Yet another first timer

Started by Beauty Seeker, April 10, 2009, 10:29:24 AM

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Beauty Seeker

Hi there,

I've been scrolling this forum for a couple hours, I'm quite familiar with the shroomery and i watched the "Let's Grow Shrooms" PF-Tek video so I have a good idea how this will go but I have a few questions remaining and call to your knowledge to help get rid of the last ounces of doubt that haunt me in my quest for homegrown shroomies.

1) Sterilization
I think I read or heard somewhere that a steam cooker would do for sterilization instead of a rangetop pot. Is that confirmed? I have one that looks (and works) like this:


Simply put: you pour water in the base, put whatever you have to cook in the top baskets and steam comes up from the base, fills the baskets and gets out on top. What's good is you can refill the base without opening any lead and you can check your water level at anytime. I'm afraid I might prematurely end the sterilization process if I was to open up the lid of a pot and add some water during the process. Plus it seems way more convenient to use a steam cooker. What do you think?

2) Jars
Living in France, I can't find any ball jar nor 1/2 pint or pint ones. The closest I can get as far as glass jars are concerned are Le Parfait. They don't have the same 2 part capping as Ball jars do, they instead use a full screw cap (check picture). They come in 200 ml and 300 ml I don't know which is best? Regarding price, they're twice as expensive as Ball jars (~18$ (14€) for 6 jars). In my quest for other options I found plastic jars that come in 150, 300 and 400 ml (I got 3x150ml + 2x300ml + 1x400ml for about 4$ (3€)). I guess the smallest one might do as good as glass one but if there's anything wrong with plastic, I don't mind spending more if it means greater chances of success but I don't see why spend more if there's no difference whatsoever.

3) Rice Flour
I went to my local health food store and only found what they call "farine de riz semi-complète" which I can describe as mixed flour. According to that post I might as well keep it for baking chocolate cakes. Any further opinion or experience with that kind of substrate? Is there any way to add nutrients to the substrate? I don't care about buying full rice flour, I'm just curious and I might try to do 1 of my cakes with that flour to compare it with the others.

Now, about my plans and my equipment so far, just for your information if you care.
4) The spores
I ordered 2 syringes, 1 of cambodians and 1 of Amazonians as they were both advertized and commented on the site I bought them from as "easy and generous". I must admit I haven't done much research on strains. I read on the shroomery that the question of which strain was the best was left to personnal appreciation and thought, since this is my first time, anything advertised as "good for beginners" would do.
As of my last visit to the site I bought from, they were "ready to be shipped" so I'm quite excited.

5) Equipement
I'm gathering my gear slowly. I don't feel any rush yet so I thought I'd just go as time would allow and take the time to shop around town a bit. I've had trouble finding jars but I now know where to find glass jars whenever I need them. I didn't get them yet because I was still out for a cheaper alternative and I hoped to find the Ball ones but it seems impossible. I'm not worried, though and I'll go get the Le Parfait ones if needed.
I bought vermiculite and flour (although I'll buy some more soon), I've got a steam cooker and a pot in case it doesn't work. I know where to find a cheap coffee grinder if I don't find flour.
I bought vinyle gloves and then thought I had read or heard that they were not good to work with shrooms because they could emit toxic gases or something. In doubt, I bought latex ones so I have plenty of gloves to work with (like 100 vinyle ones and 10 latex ones).
I have 90% isopropyl alcohol which I guess is pure enough for desinfecting.
I also bought an hygrometer/thermometer for my FC and haven't yet quite decided what rubbermaid box I'll buy but I think I'll go with the shotgun terrarium and I know where to find the box for that, too.
I found perlite but didn't buy it cause I thought it was too expensive regarding what I could have online. And today I see that I can use clay pellets which I happen to have bought for the few plants I have on my balcony. I'll just have to read more thoroughly to be sure I can use them without any air pump or anything.

Until today I was worried I would not manage to get any part of my flat at 27°C for the inoculation to work but thanks to yall I learned about the inoculation room and I'll buy a fishtank heater and make the chamber. I think I'll use one of the many metal boxes I have home to put the jars in and probably some plastic one to put the water.

I can't wait to get started! I'll read more in the days to come but I think I'll do well.
I'll keep you updated with my progress and pictures of everything!

Thanks for the great knowledge ressource you've put together here!
BS

Deadneck

Hey BS, this is my first grow but I'll put my input in.

1) Your pot will work fine for sterilization. If you use a regular pot, you would have to open it up a few times to refill with water due to evaporation. Yours will work fine.

2) Plastic jars will not be affected in the sterilization process (melting, etc.), I don't see any problem with plastic jars. You can also cover with a double layer, then a single layer of tin foil if the lid is not up to your standards.

3) Must have Brown Rice Flour for the PF Tek. Or Brown Rice and grind it down to a flour.

4) I am colonizing the Cambodians right now, mostly b/c it's my first time. I think I'm going to do Brazilians and either Ecuador or U.S. Virgin Islands next.

5) Sterilization is key to success. Latex cloves will work fine, I don't know anything about Vinyl cloves. If you're doing a shotgun FC you will have to have Perlite. Clay pellets don't absorb water the same as perlite and the water will drain out of the shotgun FC, if using clay pellets. If you don't want to buy perlite, look into a Poor-Mans Pod, found here: http://www.shroomery.org/9047/Poor-Mans-Pod

Wait for the pros to weigh in with their opinions too, they will help you out a lot.

Good luck,
DN



heartx

1) Yeah your steaming pot should be okay for pf-tek but for grain you'll need a pc.

2)I couldn't find jars too where I live so I bought a bunch of glass, it work fine for the pf-tek. For the lid I make one with aluminium foil.

3)I had problem too finding Brown rice flour but I found it at my health store, it wasn't with the other flour it was in the gluten free section(farine de riz brun entier dans la section sans gluten).

4)I'm a beginner too and I only did the B+ because I read everywhere that it was the best for beginners, I have texan jars in progress too.

5)I first bought perlite at home depot, but after I found out I could have it at walt-mart for half the price. For clay pellet like he said, I didn't read anybody using them alone like the perlite so I don't know.

Good luck with your project!

Beauty Seeker