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laughingbuddha
That's freakinAWESOME!

Registered: 10/19/04
Posts: 159
Loc: the Moment
Last seen: 13 years, 7 months
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Advice for better casing performance
#8133787 - 03/11/08 08:20 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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This is my first attempt at casing. Several weeks ago i took some PF Cakes of Treasure Coast and Ecuador, crumbled them up, and cased them in a 50/50 vermiculite/peat moss mix with a layer of vermiculite on the bottom.
here is my FC:

i wanted to experiment with different casing sizes as well as gauge casing performance vs. cake performance.
after incubating the casings for a few days, i noticed mycelium poking through in a few spots. i read that this was the appropriate time to uncover the casing and place it in the FC.
the casing in the large tray is doing okay . ..but growth is confined to the perimeter. i was expecting the entire casing top to be covered in white mycelium, but this never occurred.
Q1) what are possible reasons that explain why the top never fully colonized?

Q2) what do you think i can do to improve casing performance?
For instance, why is this little casing guy doing so poorly?

i fan when i can and mist a bit after every other fanning. i try not to overmist. i followed RR's FC tek, with lots of 1/8 inch holes drilled over every side of the FC for gas exchange.
Q3) what impact does casing depth have on the likelihood that the mycelium will fully colonize the top layer? could it be that the 1/2" or so of top layer was too much? should i try less casing on top?
the last pic shows what i think is evidence of the large casing not getting enough moisture: it is pulling away from the sides. this could be, of course, a natural casing behavior.

Q4) is the above indicative that i'm not my casings aren't getting enough moisture?
thanks for the help guys.
***===LB===***
-------------------- "The more I read, the more I meditate; and the more I meditate, the more certain I am that I know nothing." -Voltaire
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myelination
psychopharmacologist


Registered: 02/21/08
Posts: 281
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Re: Advice for better casing performance [Re: laughingbuddha]
#8133823 - 03/11/08 08:26 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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Q3: most people try for a 1:4 ratio of casing layer to substrate layer. so if you have two inches of crumbled cakes, you shouldn't use more than 0.5" of casing.
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Mana
Substance ofSouls


Registered: 03/10/08
Posts: 203
Loc: Where Everything Good Is ...
Last seen: 14 years, 11 months
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Re: Advice for better casing performance [Re: laughingbuddha]
#8133846 - 03/11/08 08:30 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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I think you uncovered the casings and put them into the fruiting chamber too soon. I usually wait until about 20% of the surface has mycelium growing through but I don't see any myc coming through on those. The whole surface looks like casing with little specs of myc showing through but not near 20% of the surface.
-------------------- Everybody lies, but it doesn't matter since nobody listens.
How to become immortal: Read this signature tomorrow and follow its advice.
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dill705
Amazed



Registered: 12/10/07
Posts: 3,779
Loc: The Cat's Cradle
Last seen: 7 years, 3 months
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Re: Advice for better casing performance [Re: Mana]
#8133902 - 03/11/08 08:38 PM (16 years, 10 months ago) |
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I just put my last casings in the FC right after casing and their doing great.
Yes, all my casings have pulled from the sides a little bit.
And, I recently learned that you don't want all of the casing layer colonized, you want the fruitbodies to grow through that layer, for protect and to EVAPORATE water for the fruitbodies, not feed the mycelium water they can already find elsewhere.
Check out the monsters on BRF thread in this forum. Ther's some good info on what I did on my last grow, biggest shroom from the first flush =112.6 grams wet.
-------------------- My advice is to find those things that give pleasure and do them often without too much attachment and relax and wait for the show to end.
-Icelander-
I like free markets and all. Truly I do, at least in general, but there needs to be some kind of oversight in recognition of sustainability. Life works the same way, on a bunch of sustainable systems. Why not honor what made us what we are and take some lessons? Nature FTW!
~dill705~
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