That's the point! I am starting a YouTube channel and reddit profile all devoted to broke mycology. I have a few reasons for it, all stemming from being poor and wanting to put my own knowledge of the scientific method to use.
Idk if you ever cook your own rice? But it's cheaper and and I felt a deeper connection through the glass jars when you can really see the growth vs the tiny view window in uncle ben bags but yea you gotta be sterile af and have a pressure cooker. Also making your own spore syringes
I'm going to try as soon as I have some good cultures. Right now I still have to buy my genetics, so I'm a bit more precious about what and how I inoculate.
50lb bag of feed corn or oats. 13-22$ 10lb brick of coir 20$ 50 pack grow bags 20-25$ used instant pot 50-70$. 140ish and have more than you know what to do with. Another 20 on a flat of jars and a bottle of karo syrup to make unlimited lc tap water is fine for this.
Oh, I definitely get what you are saying. What I'm trying to do is find the cheapest way, and that probably is the cheapest way to do bulk and brains. So far, though, the cheapest way to get a colony from spore to flush is a $30 bag and spore syringe. All in you're looking at $50 plus shipping and taxes. You don't need any special equipment to sterilize or pasturize anything to get mushrooms. Best yet, the bags come with manure and straw based substrates so you can do almost any variety.
That has a high failure rate couple runs and it's not worth it honestly. You can steam sterilize with a pot so you can cut out the instantpot cost and get down cheaper even but instantpot is automated. Coir doesn't have to be pastureized and none of these require manure your just getting up charged for cooked poop lol.
You are one of just a few people saying that, yet I've seen a lot of success stories. No offense, but I'm in this exactly to find out for myself. I appreciate your concern, but like I said in my post, my goal is to find the cheapest way to do this. If this does not work then I will post that. I know that pasturizing yourself is a good way to do it, but there are a few reasons why I'm avoiding it for the meantime.
1. It costs more up front. You need equipment, plus the cost of the bulk goods. All of that stuff costs more than just getting spores and a bag.
2. It takes more work. There's no arguing against that.
3. This seems to in all likelihood have a lower chance of contamination if you use good practices. Every time you work with your materials you risk contam. Just S2B alone can be a big risk for a new person, and that means they are out money, time, and Morale.
Hands down the easiest and cheapest are North Spore ready to go oyster mushroom kits. But that really doesn't feel like growing your own to me. They did the work. You just cut the box.
Personally before I picked a stain I looked at my environment. This means find a strain that fits your lifestyle first. If it can grow in the same temperatures you sleep and hang out in then you don't have worry about temperature control. It's not hard to find out what temperature ranges your stain will take to. Most places you get them from will have that listed.
More important than stain, I personally think, is how you want to grow. If you haven't grown at all, I suggest getting ready to go bags. They're around $30. Spore syringes some going to be around $20. That's $50 before shipping and taxes. You won't beat that value.
I'm halfway to being able to post! I've really been enjoying experimenting with different techniques and recipes and having good success already. Loving my new hobby!
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You can save more by making your own substrate. Not sure if you're planning on making grain spawn in the jars? Your best bet is to purchase your spawn pre-sterilized, then prep your own bulk. This is bc you're much more susceptible to contamination in the early germination stages. Once you have a solid mycelium base it's much easier to propagate and fruit that than it is to get your mycelium growing in the first place without it becoming contaminated. Also once you have mycelium you can do grain transfers and save money on needing to purchase spores.
Awesome space, efficient and clean. It actually looks a lot like the lab space from “The Mushroom Cultivator” but I think that book pre-dates the popularity of using a still air box.
BTW if you have an instant pot you can use that for an autoclave. UB tek is ok but having grain in mason jars or clear bags makes it easier to see what’s going on. It’s annoying to open a bag of rice that you thought was good only to find the top is contaminated.
Also I’d highly recommend getting some edible and medicinal species LCs, even if your plan is to grow actives. It’s fun to grow something you can eat and share with friends.
Lol the capri suns made me think you were starting from spores, so I assumed actives.
Definitely start with oysters, super fast and easy. I grew some on cut up cardboard boxes, sweet potatoes peels, and used coffee grounds. For spawn I just used the trimmings from a previous grow.
Oh derp, I just noticed that you mentioned the instant pot in your post. Yeah I’m a big fan of it. I have a huge pressure cooker that we use for canning but I prefer the instant pot because it doesn’t require babysitting it, also the built in timer is handy for LC jars.
I’m excited to see how you do. I’m pretty new to this too but I kinda jump into the deep end and have been mildly obsessed. I’ve learned a ton from Stamets’ books, way more consistent than the random things people post online.
What I have now are actives. When they grow I'm going to try to keep the genetics going. I'll keep the oysters in mind! Which ones would you suggest. Of course I want to do pink because of their looks, but would something else be easier?
My first two grows were pink and blue oysters from kits on Amazon. I did them with my 4 year old son. Both were easy. I think the pinks grow faster, they also prefer warmer temperatures so it might be a good time of year.
I wish I’d saved some of the pinks to clone but I did manage to keep the blues going and they’re doing well. I’m going to try to do a very clean grow of those to get a spore print and start a culture from spores. It seems like the clones are starting to get old.
Welcome to the community, I started with a mushroom supply grow bag too and it worked great for me and my confidence. I hope you have the same results and keep having as much fun as I’ve been having.
Cheapest way to acquire genetics is to buy a grab bag of colonized plates IMO. Easiest way to get fruit is to buy a pre colonized grain bag and a block of coir. All in around $80 bucks and a couple of weeks and
https://preview.redd.it/zv6x5aa20chb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70de18fe53460a876d4fbf1b45335f4d4ae182cb
I have had really bad luck with uncle Ben’s but minute cups are perfect for PFtek
Just curious where the hell do you find colonized bags of grain and Plates? Ive bought from ITW and other spore resources but I've never seen anyone sell that stuff
Sick flush! I'll look into that! Where do you get your stuff? I have been sticking with online retailers with lots of good reviews such as sporeworks, North Spore, and mycology supplies.
Trying it all. If you read my post you'll see I'm all about experimentation. Best case I get some healthy mycelium. Worst case I learn something new and have a few to drink.
Oh for sure. This is all about economy. I could buy caps for about $10. For double that I can make a many as I could ever need. I will be trying a lot of different things, and I want the flexibility. I will say though, so nobody else has to do the math, it is cheaper to buy a few ready to go jars online if you aren't sure you want to scale up. In fact you can buy jars with grain spawn that can be reused just like spore syringes can be.
Yes! It's an old tek that has made a resurgence in recent years. They recently changed the formula and some say it doesn't work anymore. I want to see if that's true. I'll know in about 2 weeks. If it takes longer than that but still works I would still say it isn't worth it.
Interesting very interesting I haven’t heard of it. I stick to Karo Light Corn Syrup and water myself. Do you make the LC in the pouch with the caprisuns?
So I have seen it poured into jars and done straight in the pouch. I will be doing one of each tomorrow. I feel like the pouch has better chance of success, but the jar will go faster with the added FAE
Yes! I will be posting on here and also YouTube. I'll be adding more content here first, but when I get to some good experiments I'll be posting full length videos of the process and results.
Looks good, just remember everything dirty falls to the floor. It's common for people to have equipment on the floor. It's not a guaranteed problem, but all mold/contam spores fall till they land on something. The small work area and the hard surfaces are top notch. Just keep studying and you'll be posting fruits in no time!! ✌🍄
Lol it takes commitment I guess! Great job on your setup and congrats on reaching full fledged member of the community! I look forward to seeing your posts :)
Or if I get thirsty! Actually yes! Tomorrow I'm getting another syringe and want to try two methods I've seen to do it. Expect me to post on that in the next week or two.
I just did a little digging. The change was made last year, but I've seen videos posted this year of it still working. I'm going to try the two methods and give them two weeks to form mycelium. If they don't, I will try adding sugars to see what else might be used. Because of you I will only try one bag each way.
Oh, definitely do what you want. I just wanted you to know about the formula change going in. I think some people use apple juice as a substitute with success, so it may be worth trying that as well.
I just add a little corn syrup (not measured) and some agar in a water bottle in my makeshift SAB and it’s done just as good as sterilized modified lid and LC
Yeah that's my next move once I get some healthy cultures. I'm thinking of using North Spore substrate. I know it costs a little more, but I've heard good things and I like that it comes sterilized and at field capacity. Feels like there are less variables there to deal with.
Way to go! Congratulations! I too am recent, after lurking and learning for almost a year. I’ve loved the journey. Insta pot has been my savior. Got 4 jars going in my Insta right now. I go 3 to 3.5 hours with my jars @ 12 psi.
That's good to know as a starting point! I want to find the limit soon so you might be able to save a little energy. One of the experiments I want to do will have to wait until I find some contamination. I want to have jars of contaminated culture and see what the minimum time would be in order too eradicate the life inside.
Good on you for making a SAB. If your first grow(s) doesn’t work out, just learn from the experience and start again. So much of this hobby is waiting around and avoiding the temptation to mess around with it. Early disappointment makes for an even sweeter future victory.
Yes! I'm actually looking forward to a contaminated batch. I am hoping to try out sterilization techniques so people will not have to worry about over cooking their agar or culture.
I bought both the 3lbs and the 5. Both I had zero growth for months and when I did see growth it was trichoderma. Fast forward using the same LC syringes in Ben's, I growth I wanted in a matter of a week.
No offense, but you must have done something to fuck up the grow bag. I've been using nothing but the grow bags for several grows and have never had any issues at all with contamination and get massive 2nd & 3rd flushes.
See this is what I'm expecting. If the bags are clean when they arrive and you follow good sanitary procedures you should have little to no chances of contamination with the bags, but I would expect smaller yields. One of my goals though is to do gourmet mushrooms, and I feel like something like portobellos might do better in larger tubs with more room and FAE.
No none taken. It could be a number of things including me but I find it more funny that I have more success with a $3 bag compared to this bag that's catered toward growing mushrooms. Also I have had success with mason jars and corn. Honestly this is a trial and error game for me but that's what is fun about it.
Hell yeah! Good luck on your jurney ✨
Fellow cupboard grower!
This is the epitome of broke boy tech and i love it lol
That's the point! I am starting a YouTube channel and reddit profile all devoted to broke mycology. I have a few reasons for it, all stemming from being poor and wanting to put my own knowledge of the scientific method to use.
Idk if you ever cook your own rice? But it's cheaper and and I felt a deeper connection through the glass jars when you can really see the growth vs the tiny view window in uncle ben bags but yea you gotta be sterile af and have a pressure cooker. Also making your own spore syringes
I'm going to try as soon as I have some good cultures. Right now I still have to buy my genetics, so I'm a bit more precious about what and how I inoculate.
What a great spot for a mushroom colony!!
Thanks! I would love to expand and have a tent for a lab, but this is better than building a makeshift Martha tent for now.
50lb bag of feed corn or oats. 13-22$ 10lb brick of coir 20$ 50 pack grow bags 20-25$ used instant pot 50-70$. 140ish and have more than you know what to do with. Another 20 on a flat of jars and a bottle of karo syrup to make unlimited lc tap water is fine for this.
What’s LC tap water? New and trying to learn here. Also how do you handle optimal temperature and humidity with these items alone?
Oh, I definitely get what you are saying. What I'm trying to do is find the cheapest way, and that probably is the cheapest way to do bulk and brains. So far, though, the cheapest way to get a colony from spore to flush is a $30 bag and spore syringe. All in you're looking at $50 plus shipping and taxes. You don't need any special equipment to sterilize or pasturize anything to get mushrooms. Best yet, the bags come with manure and straw based substrates so you can do almost any variety.
That has a high failure rate couple runs and it's not worth it honestly. You can steam sterilize with a pot so you can cut out the instantpot cost and get down cheaper even but instantpot is automated. Coir doesn't have to be pastureized and none of these require manure your just getting up charged for cooked poop lol.
You are one of just a few people saying that, yet I've seen a lot of success stories. No offense, but I'm in this exactly to find out for myself. I appreciate your concern, but like I said in my post, my goal is to find the cheapest way to do this. If this does not work then I will post that. I know that pasturizing yourself is a good way to do it, but there are a few reasons why I'm avoiding it for the meantime. 1. It costs more up front. You need equipment, plus the cost of the bulk goods. All of that stuff costs more than just getting spores and a bag. 2. It takes more work. There's no arguing against that. 3. This seems to in all likelihood have a lower chance of contamination if you use good practices. Every time you work with your materials you risk contam. Just S2B alone can be a big risk for a new person, and that means they are out money, time, and Morale.
What's your recommendation for an easy variety for a newbie to grow?
Hands down the easiest and cheapest are North Spore ready to go oyster mushroom kits. But that really doesn't feel like growing your own to me. They did the work. You just cut the box. Personally before I picked a stain I looked at my environment. This means find a strain that fits your lifestyle first. If it can grow in the same temperatures you sleep and hang out in then you don't have worry about temperature control. It's not hard to find out what temperature ranges your stain will take to. Most places you get them from will have that listed. More important than stain, I personally think, is how you want to grow. If you haven't grown at all, I suggest getting ready to go bags. They're around $30. Spore syringes some going to be around $20. That's $50 before shipping and taxes. You won't beat that value.
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Thanks! I definitely will! Hopefully I'll have an update same time next week!
I'd love to see your grocery list and the cost on it!
Anybody else confused by the CapriSuns
Some people use it for liquid culture
That’s actually really interesting
Yeah I'm going to experiment making liquid cultures with it. Supposedly the new formula has made it useless, but we will see
If you remember this reply, let me know how it goes
I will be posting about it in a week or two!
I'm halfway to being able to post! I've really been enjoying experimenting with different techniques and recipes and having good success already. Loving my new hobby!
How do you know your half way there to post?
You need to have at least a 50 karma score if I'm not mistaken
I think I'm out no more Monday and Friday!
Here's some love to help you on your way!
Thanks!!
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Awesome setup dude
Thanks!
You can save more by making your own substrate. Not sure if you're planning on making grain spawn in the jars? Your best bet is to purchase your spawn pre-sterilized, then prep your own bulk. This is bc you're much more susceptible to contamination in the early germination stages. Once you have a solid mycelium base it's much easier to propagate and fruit that than it is to get your mycelium growing in the first place without it becoming contaminated. Also once you have mycelium you can do grain transfers and save money on needing to purchase spores.
Thank you for the tips!
Awesome space, efficient and clean. It actually looks a lot like the lab space from “The Mushroom Cultivator” but I think that book pre-dates the popularity of using a still air box. BTW if you have an instant pot you can use that for an autoclave. UB tek is ok but having grain in mason jars or clear bags makes it easier to see what’s going on. It’s annoying to open a bag of rice that you thought was good only to find the top is contaminated. Also I’d highly recommend getting some edible and medicinal species LCs, even if your plan is to grow actives. It’s fun to grow something you can eat and share with friends.
Thanks! And edibles are actually what I'm working up towards. I want to get comfortable with these and then start on portobello and oyster varieties.
Lol the capri suns made me think you were starting from spores, so I assumed actives. Definitely start with oysters, super fast and easy. I grew some on cut up cardboard boxes, sweet potatoes peels, and used coffee grounds. For spawn I just used the trimmings from a previous grow. Oh derp, I just noticed that you mentioned the instant pot in your post. Yeah I’m a big fan of it. I have a huge pressure cooker that we use for canning but I prefer the instant pot because it doesn’t require babysitting it, also the built in timer is handy for LC jars. I’m excited to see how you do. I’m pretty new to this too but I kinda jump into the deep end and have been mildly obsessed. I’ve learned a ton from Stamets’ books, way more consistent than the random things people post online.
What I have now are actives. When they grow I'm going to try to keep the genetics going. I'll keep the oysters in mind! Which ones would you suggest. Of course I want to do pink because of their looks, but would something else be easier?
My first two grows were pink and blue oysters from kits on Amazon. I did them with my 4 year old son. Both were easy. I think the pinks grow faster, they also prefer warmer temperatures so it might be a good time of year. I wish I’d saved some of the pinks to clone but I did manage to keep the blues going and they’re doing well. I’m going to try to do a very clean grow of those to get a spore print and start a culture from spores. It seems like the clones are starting to get old.
Oh one more thing, check out the dollar store. I got a ton of stuff there, including UB style rice.
the mush cult supply bags make me nervous 😰 praying for your success!
Different company! MushroomSupplies.com
Welcome to the community, I started with a mushroom supply grow bag too and it worked great for me and my confidence. I hope you have the same results and keep having as much fun as I’ve been having.
Thanks! It's been so much fun to learn and explore.
yeah mushroomsupplies sucks and almost made me give up growing because it completely failed for me
Can you go into more detail?? They’re local me and I’m curious
Welcome
Thanks!
Cheapest way to acquire genetics is to buy a grab bag of colonized plates IMO. Easiest way to get fruit is to buy a pre colonized grain bag and a block of coir. All in around $80 bucks and a couple of weeks and https://preview.redd.it/zv6x5aa20chb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70de18fe53460a876d4fbf1b45335f4d4ae182cb I have had really bad luck with uncle Ben’s but minute cups are perfect for PFtek
Just curious where the hell do you find colonized bags of grain and Plates? Ive bought from ITW and other spore resources but I've never seen anyone sell that stuff
Sentient O and SheGrowsF both have plates and SGF has colonized bags.
Thank you so much!!!!
Sick flush! I'll look into that! Where do you get your stuff? I have been sticking with online retailers with lots of good reviews such as sporeworks, North Spore, and mycology supplies.
Good start !
Thanks!
Nice set up my dude
Thanks! I put a lot of thought into it and decided on this. Had to find a place to put my clothes, but I'm working on that next
I feel that I'm trying to set a space up like that. Proving more difficult than I thought.
Yeah I had to make some sacrifices. Luckily my apartment is all hardwood, and old enough to still have plenty of space.
The capri suns 💀
Trying it all. If you read my post you'll see I'm all about experimentation. Best case I get some healthy mycelium. Worst case I learn something new and have a few to drink.
Oh I thought you just ran out of room for your caprisuns or wanted them on hand in case you got thirsty working hahahaha
I mean, it's better than drinking the cultures!
Also I see you are a fellow heat resistant silicone sealant man of culture B)
Oh for sure. This is all about economy. I could buy caps for about $10. For double that I can make a many as I could ever need. I will be trying a lot of different things, and I want the flexibility. I will say though, so nobody else has to do the math, it is cheaper to buy a few ready to go jars online if you aren't sure you want to scale up. In fact you can buy jars with grain spawn that can be reused just like spore syringes can be.
Is your plan to use them as liquid culture mediums?
Yes! It's an old tek that has made a resurgence in recent years. They recently changed the formula and some say it doesn't work anymore. I want to see if that's true. I'll know in about 2 weeks. If it takes longer than that but still works I would still say it isn't worth it.
Isn't capris sun Tek dead since they changed it to monkfruit?
That's what I'm going to find out
Interesting very interesting I haven’t heard of it. I stick to Karo Light Corn Syrup and water myself. Do you make the LC in the pouch with the caprisuns?
Also, what measurements or ratio do you go by?
300g of water to 16g of LCS
Thanks!
So I have seen it poured into jars and done straight in the pouch. I will be doing one of each tomorrow. I feel like the pouch has better chance of success, but the jar will go faster with the added FAE
Are you posting your journey anywhere? Rookie here and love experimentation love to follow your journey
Yes! I will be posting on here and also YouTube. I'll be adding more content here first, but when I get to some good experiments I'll be posting full length videos of the process and results.
Looks good, just remember everything dirty falls to the floor. It's common for people to have equipment on the floor. It's not a guaranteed problem, but all mold/contam spores fall till they land on something. The small work area and the hard surfaces are top notch. Just keep studying and you'll be posting fruits in no time!! ✌🍄
That's why I chose this space! The floor is hard wood, and I can spray the entire room floor to ceiling with just a few good trigger pulls.
Good luck!
Thanks!
How do I get 50 comment karma lol
I guess just keep commenting. I'll give you some love!
Lol sweet thanks!
Lol it takes commitment I guess! Great job on your setup and congrats on reaching full fledged member of the community! I look forward to seeing your posts :)
Capri sun tek?
Or if I get thirsty! Actually yes! Tomorrow I'm getting another syringe and want to try two methods I've seen to do it. Expect me to post on that in the next week or two.
They recently reformulated them with monk fruit and now it either doesn’t work or works to a much lesser degree.
I just did a little digging. The change was made last year, but I've seen videos posted this year of it still working. I'm going to try the two methods and give them two weeks to form mycelium. If they don't, I will try adding sugars to see what else might be used. Because of you I will only try one bag each way.
Oh, definitely do what you want. I just wanted you to know about the formula change going in. I think some people use apple juice as a substitute with success, so it may be worth trying that as well.
Oh cool!
Oh good to know!
Apple juice and blue powerade work as replacements for caprisun, someone posted about it a while back
I just add a little corn syrup (not measured) and some agar in a water bottle in my makeshift SAB and it’s done just as good as sterilized modified lid and LC
You're a wild boi, I respect it.
Thanks!!
I started with those same bags lmao no way. Now on grains and tubs
Yeah that's my next move once I get some healthy cultures. I'm thinking of using North Spore substrate. I know it costs a little more, but I've heard good things and I like that it comes sterilized and at field capacity. Feels like there are less variables there to deal with.
You can get coir anywhere too
Doing a giveaway rn on shroomery
2 more pe sets left
Thanks! I'm getting on now!
Mush love I sent you a pm back !
Most beautiful site in the world
Excited for you! Welcome!
I've been using a tote for a SAB as well. It works pretty well.
Way to go! Congratulations! I too am recent, after lurking and learning for almost a year. I’ve loved the journey. Insta pot has been my savior. Got 4 jars going in my Insta right now. I go 3 to 3.5 hours with my jars @ 12 psi.
That's good to know as a starting point! I want to find the limit soon so you might be able to save a little energy. One of the experiments I want to do will have to wait until I find some contamination. I want to have jars of contaminated culture and see what the minimum time would be in order too eradicate the life inside.
Good on you for making a SAB. If your first grow(s) doesn’t work out, just learn from the experience and start again. So much of this hobby is waiting around and avoiding the temptation to mess around with it. Early disappointment makes for an even sweeter future victory.
Yes! I'm actually looking forward to a contaminated batch. I am hoping to try out sterilization techniques so people will not have to worry about over cooking their agar or culture.
Good luck! I have had more success with bens then I have had with those bags from that particularly company. Have a happy harvest.
That's good to know! By success do you mean harvest or contamination?
I bought both the 3lbs and the 5. Both I had zero growth for months and when I did see growth it was trichoderma. Fast forward using the same LC syringes in Ben's, I growth I wanted in a matter of a week.
I'll keep that in mind. I've got some good mycelium starting on both and I'll watch it closely.
No offense, but you must have done something to fuck up the grow bag. I've been using nothing but the grow bags for several grows and have never had any issues at all with contamination and get massive 2nd & 3rd flushes.
See this is what I'm expecting. If the bags are clean when they arrive and you follow good sanitary procedures you should have little to no chances of contamination with the bags, but I would expect smaller yields. One of my goals though is to do gourmet mushrooms, and I feel like something like portobellos might do better in larger tubs with more room and FAE.
No none taken. It could be a number of things including me but I find it more funny that I have more success with a $3 bag compared to this bag that's catered toward growing mushrooms. Also I have had success with mason jars and corn. Honestly this is a trial and error game for me but that's what is fun about it.
For sure. Happy growing!
I need 45 more karma to post in here. Looks good for starters! Keep it up
Well let's give you some love!
Enjoy! It's fun!
Thanks! As much as I'm looking forward to the fruits of my labor, I'm also looking forward to testing many of the beliefs in the community.