Cakes still not colonized =[

Started by lun0s, January 21, 2010, 06:03:35 PM

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lun0s

Well some of you might remember my topic about my first batch, well they still aren't fully colonized I see about a cm or more of uncolonized dirt. Is this normal for this length of time for BRF cakes?

dub504

Hey lunos, I can't remember how long its been. Are you talking about the dry layer of vermiculite at the top of the jar? If so, that should wash off when you rinse, dunk and roll.

jabwemet

and if you mean uncolonized at the bottom of the jar, just turn it over and tap it to separate the cake from the bottom.  give it a little breathing room.  worked well for me.
...absolute elsewhere in the stones of your mind...

Helo

Lun0s, Dub and Jab have it dead on. If its at the top, its prolly the protective barrier you put there. It wont colonize.

If its at the bottom, do what Jab said. Ive read a few posts that suggest the same thing.

Good Luck! Hope all goes well.  ^_^
Sine Qua Non - Without which there is nothing

MT

Turning them over to get that last bit at the bottom to colonize has worked well for me in the past also.

lun0s

Well I assumed the top protective layer wouldn't colonize, but there the area that isn't colonized is near the top of the jar only(for the most part). This part is how ever a BRF cake not the protective layer. Is it safe to shake the jar right now I am scared as it is that my last two jars are contaminated as well :(

dub504

#6
You shouldn't be able to shake a BRF PF style jar. The jar would be filled to the top so as when you inoculate, the needle/spore solution get past the dry layer of vermiculite. It's hard to imagine what your jars look like by the way you have described them.
Quotethe area that isn't colonized is near the top of the jar only(for the most part)
When the mycelium colonizes the BRF/Verm mix it should be solid, like an eraser. If it's just a small area that won't colonize, you could birth the cake and rinse it off. The loose material would probably wash away. If not, you can cut away that small portion with a non serrated knife that has been cleaned w/ alcohol.

lun0s

Well when I discarded the contaminated cats I had broke them apart and paid attention to the smell and texture. It did feel kind erasery. When I get up I'll take some pictures of the jars. I barely check on them anymore in fear of contams being in there. I'll take pictures of the worst looking parts

malabar

  Come on lun0s,
     Don't be Sccearred ,.........  Your colony of growth are your friends,.....   :wacko:
   ~Malabar     :mellow:
My Kung Fu may suck,.....  But, my Shrooms Kick Ass!

lun0s

Well heres a funny thing... One cake is actually fruiting in the non-fully colonized jar.. ahha. Should I birth it now or what? I took two pictures of two jars. Once they send to my addy I'll post them here. Just out of curiousity could I pluck that much off and consume it xD

dub504

Sure, birth it. Do what I said before and put in FC.

lun0s


Its kind've obvious which one I think is contaminated haha I forgot to point to where I think a mushroom is growing though. heh so it's safe for me to start fruiting now?

moorhS

kinda hard to tell from the pic but does the one on the right have any black spots  where the mycelium isn't growing?? I would birth them both, smell the one on right to make sure no "funky smells" good luck

lun0s

The one on the right actually is black as it appears. The picture is actually how you would see it haha

dub504

The one on the right does not look right, but it's hard to see. I wouldn't open them around each other. So, your cabinet has been getting some light in it huh.

lun0s

#15
Holy crap the second cake had a bunch of mushrooms but was BLACK in some areas and it looked bruised. I got a mushroom that I pulled off of the other cake that looks healthy. I got the second cake fruiting in another container thats quit small. Will post some pics when I sober up heh
Edit;
Alright I am just wondering I got the bad looking cake in a container I don't give two shits about, when mushies start growin I have a strong feeling the cake is contaminated. How can I tell after words if the mushrooms are unsafe to eat? The bad cake is the one you see black. Part of the cake was actually black as well

lun0s

Second post for the images. These are two pictures from the suspected contaminated cake after I uncased.;


For the black specs those seemed to be mushroom heads. I never removed them though.

dub504

lun0s, you fucked up. The jars were not in the right conditions to colonize properly. Also, it looks like you have a contaminant. Could be black mold. Somewhere in your cleanliness practices need fine tuning. Don't eat anything from that cake. So, try again...

lun0s

Well I assumed I had inadequet temperatures. It was just in a closet that seemed to have a temperature of 20-27 celcious so I just left them in there. I am sure the temperature kept fluctuating through out the time, would that be the bad conditions to colonize?
If I had let a bad cake grow in a seperate container and sprout shrooms not for eating, and the shrooms looks mold free could I use those to make some spore sryinges?

moorhS

not sure about using them for spore prints... I would say start over buy some more if the cake is contaminated the mushrooms are contaminated "hince" possibly spores contaminated... wouldn't risk it... good luck man