been a min new grow

[ed61874 89]

well after a break I'm ready to give it another go been having problems with contamination. I have done some new research and am going to incorporate them in this grow. 1 going to build a glove box sab is great just for begin but a glove box has to be better came up with an inexpensive build that I will show on here basic but better then a sab. I'm poor grow for my on pleasure and it helps with my by polar . this time i ordered prepared plates MEA. Just help with time. 

[Mush Zombie 26410]

I can’t recommend a SAB at all. It’s never made sense to me why people think they can prevent microscopic particles from entering their cultures when there’s giant arm holes moving air in and out of the box that’s full of microscopic particles every time the user moves their arms around to do anything. Nothing still about the air in the box.

Anyway, can you tell us more about the contamination issues? What’s going on with that?

[ed61874 89]

It is in my sub stage i get one flush then bam!! Green meany. I think it is because i sterilize my sub instead of pasteurizing it. And im going to case this time. Im child support poor so i have to try the cheapest way first and i live in a small studio apartment so not a lot of room to store equipment.

And i also think my fruiting chambers are running to moist might be an fea issue. I lost 3 grows and got pissed off had to back off and rethink my methods and do more research. Now im ready to try again. 

[Mush Zombie 26410]

One flush usually means your substrate PH isn’t right, ime. Good news is your grain spawn is good and tam free (normally in that situation anyway). I sterilize too bc I don’t have time for playing with hot pots and thermometers. There’s teks that make pasteurization easy but they also don’t make the substrate magical knowing what you want to grow and what you don’t want to grow.

you got to find what works for you.

I adjust my substrate PH to 8.5 with calcium hydroxide. Simple science.

[ed61874 89]

That might be it will test my ph runs 7 to 7.5. 

[Mush Zombie 26410]

1 minute ago, ed61874 said:

That might be it will test my ph runs 7 to 7.5. 

7 is way too low. 7.5 is ok depending on the water you use and other things that may acidify the substrate. Mycelium also produces acids to break down the substrate like stomach acid, if you will. I've gone up to 10 ph with no issue, except the waste of calcium hydroxide.

[ed61874 89]

My new glove box will be made out of a 200 gal stirlite. Big enough for me to do my sub work inside it. I live in an old apt lots of mold i use 2 really nice large capacity air purifies to help clean them out and yes i use true hepa filters

Calcium hydroxide is cheap anyway and im lucky  to have a local mushroom house to get my supplies.

I just about have everything together to put the box together and get started. It really sucks i lost all my slates to power outage and contamination. But i do have plenty of spore prints from my best grows. I will still have to spend more time insulating monos. It should not be as bad as a spore serynge.

[mushmouth 8133]

Don't drill the arm holes too close together. At least the distance between your shoulders.

[Mush Zombie 26410]

You don't need to be doing sub work in a glovebox. I used to have one like that too. At the time (2011) I lived in a mold infested trailer in deep creek chesapeake, VA. I never had an issue then and still do not have an issue with open air inoculation of substrate. You won't either as long as your grain spawn is pure, substrate PH is correct, and spawn run is quick (correct temps).

Use glovebox for agar, open air LC inoculation, and advanced things that really require a flow hood.

2 minutes ago, mushmouth said:

Don't drill the arm holes too close together. At least the distance between your shoulders.

And do not light a lighter in the GB if there has been alcohol present.

[ed61874 89]

I will adjust the ph and the gb is big enough for me to do my grain work in too. Doing sub work was just a thought. I hope it is just the ph that is an easy fix.

[Mush Zombie 26410]

if you use tyvek RTV s.h.i.p lids on your jars there is absolutely no need for a GB.

But do what makes you comfortable. I did the whole sanitizing the glovebox thing over and over unnecessarily for stuff I didn't need it for. It builds character.

Just do what works for you. If its in your mind to do it, do it. All we have here is time, and if I say it is a waste of time, it is only a waste of time for me. For you, it might not be.

5 minutes ago, ed61874 said:

I will adjust the ph and the gb is big enough for me to do my grain work in too. Doing sub work was just a thought. I hope it is just the ph that is an easy fix.

there is a thread here where I fixed someones issue of contamination after the first flush by prescribing more calcium hydroxide. I cannot remember who it was now. Long time ago. And im not doing the searching

[ed61874 89]

I listen to what everyone on here says that is why i use this website i get feed back don't ever be shy about giving pointers or opinions i listen to all with an open mind

[Mush Zombie 26410]

that is good. cognitive dissonance is a real mental health disorder. good luck and let us know how it goes.

[ed61874 89]

Glove box is almost done will post pic tomorrow. Got plates ready to go and prints so guess time to dust off the incubator and drag it out of the closet 😂

Im going with mea plates no hydro to really test my glove box and of course im starting from spores. For those that don't know you can add a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to your agar to help with contamination and it helps but spores will not grow on hydro plates. If anyone wants the ratio let me know. The plane is golden teacher print from previous grow. On mea plates to winter wheat then to a coco and verm sub i fruit in a tub in tub. With a verm casing and yes i use hydro through my whole grow after plates. Why because i know it works i had a zero success rate till someone on here told me about hydrogen peroxide. 

[Mush Zombie 26410]

hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water rapidly in the presence of light. 3% concentration (what's in the store) is not known for its ability to kill anything. Pseudomonas bacteria actually lives in it.  Not sure if its the hydrogen peroxide or just something you are doing differently? Glad its working out for you now tho, either way.

To test the GB, I would leave a plate open inside of it for 20 min, then seal it up and see if anything grows. That is also how I test my flow hood from time time.

[ed61874 89]

I have done test and spores will not grow in the present of hydrogen peroxide and i know it breaks down all it does is give your fungus time to grow where it can take over before any of the faster growing molds do and as you say it is simple science. That is why it is sold as a antiseptic. But as you say it is my grow and i have tested and seen the difference it can make and why not any little bit help i can get i will take 😂and what does it hurt nothing.

[Mush Zombie 26410]

I've done tests too  ive even sprayed prints with 70% and 91% iso alcohol, and they still grew. so I guess its in the air. I am still not convinced. however, you got to do what works for you in your local environment.

[ed61874 89]

Well here is the progress on the gb so far the gloves are a little big but they will last way longer than tyvek. And i found them at a local store for 8.00. Have to give the sealant time to cure so tomorrow i get to attach the gloves and be ready to go sun

[Mush Zombie 26410]

looks great!! nice craftsmanship. mine was ghetto as hell but it worked.

[ed61874 89]

My test was i poured 2 plates each of no hydro and with hydro exposed them to the open air with in hours the plane plates where showing growth. Took 3 days for the hydro plates to show growth.

20 plus years in construction comes in handy some time. And i used a rotary tool with cutting wheel worked amazingly 

[Mush Zombie 26410]

I love angle grinders.

MILLIWHAKAE

[ed61874 89]

Ok so cost on box was

Box 22.00

Nice toilet flanges 18.00

Silicone 5.00

Pvc gloves 8.00

Duck tape 4.00

6 inch hose clamps 3.00

Weather seal for bottom 6.00

Total 66.oo

I bought a dremmel just for this 😂

[Mush Zombie 26410]

not bad. FH could be an extra $175 if wise.

[ed61874 89]

Well one thing i want to test is the uv sterilizers. You know with thus virus shit they have become readily available now. What you guys think

Dont have anywhere to store an fh and they make alot of noise for an apartment to many questions from ppl around me when i buy a house then hell yes done got the plans 😂

[Mush Zombie 26410]

there is a topic with uv sterilizer in a FH here somewhere. search for "squidhood" Now I think that is a redundant system when the air is being filtered already. with the right filter and prefilter there is no need, for a flow hood. I can guarantee that.

UV sterilizers have their uses. What is your idea, specifically?