I posed similar question previously. Maybe a more in depth explanation will render a tried response.
I have been placing my rye (fully colonized of course) directly into pans. 2 quarts per pan. It creates a layer approx 2-2.5 inches in the pan. I then case with sterile verm about .5-1 inch. Cover Incubate 4-7 more days then fruit.
Previously I had been past. straw adding grain letting that colonize, case, incubate, fruit.
I read a tek on shroomery that demonstrated results without the use of the straw step. But the "conventional thinking" is to go the substrate method.
What are the drawbacks to eliminating straw? I have plenty of colonized jars in the rotation. So I do not have to stretch anything. I simply was trying to reduce a step, therefore save time and reduce contams/exposure.
Any suggestions or insight as to what I might expect? I can very easily switch back on my next run.
I feel as though I'm getting really close to getting this thing. Just a little advise needed. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
by adding straw you are doing a bulk grow. you using your rye as spawn to colonize the straw, which is giving your mycelium more nutrients. if you continue to do the straw you may want to consider making your substrate depth thicker, around 4 inches. also think about pasteurizing some worm castings with the straw, it will give the mycelium even more nutrients. giving that your fruiting chamber is giving optimal growth parameters the addition of straw will most likely give you larger flushes with larger shrooms. not guaranteed, as you say by not adding it your avoiding another possible contamination point and saving time.
I have had good flushes with the straw and huge fruits. I also have had lots of contam problems. Mostly green mold showing up on the casing layer. I will report back as to the fruits with rye only. I thought that yeild might be the trade off. I have another 10 days or so to decide what to do with the next run. When using straw I did use a depth of 4 inches. Thanks
Rye is probably one of the best grains you can use for mushroom cultivation. The size of the fruits is more related to substrate depth and strain. It sounds like you are maybe getting you contamination from your casing layer, just make sure you sterilize that well.
you can use the rye to do a rez effect, add it to field cap verm, colonizes in three days, pins ten days after that, you can get fat canopies with a rez, however the mushies dry lighter than a straw or other sub.
or, don't case your straw...