Canning jars

[Coschi]

Where in Melbourne to find appropriate canning jars?

The closest i've found was a jam jar in safeway, probably 400mL capacity right top etc but the lid was a half turn screw on type, is this ok or does it need to be a multi-turn type?

[Ace]

If this is for a PF tek style use, perhaps you might try standard drinking glasses (smaller brandy glass size) with al-foil over the top. Sorry, no idea about jars in your area champ - but the ones described should be fine, just make sure you check the taper and that the lid wont come off in the PC.

[Coschi]

Thanks ace, yep PF style

How do you secure the al foil to the glass?

[user1]

Thanks ace, yep PF style

How do you secure the al foil to the glass?

http://www.shaman-australis.com/forum/inde...showtopic=13080

klUe's thread should be perfect for you.

[Coschi]

Excellent

Just need a syringe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ENtiTY]

If this is for a PF tek style use, perhaps you might try standard drinking glasses (smaller brandy glass size) with al-foil over the top. Sorry, no idea about jars in your area champ - but the ones described should be fine, just make sure you check the taper and that the lid wont come off in the PC.

What dimentions are your glasses Ace?

I'm using some 250ml glasses that I got from go-lo for $3.75 or something for 6. There tall in proportion to there diameter. I used the PF tek ala kLue's thread and the myc growth seems to have stalled. I used a different BRF verm mix as the one in KLue's thread seemed to come out to wet, balls of BRF/verm formed aboutthe size of a marble and larger which had a doughy consistency so I used the mix from the "mushroom growing made easy" clip, 1/4 cup BRF, 3/4 cup verm and 1/4 cup water per 250ml jar/glass. Now i'm not sure if the mix may have come out to dry and slowed growth, or the shape of the glasses is the cause for stalling.

Any theories / suggestions?

[Ace]

What dimentions are your glasses Ace?

Not sure on measurements, but they hold almost exactly one cup afaik. I used the recipe from fungifun.com. Very straight forward. :D Hope this helps

You might want to try the tub inside a tub with a water heater for colonisation if you are having stalled jars - you will find it works very efficientially.

[Jonny Deformed]

Kmart up here sells all sizes.

Have you tried there?

[ENtiTY]

I checked Kmart here when I was aquiring all the necessities and they were nowhere to be found.

Seems it varies from location to location.

As far as my stalled jars go I don't think its a temp problem. There in absolute darkness at 27-29 deg C. I will try injecting some sterile water with a lil peroxide in it. Been mulling it over in my mind and am fairly certain its a moisture issue. The peroxide should give the myc a lil something extra to breath and fight off any infection that a prolonged incubation is suseptable to.

The tub inside a tub incu chamber is my next project. Gonna need more room. The cakes are starting to pile up What AM I going to do with all these... er... edibles.

[Jonny Deformed]

I checked Kmart here when I was aquiring all the necessities and they were nowhere to be found.

Seems it varies from location to location.

As far as my stalled jars go I don't think its a temp problem. There in absolute darkness at 27-29 deg C. I will try injecting some sterile water with a lil peroxide in it. Been mulling it over in my mind and am fairly certain its a moisture issue. The peroxide should give the myc a lil something extra to breath and fight off any infection that a prolonged incubation is suseptable to.

The tub inside a tub incu chamber is my next project. Gonna need more room. The cakes are starting to pile up What AM I going to do with all these... er... edibles.

I would advise against this idea. Have you tried turning them upside down?

In my experience myc will grow better when too dry rather than too wet.

How's you're gas exchange also?

[ENtiTY]

Well to be honest I already shot 2 up this mourning. If they don't show growth in the next week I'll just birthem early, bust'em up, plate some of the myc and case em.

I will try down side uping the others to see if this helps. Thanks for the tip JD.

As for gas exchange... I can't see how this could happen. CO2 is heavier so it sits at the bottom of the jar. The only way to remove it is like you say invert the jar.

Dahhh... why didn't I think of that !

I still think there to dry though, gut feeling just won't go away. Shooo god dam you !

[user1]

The tub inside a tub incu chamber is my next project. Gonna need more room. The cakes are starting to pile up What AM I going to do with all these... er... edibles.

make spore prints bro, some of us have nothing to research, or eat for that matter

[Jonny Deformed]

As for gas exchange... I can't see how this could happen. CO2 is heavier so it sits at the bottom of the jar. The only way to remove it is like you say invert the jar.

Theres your problem..

You NEED gas exchange.

Not AIR exchange but GAS exchange.

The myc needs to breathe,

but not be exposed to flowing air.

During the incubation stage they like high CO2 Levels

but not overly high.

As your myc colonizes your substrate draws in oxygen.

If this doesn't happen they'll stall for sure.

Does that make sense?

Edited February 27, 2007 by JD.

[Benzito]

So can anyone suggest a good online store, then, where you can buy jars appropriate for mushroomery?

and what of this need for gas exchange for mycelial growth? The community seems to be 50/50 on whether to have air-tight jars or not.

[gamma.goblin]

Might be worth your time having a look at Bottle & Jar Manufactures in the Yellow Pages. I doubt you will find anything manufactured in Australia in glass that is tapered the way you want it, though why use glass? Polypropylene is used to make autoclavable lab equipment, as well as things like babies bottles, which need to be heated up to kill nasties so the bubs dont get sick. Ive seen many tapered containers that look perfect that are made of plastic, just gotta make sure you dont get one that melts! 'Tubs' and 'Pails' which are mass produced for foodstuffs are tapered.

Even if shopping from overseas, sending a bunch of glass jars would be EXPENSIVE! its heavy and likes to shatter, plastics would save a lot of money.

[Fugushi]

Canning jars in Aus are not cheap. And quite hard to find, unless you go for vacola which is impractical for growing needs.

Anyone know of a Mason ball or Kerr supplier within Aus ?

Cuccinware from kmart about $1.50 a jar ? When in season around here.

I reckon scrap PF and go WBS. Check out plasdene if there is one near you...

http://www.plasdene.com.au/food.htm Traditional food jar, 750ml with a plastic lid is about 40c with a 10c lid... PC'able. Add what you like, Tyvek, polyfil, injection port.

Thats my thoughts on this, but I wouldn't know I haven't tried PF I'm only growing P.djamore.

[Fugushi]

Crap double post.

Edited July 7, 2007 by Fugushi

[Hyphal]

Any empty glass jar, eg. empty pasta sauce jars work absolutely fine and are environmentally friendly (since you use the pasta sauce inside). You will still need a gas exchange filter on the lid.

This is if you are pressure cooking grains of any sort, as they don't have tapered sides so you can't simply slide a pf style 'cake' out - but you CAN spoon it out and crumble and case it, or use it as spawn for a bulk substrate. Save your time and money ppl and recycle!

[gamma.goblin]

I guess you could always make spawn bags and just stuff them into containers to give them shape.Would make it easy to remove too. And easier to pasturise/sterilise, no jars to fit into the sterilising vessel, just malleable bags of spawn.

Edited July 7, 2007 by gamma.goblin

[Fugushi]

Any empty glass jar, eg. empty pasta sauce jars work absolutely fine and are environmentally friendly (since you use the pasta sauce inside). You will still need a gas exchange filter on the lid.

This is if you are pressure cooking grains of any sort, as they don't have tapered sides so you can't simply slide a pf style 'cake' out - but you CAN spoon it out and crumble and case it, or use it as spawn for a bulk substrate. Save your time and money ppl and recycle!

http://www.greenlivingaustralia.com.au/order.html#lids

They would be alright if ya wanted to recycle. A bit dear for just lids though. Only one I have found that offeres anything to do with preserves in Aus though.

[Hyphal]

Nice link - but what I was referring too is your normal, off the shelf pasta sauce jars from the supermarket.

Use the contents (yum), rinse the jar - and bobs your uncle.

Perfect grain jar, just be sure to put a filter on the lid.

[Peyofox]

www.cospak.com.au sell 250ml wide mouth jars, with 2 piece lids.

They are not listed on their site but they do sell them and pretty cheap.

The round tapered plastic microwave containers are just as good and heaps cheaper (for cakes).

The ones rated PP5 on the bottom can withstand mutiple pressure cooks without melting.

They are bigger in capacity than the 250ml jars, so just add 6 innoculation holes in stead of 4 and colonisation times should'nt take too much longer, A nail heated with a flame easily melts clean holes in the lids.

Edited July 8, 2007 by ReclusE