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OfflineMushroomMommy
Myco N00b


Reged: 08/21/23
Posts: 230
Loc: La Luna
Mommy’s Modified Jar Lid Tek
      12/05/23 03:25 PM

Mommy’s Modified Jar Lids
for use with Liquid Culture Syringe (LCS) inoculated Grain Jars and LC Master Jars

TRIGGER WARNING: There is mention of Liquid Culture Syringes in this write up.
(If you are sensitive to this topic, I advise you, turn back while you still can! Hit that back button and give your sweet liddo agar plates and extra big hug and kiss tonight.)

You have been warned.

Before we jump into Mommy's Lid Tek, let’s first briefly discuss mason/canning jars. The mason jar is a glass jar that was originally manufactured for use in preserving foods in liquid such as fruits, vegetables, sauces, jams, etc via steam pressure the lids are secured tightly for long-term, shelf-stable pantry storage. They have become the standard in home mushroom cultivation.

For those who don’t know, most sizes of glass mason jars are designed to accommodate 1 of 2 lid sizes (with a few uncommon outliers):
1. Regular Mouth have a diameter of 2.75in / 7cm
2. Wide Mouth have a diameter of 3.38in / 8.6cm

Here is a list of some of the most common sizes of mason jars in general, but also in Mushroom Cultivation.

4oz / quarter-pint
This jar is sometimes referred to as a “jelly jar” and is unsurprisingly, most commonly used for preserving small homemade jellies or dry spices. In mushroom cultivation this and the next size up are the standards for PF Tek using vermiculite and brown rice flour (BRF) to make a little cake. This jar most often features a quilted pattern and while shallow, has a slight taper that is wider at the mouth than base. Despite the wider mouth, it actually does not accommodate the wide mouth lid. Instead, a regular mouth lid is used for this jar.


8oz / half-pint
This jar is also sometimes referred to as a “jelly jar” and again, is unsurprisingly most commonly used for preserving average-sized homemade jellies. This is a commonly seen size along with the 4oz in PF Tek. There are actually two styles of mason jars that come in an 8oz capacity, this more commonly seen straight-sided (lacking a taper) jar that utilizes a regular mouth lid.

The less commonly seen wide mouth 8oz is this squatty guy which I have seen used in some mushroom tek, but is nothing I’ve used.


16oz / pint
We’re now getting into the two most commonly seen mason jars both in general and in Mushroom Tek, the wide mouth version of this size of jar is straight sided

and the regular mouth that is tapered in at the neck.

I have made grain jars in this size before, when I was using the 6qt Instant Pot Duo Gourmet as my PC, but have since upgraded to a PC that can accommodate quarts. I use the pint jars for my LC Master Jars, various storage, and I also have one on my desk that I use to discard used needles and disposable scalpel blades.

32oz / quart
Lastly, we have the quart jar. These jars, just like the pints, are available in either regular mouth:

or wide mouth (that still features a slight taper)

If you see a tek mentioning "quarts" this is the jar they are talking about. The dreaded, forever-misinterpreted unit of measurement known as the “myco-quart” is based off the colonized contents of this jar. If you are comparing a grain bag to these, the contents of (1) 32oz jar will be used as equivalent to 1lb of a grain bag. I have found, with properly hydrated grain, 1lb of grain will fill the jar to approximately just below the "Fill Line" (but you should weight it to 1lb or 452g) I also use these quart jars for dry mushroom storage following dehydration with a couple packs of desiccant and the lid metal lid sealed with a vacuum sealer.

What were we even talking about? Lids?
Alright, so the modified lids that I personally make are meant to accommodate any wide mouth capable jar. The modifications in this tek can obviously also be applied to the smaller, regular mouth lid.

My wide mouth lids will exclusively fit:
8oz / half-pint (the squatty one)
16oz / pint
32oz / quart

Now, let's get into the modifications.

Materials needed:
- Wide Mouth PP5 Lids
- 20mm SHIPs with a 13.2mm inserted end
- 20mm .3u Filter Stickers
- Hand Power Drill
- 1/16in Drill Bit
- 1/4in Forstner Bit
- 3/8in Forstner Bit

The Modified Lids:

Lids:I don’t use the metal disc and band lids that come standard with the canning jars other than for vacuum sealed dry storage. Instead, I modify the separately sold Leakproof Plastic Wide Mouth Ball Lids made of PP5 (polypropylene) a type of plastic that can withstand high heat and pressure. They come in a box of 5 and are around $6-7 per box.

SHIPs (Self-Healing Injection Ports): The ones I am currently using came in a pack of 64 and are made of autoclavable butyl rubber. These SHIP are actually made for test tubes/vials and function as an injectable stopper for the top of the tube. This is why they never feature a lip on the underside to assist in gripping the drilled hole. BUMMER. Here are the dimensions:

The inserted part is 13.2mm. When I purchased these ports, they also came with 64 of the filter stickers (mentioned next) and I think was around $13 total.

Self-Adhesive Synthetic Filters (stickers): The stickers I have are 20mm in diameter and will filter any particle larger than .3u (micron). They can be purchased as a standalone item sold and are usually sold by the sheet. If you want to use these types of filters, I highly recommend making sure the filter is .3u, especially if you plan on drilling ~a 1/4in opening, like me. If you get the .2u filters, you will need to drill a wider hole for additional gas exchange.

Speaking of, when deciding the size of hole to drill for your filter, you first need to look at how the stickers are structured. For mine, they are a double-sided circle made from synthetic filter paper that on the topside is just the filter paper material and on the adhesive side, feature a 10mm/.39in centered inner circle of the exposed paper surrounded by non-breathable adhesive coating rimming the outer edge of the filter. Because of this construction, you do not want your drilled hole size to exceed the inner circle’s diameter. Drilling a smaller hole (like the 1/4in one that I do) means you lessen risk of blocking the opening for air exchange, but also with these stickers, you want to make sure that all the adhesive is in full contact with the lid so that the sticker is less likely to come loose or create an air pocket that contaminants could work their way into. Also, unless you have stellar hand-eye coordination, it’s somewhat surprisingly, not so easy to line up a little sticker dead center with a drilled hole—Ok, this will be my second design upgrade in addition to a lip on the inner side of the stopper, tinted adhesive—Damn, I need to get on these missed marketable opportunities!

Lastly, let’s say you miss your target when putting the sticker on. Sorry, but you need to remove and throw that shit away. Get a new sticker because once that adhesive makes contact it needs to stay right where it is. Lifting the sticke and trying again is a risk because you’ve weakened the already questionable strength of the sticker’s adhesive.

Protip: if you end up buying the same bundle I did from a certain, 2-day shipping website, note that the two sizes listed are flipped. I originally ordered the 13mm:7.6mm ports and it took them sending me the wrong size (the 20mm:13.2mm) three times, one return, and a lengthy chat with customer service before I gave up and just used the 20mm. Also, I see they still have not fixed this, so use it to your advantage because I ended up getting refunded for all 3, returning 1 and keeping the second two mistake orders (free of charge). I told them I shouldn’t have to waste my time driving these to the post office for a second and third time just because they couldn’t read. To clarify, if you order the 20mm:13.2mm ports, you’ll be shipped the 13mm:7.6mm ports and vice versa (the filter stickers are 20mm in both packs). Additionally and as I explained to them, the problem is that they have highlighted the opposite side’s measurement of the ports compared to of every other seller’s listing of SHIPs by advertising the diameter of the inserted end of the stopper rather than the injection side.  Oh well.

Power Drill and Drill Bits; You will need a 1/4in forstner for the gas exchange/filter hole, a 3/8in forstner for the SHIP hole and a standard 1/16in for pilot holes [more on this in lid assembly]. If you do not have a forstner set, you can alternatively use brad tips; IMHO forstners make a cleaner hole. I picked up a cheap 1/4"-1" imperial set for under $10 at harbor freight.



Lid Assembly:

You can start by drilling (2) pilot holes with the 1/16in bit. Generally, the purpose of a pilot hole is to avoid cracking, but I’m now questioning if it’s necessary. The hole made by the forstner is not only small, but also the bit features a pointed tip, providing a relief point—So up to you, err on the side of caution or don’t. Nevermind all that, make a pilot hole. I just cracked a tub thinking I didn't need one. Location doesn’t matter all that much, but maybe don’t drill the two holes too close together.

For the filter hole you’ll use the 1/4in forstner. Whether you’re affixing the sticker to the outside, like me or the interior of the lid, choose a flat area away from writing on whichever side you’re putting it as you want the adhesive to have full contact. For the SHIP hole use the 3/8in forstner, away from writing on both top and bottom of lid. Crevices create gaps where contaminates can hide. You want the port to have as much contact with the lid as possible so that it doesn’t pop out.

Side note: you may notice that the 3/8in hole (which is 9.52mm) is QUITE a bit smaller than the 13.2mm interior side of the 20mm SHIP. Yeah well, had I received the 13mm:7.6mm ports that I ACTUALLY ordered and planned around, a second 1/4in hole (which is 6.35mm) would have snuggly accommodated the 7.6mm interior side of the smaller port -_- and before anyone says it, yes I did ruin a lid by trying a 1/2in (12.7mm) forstner, but the 13.2mm side of the larger port was too loose and I would’ve needed to add silicone, LAME and also UGLY. Only option was either go out and buy a metric 11mm or 12mm forstner or say RIP to my thumbs, a bunch of soon to be broken chopsticks and my sanity by having to shove 13.2mm of port into a 9.52mm opening. Went with the latter.

Here’s the front/exterior of the lid with just the holes:

Here’s the back/interior of the lid with just the holes:

Here’s the front/exterior of the lid with the filter sticker and the port:

Here’s the back/interior of the lid with the filter sticker and the port:


Congratulations! Now you have a modified lid for a pint or quart sized grain jar that is ready for LCS inoculation!


If you are making a lid for a Master LC Jar, you just need to drill a second 3/8” hole in the lid and add another port. This probably a MUST for a quart sized Master LC Jar so that you do not wear out the port from too many pokes and open your jar contents up to contamination.
Here’s one of those:


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ABCD stands for Always Be Collecting Data

“I don't know anything about anything, but I know enough about everything to know that you don't know what the fuck you're talking about”

Edited by MushroomMommy (12/05/23 06:24 PM)

Post Extras Print Post Remind Me! Notify Moderator
. * * Re: Mommy’s Modified Jar Lid Tek Kinoko314   12/05/23 04:31 PM
. * * Re: Mommy’s Modified Jar Lid Tek tryptkaloids   12/05/23 05:14 PM
. * * Re: Mommy’s Modified Jar Lid Tek MushroomMommy   12/05/23 06:27 PM
. * * Re: Mommy’s Modified Jar Lid Tek Way   12/05/23 06:39 PM
. * * Re: Mommy’s Modified Jar Lid Tek HappinessStan   12/05/23 07:32 PM
. * * Re: Mommy’s Modified Jar Lid Tek MushroomMommy   12/05/23 06:25 PM
. * * Re: Mommy’s Modified Jar Lid Tek Kinoko314   12/06/23 02:40 PM
. * * Re: Mommy’s Modified Jar Lid Tek MushroomMommy   12/07/23 07:53 PM
. * * Re: Mommy’s Modified Jar Lid Tek vazap   01/15/24 08:38 PM
. * * Re: Mommy’s Modified Jar Lid Tek HelloImBob   01/17/24 10:50 AM


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