Culture jar colonization?

Started by SeptimusSignus, August 05, 2013, 11:42:08 AM

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SeptimusSignus

I started my first grow using the PF Tek a little over a week ago. All 12 jars seem to be doing fine, a few look like they're almost done and I haven't noticed any contam. I'm not sure when they'll be ready though, because they seem to colonizing from the bottom up. I read in the description of the PF-Tek that the bottom of the jar is usually colonized last.

In my case, the bottoms of a few jars are already colonized, but not the tops. How will I know when they are fully colonized and ready to be moved into a terrarium? I can't see through the lid or the layer of dry vermiculite, and I don't want to risk exposing the cakes to contam if there's an empty spot. Advice?

SeptimusSignus

Seriously guys? 106 views and not one person has an answer for this. There's no way I can be the first person with this problem.

drfloyd

What I've seen is to wait until the entire cake is colonized, then wait 2 days, THEN birth your cakes.  If you leave uncolonized parts of your cake exposed, they could get contaminated by the green stuff and ruin everything in your fruiting chamber.  My understanding of mushrooms of all types is they will put out chemicals that will inhibit growth of other organisms so if there is nothing exposed to colonize, then your cake is safe to birth.