Mushroom thread

[beluga]

I'm terrible at identification unless it's something I'm quite familiar with.
Those look almost Amanita though...

 

[Dirtbag]

I'm terrible at identification unless it's something I'm quite familiar with.
Those look almost Amanita though...

They just have such a magic mushroom look to them. Im gonna take a few home and see if they blue at all.
There is literally thousands of these in one spot on the golf course

 

[beluga]

Just be careful, as I'm sure you know.

But... here's death caps

 

[Dirtbag]

Death cap is one of the few i can identify. These arent death caps, but i dont think they are Psylocibe either.

Only ones i know for sure are death caps, Libs, Chanterelles, Morels, Lobster and shaggy mane.
Shaggy mane are my favourite for eating, but man you need to cook them quick after you pick em. Done right, they taste just like steak to me.

 

[beluga]

Haven't gotten to try shaggy mane... but shiitake's were what made me really fall in love with mushrooms as a kid, for their steak-like taste.

Lion's Mane, however, are also fucking fantastic and taste like crab/lobster.
I pretty much only make "crab" cakes with them anymore and they're to fucking die for.

 

[Dirtbag]

Haven't gotten to try shaggy mane... but shiitake's were what made me really fall in love with mushrooms as a kid, for their steak-like taste.

Lion's Mane, however, are also fucking fantastic and taste like crab/lobster.
I pretty much only make "crab" cakes with them anymore and they're to fucking die for.

Ill be honest im really tempted to rock some edible mushrooms too. I find the process of mycology fascinating, and once im able to pull off a stash of Psylocibe i wont hopefully need to fruit any more for a while. So it would be a good way to get in some more practice.

Bummer is a lot of the edible ones I find are difficult to home cultivate I think. Well, I assume that chanterelles at least would be more commonly available if they were easy to grow. Because, second facourite right there. Simple pan fry with a little butter and a pinch of salt.. I could sit and eat pounds to myself.

 

[beluga]

Yeah... even in restaurants around here, all the chanterelles are wild harvested. They're crazy abundant in these parts.

I'm also super excited to get the edible grows on the roll. I could see myself just doing like one psychoactive grow every 3 or so months... nothing like fresh ones...
I did a small run of blue and king oyster... man.. their mycelium wrecks mold and stuff... so aggressive.
A little bit pickier on the fruiting parameters for Blue Oysters, but not too crazy... especially up in the PNW, I'd bet.

A fun first cloning project is to just grab some supermarket mushrooms and make a clean culture of it... which, again, not too hard what with their aggressive mycelium.

 

[IrishRob]

Haven't gotten to try shaggy mane... but shiitake's were what made me really fall in love with mushrooms as a kid, for their steak-like taste.

Lion's Mane, however, are also fucking fantastic and taste like crab/lobster.
I pretty much only make "crab" cakes with them anymore and they're to fucking die for.

Yeah... even in restaurants around here, all the chanterelles are wild harvested. They're crazy abundant in these parts.

I'm also super excited to get the edible grows on the roll. I could see myself just doing like one psychoactive grow every 3 or so months... nothing like fresh ones...
I did a small run of blue and king oyster... man.. their mycelium wrecks mold and stuff... so aggressive.
A little bit pickier on the fruiting parameters for Blue Oysters, but not too crazy... especially up in the PNW, I'd bet.

A fun first cloning project is to just grab some supermarket mushrooms and make a clean culture of it... which, again, not too hard what with their aggressive mycelium.

Can morels be grown at home

 

[beluga]

Can morels be grown at home

Not too sure about indoors, but people certainly cultivate them.

 

[Fudge]

Even if you're not a mushroom person this sort of shit is just so damn riveting. I may not pipe up much, but I'm here learning, soaking shit up like a sponge waiting to unleash when the time is right.

Thanks to everyone on here. Its always a good read

 

[beluga]

Onward!!!

Inoculating Agar with a MSS and Loop

 

[Jimster]

On an earlier page, a video was posted showing someone busting apart some colonized grow bags and then spread them over a substrate, grain I think. The culture was spread out over the substrate and it grew into a great crop. Can you do something similar using the grain jars? I saw in the video that it appeared that it was misted, so humidity control is paramount, I would guess.
So, in a nutshell, is it better to crumble up the jar's contents and spread them onto a substrate or just leave them in cakes and placed on a bed of dampened perlite? I'd like to try this growing sheep's head mushrooms also. They are pretty hard to find locally and the old timers won't give up their secrets.

 

[beluga]

On an earlier page, a video was posted showing someone busting apart some colonized grow bags and then spread them over a substrate, grain I think. The culture was spread out over the substrate and it grew into a great crop. Can you do something similar using the grain jars? I saw in the video that it appeared that it was misted, so humidity control is paramount, I would guess.
So, in a nutshell, is it better to crumble up the jar's contents and spread them onto a substrate or just leave them in cakes and placed on a bed of dampened perlite? I'd like to try this growing sheep's head mushrooms also. They are pretty hard to find locally and the old timers won't give up their secrets.

It's definitely better to break them up - assuming they're fully colonized and free of contaminants.
And, yep, you do the same with grain jars as you do grain bags. It's all considered 'spawn'.
Moisture is absolutely paramount, misting shouldn't be necessary if you prepare your medium with the right moisture content to begin with, but can absolutely be used to keep the moisture levels high for them. Mushrooms are over 90% water and they don't do well in dry climates.

 

[1diesel1]

Second attempt after the first was a miserable failure.
So far no contamination showing at this point.
:)

 

[MIMedGrower]

Second attempt after the first was a miserable failure.
So far no contamination showing at this point.
:)View attachment 1060321

Man you just keep going and going and growing. So much respect!

 

[Jimster]

It's definitely better to break them up - assuming they're fully colonized and free of contaminants.
And, yep, you do the same with grain jars as you do grain bags. It's all considered 'spawn'.
Moisture is absolutely paramount, misting shouldn't be necessary if you prepare your medium with the right moisture content to begin with, but can absolutely be used to keep the moisture levels high for them. Mushrooms are over 90% water and they don't do well in dry climates.

I have them in pint jars and they are pretty much colonized from top to bottom with the mycelium looking bright and sort of snowy. No signs of contaminants as far as I can tell. So... should I break up the cakes after soaking them, then lay them on top of my base? I have a bag of Perlite... do I need to get another substrate if I break them up or do they carry enough energy to fruit without needing any additional nutrients?
I'm still on the fence about eating ant of these things, assuming it works as I'm hoping. I just think it's cool as hell to do for the sake of doing it.

 

[beluga]

I have them in pint jars and they are pretty much colonized from top to bottom with the mycelium looking bright and sort of snowy. No signs of contaminants as far as I can tell. So... should I break up the cakes after soaking them, then lay them on top of my base? I have a bag of Perlite... do I need to get another substrate if I break them up or do they carry enough energy to fruit without needing any additional nutrients?
I'm still on the fence about eating ant of these things, assuming it works as I'm hoping. I just think it's cool as hell to do for the sake of doing it.

Do you have PF Tek cakes (brown rice flour + vermiculite) or grain spawn?

Either way, you'll want to expand them to another hydrated substrate, ideally coconut coir.

If you've got PF cakes, I would shred them with a cheese grater or chop/crumble them up really fine.

If grain, you can just hit the jar on something like a bike tire or shoe sole to break them up.

Add them to the substrate at a 1:1 - 1:2 ratio (spawn : substrate), then just monitor your conditions to maintain a proper moisture content while also allowing for fresh air exchange.

Perlite is only really used for the Shotgun Fruiting Chamber method in which you just make a bed of hydrated perlite inside of a perforated container and place the whole cakes right on top.

 

[1diesel1]

Man you just keep going and going and growing. So much respect!

Thanks Med!
Back at ya:)

 

[Jimster]

Do you have PF Tek cakes (brown rice flour + vermiculite) or grain spawn?

Either way, you'll want to expand them to another hydrated substrate, ideally coconut coir.

If you've got PF cakes, I would shred them with a cheese grater or chop/crumble them up really fine.

If grain, you can just hit the jar on something like a bike tire or shoe sole to break them up.

Add them to the substrate at a 1:1 - 1:2 ratio (spawn : substrate), then just monitor your conditions to maintain a proper moisture content while also allowing for fresh air exchange.

Perlite is only really used for the Shotgun Fruiting Chamber method in which you just make a bed of hydrated perlite inside of a perforated container and place the whole cakes right on top.

I have the PF cakes as well as the "Shotgun Fruiting Chamber", which is just a plastic tote with a lid. The perlite sits at the bottom, like you said. Please understand, this is the 1st time I've tried this since Carter was in office... maybe before! So... just shred up the colonized PF cakes on top of the perlite? I know that the perlite supplies a structure and hydration... is that all that is needed?
It's a whole different way of looking at things after decades of regular growing. In my mind, it is like getting the plants ready to flower, then pick the buds and expect them to grow after being removed from the plant. Sort of. I have to realize that I am dealing with a zillion mushrooms as opposed to one plant. I just have a hard time getting my mind around destroying the cakes and then getting a big flush out of them, instead of leaving them bunched up together drawing nutrients from the PF cakes. In your opinion, is it better to smash and spread the cakes, or to just take them out of the jar and place on top of the perlite? How important is it to soak the cakes before putting them in the chamber? Soak first, then shread, or shred 1st and then hydrate? I guess a spray bottle full of water to spritz them helps too.
I appreciate all of the help! I just wish that I had as much luck popping a bunch of beans I bought last year. So far, only 2 out of 12 popped so far... I NEVER had this problem before. FWIW, the seeds were tiny compared to what I usually expect seeds to look like. The few beans I had prior popped fine, just the purchased ones. I think these guys sold out of Australia a year or two back.

 

[beluga]

I have the PF cakes as well as the "Shotgun Fruiting Chamber", which is just a plastic tote with a lid. The perlite sits at the bottom, like you said. Please understand, this is the 1st time I've tried this since Carter was in office... maybe before! So... just shred up the colonized PF cakes on top of the perlite? I know that the perlite supplies a structure and hydration... is that all that is needed?
It's a whole different way of looking at things after decades of regular growing. In my mind, it is like getting the plants ready to flower, then pick the buds and expect them to grow after being removed from the plant. Sort of. I have to realize that I am dealing with a zillion mushrooms as opposed to one plant. I just have a hard time getting my mind around destroying the cakes and then getting a big flush out of them, instead of leaving them bunched up together drawing nutrients from the PF cakes. In your opinion, is it better to smash and spread the cakes, or to just take them out of the jar and place on top of the perlite? How important is it to soak the cakes before putting them in the chamber? Soak first, then shread, or shred 1st and then hydrate? I guess a spray bottle full of water to spritz them helps too.
I appreciate all of the help! I just wish that I had as much luck popping a bunch of beans I bought last year. So far, only 2 out of 12 popped so far... I NEVER had this problem before. FWIW, the seeds were tiny compared to what I usually expect seeds to look like. The few beans I had prior popped fine, just the purchased ones. I think these guys sold out of Australia a year or two back.

Only break them up if you're going to be mixing them with coconut coir and putting that mixture into a so-called monotub.

With what you have in front of you, I would say to keep the cake intact and follow the shotgun fruiting chamber/PF Tek process.
Soaking them seems to help a bit if you didn't hydrate them well to begin with, but when I did PF, I would just birth them and wait. Mist if they seem to be drying out.