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The Corroboree

Maximt

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Everything posted by Maximt

  1. Maximt

    Day 5 cobweb mould :(

    Hi Moose, I'm by no means a monotub expert or a cobweb mold expert, but I remember reading a post on reddit about this, and the focus point was YOU. DO. NOT. HAVE. COBWEB. Cobweb is very rare, and sometimes myc is just thin/stringy like in the pic you have. you need to look out if it starts looking like this Hope that helps. MT P.S. found the reddit link https://www.reddit.com/r/unclebens/comments/gzg5zd/listen_the_fck_up_you_do_not_have_cobweb/
  2. Maximt

    Is something wrong or am i impatient?

    That to me would indicate viability of the spores. If you've done a bunch of plates something should have germinated (except for contam ofcourse). So maybe try to hydrate via the syringe method, leave them there for 24hrs and then do a drop on a plate. And maybe try MYA, you can get malt at Dan Murphy's or brewer store for fairly cheap. Spore prints can last a long time (i've heard 10 years) if stored properly, the biggest issue is they dry out. I don't have much experience in this area, but some key points are they should be in a zip-locked bag, and in a cool dark place (not fridge as they will dry out there as well). Happy to help with what i can. Good luck. Max
  3. Maximt

    Is something wrong or am i impatient?

    So have you got any that germinated, even if they had contam? or do you have some empty and some with contam, and no signs of mycelium at all? If so, would come down to viability of the spores, maybe dried out? how were they stored? Also, what agar recepie are you using, i've heard that PDYA germ rates are lower than MYA. Completely agree, the liquid on the plate should be sufficient, but in some cases that produces better results that scraping to agar. Also, somewhat limits the number of spores you put down on a plate as you just need to make one drop in the center. This will disperse them more evenly rather than clumping together. Too many spores can stop/slow growth, as mycelium at this young age dont like competition, BUT thats not to say they will not germinate or that it prevents them from germinating. For spore syringes, i suggest taking a syringe (wrapped in alfoil so you can wipe with alco if needed) and a shot glass filled with water (covered with alfoil), PC both for 45min. In front of your flowhood/still air box using a flame sterilized inoculation loop (remember spores dont like sharp objects), get some spores and swirl it around in the glass. Alternatively fold and rub the print to drop some spores into the glass, and use the needle to swirl them around. Then draw the water with the syringe and you are done. Hope that helps. Max
  4. Maximt

    Is something wrong or am i impatient?

    HI Moose, Since you are incubating them i'd say something's gotta be happening. BUT this depends on the mushroom/strain/viability/etc of the spores. Search around for the strain you are trying to grow to see the average time for spore germination, i.e.some are pretty quick 2-5 days, some can take up to 4 weeks if not longer. Also technique would be another one, making sure you actually got some spores on there (I've done that a couple times). Another good idea may be to hydrate the spores, by ways of making a spore syringe and leaving it for 24hrs before going to agar. Just some thoughts, hope they help Max
  5. Maximt

    Oyster contamination :(

    Hi Moose, My biggest tip is don't get discouraged. This will happen a lot. I've had times where oysters would contam over and over, even when going straight from the master slant. Just take a moment, review your method and think of where the contam could've come from and how to improve. As for the take off, depends on a lot of things like your clone method, strain, air circulation, temperature. I've noticed the jars that have less grain in them do better then the one's that have more. I don't have mine covered with al-foil, just have lids with holes covered with micropore tape. Also they do much better when the temp in the house gets warmer. I don't have any dedicated heating for them yet so they rely on temps in the house, and on cooler days they seem to slow down, so maybe consider putting them into a warmer spot in the house. Give us an update on how the straw is doing, and also interested in what you are planning for the KS. I'd love to try and grow that in my garden one day too. Max
  6. Maximt

    Starting out as a real dummy

    Hi Pie'oh'Pah, Depends what you want to do. The easiest to grow in my opinion is Oyster mushrooms, they just grow and wont give you much trouble. Some things you will need are a pressure cooker, jars, bags, substrate (grain and straw), a still air box and a fruiting chamber. The approach I would suggests is grab a mushroom from a shop, and clone it in a liquid culture. Research online about cloning and liquid culture, there is a ton of info there. You can then do liquid culture to grain, and then grain to straw. This would be the easiest way to start in my opinion and get you learning the process. Once you get that under your belt, you can go for harder stuff. The resources that helped me tremendously were MushFarmer on youtube, and also if you can find 'Lets Grow Mushrooms!' series from RR (RogerRabbit) - this is actually a very good resource for beginners. PM me if you need more help and support and i can walk you through it. Max
  7. Maximt

    Flowhood from ebay review

    Hi Sillysyban, wondering how you went. I think why most mush cultivators use horizontal is because its cost effective. i.e. you can DIY - find a filter, a pump and some ply and away you go, and you can set up a 3-4 meter wall of these for relatively cheap. And if you are doing mass inoculation it makes sense and saves time, you can line up all your bags on the desk, clean them all at once and just go through inoculating. Vertical flow hoods are generally something that is used in laboratories i medical research facilities. The save space, as the filter and pump don't take up desk space. They are generally enclosed from all sides but 1, and have positive pressure to push air out through the bottom of the table and the 1 opening. But if you need a lot of these, i.e. 3-4 meters, becomes very expensive, especially if they have to be custom built. Added bonuses are they are enclosed from all sides, hence less chance for contams to get in, just 1 opening, and take up less desk space. I would suggests thinking about the size, what are you going to work with, i.e. petri dishesh, jars, bags, and the space that you need for them. I would say the one on that page is fairly small and you could only really effectively do petri dishes/small jars. Otherwise yeah either aussiemushrooms, or try contacting some hepa filter manufacturers, I found they generally do good deals as well. MT
  8. Maximt

    Edible/Medicinal culture seeking thread

    I'm also after King Stropharia and Reishi. Max
  9. Maximt

    I need a teacher.

    Squidgy can i bug you with some questions too... mine will be more about the business side, rather then the grow. Ethnoob, I'll be happy to help where i can as well.
  10. Hi irabionist, At the start its hard to tell as all myc is generally white. As you are cloning your myc should be growing from the piece of mushroom you placed on agar, and anything that is outside of this should be treated with suspicion. If you are not sure give it time to grow and contams will generally show themselves in color - green, orange etc. This is a good resource: RR explains things quite well for all Myc growing. Hope that helps Max
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