Just wanted to show some pics of my currently 47 jars out and awaiting pinning. Thanks Anno for this site. Couldn't have done it without you.
(http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/1921/25xk1.jpg)
(http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/7011/28kv6.jpg)
Bonus pic just for fun.
(http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/8858/3bb6.jpg)
They look excellent, nice ropey growth!
I would suggest , since you have so many jars, to case a few, just for the fun of doing and learning, as described at http://www.fungifun.org/English/Casing .
Sounds like fun. This may sound silly as it is the year 2007, but I do not have a microwave. Can I cover and oven cook until 200 degrees?
Sure, or even steam it in a covered pot on the stove.
Here's my little army put into a different room with a heater in it so I don't have to heat the rest of the house just for my little friends. I have a few questions..
1. The container I used for casing is plastic, instead of painting I used black duct tape on the outside. I'm assuming this will work fine, but I wanted an official approval.
2. I ended up using 8 jars of B+ in this container because they fit nicely. I saw in Anno's guide that 6 were used. Will using 8 be a problem?
3. I have a feeling that I'm missing something, Does everything seem right to you?
The current temp in the room is 73.3 F (22.9C) The only light in the room is from ceiling bulbs – outside windows have black plastic over them. The strains I have growing right now are – P.C. - B+ (in jars and casing), Ecuador, Malabar Coast, Treasure Coast, and Z. The humidity is low right now just because everything is still in jars or casing waiting for pinning. The ones in the casing are very humid - lots of condensation on sides and on lid.
4. Is the lighting going to be sufficient?
5. Should the humidity be up even though everything is still in jars or casing?
6. Any other words of wisdom?
Thanks
(http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/6571/7aq3.jpg)
Was checking up on my children and found these two - I call them Pride and Joy :)
(http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/5389/twinsfl5.jpg)
> Will using 8 be a problem?
No, 8 is great.
> Does everything seem right to you?
So far, so good.
> Is the lighting going to be sufficient?
Yes.
> Should the humidity be up even though everything is still in jars or casing?
No, it's OK to have a "normal" humidity at this stage.
So I now have about 10 jars that have started pinning. But they only seem to be coming out around the dry vermiculite layer as in the upper pictures.
1. Why is this the only place that pins are forming?
2.How long should they stay in the jars before I should transfer them to a terrarium?
Thanks Anno, and anyone else with advice.
As soon they start pinning, you should transfer them to the terrarium.
Keep the terrarium very moist, but ventilate it a couple of times a day, and the pins should emerge on other sites too.
(http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/8126/tc0yb.jpg)
This is the beginnings of a Treasure coast. I have the cakes on wet Pearlite in pot pie pans. The pans are in a plastic container with a layer of water on the bottom. The plastic containers have a lid that seals nicely so I can maintain 100% humidity. The plastic containers are on seed starting heating pads because I don't have the room heated and it stays around 60 f. Inside the containers the temp is around 78 f.
(http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/659/box8lu.jpg)
Just thought I'd check in to make sure I'm not missing anything.
I have 16 jars that have been fully colonized since late December, but for some reason they just won't start pinning. It's a mix of P.C. – Z, Treasure Coast, B+, Malabar Coast, and Ecuador. There is no sign of mold on these and they do not smell like they are contaminated. So what do I do with them? I tried casing with 12 of my jars and this is where they are right now.
(http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/2070/white6ct.jpg)
The other 22 jars that I have are all out and growing nicely, but for some reason these just don't want to behave like the others. What should I do?
Here's my latest addition.
(http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/6745/cabnd0.jpg)
It's a 4 tier mini greenhouse I got at a local garden store for $40. I got really tired really quick with the other methods I tried. I built a styrafoam platform for the greenhouse to stand on with a hole in the bottom to collect any runoff in a pan. It's able to maintain the needed humidity and is currently holding 30 cakes, and 4 casings. In order to get it humid inside, I put a heating mat on the bottom tier with pans of water on the mat. I control the inside greenhouse temp by altering the room temp up or down. The room temp is 68 f and inside greenhouse it is 75 f. Most of the jars that hadn't pinned yet, did start. I still have 4 jars that have no pins yet, but i'm sure patience will take care of that. Just thought I'd share.
Some pins broke through on my casing. Not bad for my first shot at this. I have 3 other cases that will hopefully be as pretty as this one. I'll keep you posted.
(http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/344/casebn7.jpg)
This is my casing update. As you can see things went very well. I don't think I'll go back to individual cakes. They are definately too much hassle for such little return.
(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/5517/c1sr5.jpg)
(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/5861/c2zu8.jpg)
I wasn't expecting such quick growth. They seem to grow faster in casing than as individual cakes. Any idea as to why that might be?
Great results!
>They seem to grow faster in casing than as individual cakes.
The water availability is much better with casings, and that definitely contributes to faster growth.
Second flush not nearly as pretty as the first.
(http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/3791/f3fz0.jpg)
(http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/581/f2ib3.jpg)
Is there any way to maintain the same output of mushies throughout the life of the case?
No, as the nutrients get less in the substrate, the flushes will become less and less, until the contaminants win the battle.
Sure casings culture are much more rewarding than cakes to raise an army
beware
Can some Brown rice flower be added to the casing material for more nutrients? Or can one use a plant fertilizer with nutes, or mulch, or something in it to keep it going and not contaminate so I don't have to keep making more jars, and cases? While I do find the making of them to be relaxing, I would rather spend the time doing something else.
Thanks again.
Sorry for the signature of my last post
the "beware" was more a "be aware" as a testimony of casing giving best result over PFtek.
I am not a native english speaking person.
Quote from: TommyTutone on February 15, 2007, 05:12:26 PM
Can some Brown rice flower be added to the casing material for more nutrients?
Only if you want to have a green casing.
So, no.
It took a while for the pins of the third flush to appear. That's why it has taken so long to post new pics. This is as of today, three minutes ago.
(http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/2428/34va8.jpg)
LewisCarroll, I apologise for my post, that is why I deleted it. I appreciate your correction.
After not getting any pins for a third flush for what seemed like a long time, I added water to the case. I also sprayed the tops of the case with water until the top coat was wet. I am not using a cool mist humidifier that allows water to come down on the cases, which is why most of my cases dried out. After a little water, most of them sprung back to life.
A note for those that live in the states about spraying cakes:
Let the water that you are going to use on your cake stay out uncovered for at least a day. It gives the chlorine that's added to the water time to remove itself. After a day you will notice bubbles along the side of the container, that is the chlorine and other junk removing itself from the water. After the bubbles have formed, stir the water, and remove those bubbles. I sprayed a case without doing that as an experiment to see if it mattered. Within 2 days the entire top layer was green. I should have taken a picture, but I didn't.
For those of you outside the states:
I have no idea about your water quality and treatment standards, but maybe anno could lend some advise on that.