Viola
New Member
Hello all,
I have been lurking here for a while and soaking up as much information as I can before starting my first mushroom grow. I've changed my mind on which Tek to use and what type of substrate so many times. I've read through other noob growers threads and their struggles and I hope to learn from their trials and tribulations. I started out planning to use PF Tek, then switched to the Canndo grain method (popcorn), explored alternative soil and grain casings, and finally circled back around to PF Tek cakes. I really like the idea of using soil casing as the mushroom is meant to grow, but after seeing other people struggle with that method I am hesitant to try it right out of the gate. I'm planning to use a modified PF Tek method and perhaps graduate to single-container casing soil in the future.
Shoutout to RetiredMatthebrute also growing the Golden Teachers!
I'm going to post my plan below, feedback and criticism welcome! I have several questions throughout the plan, and I would really appreciate experienced growers input in these areas.
The normal PF Tek method advises pressure cooking to sterilize the jars and the substrate before inoculation. I plan to use pasteurization instead of sterilization, since it leaves good bacteria and microbes behind. My understanding of sterilization is that it opens you up to easier contaminants due to being completely sterile. Is the pasteurization method acceptable for a BRF/Verm substrate?
Another question, I have one syringe (12ml?) and 12x pint jars (16oz). How much should I inject per jar? Should I create two or four injection sites? I'd like to stretch my syringe as far as possible...
Should I use half-pint jars instead of pint jars?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Viola's Plan:
Inoculation
Prepare Jars
Make 2 nail holes around the edge of the jar lid rubber-side up.
Seal with rubber-side up. Cover with foil square.
12x 8oz Jars:
9 cups vermiculite
3 cups brown rice flour
3 cups water
2 tbsp. earthworm castings
New Foil squares for lids post-inoculation
Fill to the threading on the jar, leave it about ½ inch of space at the top. Fill the rest of the jar with dry vermiculite. This is to make a barrier between the substrate and contaminants in the air.
Pasteurize Substrate
Hydrate substrate to “field capacity,” pack substrate into mason jars, use a candy thermometer stuck inside one jar. Put the jars in a vessel of water, off the bottom (jar rings), and raise the water temp to boiling. When the temp inside the substrate gets to 115 degrees F, turn off the heat, move the vessel to a different stove element, and watch the temps. (Confusing: It needs to sit at 140-160 degrees F for 90 minutes. Water at 212 degrees/jars at 115 will continue to raise the temp inside the jars?). This should get to the right range, and if you vessel is large enough it is likely you will not need to heat the water again to get to the 60-90 minute window.
OR
Sterilize Substrate
Via pressure cooker or pan of boiling water.
Sterilize Glove Box
Spray inside of glove box with Lysol spray.
Glove box is contained in a 4x4x6ft air-sealed tent with arm holes (also pre-Lysol'd). Showered and wearing clean clothes while interacting with tent.
Shake syringe
Break up the spores by shaking up the syringe.
Attach and heat needle outside glove box
Heat the needle outside of the glove box, let it cool for a few seconds, and then inoculate in the glove box. Alcohol wipe needle in between each jar.
Inoculate
1. Open the pasteurization vessel
2. Remove a jar
3. Heat or alcohol wipe the syringe
4. Remove the foil
5. Insert the needle into the hole you punched
6. Inject some of the spore saturated fluid into the substrate, on the wall of the glass jar. You should be able to see the needle tip and the water run down the side of the jar.
7. Repeat with the other nail holes.
8. Replace the foil and continue with the next jar.
Colonization
The jars will rest inside their air-sealed tent at 80-86 degrees F in the dark. This allows the spores to incubate into mycelium, the body that absorbs nutrients and water. Lower temps will just make it take longer to grow.
It should take 3-4 days to see the first hairs of mycelium forming.
It should take 3-5 weeks to let it get a 100% foothold in all the substrate, depending on temperature conditions.
I have also read to let it sit at 1 week at full colonization.
Humidity isn't important during this phase.
I don't want to check on it too often or expose it to too much light. Is this a concern?
Fruiting
Once fully colonized, the jars are emptied out (“birthed”
and soaked in water for 24 hours (refrigerator causes fruits to appear quicker by temperature shocking them). Roll the cake in dry vermiculite after it has been birthed and soaked. Mushrooms are 80-90% water!
Place cakes into their fruiting chambers (at proper temp and humidity already). I plan to have 2 fruiting chambers to lessen the chance of total-contamination for my first attempt; 6 cakes per chamber.
My FC will be a large clear tupperware with water-soaked perlite (5-10min in a bowl of water) in the bottom. Place squares of foil (not too big!) where the cakes will sit.
Light needs to penetrate the entire chamber. It is said 8500k blue/white spectrum is best. “Bright light in the daylight range 6000-7000k.” Will a timer for 12hrs on/12hrs off work?
Cover the FC to keep in humidity. Drill holes into the sides of the container to allow air exchange, they produce CO2 and require O2 to live! (2 holes? More?)
Spray inside the FC often and perform FAE (fresh air exchange) often (3-6x per day? Once per hour?). Fruit size production is relying on the amount of moisture; too dry gives small fruits!
Estimated fruiting time: 14 days?
Cakes should last for 2-4 flushes, dunk the cakes for 24 hours in between flushes to rehydrate it.
To pick mushrooms, grab them from the base with your forefinger and thumb and break it off at the base.
Air dry.
Timeline
Day 1: Preparation/pasteurization; 24-hour water soak
Day 2: Inoculate
Day 31: 28 days later, cakes are colonized
Day 45: 14 days later, fruiting complete
Day 46 (ish): 24-hr soak, roll, fruit again
Does this all look right?
I have been lurking here for a while and soaking up as much information as I can before starting my first mushroom grow. I've changed my mind on which Tek to use and what type of substrate so many times. I've read through other noob growers threads and their struggles and I hope to learn from their trials and tribulations. I started out planning to use PF Tek, then switched to the Canndo grain method (popcorn), explored alternative soil and grain casings, and finally circled back around to PF Tek cakes. I really like the idea of using soil casing as the mushroom is meant to grow, but after seeing other people struggle with that method I am hesitant to try it right out of the gate. I'm planning to use a modified PF Tek method and perhaps graduate to single-container casing soil in the future.
Shoutout to RetiredMatthebrute also growing the Golden Teachers! I'm going to post my plan below, feedback and criticism welcome! I have several questions throughout the plan, and I would really appreciate experienced growers input in these areas.
The normal PF Tek method advises pressure cooking to sterilize the jars and the substrate before inoculation. I plan to use pasteurization instead of sterilization, since it leaves good bacteria and microbes behind. My understanding of sterilization is that it opens you up to easier contaminants due to being completely sterile. Is the pasteurization method acceptable for a BRF/Verm substrate?
Another question, I have one syringe (12ml?) and 12x pint jars (16oz). How much should I inject per jar? Should I create two or four injection sites? I'd like to stretch my syringe as far as possible...
Should I use half-pint jars instead of pint jars?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Viola's Plan:
Inoculation
Prepare Jars
Make 2 nail holes around the edge of the jar lid rubber-side up.
Seal with rubber-side up. Cover with foil square.
12x 8oz Jars:
9 cups vermiculite
3 cups brown rice flour
3 cups water
2 tbsp. earthworm castings
New Foil squares for lids post-inoculation
Fill to the threading on the jar, leave it about ½ inch of space at the top. Fill the rest of the jar with dry vermiculite. This is to make a barrier between the substrate and contaminants in the air.
Pasteurize Substrate
Hydrate substrate to “field capacity,” pack substrate into mason jars, use a candy thermometer stuck inside one jar. Put the jars in a vessel of water, off the bottom (jar rings), and raise the water temp to boiling. When the temp inside the substrate gets to 115 degrees F, turn off the heat, move the vessel to a different stove element, and watch the temps. (Confusing: It needs to sit at 140-160 degrees F for 90 minutes. Water at 212 degrees/jars at 115 will continue to raise the temp inside the jars?). This should get to the right range, and if you vessel is large enough it is likely you will not need to heat the water again to get to the 60-90 minute window.
OR
Sterilize Substrate
Via pressure cooker or pan of boiling water.
Sterilize Glove Box
Spray inside of glove box with Lysol spray.
Glove box is contained in a 4x4x6ft air-sealed tent with arm holes (also pre-Lysol'd). Showered and wearing clean clothes while interacting with tent.
Shake syringe
Break up the spores by shaking up the syringe.
Attach and heat needle outside glove box
Heat the needle outside of the glove box, let it cool for a few seconds, and then inoculate in the glove box. Alcohol wipe needle in between each jar.
Inoculate
1. Open the pasteurization vessel
2. Remove a jar
3. Heat or alcohol wipe the syringe
4. Remove the foil
5. Insert the needle into the hole you punched
6. Inject some of the spore saturated fluid into the substrate, on the wall of the glass jar. You should be able to see the needle tip and the water run down the side of the jar.
7. Repeat with the other nail holes.
8. Replace the foil and continue with the next jar.
Colonization
The jars will rest inside their air-sealed tent at 80-86 degrees F in the dark. This allows the spores to incubate into mycelium, the body that absorbs nutrients and water. Lower temps will just make it take longer to grow.
It should take 3-4 days to see the first hairs of mycelium forming.
It should take 3-5 weeks to let it get a 100% foothold in all the substrate, depending on temperature conditions.
I have also read to let it sit at 1 week at full colonization.
Humidity isn't important during this phase.
I don't want to check on it too often or expose it to too much light. Is this a concern?
Fruiting
Once fully colonized, the jars are emptied out (“birthed”
and soaked in water for 24 hours (refrigerator causes fruits to appear quicker by temperature shocking them). Roll the cake in dry vermiculite after it has been birthed and soaked. Mushrooms are 80-90% water!Place cakes into their fruiting chambers (at proper temp and humidity already). I plan to have 2 fruiting chambers to lessen the chance of total-contamination for my first attempt; 6 cakes per chamber.
My FC will be a large clear tupperware with water-soaked perlite (5-10min in a bowl of water) in the bottom. Place squares of foil (not too big!) where the cakes will sit.
Light needs to penetrate the entire chamber. It is said 8500k blue/white spectrum is best. “Bright light in the daylight range 6000-7000k.” Will a timer for 12hrs on/12hrs off work?
Cover the FC to keep in humidity. Drill holes into the sides of the container to allow air exchange, they produce CO2 and require O2 to live! (2 holes? More?)
Spray inside the FC often and perform FAE (fresh air exchange) often (3-6x per day? Once per hour?). Fruit size production is relying on the amount of moisture; too dry gives small fruits!
Estimated fruiting time: 14 days?
Cakes should last for 2-4 flushes, dunk the cakes for 24 hours in between flushes to rehydrate it.
To pick mushrooms, grab them from the base with your forefinger and thumb and break it off at the base.
Air dry.
Timeline
Day 1: Preparation/pasteurization; 24-hour water soak
Day 2: Inoculate
Day 31: 28 days later, cakes are colonized
Day 45: 14 days later, fruiting complete
Day 46 (ish): 24-hr soak, roll, fruit again
Does this all look right?
