Ecuador Grow Journal #1

So let me get this straight. You are doing some sort of a bulk grow and not growing off of your original grain/spawn? I see you are using compost so you must be doing a spawn. If that is so, then you can easily use straight rye or even popcorn. Do yourself a favor and make this all simple for yourself. Cook the grain in water until just before the kernels begin to burst. Drain well, no need to rinse and fill your jars 1/3 full. Sterilize well. I like 90 minutes for jars. As you remove them from your pressure cooker, give them an initial shake. Let them cool and shake them again. Inoculate them as you would - I personally think that direct spores to grain is a waste of money and effort but I believe in early isolates. Close the lids up tight and let them sit in a warm place until they show some growth. Shake them with a swirling sort of motion and let them sit again. If you are not completely covered in a few days shake them again. You should be fine from there.

Yeah I know all that Im just having trouble with the seed getting wet in the pressure cooker did another 3 jars today with same results I duct taped the aluminum foil to the jar so not sure wtf is goin on, this is very upsetting and im getting a little worried that this might not work out for me.....

well maybe not......the jars from last night seem to have dried? so im gonna go ahead and cook the othe jars and see what happens!

Good luck friend.

It will work out for you. These are the most forgiving organisms I have ever grown and I have worked on any number of different sorts of things. I don't quite understand what you believe is the problem. Why are you taping aluminum foil to the jar and why is it a problem getting your seeds wet?

well ive just read alot of conflicting information and I guess Im confused on what to believe. I hear people say that the grain needs to be wet, then I hear others say its very important for it to be dry. I was hoping Darth or someone would jump in on this. People from the shroomery kinda pissed me off so I think im not going back there.

Where you at anc? ide LOVE to have you or another of rollitup's gurus on my thread!

Ok, on the subject of dryness of grain.

You don't want any moisture dripping from the grain. If you cook it beforehand (rather than putting the proper ratios of grain to water in the jar and then using your sterilization cycle to cook the grain as well) then all you need to do is reach the best saturation point. I figure the grain should be (double? double and a half?) the size when it is cooked. If you use rye and precook it, put it in your col lender and let it drain for half an hour or so, that should be all you need to do.

It needs to look moist when it goes into the jars, the kernels should not be gummy or glom on to each other but you are getting too worried over little. I have grown them well with free liquid on the bottom of the jar - it just makes full colonization take longer and makes you more open to contamination. It will still work. Now too dry is another matter and colonization may well fail if the grain is too dry.


Now popcorn is a different story but you aren't using that are you? I'm sorry I am referring to rye only but I have only used bird seed a few times and didn't like the results.

Stamets says:

Quart Jars

1 cup rye grain to 2/3-3/4 cup water or 240ml grain to 170-200 ml water. Ideal moisture content is 48 - 52%.


If you are still freaked about it, use chalk or gypsum (NOT dolomitic lime) at a rate of 1 or 2 parts by weight to 100 parts dry grain. But really, relax a bit, none of this needs to be that exact.

ok thanks alot bud that post really meant alot, and I think you helped me understand it alot better than any other post ive read on any site. I think my grain may be to dry but after I take it out the pc it does look moist like what you explain. thanks man

btw im DEFIENTLY going with rye berries next time around

Good luck, Good SiR
Watching, withoudda doubt

Hey buddy thx for the support! Yeah I think im paying TO MUCH attention to detail and need to breathe a little I do tend to do that alot

Dude go to your post office and get some free(most offices give them for free) tyvek envelopes. Cut themto fit inbetween your lid and the rim so when you screw it down it holds it in place. tyvek is waterproof but you can stick your needle right through it. No need for foil at all.

yeah I think I still prefer polyfill, I know this is silly but I live in a small town where people know im that "pot head kid" and dont really wanna draw any attention not that it would its just all in my head, but it is there.

growdankbuds said:

ok thanks alot bud that post really meant alot, and I think you helped me understand it alot better than any other post ive read on any site. I think my grain may be to dry but after I take it out the pc it does look moist like what you explain. thanks man

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glad of that. I see over and over again people making this out to be some kind of stringent science. If you are going for the gold, a perfect pinset in a cased environment then you have to meld everything together just so in a harmony of timing. There is much enjoyment in that but for what you want to do, all you need is to make the mushroom your friend and let it do what it wants to do already - fruit.

ok jars are sitting in my dressor knocked up, 70 % showing mycilium growth

you guys think I should have a casing?

Well I do but most here don't. I find that casing gives me larger fruit, more flushes and a more even pinset. It just isn't that hard to get yourself a little coir and some vermiculite, wet it down and put it in the oven for a couple of hours.

canndo said:

Well I do but most here don't. I find that casing gives me larger fruit, more flushes and a more even pinset. It just isn't that hard to get yourself a little coir and some vermiculite, wet it down and put it in the oven for a couple of hours.View attachment 1548418 View attachment 1548415View attachment 1548416View attachment 1548417

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I agree, I think casing is beneficial.


I like this pic

Just finished reading through did you get your jars pc'd and innoculated yet? i see you said you have some jars at 70 percent coloninazation, so i figure you did, from now on i'd skip the coffee filters, its outdated method, i just stopped using it like last year and haven't had any problems with out it.