Swagmasterflex said:

I bought them this time, but I'm definitely going to start making them. People are proud of their agar lol Hopefully I can find a PC at thrift store and then my ordering will be just for new genetics

So with no visible contamination on the dishes, do you always transfer just to verify or full send on it?

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tobh said:

I'm damn near shiny new to agar. When I started growing many moons ago, agar work was reserved for the most advanced clandestine mycologists, so my input here is worth less than a grain of salt.

The idea is to start on agar with any new genetics, period. Print, spore syringe, LC syringe, don't trust em at all. Especially prints and spore syringes (I'm dealing with the proof of that logic now). Once you get a clean culture (no contamination, especially bacterial ime) then you can let the plate fully colonize, chop it up, make a LC or inoculate grains directly.

Since I've been getting deeper into it, as in having poured over 100 plates in the past months, I now understand why the idea of doing a grain jar inoculation with a spore syringe is a big no-no. Two of the syringes I ran last time I grew (a couple years ago) have done nothing but produced bacterial plates. The jars did the same thing. My aseptic technique is pretty solid, this isn't my first rodeo, and untouched plates haven't contamed, soooo....

Highly recommend getting a PC ASAP. If you can foot it, my current PC is a 24 quart Merro (T-Fal) I picked up for $80. I use a turkey fryer burner to heat it which I got for free. You can't do mycology without one, at least not easily -- I've done the ghetto style of boiling jars multiple days in a row with a cardboard box SAB. a PC of decent capacity changes everything and will pay for itself in months time.

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2Bad said:

I miss growing shrooms but sheesh it made me so nervous cus it was so taboo back in 2010-2015

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Observationist said:

Bout to put this shit in a tea

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chemistry said:

How did the bags turn out?

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GuySmiley said:

This is a mind-blowing mushroom also, but it's due to its deliciousness, not a psychedelic effect. I managed to find my first Hen of the Woods (Maitake) 2 years ago. I haven't found one since so last week I ordered a 100 count bag of spore plugs. Oak trees are a dime a dozen here. View attachment 1331332

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tobh said:

i ordered some spawn from them as well. don't have access to trees, unfortunately, but with the stuff a buddy and i are working on we won't need em. master mix is great for all the wood lovers (lion's mane, reishi, maitake, shitake, oysters, etc).

good luck with the grow! best approach is fresh cut wood ime. older logs tend to have competitive colonies of fungi already so it makes colonization kinda shitty and resulting fruits aren't anything to write home about.

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tobh said:

i ordered some spawn from them as well. don't have access to trees, unfortunately, but with the stuff a buddy and i are working on we won't need em. master mix is great for all the wood lovers (lion's mane, reishi, maitake, shitake, oysters, etc).

good luck with the grow! best approach is fresh cut wood ime. older logs tend to have competitive colonies of fungi already so it makes colonization kinda shitty and resulting fruits aren't anything to write home about.

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