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Ok so here's my idea, I use the half pint jars for making my cakes, and I want to try a different way for sterilizing.  Just tell me if this would work or not.

I take the jar fill it with the verm mix, then I screw on the lid, and already fit the lids with the poly filter, then wrap the jar in aluminum foil. Then into the pressure cooker.  This way I avoid having to expose the jars to the air after they come out the PC. (I normally just use an aluminum foil lid for the jars in the PC then when they come out I replace the foil with a poly fill lid followed by inoculation.....So... will using these pre-poly filter lids inside the pressure cooker be ok if wrapped well in foil?

-Thanks for the help

Hey there, I am having a small problem with a contamination during the incubation.  It starts out black and gooey looking growing in-between injection sites.  I'm using the PF-tek with my own small changes, and anyways, One of my jars got this stuff in it so I removed it from the other jars and let it sit on a shelf at room temp (just wanted to see how what would happen)..but now I have another jar that looks like it might be getting this same thing..... Now my question is, is it possible for the Myc to fight back and overgrow the contam, and have the myc and shrooms from then on be "clean".
I read of someone else's growing journal and they were claimed that it was possible, but I'm not completely convinced.  I have though seen the Myc is the 2 contam jars begin to over take the contam areas. View pics.



In this pic the Black spot used to go all the way down the side of the jar and now it does not.



and in this pic the black contam used to cover the entire base, but as you can see the Myc is pushing.


So... say I've got another jar with small pockets of this black stuff, but I leave it in the incubator so the Myc can continue to grow at its preferred environment (the environment change does not seem to effect the black contam) and...the Myc continues to grow and eventually meets the black spots then ... perhaps the myc over takes the contam completely. I don't know, guess I'll find out one way or another, but if it does, does that mean the cake is good and clean to use for fruiting?

All help with this is greatly appreciated.

-Peace

I don't really see the point...  Is it bad taste to ask a similar question associated with a current thread?  If so, I apologize.  I thought you'd prefer me asking a related question in an already existing thread.  Doesn't make a difference to me, I just want your mycological guidance Baph.

Hey I've got a question.  Once a jar is birthed, I know that I need to microwave some verm and then dunk the cakes for 12-24 hrs like Baph suggests, and then place them in my fruiting chamber w/ the damp perlite etc. My question is that once birthed do I simply not have to worry that much about my cakes getting contaminated?  I don't understand what keeps the cakes "clean" when we're washing, dunking, and handling these cakes. And also what keeps them "safe" when they are fruiting?

-thanks

Hey I've got a question.  Once a jar is birthed, I know that I need to microwave some verm and then dunk the cakes for 12-24 hrs like Baph suggests, and then place them in my fruiting chamber w/ the damp perlite etc. My question is that once birthed do I simply not have to worry that much about my cakes getting contaminated?  I don't understand what keeps the cakes "clean" when we're washing, dunking, and handling these cakes. And also what keeps them "safe" when they are fruiting?

-thanks

I would say PCin is just to really maximize sterilization if you're doing say 12 jars at a time.

"These instructions will guide you step by step through the process of making a very effective jar lid filter that will allow for fast colonization of SHAKEABLE SUBSTRATES through better gas exchange without compromising their sterility."

Cakes are not shakeable substrate. In BRF cakes the dry verm on top is the filter and the syringe holes provide some gas exchange. The polyfill is for grains not PF cakes

I dunno about that, I'm using the pf-tek using jars with lids.  And I have fit polyfil filters on all of my jars and covered the tiny 4 inoculation holes up with tape.  I put em in my incubator and its been 10 days since inoculation and I would say I'm at about roughly 35-40% myc colonization.  If my setup is flawed please let me know lol.

Another polyfil question, so I got that poly fiber stuff I linked above, but its grayer looking than it looks on the screen (does it matter if it's not white?) , oh and should I douse the polyfil in alcohol (to sterilize) before fitting it on my lids or would that be bad?

Hey random question, I got my syringes (containing spores) in the mail and then put them in ziplock bags and into the frig.... Now when I'm ready to inoculate should I take the syringe out and let it get to room temp before sterilizing followed by inoculating or does it not matter?

Forgive my stupidity, it was just one of those days.

But to answer your questions...

I believe they are Psilocybe cubensis,
They have the dark blackish purple spore print,
found them all on the cow dung in a pasture
and as you can see in the pictures they all stain blue.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0328.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0330.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0331.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0332.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0333.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0335.jpg

Again forgive me for the foolishness, I just want to be safe. Thanks

Ever watch the movie Naked Lunch?

Thanks again Baph.

Hey so I was planning on using polyfil as shown:

http://www.fungifun.org/English/Polyfil

but I'm not sure about brands or if there is a specific type or whatever and the links on that page above don't work anymore.  Can you tell me if this stuff linked below would be ok? 

http://www.amazon.com/Jo-Ann-Premium-Polyester-Fiberfill-20-Ounces/dp/B000OP624O/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1219716699&sr=8-1

Thanks for the help.

Ones from the south eastern texas area.

Ok so I went out and picked some shrooms, I put them inside 3 ziplock bags then into the frig....  Now its been 9 days... Are they still ok to eat?  They do look a little wilted but I'd like some more experienced feedback if you guys think they'd be fine or not.


...and I would have eaten them sooner but I just wasn't able to have the time.

Thanks.

So... Anno can I come and live at your house and be your padawan learner?

Thanks to you both for the help, and I think you are right.  Live and learn I guess.

What happens if the jars were too warm during inoculation? This could be a possibility... and I'm slapping myself for it.  If this is the case, what can I do with these same jars? Can I simply re inoculate them?

does that happen often? I find that to be strange if true seeing how I used 2 different syringes each a different species for the 12 jars.  I split it 8 and 4. And they all look the same.
I just don't get it....
any further help would be appreciated.

Nope, the jars only smell like wet vermiculite.

I hope these photos suffice if not I can try to do better, just let me know. And I got them from http://www.thehawkseye.com/

I'm not so sure about the grayish color, its more just wet verm color.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0233.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0234.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0230.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0231.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0232.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0235.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/zjtanner/Jars/IMG_0236.jpg