Im not to thrilled about growing something Im going to eat that was cultured in a cancer causing agent like Vermiculite. Isthere something else can can be used in it's place?
you do not have to use vermiculite in such a way as to cause direct contact with the mycelium. i personaly use a coaster to place the birthed cake on and use vermiculite soaked in a 90% distilled water and 10% hydrogen peroxide mix (the hydrogen peroxide helps keep the vermiculite from getting funky smelling) in a bowl in a terrarium with a tight fitting seal and air it and mist it 2 to 3 times a day with the same water mix used above. have had fantastic results with this method and no contact with the vermiculite has ever occurred. good luck :mellow:
Quote from: vonD on December 14, 2006, 12:23:02 PM
Im not to thrilled about growing something Im going to eat that was cultured in a cancer causing agent like Vermiculite. Isthere something else can can be used in it's place?
Actually this is not true.
Read http://www.shroomery.org/5130/Is-vermiculite-dangerous-illegal-unavailable
Quote from: b+ on December 14, 2006, 07:14:03 PM
you do not have to use vermiculite in such a way as to cause direct contact with the mycelium. i personaly use a coaster to place the birthed cake on and use vermiculite soaked in a 90% distilled water and 10% hydrogen peroxide mix (the hydrogen peroxide helps keep the vermiculite from getting funky smelling) in a bowl in a terrarium with a tight fitting seal and air it and mist it 2 to 3 times a day with the same water mix used above. have had fantastic results with this method and no contact with the vermiculite has ever occurred. good luck :mellow:
...Im NOT talking about that. You have to mix the vermiculite with water and brown rice flour to create a substrate in which you inject the spores. The shrooms then grow from that substrate.
You are not eating the vermiculite....
The mushrooms do not grow from the vermiculite. They grow on it. The vermiculite is inert. It just provides a structure for the mycelium. The shrooms grow from the flour and water.
The vermiculite that you can buy now does not have the cancer causing agent in it. That mine was shut down. The cancer causing agent was asbestos, in very small quantities. You would have to inhale a lot of vermicuite dust for a very long time, such as working at the mine your whole life, before you would get cancer.
There is no asbestos in the vermiculite and there will be none in your shrooms.