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gonnadoit
man with a plan
Registered: 05/22/02
Posts: 74
Last seen: 22 years, 4 months
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sterilizing casing materials
#829794 - 08/20/02 07:06 AM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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Should you sterilize your verm and peat moss for casing purposes, and what do you suggest pressure cooker in quart jars or the oven or perhaps something else. Thank you for any insight.
I love growing shitake mushrooms!!
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rheidiohed121
Simeon

Registered: 06/19/02
Posts: 157
Last seen: 21 years, 9 months
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: gonnadoit]
#829801 - 08/20/02 07:11 AM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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Pressure cooking or boiling them in a big pot is also sufficient But i suggest using 1/2 pint jars. you will be safer that way from contams. Yes it is recommended to sterilize your casing stuff but i don't and it always comes out just fine. good luck with those shitakes
-------------------- i apologize if i aide in the spreading of any misinformation
"Adventavit asinus,
Pulcher et fortissimus"
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EvilJesus
Shaman
Registered: 03/25/02
Posts: 145
Last seen: 20 years, 9 months
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: rheidiohed121]
#829854 - 08/20/02 07:34 AM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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It's always a good idea to sterilize your casing mixtures. A pressure cooker works well because it reaches such high temperatures. Sometimes I get lazy and don't sterilize if I used just plain vermiculite, however I've lost some casings to contams this way. But sometimes they will make it and don't contam. If you use anything like peat, straw or anything with nutrients I would definately sterilize/pasteurize first.
-------------------- you're only as deep as the self that you dig
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cantankerous

Registered: 04/05/02
Posts: 522
Loc: hidden in your terrarium
Last seen: 6 years, 3 months
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: gonnadoit]
#830159 - 08/20/02 09:55 AM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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you can always throw it in the microwave and nuke it for several minutes to sterilize. this is the lazy-ass's tek to sterilization of casings....of course my preferred method.
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FanaTEK
Slave to theShroom

Registered: 09/19/01
Posts: 447
Loc: Midwest, US
Last seen: 17 years, 10 months
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: gonnadoit]
#830291 - 08/20/02 11:02 AM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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My cat uses the microwave and nukes his casing in a large mixing bowl (covered) on "hi" for 10 minutes. Works great for him!
FanaTEK
-------------------- Read the FAQ!
Read !
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groingrinder
mycophiliac

Registered: 05/22/02
Posts: 271
Last seen: 19 years, 3 months
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: gonnadoit]
#830548 - 08/20/02 01:30 PM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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I just had a coco fibre casing contam after the first flush. I used 5 qt jars of birdseed on that casing and now it is all wasted. You bet your ass I will sterilize my casing material next time.
-------------------- Let's not confuse truth with reality.
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Addict
addict

Registered: 05/12/02
Posts: 519
Last seen: 20 years, 6 months
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: groingrinder]
#831204 - 08/20/02 06:34 PM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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I just throw s shit load of mixture in a autoclavable bag and throw it in the PC FOR 45 MINS bam sterile to perfection never has failed me - never!
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Killa420
Alien Lover

Registered: 06/26/02
Posts: 1,057
Loc: Down South
Last seen: 2 years, 2 months
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: groingrinder]
#831265 - 08/20/02 06:51 PM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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I too use to never sterilize my coco coir and it always got green mold during or right after the first flush. Now that I have sterilized it this time, I actually made it to a second flush and going on the third in another casing. Never hurts to be to safe.
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northernsoul2
REINCARNATED

Registered: 08/19/02
Posts: 15
Last seen: 22 years, 5 months
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: gonnadoit]
#831354 - 08/20/02 07:41 PM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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To me, pressure cookers are 99.9 percent fullproof...anything else is less than that.
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robinhood2
merry man w/outthe tights!
Registered: 07/22/02
Posts: 110
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: gonnadoit]
#831385 - 08/20/02 07:56 PM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yeah but I have a question. Everyone talks about what they do BEFORE they case......sterilizing the mix and what not. That's all easy enough but what do you do about keeping it sterile during those moments when you have to actually SPOON the stuff from your sterilized container into your casing? That's the part that seems the shadiest to me. You have to have it in the open air for a good 5 minutes, plus there could be stuff on your saran wrap, or who knows what. Or does everyone do their casing in a glove box?
R
-------------------- "Rob? That's a naughty word, we never rob. We just.. borrow a bit from those who can afford it."
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groingrinder
mycophiliac

Registered: 05/22/02
Posts: 271
Last seen: 19 years, 3 months
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: robinhood2]
#834045 - 08/21/02 05:05 PM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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I have a glove box, but it is too small to do the casing operation in. I block off the air duct in the room I am casing in, put a towel under the door crack. Make sure the window is closed, spread a sheet of plastic tarp down on the carpet to work on, put on my surgical mask, spray lysol everywhere really heavy, alcohol, then bleach the cat litter box that is my casing container, I soak the spoon that I use to spoon out my birdseed in a baggie full of alcohol for about a day before I use it to spoon the seed out of my jars into the cat litter box. My hands also receive the alcohol treatment before I handle any of the coco fibre that I squeeze the excess water out of and lay on top of the birdseed.
-------------------- Let's not confuse truth with reality.
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FanaTEK
Slave to theShroom

Registered: 09/19/01
Posts: 447
Loc: Midwest, US
Last seen: 17 years, 10 months
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: robinhood2]
#834089 - 08/21/02 05:20 PM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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Wow, Groingrinder is a really sterile dude. 
I don't think all of that is really necessary. My cat turns off any fans in the room and closes the door and windows. He then sprays a little lysol around and wipes his big serving spoon off with a paper towel soaked in alcohol. Paws are sprayed with alcohol every few minutes during the procedure. He's just started wearing a mask, too, but it never seemed to be a problem before.
Just work quickly and cleanly. Your situation may call for more or less anal-retentive menthods than others'.
FanaTEK
-------------------- Read the FAQ!
Read !
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primal_future
Wizard
Registered: 07/10/02
Posts: 95
Last seen: 21 years, 7 months
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Re: sterilizing casing materials [Re: gonnadoit]
#834106 - 08/21/02 05:27 PM (22 years, 5 months ago) |
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My friend had problems figuring out what to stick his casing mixture in when pressure cooking a few days ago. Finally, after breaking in his new hand blown pipe, he remembered that Reynolds Oven Bags sold in the grocery store next to the zip-lock baggies would do the trick. They're designed to withstand high temperatures.
primal
-------------------- All pictures posted by me were found on the internet. Moreover, I do not grow mushrooms containing controlled substances nor do I possess any controlled substances.
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