Last seen: 16 years, 10 days
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lack of growth in some of my cakes!
#7769690 - 12/17/07 01:40 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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I posted this message a few days ago --->
I am having difficulty getting much growth out of my cakes. I want to know what I am doing wrong. I have had a couple flops, where nothing grew, and a couple other that have only produced growth in 1 or 2 spots where 4 spots were injected.
I know I have been injecting the cakes against the side of the jar, is that what is wrong? should I be doing it straight into the cake and brown flower/vermicelite mix?
I got some responses that the reason for my problem might be the water, too much water ratio in the cakes. I have been putting the exactly the ratio of water to vermiculite to brown flower rice as the guide tells me to. 1 part water, 1 part brown flower rice, 2 parts verm. The cakes are in 1 pint jars, I believe. Should I add more water? less? is water getting into my jars during the sterilization process? I put 3 sheets of tin foil on top to protect each jar.
Any help is appreciated.
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verminute
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Registered: 11/16/07
Posts: 595
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: fivesenses99]
#7769709 - 12/17/07 01:44 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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Is water forming on the bottom of the jars, does the verm. and BRF look wet? When you inculated the jars did you put the needle past the verm. top layer? How long have you waited, pictures, and what tek are you using?
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Fraggin
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: fivesenses99]
#7769721 - 12/17/07 01:46 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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Could be a number of things. Crappy spore syringe. Low colonizing temps. No port of gas exchange. Weak strain. Unsuitable substrate. Competitive bacteria or other. etc.
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H80
bum



Registered: 11/29/07
Posts: 10
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: verminute]
#7769758 - 12/17/07 01:52 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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same problem here. I suspect the substrate was too dry. 1/4 BRF 1/4 H20 2/3 vermiculite, but I may have gotten the measurements a bit wrong; the rice was parboiled instead of brown; the spore solution had been preserved in a freezer for about 3 months and it's our first time trying this.
There is growth on the injected spots, but it has been about 2 or more weeks now, and they aren't getting remarkably bigger over these couple of days.
-------------------- When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
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verminute
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: H80]
#7769808 - 12/17/07 02:00 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
H80 said: same problem here. I suspect the substrate was too dry. 1/4 BRF 1/4 H20 2/3 vermiculite, but I may have gotten the measurements a bit wrong; the rice was parboiled instead of brown; the spore solution had been preserved in a freezer for about 3 months and it's our first time trying this.
There is growth on the injected spots, but it has been about 2 or more weeks now, and they aren't getting remarkably bigger over these couple of days.
Don't freeze the spores - that might've killed them right there. Put them in the fridge.
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H80
bum



Registered: 11/29/07
Posts: 10
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: verminute]
#7769902 - 12/17/07 02:23 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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well, I meant a regular fridge not a deep freezer. The spores have developed into mycelia, but kinda slow (2+ weeks) and the cakes are a long way from full colonization.
-------------------- When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
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fivesenses99
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Registered: 11/12/07
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Last seen: 16 years, 10 days
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: verminute]
#7769906 - 12/17/07 02:24 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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The vermiculite I am using is a much finer grade. Could that be the reason? That and the larger jars (1 pint) because I couldn't find 1/2 pint jars anywhere for the life of me are the only two things I strayed from on the Guild. I am using the tek guide posted on this site.
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verminute
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Registered: 11/16/07
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: fivesenses99]
#7769910 - 12/17/07 02:26 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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Can you get pictures?
The substrate is loose correct, you didn't pack it down?
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fivesenses99
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: verminute]
#7769916 - 12/17/07 02:28 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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I'll get photos. I will give you a photo of one that only produced growth in 1 of 4 spots, and one that never produced any growth. I did not pack the substrate in the slightest.
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verminute
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: fivesenses99]
#7769938 - 12/17/07 02:34 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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You're growing myc. therefore, you're pretty much golden. It's just taking a long time. The pictures will help, the vet guys here will be able to point out any issues with a high quailty picture.
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bryanbzl
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Registered: 03/11/07
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: verminute]
#7769956 - 12/17/07 02:42 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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i think i might know what your problem is since i have had a similar experience 2 days ago. in full pint jars water tends to build up a the bottom easily and sometime you wont notice it because it is soaked into your substrate. i removed my 75 percent colonized (stalled) substrate jars and removes the uncolonized part after a LONG time incubating, nonetheless the uncolonized part was soaked and didn't fit colonization standards.
that is if your syringe was viable and:
1-Crappy spore syringe. 2-Low colonizing temps. 3-improperly mixed (hydrated) substrate. 4-Possible bacterial contamination.
cheers,
bzl
-------------------- Cheers, bzl -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "From 1898 through to 1910 heroin was marketed as a non-addictive morphine substitute and cough medicine for children." conclusion: poor fucking children of the early 1900's.
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fivesenses99
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Registered: 11/12/07
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Last seen: 16 years, 10 days
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: fivesenses99]
#7769963 - 12/17/07 02:44 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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Heres some photos!
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fivesenses99
Stranger

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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: fivesenses99]
#7769969 - 12/17/07 02:46 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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The photos of my cakes can be seen under my photo gallery, I couldn't figure out how to post them directly on the message.
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Fraggin
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: fivesenses99]
#7769988 - 12/17/07 02:55 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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It looks fine to me. I think if you give them another week, in the dark, at optimum temps they will finish colonzing. If not, then you may have dry substrate. Do you have a pressure cooker with the rocker weight on top?
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fivesenses99
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Registered: 11/12/07
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Last seen: 16 years, 10 days
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: Fraggin]
#7770017 - 12/17/07 03:02 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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Yes, I have the pressure cooker. The photo of the uncolonized substrate has like that for way over a month now. The second photo with the colonized substrate has been going for about 2 weeks.
I am about to make a few more cakes, which is the reason I am asking these questions. I wan to get optimum growth out of the new ones. Thanks for everyones help.
And, BTW, just out of curiousity, is it better to have cakes that are too wet, or too dry? Because one of the cakes that *did* colonize appeared to have gotten a little extra H20 in in it from the pressure cooker process. Is the 1 part water 1 part flour, 2 parts vermiculite not the correct ratio that the guide recommends?
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verminute
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Registered: 11/16/07
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: fivesenses99]
#7770043 - 12/17/07 03:08 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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It looks great! Artist huh? Or just boredom on the paper under the jar?
Yes, one part water, one part BRF, and two parts verm. Tape the incoulation holes with masking tape so water doesn't get in the substrate and contaminate... Don't remove the tape until you inculate.
Don't mind the spelling, I'm in a rush.
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RogerRabbit
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Re: lack of growth in some of my cakes! [Re: verminute]
#7770455 - 12/17/07 04:53 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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Use 1/2 pints. RR
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
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