Skunks Myco Lab

[SkunK]

Figured I’d share my mycology projects and musings here, while nothing here is ground breaking, this is just a place to share/document & work at advancing my mycological pursuits.



While I have been growing Mushrooms for a while, I haven't been able to progress very far with my mycological journey due to constant drama in my life inevitably throwing a wrench in the spokes to grind me to a halt quick fast. I’m hoping life decides to give me a brake from all the drama that's been a consistent part of my life the last few years. Luckily through my sporadic growing, I have been able to take care of m needs up until this point.
I don't have a dedicated lab, mine doubles / triples or even quadruples as a jack of all room, and probably isn't the cleanest of places but it has served me well!



I've had great success working from spore prints, making spore syringe solutions, Making LC’s & basic agar work! I have had my greatest success making and fruiting BRF PF Cakes. So far it has treated me very well and I have been able to supply myself with more mushrooms than I have ever needed.


I had started Micro dosing end of last year, and with the increased consumption with my close to daily needs; I need to start focusing on moving away from my tried tested and true PF styled grows and start transitioning in to bulk tub grows. I think I also need to start moving away from BRF/Rice in general and focus on some other grains to utilize for my bulk tub/shoebox grows.
(Jack Frost)


(Golden Teacher)


(PES Hawaiian)


Currently I am exploring and experimenting with Brown Rice/Pop Corn and now moving onto Rye Grains ( found a cheap source for these grains at the local feed store), which makes it really appealing. I’ve only just yesterday started to proceed with this grain and picked up 2 50 LBS bags from the feed store yesterday afternoon, and working on running them through the PC this afternoon.



I’ll use this thread to document and share all the aspects of my grow so as not to post multiple threads and keep everything related to my grows and Mycology work here in one place.

Feel free to jump in the chaos , comment , offer advice, opinions and what ever banter you want to bring to the thread

I was thinking of taking some of my PF Cakes to bulk, but seeing as I’m low on supplies till I can grab some more things end of month, and what I have is already allocated to other projects, I’ll just continue to fruit off the cakes I have, and continue to harvest enough fungi for my needs for the time being.

What I’m kind of working with at the moment is:

45 BRF jars ranging from 30% - 100% colonized Mostly 1/2 Pint Jars:

8 - Huautla
5-Revert Melmac
2- B+
5- B+ Leucitic
5- Thailand Lipa Yai
15- South American
3- Cambodian
1- PES Hawaiian
1- Jack Frost
4- Ecuador
1- Enigma (LC)

Whole Brown Rice - 6 Quarts Total:
2 Quarts - Enigma (LC’s Inoculated)
2 Quarts - African Transkei
2 Quarts - B+ Leucitic



Pop Corn 3 Quarts Total:
1 Quart - Enigma
1 Quart - African Transkei
1 Quart B+ Leucitic

Liquid Cultures:
-Enigma
-B+ Leucitic
-PES Hawaiian
-African Transkei

Prepping a few more LC jars this evening of some (South American , Cambodian, Huautla , Revert Melmac , Jack Frost)



Rye Grain:
I’ve got 8 Quarts I’m working at running through the PC and Instapot this evening and will work on inoculating tomorrow with some liquid Culture.


Agar Work:

I’ve also got 110 - 125ml Canning jars that I have been cycling through playing around with some agar work, while they are nice and cheap, it makes looking at your agar and growth problematic, but they were cheap, can be reused and have been fun learning on. I have ordered 40 borosilicate glass petri dishes 100x15mm , although shipping is 3-4 weeks to the door so have some time till they arrive.

I also have a few hundred 100x15mm plates I will begin to work through ... well have to practice pouring these disposable plates , as my last foray with agar a few years back didn’t go even remotely acceptable so I'm sure I will have a learning curve here getting the hang of it and getting some successfully poured agar plates.



This thread might get picture heavy, I'll try to keep a majority of the photos embedded into the post as thumbnails

 

[SkunK]

I was working a little late last night, trying to get all my Rye Grains ready and PCed, and I think I over hydrated my 2nd batch of grain. i ended up with a lot of burst grains after my simmer. I have picked out most of the burst grains (as best I could) and decided to send it through the PC and will Inoculate once my gardens and fans go out later this afternoon!

I have read and seen people say that burst grains lead to contamination, I've also been told it shouldn't be a problem and to just send it.

Anyone more experienced with Rye grains wanna chime in with their opinions and experience?



I have another question I'm looking for opinions on, when using Agar Wedges to inoculate grains, how much/many mycelium wedges does one add to a quart jar. would a whole plate minus a transfer or two be adequate ?

 

[SkunK]

Today I started to work with my Rye Grains and Agar this evening, and my 1st time utilizing some agar to hopefully colonize grains.

I used a whole Jar of agar per 1 Quart jar.


Huautla :


Thailand Lipa Yai


The next set of Jars I utilized some Enigma LC that has been clean on agar and on other grains. 2 of these jars contained left over grains as once hydrated they wouldnt all fit in the intended jars..

Enigma (Liquid Culture):


This is a mixed half full jar of pop corn and rye (Knocked up with Enigma LC)

 

[SkunK]

Debating on this Agar jar, seems sketchy to me and pretty sure its got some contamination.. There are Burmese Yangoon plates.

There is a back under layer under the white growth... So pretty sure these are compost material... Anyone have an opinion

Burmese Yangoon:

 

[doubledog]

I have read and seen people say that burst grains lead to contamination, I've also been told it shouldn't be a problem and to just send it.

Burst grains do not lead to contamination. Contamination is caused by uncomplete sterilization.

 

[TransistorBass]

Wow! Its good to have hobbies......

 

[SkunK]

Burst grains do not lead to contamination. Contamination is caused by uncomplete sterilization.

Thats good to know, I sent my 1st ever Rye jars with agar wedges this evening and some known good LC as well! Super excited for this to progress and hopefully make it to my 1st bulk grow!

 

[doubledog]

I have another question I'm looking for opinions on, when using Agar Wedges to inoculate grains, how much/many mycelium wedges does one add to a quart jar. would a whole plate minus a transfer or two be adequate ?

It does not really matters, any amount of mycelium works.

 

[doubledog]

My advice is to be very strict and if any jar/plate is even slightly suspicious, do not open it near your growing space. It can and will contaminate your space.

 

[SkunK]

It does not really matters, any amount of mycelium works.

I have too many hobbies... that room is only the tip of the iceburg, I have a shop/Boat House & shed full of hobbies... Oh the driveway too oh lord

My advice is to be very strict and if any jar/plate is even slightly suspicious, do not open it near your growing space. It can and will contaminate your space.

Should heed your advice, Bin any plate I have questions about, I didn't think mycilium grew black, the thought did cross my mind it could have bruised some how and left the coloring , I'll bin those this evening and start a new from the print.

Any thoughts on skipping making a spore solution and just streaking some spores on agar.... wondering is this may decrees chances of contamination by skipping that step...

 

[doubledog]

I always did put spores from sporeprint directly to agar, never used spore solution. Any step when spores are in contact with unsterilized environment is risky.

 

[SkunK]

I always did put spores from sporeprint directly to agar, never used spore solution. Any step when spores are in contact with unsterilized environment is risky.

I wasn't sure if that was a thing and was under the assumption it needed to be hydrated with water to help germinate the spores. But cutting out an unnecessary step where things can go wrong definitely increases my chances.

I'll use my inoculation look to try and germinate spores directly to agar! maybe some of the prints I have that I've struggled with contams will be easier to get a good culture growing to clean up enough to use. 2 prints Colombian Rust Spore & Wolly - Wollongong Australian are two I have had zero success getting a clean culture to start from print to spore solution.. I also have a few Wood Loving cultures I'd be very interested in growing and haven't had success with either and would love to have some wood chomping cultures to play with





@doubledog I appreciate all the input, feedback and advice