kenny Posted June 9, 2009 So I got a letter saying that I will be getting my KRudd Stimulus soon and figured I would use the $$ to start a mushie farm. Of course I will be buying supplies from Australian outlets. Gotta do my bit for the nation building right? 1) Firstly. I need Jars. Can someone confirm that these are the kind I want. Ball 250ml Regular Mouth Can or Freeze Preserving Jar http://www.redbacktrading.com.au/index1.html ( 4th kind down ) The Price is reasonable, $3.25 a Jar. Including postage. ( Maybe I can get em cheaper? Unless you know somewhere in melb that sells em way cheaper, don't mention it. I'm lazy and willing to pay extra if it means I don't have to drive around ) 2) Next Is Pressure Cooker/Steamer for sterilization. Does anyone have advice on the best way to go with these things. Average price for a 8litre pressure cooker looks to be about $130. Are there cheaper options though? Like just steaming/boiling the jars in a normal saucepan with a lid? I mean, and bear with me, the way I understand it. Considering the jars are sealed during the steaming process so no excess water gets into the substrate. All that is happening is a heating of the jars for a period of time right? So why is the fuss of a sealed pressure cooker necessary? I'll be back with a few more things that are tickling my brain later. More on the topic of sterile areas/medium. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Naycha Posted June 9, 2009 Hi Kenny, I'm definitely not an expert but I think I can help a little. I think the jars have to be able to breathe while being sterilised or the heat will cause pressure inside making them crack. A sealed pressure cooker is necessary for sterilisation because under pressure the water boils at around 120 degrees. I can't help with your other questions but it would be great to have a guide on where to purchase all the necessary supplies in Aus. cuase it can be a pain in the bum when you're starting out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted June 9, 2009 Use the search engine in mycology forum for your jars..type in words like jars, spawn bags, supplies etc...because many of us have asked these questions before and they get answered and there are some really cool on line outlets for most of what you want that have been listed in that forum. second use e-bay for your pressure cooker you can large ones 9litre etc for around 40bucks...there usually is quite a few on there...you must use a PC don't do shrooms without one...!! thirdly use the pharmacy for sterile things like syringes, needles, micro pore tape, cleaning solutions like surgical spirit and boxes of latex gloves...pretty mush a one stop shop for all that part of the hobby. 4thly use those cheap 2 dollar shops for all your tubs, trays, containers , and fruiting chambers...they have the best selctions and you can get them all at once from those stores. 5thly the supermarket for wild bird seed, rice, distilled water, zip lock bags etc. 6th start collecting prints and build up a print library. 7th use bunnings or mitre ten for all your substrate needs such as sugar cane mulch for straw, and cow manure, coir, vermiculite and wood chips etc...also a one stop shop for all the substrate requirements. 8th...make sure you have some power tools like drills especially you will need a drill definitely to make holes in the jar lids and for making nice neat breath holes in all your tubs and fruiting container. mmmm thats all I can think of just now...have fun with your hobby....it's a hassle of a hobby sometimes and a little messy especially when you get contams the fisrt 6 times you try and it becomes a frustration beyond belief....LOL H. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mac Posted June 9, 2009 (edited) So why is the fuss of a sealed pressure cooker necessary you need the pressure as well as heat to sterilize , alot of spores etc can survive the extreme heat, its the pressure combined with heat that collapses & kills a spore This is one of the biggest misconceptions that boiling alone is sterilization, you must have the correct temp pressure & time for a thorough job Edited June 9, 2009 by mac Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
poo Posted June 10, 2009 (edited) I can highly recommend the company you have linked to. FOAF bought from them a few months back and they were great. The jars you want are the wide mouth jars. Make sure the lids are correct size, and get extra rings too. Plastic lids can be helpful. Edited June 10, 2009 by poo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muffinz Posted June 10, 2009 I have heard that if you use brown rice flour PF-tek style you can get away with boiling/steaming without pressure. Theres many succsess stories from people who use a large stock pot with the lid on to sterilize BRF cakes. A pressure cooker is definatly required if you plan on doing grains. Like poo said you want the wide mouth jars Kerr 250ml Wide Mouth Can or Freeze Preserving Jar Redback has them for $34.95 per dozen but they are out of stock at the moment. Check out http://www.mushroomvideos.com/ for a good rundown on the PF Tek without a pressure cooker. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sketchykid Posted June 10, 2009 1) Firstly. I need Jars. Can someone confirm that these are the kind I want.Ball 250ml Regular Mouth Can or Freeze Preserving Jar http://www.redbacktrading.com.au/index1.html Absolutely YES. They have everything you need. As far as the 8litre PC for $130 bucks...Buy it! Now your on your way mate! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kenny Posted June 10, 2009 Great! Thanks for the comments Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reshroomED Posted June 10, 2009 As said, UTSE. Jars - 'chefcraft' etc plastic containers @ few $ea at your local supermarket. Pressure-cooker - <$20 at your local op-shop. ed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
momomoto Posted June 10, 2009 (edited) the pressure cooker is just to boil using lower heat/energy. edit for clarification under negative pressure the Boiling Point of water drops below 100C, so you can use what u want to boil I also keep a bucket of strong chlorine to dip anything that may come into contact with my vessels or the sealed vessels themselves. BTW my mushroom tek sux so far - but i have worked with yeast cultures, there's a bit of similarity. Edited June 10, 2009 by momomoto Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simulacrum Posted July 1, 2009 the pressure cooker is just to boil using lower heat/energy.edit for clarification under negative pressure the Boiling Point of water drops below 100C, so you can use what u want to boil I believe a pressure cooker actually builds up positive pressure, raising the boiling temp of water. So if you set the pressure to 15psi, the boiling point would be around 120C. apart from that.. has anyone done the research on suppliers of agar? There are a few options on the net but I'm not sure which ends up being most cost effective.. if anyone has any suggestions they would be highly appreciated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gelidoartist123 Posted July 15, 2009 Excuse me , but if ou find somewhere to get spore prints from tell me asap cheers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
