MushMouth
2006-12-03 08:36:30 UTC
OMg this tek is aaaahhh!!! no words look at photos here
http://www.thenook.org/archives/tek/26705.html
this needs to be published
i'm a nubee so for give me if this was posted before
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By rodger rabbit (Skyypilot) on Tuesday, April 15, 2003 - 04:11 pm: Edit
Skyypilot's Straw Log Tek
The inspiration for this Tek came from reading Paul Stamets' book, "Growing
Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms". He describes a similar process for growing
Oyster mushrooms on straw in vertical columns, where the fruits only form at
holes you have previously punched. This works great if you're working with a
strain of edible which will cooperate that way, but many mushroom strains
simply want to fruit wherever they choose. It is for those strains of
edibles that this Tek is intended. Although all edible and dung loving
mushrooms love fruiting on pasteurized straw, the author wishes to make
clear that this Tek is intended for the cultivation of legal, edible
mushrooms only.
The Tek assumes the grower is familiar with grain spawn production, because
building a 36" log, which we will be doing in this Tek, requires from 4 to 6
quarts of colonized rye or corn. If you're using smaller than quart (.9
liter) jars of colonized spawn, you'll have to do the math to figure how
many to use. More spawn is better, as fast colonization of straw is
essential. The pasteurization process doesn't kill all the contaminants; it
only renders them harmless for approximately two weeks. If the mycelium hasn't
colonized the substrate by then, contamination naturally will occur. The
pasteurization process also spares the 'good bacteria' which help the
mycelium to naturally fruit better, as well as to help fight off
contaminants. If one were to put straw into a pressure cooker and sterilize
it, harvests would be much lower as a result of killing these beneficial
bacteria, and it would be considerably more susceptible to contamination. I've
worked hard to put together what I think is the most concise and easy to
follow directions for pasteurizing small amounts of straw on the net today.
Pictures accompany every step. Don't cut corners, and you'll be guaranteed
success. I've tried to shrink the pictures as much as possible without
sacrificing detail, to make downloads faster. I would recommend the reader
print a copy of the Tek for future use.
1) Ok, the first step is to get a bale of straw from the local co-op or feed
store. If you can find organic straw, it is preferable, because any
contaminant or pesticide that is in the straw is likely to end up in the
fruit bodies. The feed stores in my area carry organic barley straw and it
works great. I know that wheat straw would also work.
2) Using whatever tools are at your disposal, chop the straw into 1-3 inch
lengths. This is VERY important. The mycelium simply doesn't like to
colonize straw if it can't get inside the hollow interior of the stems.
Consider any length of straw longer than your pinky finger as too long. It's
a pain in the neck, but don't cut corners here. Your project will fail.
3) Once the straw is cut, put it in a Sterlite or Rubbermaid container (or
anything else similar, like a clean trash can) and cover it completely with
hot tap water. I use the sink sprayer, to wet the straw evenly as the
container fills. When you have enough water in the tub, place a screen and
weight over the straw to push it down under the water. It needs to 'pre-soak'
like this for at least an hour, but not longer than 2 hours. This is to
hydrate the straw.
4) During the time the straw is hydrating, you need to get the
pasteurization bath ready. You will need a container large enough to hold
14-16 gallons of water, plus the straw. Place one Sterlite or Rubbermaid
container inside another for the insulation properties the dead air space
between them provides. A very large insulated ice chest would also work well
for this. The idea is that you want to hold the temperature of the
pasteurization bath for an hour and a half. Without insulation of some sort,
the bath will cool off before the time is up and not be effective.
Don't start this process until the straw is soaking, or else the
pasteurization bath will be ready before the straw is hydrated, and either
you put the straw in too soon, while it's still dry, or the water cools off
too much waiting on the straw. What you want is to have a temperature of
140F-160F, after you put the wet straw into the hot water bath. I've found
the best way to do this is to heat up six gallons of water on the stove
until it boils. The two pots you see in the picture add up to six gallons
between them.
When you have six gallons of water on the stove boiling, place two gallons
of plain hot tap water into the clean tub, before pouring the six gallons of
boiling water into it. Immediately place the two lids on the container to
hold the heat in. Refill the pots with another six gallons of water and set
them on the stove to boil. When this water boils, it will make 14 gallons
total so far. Just before pouring in the second batch of boiling water, it's
a good time to add the lime. Use œ cup of hydrated lime for this recipe
which uses 14-16 gallons of water. Be sure to stir the lime into the water
very well. If you're making a larger or smaller batch, adjust the lime
accordingly. This will give the water a ph of 12-13 before the straw is
added. This radical swing in ph, along with the heat will render the
contaminants inactive for a couple of weeks.
5) Once you've added the second batch of water, it's time to put the wet
straw into the pasteurization bath. At this time, the temperature of the
bath will be around 180F, but as soon as you add the wet straw, it will cool
it down to the proper range of 140F-160F. Simply use your hands to lift the
straw out of the bath, let it drain briefly, then place it in the
pasteurization tub.
Once all the straw is in the bath, stir it around gently to lift any lime
that has settled on the bottom of the tub. Place a screen (hardware cloth
works great) over the straw, and put whatever object you have handy on top
to keep the straw submerged. Don't worry about a few floaters that escape
the screen. They will pasteurize just fine floating on the surface. You don't
want to mash it all the way to the bottom or pack the straw tight while in
the bath, because you want the hot water to be able to circulate throughout
the straw during pasteurization.
Now, put the double lid on the tub to hold the heat in, and leave it alone
while you go clean up all the mess you just made. Make a note of the time.
Check on it after 45 minutes, and if the temp is approaching 140F, go ahead
and add a couple more gallons of boiling water to bring the temp back up.
Don't worry about adding more lime. After an hour and a half, it's done. Don't
go more than an hour and a half either, or you'll kill too much of the 'good
bacteria'.
6) Ok, it's been an hour and a half and it's time to take the straw out of
the pasteurization bath. Place the screen that was holding the straw
submerged into the bottom of a clean tub, and transfer the straw to this new
tub to drain/cool.
Cooling will take an hour or more. Don't waste all your hard work, by
spawning hot straw. It will kill the mycelium. Leave the lid off the tub so
air can get to it, and if it's cool outside, take it there. Don't worry
about contaminants landing on your straw; Millions of them will, but with
the high ph of the straw, they won't be able to grow for at least two weeks,
and your log will be pinning by then anyway. By that time the mycelium will
be strong enough to fight off all invaders.
7) Now that your straw has cooled to room temperature, it's time to move it
from the screen it's been draining on, to a clean tub for spawning. (You DID
wash the pasteurization tubs while the straw cooled didn't you?) Don't
squeeze it out or anything. The water that drains naturally while the straw
cools will leave it at the right moisture content for spawning. At this
time, cut your tubing to the appropriate length. We're making a 36" log, so
cut it 18" longer than that.
Tie a knot in one end of the tube, and using a sharp kitchen knife, poke a
few small holes in the plastic near the knot. These holes are to let the air
escape as you pack the log. Take the 4-5 quarts of colonized grain or corn
you have so carefully incubated, and beat them against a car tire to loosen
up the kernels so they can be poured out into the tub of straw. I like to
start with 2 quarts right on top of the straw.
Mix it into the top two to four inches only, before loading this top layer
of spawned straw into your tube. Add another quart of spawn and mix it in,
and continue the process until you reach the bottom of the tub, and your log
is built. It seems to work better to thoroughly mix the spawn into the
straw, as opposed to making a layer of straw, followed by a layer of spawn.
This next part is VERY IMPORTANT. As you fill your log with straw, hold the
straw in your hand, and gently sprinkle it down into the tubing, making sure
it spreads evenly. You don't want big clumps of straw, with air cavities
between them. After each handful or two of straw, stop and pack it down
really tight with your hand.
Hold the tubing in one hand and pull up, while you stick the other hand down
the tube and push down on the straw with all your might. I weigh close to
200 lbs., and I push down on the straw as hard as I can. It's very important
that the straw is packed tightly into the tube. The mycelium can't colonize
across large air gaps, so spread the straw out evenly, and push it down
really good. Don't stand on it or use mechanical means to get it tighter.
Just push as hard as you can with your hands, and that will be perfect.
8) Now that you've filled up your tubing to within 9 inches of the top, it's
time to tie the second knot, sealing the log. Push the straw down really
tight, and squeeze the neck of the tubing against the straw. Holding the
tubing with one hand, spin the log around with the other to wrap up the
plastic tubing so you can tie a knot in it. Just make sure you tie the knot
right against the straw, so the tubing keeps the straw tight. Now lay the
finished (almost) log on the floor, and with both hands, roll it gently back
and forth, to even up the surface. Roll it like a piece of dough, to get it
very smooth on the outside surface.
) This is an important step to help achieve full colonization. Now,
carefully take your log, and place it on the shelf you are going to incubate
it on. Leave it alone for 3-5 hours, but not longer than 8 hours before
doing this next step.
9) Almost done. Your log has been sitting for 3-5 hours now, so the moisture
content has had a chance to equalize. All that packing during filling had
pushed your moisture to the bottom of the bag. Some excess water may have
run out the small slits you cut in the bottom of the tubing while you
packed. That is good. Now, for the mycelium to colonize the straw, it needs
a small amount of air exchange. It doesn't need a lot of air, just some.
Also, you want to keep as much of the CO2 inside the log as you can during
colonization. I use a hunting arrowhead to punch holes into the tubing. You
can just as easily use a sharp knife, or box cutter. Cut slits in a + shape
about every 2 to 3 inches all along and around the log. The slits only need
to be half an inch or so long. Just make sure no place on the log is more
than 3" from a vent. The idea is to have a small amount of air exchange,
while maintaining moisture content. Now, put your log into its final
fruiting location, and don't touch it again until you see pins forming
invitro. This will be in two to three weeks. The growing mycelium HATES to
be handled, so resist the temptation to pick up your log, or otherwise
disturb it. Let it be exposed to normal room lighting during colonization,
and don't let the temps get too high. Room temperature is fine. With a
marking pen, record the date and strain on the end of the log.
10) It's day fifteen, and you have pins! You've noticed for a few days
already, that you had full colonization. It's time to birth your log. Try to
do this without moving or disturbing the log in any way. Use sharp clean
scissors to carefully cut the knots off both ends of the log. You'll have to
cut a circle around the knot to get it off. You can't cut the whole knot off
in one snip, because it's up against your log, and you'd bruise the
mycelium. Once the knots are cut off, carefully cut the tubing lengthwise
along the top edge of the log, trying not to touch the mycelium with the
scissors. Peel the plastic down and away from the log, exposing the entire
surface to air, then gently and loosely fold it back into place. There
should be lots of air gaps around the log now. Once each day, fold the
plastic back, then immediately replace it. This will stimulate a massive
pinning. You can cut another length of tubing to go over the top of the log
where the seam is, to keep it from drying out. Be sure to cut lots and lots
of holes in this plastic. All you want to do is slow down the rate of
evaporation, so you don't have to mist. You do want lots of constant air
exchange. If you see a great deal of condensation forming on the plastic
sheeting, make the holes a bit bigger. As your log fruits, the mushrooms
will push the plastic away from the log as they grow. Don't worry about the
fruits being in contact with the plastic. It won't hurt or bruise them. They'll
love the humidity, and you'll love not having to constantly mist.
Happy shrooming!
http://www.thenook.org/archives/tek/26705.html
this needs to be published
i'm a nubee so for give me if this was posted before
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By rodger rabbit (Skyypilot) on Tuesday, April 15, 2003 - 04:11 pm: Edit
Skyypilot's Straw Log Tek
The inspiration for this Tek came from reading Paul Stamets' book, "Growing
Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms". He describes a similar process for growing
Oyster mushrooms on straw in vertical columns, where the fruits only form at
holes you have previously punched. This works great if you're working with a
strain of edible which will cooperate that way, but many mushroom strains
simply want to fruit wherever they choose. It is for those strains of
edibles that this Tek is intended. Although all edible and dung loving
mushrooms love fruiting on pasteurized straw, the author wishes to make
clear that this Tek is intended for the cultivation of legal, edible
mushrooms only.
The Tek assumes the grower is familiar with grain spawn production, because
building a 36" log, which we will be doing in this Tek, requires from 4 to 6
quarts of colonized rye or corn. If you're using smaller than quart (.9
liter) jars of colonized spawn, you'll have to do the math to figure how
many to use. More spawn is better, as fast colonization of straw is
essential. The pasteurization process doesn't kill all the contaminants; it
only renders them harmless for approximately two weeks. If the mycelium hasn't
colonized the substrate by then, contamination naturally will occur. The
pasteurization process also spares the 'good bacteria' which help the
mycelium to naturally fruit better, as well as to help fight off
contaminants. If one were to put straw into a pressure cooker and sterilize
it, harvests would be much lower as a result of killing these beneficial
bacteria, and it would be considerably more susceptible to contamination. I've
worked hard to put together what I think is the most concise and easy to
follow directions for pasteurizing small amounts of straw on the net today.
Pictures accompany every step. Don't cut corners, and you'll be guaranteed
success. I've tried to shrink the pictures as much as possible without
sacrificing detail, to make downloads faster. I would recommend the reader
print a copy of the Tek for future use.
1) Ok, the first step is to get a bale of straw from the local co-op or feed
store. If you can find organic straw, it is preferable, because any
contaminant or pesticide that is in the straw is likely to end up in the
fruit bodies. The feed stores in my area carry organic barley straw and it
works great. I know that wheat straw would also work.
2) Using whatever tools are at your disposal, chop the straw into 1-3 inch
lengths. This is VERY important. The mycelium simply doesn't like to
colonize straw if it can't get inside the hollow interior of the stems.
Consider any length of straw longer than your pinky finger as too long. It's
a pain in the neck, but don't cut corners here. Your project will fail.
3) Once the straw is cut, put it in a Sterlite or Rubbermaid container (or
anything else similar, like a clean trash can) and cover it completely with
hot tap water. I use the sink sprayer, to wet the straw evenly as the
container fills. When you have enough water in the tub, place a screen and
weight over the straw to push it down under the water. It needs to 'pre-soak'
like this for at least an hour, but not longer than 2 hours. This is to
hydrate the straw.
4) During the time the straw is hydrating, you need to get the
pasteurization bath ready. You will need a container large enough to hold
14-16 gallons of water, plus the straw. Place one Sterlite or Rubbermaid
container inside another for the insulation properties the dead air space
between them provides. A very large insulated ice chest would also work well
for this. The idea is that you want to hold the temperature of the
pasteurization bath for an hour and a half. Without insulation of some sort,
the bath will cool off before the time is up and not be effective.
Don't start this process until the straw is soaking, or else the
pasteurization bath will be ready before the straw is hydrated, and either
you put the straw in too soon, while it's still dry, or the water cools off
too much waiting on the straw. What you want is to have a temperature of
140F-160F, after you put the wet straw into the hot water bath. I've found
the best way to do this is to heat up six gallons of water on the stove
until it boils. The two pots you see in the picture add up to six gallons
between them.
When you have six gallons of water on the stove boiling, place two gallons
of plain hot tap water into the clean tub, before pouring the six gallons of
boiling water into it. Immediately place the two lids on the container to
hold the heat in. Refill the pots with another six gallons of water and set
them on the stove to boil. When this water boils, it will make 14 gallons
total so far. Just before pouring in the second batch of boiling water, it's
a good time to add the lime. Use œ cup of hydrated lime for this recipe
which uses 14-16 gallons of water. Be sure to stir the lime into the water
very well. If you're making a larger or smaller batch, adjust the lime
accordingly. This will give the water a ph of 12-13 before the straw is
added. This radical swing in ph, along with the heat will render the
contaminants inactive for a couple of weeks.
5) Once you've added the second batch of water, it's time to put the wet
straw into the pasteurization bath. At this time, the temperature of the
bath will be around 180F, but as soon as you add the wet straw, it will cool
it down to the proper range of 140F-160F. Simply use your hands to lift the
straw out of the bath, let it drain briefly, then place it in the
pasteurization tub.
Once all the straw is in the bath, stir it around gently to lift any lime
that has settled on the bottom of the tub. Place a screen (hardware cloth
works great) over the straw, and put whatever object you have handy on top
to keep the straw submerged. Don't worry about a few floaters that escape
the screen. They will pasteurize just fine floating on the surface. You don't
want to mash it all the way to the bottom or pack the straw tight while in
the bath, because you want the hot water to be able to circulate throughout
the straw during pasteurization.
Now, put the double lid on the tub to hold the heat in, and leave it alone
while you go clean up all the mess you just made. Make a note of the time.
Check on it after 45 minutes, and if the temp is approaching 140F, go ahead
and add a couple more gallons of boiling water to bring the temp back up.
Don't worry about adding more lime. After an hour and a half, it's done. Don't
go more than an hour and a half either, or you'll kill too much of the 'good
bacteria'.
6) Ok, it's been an hour and a half and it's time to take the straw out of
the pasteurization bath. Place the screen that was holding the straw
submerged into the bottom of a clean tub, and transfer the straw to this new
tub to drain/cool.
Cooling will take an hour or more. Don't waste all your hard work, by
spawning hot straw. It will kill the mycelium. Leave the lid off the tub so
air can get to it, and if it's cool outside, take it there. Don't worry
about contaminants landing on your straw; Millions of them will, but with
the high ph of the straw, they won't be able to grow for at least two weeks,
and your log will be pinning by then anyway. By that time the mycelium will
be strong enough to fight off all invaders.
7) Now that your straw has cooled to room temperature, it's time to move it
from the screen it's been draining on, to a clean tub for spawning. (You DID
wash the pasteurization tubs while the straw cooled didn't you?) Don't
squeeze it out or anything. The water that drains naturally while the straw
cools will leave it at the right moisture content for spawning. At this
time, cut your tubing to the appropriate length. We're making a 36" log, so
cut it 18" longer than that.
Tie a knot in one end of the tube, and using a sharp kitchen knife, poke a
few small holes in the plastic near the knot. These holes are to let the air
escape as you pack the log. Take the 4-5 quarts of colonized grain or corn
you have so carefully incubated, and beat them against a car tire to loosen
up the kernels so they can be poured out into the tub of straw. I like to
start with 2 quarts right on top of the straw.
Mix it into the top two to four inches only, before loading this top layer
of spawned straw into your tube. Add another quart of spawn and mix it in,
and continue the process until you reach the bottom of the tub, and your log
is built. It seems to work better to thoroughly mix the spawn into the
straw, as opposed to making a layer of straw, followed by a layer of spawn.
This next part is VERY IMPORTANT. As you fill your log with straw, hold the
straw in your hand, and gently sprinkle it down into the tubing, making sure
it spreads evenly. You don't want big clumps of straw, with air cavities
between them. After each handful or two of straw, stop and pack it down
really tight with your hand.
Hold the tubing in one hand and pull up, while you stick the other hand down
the tube and push down on the straw with all your might. I weigh close to
200 lbs., and I push down on the straw as hard as I can. It's very important
that the straw is packed tightly into the tube. The mycelium can't colonize
across large air gaps, so spread the straw out evenly, and push it down
really good. Don't stand on it or use mechanical means to get it tighter.
Just push as hard as you can with your hands, and that will be perfect.
8) Now that you've filled up your tubing to within 9 inches of the top, it's
time to tie the second knot, sealing the log. Push the straw down really
tight, and squeeze the neck of the tubing against the straw. Holding the
tubing with one hand, spin the log around with the other to wrap up the
plastic tubing so you can tie a knot in it. Just make sure you tie the knot
right against the straw, so the tubing keeps the straw tight. Now lay the
finished (almost) log on the floor, and with both hands, roll it gently back
and forth, to even up the surface. Roll it like a piece of dough, to get it
very smooth on the outside surface.
) This is an important step to help achieve full colonization. Now,
carefully take your log, and place it on the shelf you are going to incubate
it on. Leave it alone for 3-5 hours, but not longer than 8 hours before
doing this next step.
9) Almost done. Your log has been sitting for 3-5 hours now, so the moisture
content has had a chance to equalize. All that packing during filling had
pushed your moisture to the bottom of the bag. Some excess water may have
run out the small slits you cut in the bottom of the tubing while you
packed. That is good. Now, for the mycelium to colonize the straw, it needs
a small amount of air exchange. It doesn't need a lot of air, just some.
Also, you want to keep as much of the CO2 inside the log as you can during
colonization. I use a hunting arrowhead to punch holes into the tubing. You
can just as easily use a sharp knife, or box cutter. Cut slits in a + shape
about every 2 to 3 inches all along and around the log. The slits only need
to be half an inch or so long. Just make sure no place on the log is more
than 3" from a vent. The idea is to have a small amount of air exchange,
while maintaining moisture content. Now, put your log into its final
fruiting location, and don't touch it again until you see pins forming
invitro. This will be in two to three weeks. The growing mycelium HATES to
be handled, so resist the temptation to pick up your log, or otherwise
disturb it. Let it be exposed to normal room lighting during colonization,
and don't let the temps get too high. Room temperature is fine. With a
marking pen, record the date and strain on the end of the log.
10) It's day fifteen, and you have pins! You've noticed for a few days
already, that you had full colonization. It's time to birth your log. Try to
do this without moving or disturbing the log in any way. Use sharp clean
scissors to carefully cut the knots off both ends of the log. You'll have to
cut a circle around the knot to get it off. You can't cut the whole knot off
in one snip, because it's up against your log, and you'd bruise the
mycelium. Once the knots are cut off, carefully cut the tubing lengthwise
along the top edge of the log, trying not to touch the mycelium with the
scissors. Peel the plastic down and away from the log, exposing the entire
surface to air, then gently and loosely fold it back into place. There
should be lots of air gaps around the log now. Once each day, fold the
plastic back, then immediately replace it. This will stimulate a massive
pinning. You can cut another length of tubing to go over the top of the log
where the seam is, to keep it from drying out. Be sure to cut lots and lots
of holes in this plastic. All you want to do is slow down the rate of
evaporation, so you don't have to mist. You do want lots of constant air
exchange. If you see a great deal of condensation forming on the plastic
sheeting, make the holes a bit bigger. As your log fruits, the mushrooms
will push the plastic away from the log as they grow. Don't worry about the
fruits being in contact with the plastic. It won't hurt or bruise them. They'll
love the humidity, and you'll love not having to constantly mist.
Happy shrooming!