How long from agar to grain transfer till visible signs of coloniztion?

[Mr Stay Puft]

gday all

Just did some agar 2 grain transfers on the 26th of sep and as of yet have not noticed visible signs of colonization. Have i fudged it or am i an impatient bastard.

no signs of contam yet either

How long should i wait till i try again?

Edited October 6, 2008 by Mr Stay Puft

[Ace]

Around a week from what I've read however not talking from experience. It sounds like they may have stalled, possibly lack of gas exchange, lack of moisture or a similar problem? That would make sense if theres no sign of contams too.

[Mr Stay Puft]

can you give me a few tips for how i should deal with this or just leave them a little longer and see what happens?

[Ace]

Maybe loosen lids for increased gas exchange (without opening them up to contams). Not sure about increasing moisture - that might just be something to keep in mind next time (increase the water content during cooking). Some of the more experienced mycos might have better suggestions and other reasons for the stalling/delays

[Mr Stay Puft]

moisture aint an issue i can guarantee that

i might just see how i go an let you know

[gerbil]

lots of variables can influence it I suppose, people can analyse the hell outta it if wanted

If it's not contaminating just give it time and it should come good, at this point in time gently shaking to redisperse the spawn and grain would be beneficial i'd imagine.

Temperature for specific species and fluctuations of during grain run may be a factor you may want to look into. South has been cold lately.

[Ace]

lots of variables can influence it I suppose, people can analyse the hell outta it if wanted

Very well said

As for the topic question (how long from agar to grain transfer till visible signs of colonisation), it also comes down to how much mycellium was placed in the grain jars. If only a tiny bit was used for a lot of grain then its going to take a lot longer than a heap of myc in a little grain. I think the PFtek (with grain) uses one or two wedges of agar/myc per half full jar of grain.

And it should be noted that there are numerous types of grains that can be used, eg. bird seed, rye, grass, etc.

[Hyphal]

Temperature, gas exchange and moisture are the three most important factors. If they are too cold they take forever to colonise, temperature makes a massive difference to growth rate.

[Mr Stay Puft]

Allrighty, i used wheat as a substrate and added H2O2 before putting agar in...

So far no signs of growth but also no signs of contam...has been approx 3 weeks now

I have another plate waiting, should i sterilize more substrate or try adding some more agar to the 'stalled' jars

[Ace]

If its a full plate and you have some time and resources up your sleeve then probably do both - new jars and attempt to activate the stalled ones. If you dont have the time/resources, then probably just stick to what you have with a few new chunks of agar. 3 weeks is certainly a fair wait, I dont think grain usually takes too long (no experience to confirm) but it might begin colonising in the next couple weeks. Easier to just try some more and maybe try a different recipe/tek to see if it was just that the last one wasnt ideal for your environment/circumstances.

[Mr Stay Puft]

Another question...if a little too much H2O2 was added does it break down over time?

So would say after 3 weeks some of that H2O2 decomposed back into water?

[Hyphal]

You never said you added H202. Don't EVER add H202 to grain, that is probably your problem...