Mushrooms - DIY, spores, etc 🍄 (Part 1)

[Howard.Crane]

Don’t you still need a pressure cooker?

Edit: Ah. Just looked it up again. Seems like a really good method, but isn’t currently workable for me.

I had been considering this:

I may just skip it altogether and see if I get lucky.

[Seamonkey84]

Steam sterilize, liquids will heat through evenly and come up to temp, pressure cookers are needed for the thicker/dense grains. Rice and popcorn can be steam sterilized (broke boi tek) just like the PF tek.

- YouTube

- YouTube

EASIEST Way to Grow Mushrooms - Broke Boi Tek

- YouTube

[Howard.Crane]

Okay, you talked me into it

Just ordered the stuff, should be here in plenty of time. Got the Pasty containers coming though, instead of jars. And some RTV because it’s so handy

I already have a big bag of ultra fine activated charcoal… How much of that would you add, if you were interested in that sort of thing?

[Seamonkey84]

No idea on the charcoal addition, but yea those do look nice hehe
Oh, each 25g bag makes like a liter of agar
Some people save the water they used to wash/boil rice/grains and use that for agar or LC since there’s plenty of starch in it

HOW TO MAKE AGAR EASY (COCONUT WATER AGAR) FOR MYCELIUM

Late night edit

Well I cooked up some CVG, boil in bag style, hope to make up three shoeboxes tomorrow after work.

The LC I made are testing clean. These are just small bottles of low sugar apple juice, pre sterilized and shelf stable. Just like agar and other LC, make sure to use a SAB or flow hood when opening! I did make a small hole in the cap and covered it with micropore tape.

Cordyceps Militaris bottle A test (some is already turning orange since I haven’t kept it in the dark)

[Oldtimerunderground]

[Howard.Crane]

Nice! Chubby things, lol

[Howard.Crane]

Harvested my second flush of that tiny aluminum tray that was spawned with half a bag of Uncle Ben’s rice, and while I didn’t get much of a yield it’s enough to get me excited and wanting to improve.

I got my malt extract agar mix and other supplies today, so some time in the next week (health permitting) I’m gonna try and make up some Pasty Plates to play around with.

I’m finding this hobby pretty fascinating. I wish I’d have been able to get into it sooner.

[Seamonkey84]

I don’t like mushrooms in my food normally, been almost 20yrs since I last had the fun kind. the science behind this hobby and lab gear makes me giddy hehe

I got my Landscape morel LC in yesterday

[Howard.Crane]

I used to straight up hate mushrooms. I’ve grown to almost like a few types now that I know how to cook them properly.

It’s been almost thirty years since I’ve taken any kind of psychedelics, and I probably wouldn’t be getting into shrooms now if I didn’t have treatment-resistant depression and anxiety and an interest in seeing if microdosing will help.

And yeah, the process of it all is very interesting. Will likely switch to culinary types once I’ve got enough meds on hand, just to keep myself busy and entertained

[toastyjakes]

Speaking of … went out looking today… It’s still pretty early but they are starting … I say that having stepped over this little thing and the lady finding it… She wins this year lol

[Seamonkey84]

Nice! I hope to find one myself, but odds are stacked against me for sure. They’re rare in my state and I don’t know places to start looking, and doubt I’ll be timing things right.
You take a tissue sample ?

I have one gold oyster sample that is growing, need to do a transfer to clean up, or at least cut out the infected pieces till it grows out a bit more.

Saved $5 from ordering a LC and cloned my first culture. Though the agar plates are $2 each and the time doing so… still fun lol
Also, I know it’s right in the name… but holy crap they really smell like seafood . I don’t like mushrooms or seafood, why am I growing this thing . I’m thinking I’m going to test my Lions mane LC, it’s really just developed a few pieces of fluff, maybe just get a fresh piece and start on agar.

[Howard.Crane]

@Howard.Crane

I gave half of my bags of fully colonized Uncle Ben’s and two 5lb bags of pre-sterilized substrate I got from Etsy to my buddy, so he can grow his own medicine. He’s got it all set up, and it looks like it’s taking off. I feel really really good about that!

Here’s how that’s looking now:

It’s very weird not being able to see it in person, yet being really interested in how it’s doing, lol.

Mine’s several days behind his, and not as colonized yet.

[Seamonkey84]

I was going to get my grains broken up and mixed with substrate in shoeboxes. But I want to put those shoeboxes into another larger tote with lots of holes and poly fill. I’m paranoid that the fungus gnats from my plants will make their way into them.

[Howard.Crane]

I hate those little bastards!

[Pannonian]

Which protocol do you plan to use? I’m not so deep in the topic, but I know about two approaches. Psyllocibin every third day, or psyllocibin + lions mane + niacin every day. Psilocibin creates new brain links and lions for making new brain cells. I’m not sure, but I think Niacin is used as a vessel for one of these compounds. Maybe both

I found it very useful to have some new activities where you can follow progres. This can sound stupid but I read some research on depression and found a Japanese study on juggling practice (three balls) and depression
Two identical groups with clinical depression were treated with the same treatment. Medications, psychotherapy … in one group add juggling practice. The results were significant better
If I remember well, juggling also creates new brain cells, improves coordination, improves awareness…
Now I’m pretty better juggler. In many areas.
And it is fun

[Howard.Crane]

I’m fascinated by the idea of the Stamets Stack, but I can’t tolerate regular Niacin and just discovered a couple weeks ago that Lion’s Mane exacerbates my heart arrhythmia, so I’m currently planning on simply finding my lowest effective dose and taking that every three days. I will adjust as needed.

Interesting info about adding new activities. I’m pretty limited physically, but I’ll try to find something that will work for me.

[Howard.Crane]

Well, I guess we’re side pinning now

Seems a bit early. Got a few pins on top now, too.

I’m a little distressed about it, tbh. Doesn’t seem well enough colonized for that. Might be a contamination it’s trying to race? Hope not!

[Howard.Crane]

@Howard.Crane

Ugh. First attempt at creating a liquid culture with a needle biopsy, and my hands are not very steady apparently. I did manage to get a small sliver in each syringe though.

At 8% sugar, it will be interesting to see whether this works.

I also cut a very tiny piece to put in a container of brown rice, and one to put into the container containing the rest of the juice.

Hopefully one or more of those things will work, lol.

Thinking of ordering some agar plates to test them on when the time comes.

One of the pieces I extracted from the inside of the stipe and dropped into a container of brown rice appears to be growing mycelium

Got some growth in the liquid cultures too, but that’s not unexpected… Looking forward to finding out what kind soon, lol

[Seamonkey84]

Well I got busy today. Filled some LC syringes, cleaned up the oyster plate, and then started a agar plate with Morel LC. I got the enriched broth and rice cooking when I started, when it was done, I put it into the flow box to cool and dry; while I broke up the 3lb grain spawn and made three shoeboxes (1:1 spawn:CVG). I divided the rice into two small totes, and inoculated with a bottle of LC each (roughly 6oz each). Yes that’s a heavy pour of LC, but that’s what they recommend for cordyceps to get a fast colonization.

Color change on the cordcyeps LC test plate, starts white but I have it sitting out and it is photosensitive.

[Howard.Crane]

Can agar be too black?

Below is the excess agar from my first attempt to make agar “plates” at home, and it is absolutely opaque. I haven’t looked at the mini rounds that are still cooling, but I’m pretty sure even those are fully opaque.

Will that much charcoal (1g to 250ml agar solution) have any adverse effects?

I hope not, because I think it looks neat

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EDIT : According to this, it’s not too much.