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dstark
Manifesting Minds



Registered: 02/27/08
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: nez]
#8631896 - 07/13/08 11:35 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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If you are using JARS with LIDS the foil should be removed! i supose you have a filter and a layer of dry verm so no contam will pass!
If you were using caps without lids the foil shouldnot be removed!
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MHbound
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: nez]
#8631911 - 07/13/08 11:38 PM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Do you have a 1/2 inch-1 inch dry layer of vermiculite on the top of your jars? Are you using any tyvek?
It helps to let air circulation in. In theory you don't have to do it. I keep tape over my holes unless they stall. I haven't seen any problems. Its debatable. Some people do it, some people don't. If you are using tyvek with a dry layer of vermiculite then I would take it off. Its better to have it off, but if you don't have any barriers against the contaminates then its better to just leave it on. It will slow the growth A LITTLE, but its not worth risking it if you don't have protection in place.
Buy some of that polypore tape I think its called from the grocery store. The medical tape that is breathable. Tape over your holes with that, and that should be fine if you don't have any tyvek.
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nez
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: dstark]
#8631970 - 07/14/08 12:01 AM (16 years, 6 months ago) |
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Ahhh, okay that makes sense. I did not use the actual lids to my jar.
And to answer the other question, yes I have minimum .5 - 1 inches of dry verm on top. I'll have to check out that tape though, it would save me a little extra time and tin foil.
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nez
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: nez]
#8660587 - 07/20/08 08:32 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Well, another week later and the majority of my first batch of jars have been almost colonized:
Here is a pic of the same jar from last week:

And here is a pic of a jar from the second batch I did (It's been one week since inoculation)

Something that's had me concerned is that the second jar image is the only jar to show any growth at all. The other 5 jars show no signs of growth at all. Not even a tiny white spec. Whats the deal? I shook my syringe very well before inoculating. I couldn't see any spores in the syringe, so I can't say I'm very surprised to see these results.
Oh, and I've been slowly setting up a fruiting chamber. I understand that gas exchange is extremely important for pinning and fruiting, so I've devised this:

The fan is on a digital timer. It turns on for 5 minutes every 4 hours... So 6 times a day, every day. What are your opinions on using a fan for gas exchange?
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PowerOfTheCoir
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Registered: 07/02/08
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: nez]
#8664140 - 07/21/08 05:50 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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A fan on a very low setting for a very short time can work for FAE. It's basically just an automated version of fanning with a lid - which everyone recommends.
I wouldn't use one for 5 minutes though. Direct, sustained fanning like that for several minute will be overkill and will cause some significant drying of the cakes surface. They won't just be in a lower RH for a few minutes - they'll actually lose much of their surface moisture. The surface is where pins form and I would really worry about actually drying out tissue during the knotting/pinning phase when it just seems like the myc is searching for excuses to abort growth.
You have achieved the best FAE possible once you have completely forced all of the old air out of your terrarium. Your fan will probably accomplish this in seconds, not minutes. Once that happens, you cannot gain any additional FAE improvements until CO2 has time to build up. The only time it is advisable to fan longer is when a misting has left water on the surface of a casing layer or myc tissue. In that case, drastic evaporation is the goal of the extended fanning. Your misting isn't timed to your automatic fanning, so this isn't a factor.
I'm not real sure about how your FC is set up. Is the aquarium going to have some source of humidity added to it, or is that aquarium just going to be left open and put into a larger chamber with it's own source of humidity? If it's open and in a larger chamber, then you don't need a fan at all - CO2 doesn't sink and collect in low spots, it only builds up in enclosed areas. That's a myth that I'm going to try to kill soon in an article on gas behavior. If the aquarium is enclosed with it's own humidification source, then what does the lid look like? How ventilated is it. A fan pushing against some small holes may not expose the cakes and fruits to much direct wind.
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nez
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: PowerOfTheCoir]
#8664900 - 07/21/08 08:46 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Ah, I see. I can modify the timer to only turn the fan on for one minute, no less, which I will reprogram tonight.
The terrarium in the picture will be as-is. The top of the terrarium has a metal screen (like the screens in our windows,) which I will leave on. When the cakes are ready for fruiting, I will be adding wet perlite to the terrarium. My growing closet air temp is between 72-76F, which should create the humidity needed inside the terrarium, correct?
Also... so many questions, I apologize... as for lighting, above my FC I have a 4' fluorescent lighting fixture with 2 "cool white" lights. Is there such a thing as too much light? I'm tempted to just only leave 1 light on, but if anyone can give me their insight to this, I would appreciate it.
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PowerOfTheCoir
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: nez]
#8666582 - 07/22/08 04:52 AM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Window screens are designed to cause the least possible interference with flow of air and humidity. This means that your terrarium will probably not be any more humid then the rest of the closet. The perlite will evaporate and raise the humidity in the closet, but I really doubt you'll get anywhere near what mushrooms need. You definitely wouldn't need or want a fan with that set-up. If humidity is somehow maintained, FAE wouldn't be a concern at all since the screen would barely even slow down air exchange.
Look around the board for other thread discussing terrarium designs. A lot has been learned since the PF Tek and MMGG recommended aquariums with bubblers or ultrasonics. People are now getting much better results and spending less money by using plastic tubs and thick layers of perlite.
As far as the lighting goes, I've yet to hear of anyone hurting their grow by having too much. The type of light is very important though. "Cool White" tends to have a lower "color temperature" than you want. Fluorescents are still better than incandescents, but you'd be much better served with lights with a color temperature around 6500K. Lights labeled "Daylight" tend to be around there. That 4' fixture is going to give you better lighting than the vast majority of growers. It might be a bit into the point of diminishing returns to go with all 4 tubes. Even one will be better than many people use.
-------------------- Check out my first ever TEK!
Shroom capsules with the Cap-M-Quik (pics)
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nez
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: PowerOfTheCoir]
#8669971 - 07/22/08 11:58 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Here is a pic of the top of the terrarium:

I think I am going to cover the top with micro pore tape, leaving a few 1 cm gaps so that some of the fan air can get in. I'm thinking that should still contain the majority of the humidity within the terrarium?
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jeetered
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: nez]
#8669984 - 07/23/08 12:02 AM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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I was wondering how your jars are getting any gas exchange with the foil on them like that under the band.
With pftek, it's four holes with micropore tape on them after you inoculate, no foil, you put the foil on LAST before you put in pressure cooker, to keep any more moisture from entering/exiting...
for grains, you have other options, but you still only put foil on LAST over the outside to keep water from soaking everything,
each way the foil is discarded after removing and inoculating.
lolz. remove the foil, put micropore tape over holes, and watch it fly.
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jeetered
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: jeetered]
#8669991 - 07/23/08 12:03 AM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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dont let that fan dry your cakes out, it should only come on for 2 minutes every hour, that would be sufficient air exchange.
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nez
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: jeetered]
#8670033 - 07/23/08 12:15 AM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
jeetered said: I was wondering how your jars are getting any gas exchange with the foil on them like that under the band.
With pftek, it's four holes with micropore tape on them after you inoculate, no foil, you put the foil on LAST before you put in pressure cooker, to keep any more moisture from entering/exiting...
for grains, you have other options, but you still only put foil on LAST over the outside to keep water from soaking everything,
each way the foil is discarded after removing and inoculating.
lolz. remove the foil, put micropore tape over holes, and watch it fly.
Funny that you mention this, after taking 1 test jar and removing the additional foil, I let it sit for a week, and no signs of contams. So just the other night I removed the additional foil from all jars and covered the inoculation points with micro pore tape
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nez
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: nez]
#8689891 - 07/27/08 07:59 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Weekly Update:
Another week has passed, and I actually have a few concerns. My first batch of jars that I knocked up with Alazabenzi spores has seemingly slowed down. There are small gaps where the mycelium isn't growing, and I'm seeing some extra moisture inside the jars that didn't use to be there. I can also see that the mycelium has really eaten away at the substrate, causing it to pull away from the jars. Take a look:

As you can see, the left part of the jar has pulled away and shrunk. Any suggestions?
The second batch of jars I knocked up with the Puerto Rican spores is doing well. Only 2 of the 6 jars I inoculated did anything, which is what I get from ordering from a non sponser...but the jars that started growing are doing great, take a look:

What do you think?
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risndeath
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: nez]
#8689946 - 07/27/08 08:20 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Nice stuff dude, I am currently doing b+ spores in a couple 1/2 pint jars its only been 3 days, so no signs of anything yet i left a good 1/2 inch or more of dry verm and took off the foil hopefully this will speed up the process, good grow man lookin foward to seeing them fruit!!
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MHbound
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: risndeath]
#8690006 - 07/27/08 08:43 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Cool man. 
They will shrink up there isn't anything you can do, and nothing wrong with it.
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nez
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: MHbound]
#8690036 - 07/27/08 08:50 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Ok cool, I'm very glad to see others see the pictures as still good news. Thanks for the encouragement so far guys... I guess I'll just have to be patient
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nismo power
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Registered: 07/27/08
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: dstark]
#8690045 - 07/27/08 08:54 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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micropore tape, my guess is that it's available by the band aids and what not.. is that a good guess? if not, where is it available?
my first attempt several years ago i used masking tape to cover the holes on the lids, never used polyphil and i was able to colonize a few but most of them stalled.. i personally use 1pint size and will continue to do so on my 2nd attempt within te next week..
this micropore tape sounds like it could be the missing link from my first attempt..
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PowerOfTheCoir
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Registered: 07/02/08
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Re: New Member, New Grower, First Attempt... [Re: nismo power]
#8697183 - 07/29/08 12:10 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
nismo power said: micropore tape, my guess is that it's available by the band aids and what not.. is that a good guess? if not, where is it available?
my first attempt several years ago i used masking tape to cover the holes on the lids, never used polyphil and i was able to colonize a few but most of them stalled.. i personally use 1pint size and will continue to do so on my 2nd attempt within te next week..
this micropore tape sounds like it could be the missing link from my first attempt..
Correct, micropore is in the first aid section right next to the band-aids. I always find the Nexcare brand. It won't have "micropore" in huge letters, but if you closely examine the package, you'll see a little part that says "Hospital Name: 3M Micropore Tape." They will also probably have a "transpore" tape nearby too - it doesn't handle high heat well, so I'd avoid it.
-------------------- Check out my first ever TEK!
Shroom capsules with the Cap-M-Quik (pics)
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