Let's Grow Mushrooms - A Beginners Gigantic Bulk Attempt with PF Tek

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dankillerbs

Active Member
Kitty you need to get you FAE up... It is the #1 pinning trigger... I'm seeing a Lot of aborts in some if your pics... The shotgun tek RELIES on having holes on EVERY side... Top, bottom, and all four sides, 6 sides total. You can't modify the tek in any way if you want the best results. It is necessary for it to work properly... Without holes on EVERY side it will not maintain the correct rh% or get enough FAE. If I were you I would pick EVERYTHING now, dunk in cold water for 24 hours while you empty your terrarium, rehydrate and drain your perlite, and finish drilling holes on the other two sides on each tub... They are necessary! If you choose not to you will get small flushes and be PRONE to contamination.
 
researchkitty

researchkitty

Well-Known Member
dankillerbs said:
Kitty you need to get you FAE up... It is the #1 pinning trigger... I'm seeing a Lot of aborts in some if your pics... The shotgun tek RELIES on having holes on EVERY side... Top, bottom, and all four sides, 6 sides total. You can't modify the tek in any way if you want the best results. It is necessary for it to work properly... Without holes on EVERY side it will not maintain the correct rh% or get enough FAE. If I were you I would pick EVERYTHING now, dunk in cold water for 24 hours while you empty your terrarium, rehydrate and drain your perlite, and finish drilling holes on the other two sides on each tub... They are necessary! If you choose not to you will get small flushes and be PRONE to contamination.
Click to expand...
I appreciate your suggestions, but I dont know if I can agree..... Shotgun tek requires the many holes because they arent using big top holes or big bottom holes, just a bunch instead. The air through the perlite on the bottom is achieved with holes on the sides of the perlite layers.. I think you might be confusing growing mushrooms with aborts. If they were aborts they'd all not be growing huge all the time each time I look at them.

Fresh Air Exchange with the fanning-misting every 4 hours except when I sleep for 8 hours sure makes some big cakes in the pictures, no? I also dont see how drilling MORE holes would make them LESS prone to contamination. More shit in the room through more holes means more contaminations I would think?

I am a novice, for sure, but I dont know if this is the right path for me........ What'd I do wrong? :) Thanks!!
 
thelightison

thelightison

Member
question: does the depth of the perlite affect how much RH is in the drawers, did you soak the perlite before placing the cakes in the drawers? also; how long do you wait between soaking the cakes again (how manydays do you alow each flush to fruit)?
I love how the Z strain was looking, it looks like a crystal the way is it exploding outward in all directions from one thick base. keep up the good job.
 
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dankillerbs

Active Member
Well I hope I'm not offending in anyway, just offering advice.

The shotgun tek DOES require holes on EVERY side... I've seen multiple threads where the creator of the tek has had to explain the science behind how it work to people who have made modifications... You just compared it to a monotub but they work in completely different ways... Monotubs only have a few larger holes near substrate level and the top, shotgun terrariums have small holes on ALL sides... It is necessary for the shotgun terrarium to work correctly.

The aborts are the small black capped fruits that don't get big, there wouldn't be that many in optimal conditions...
Doesn't mean you won't get a few mutants that survive the conditions but you should be getting more.

Also, mycellium is very resistant to contamination once it's fully colonized a substrate... More holes won't make it more prone to contaminate, it will increase fresh air exchange therfore reducing chances of contams and giving you better pinsets... Your cakes will be prone to mold if they are not getting the fresh air they need. Misting the walls is not helping humidity... Shotguns rely on air being able to come through the bottom and exit through the top and sides... This carries moist air to your cakes... Without holes on top and bottom you are not getting enough evaporation from the perlite...which is crutial... When cakes are shrinking and greying they are not getting enough rh%
 
Hydrotech364

Hydrotech364

Well-Known Member
Was watcking a vid on youtube last nite and it showed how to make your own syringes from sporeprints.Ya have to sterilize the paper @ 400f before ya make the print.Seal it and scrape the spores into RO water.This doesnt seem as hard now,thank Researchkitty!
 
DarthD3vl

DarthD3vl

Well-Known Member
just wanted to put out there many people use less or no holes in there terraium mine has ZERO, and I have no problem with contams just used a little bit of peroxide in the water I soaked the perlite in. After the flushes I wash it and soak it again. I like to inject my two cents when ever possible hehe
 
dreamwalk

dreamwalk

Member
Wow, great thread!:clap:

A couple of questions if you don't mind:

How long does it take from making the cakes to being able to enjoy the fruits?

What would be the best strain(?) for a complete beginner?
 
researchkitty

researchkitty

Well-Known Member
thelightison said:
question: does the depth of the perlite affect how much RH is in the drawers, did you soak the perlite before placing the cakes in the drawers? also; how long do you wait between soaking the cakes again (how manydays do you alow each flush to fruit)?
I love how the Z strain was looking, it looks like a crystal the way is it exploding outward in all directions from one thick base. keep up the good job.
Click to expand...
Answer: The perlite depth does matter, as the perlite is there to allow water to evaporate up and keep humidity. Since I wash the perlite before use and between flushes, I keep about 3-4" of it on the drawer bottoms. You can do more if you like but I wouldnt do much less.

The other question you posed I'm not entirely certain of the answer. The cakes will eventually " dry out " completely, no matter how much you mist them. You have to decide when you want to dunk them for 24 hours in water then re-roll and re-fruit them. My goal THIS time as opposed to the first shroom grow is to dunk and roll an entire drawer full when they need it, rather than individual cakes. It'll help me keep track of flushes and keep each drawer with wet perlite.
 
researchkitty

researchkitty

Well-Known Member
dankillerbs said:
Well I hope I'm not offending in anyway, just offering advice.

The shotgun tek DOES require holes on EVERY side... I've seen multiple threads where the creator of the tek has had to explain the science behind how it work to people who have made modifications... You just compared it to a monotub but they work in completely different ways... Monotubs only have a few larger holes near substrate level and the top, shotgun terrariums have small holes on ALL sides... It is necessary for the shotgun terrarium to work correctly.

The aborts are the small black capped fruits that don't get big, there wouldn't be that many in optimal conditions...
Doesn't mean you won't get a few mutants that survive the conditions but you should be getting more.

Also, mycellium is very resistant to contamination once it's fully colonized a substrate... More holes won't make it more prone to contaminate, it will increase fresh air exchange therfore reducing chances of contams and giving you better pinsets... Your cakes will be prone to mold if they are not getting the fresh air they need. Misting the walls is not helping humidity... Shotguns rely on air being able to come through the bottom and exit through the top and sides... This carries moist air to your cakes... Without holes on top and bottom you are not getting enough evaporation from the perlite...which is crutial... When cakes are shrinking and greying they are not getting enough rh%
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. Since none of my cakes are shrinking or greyin anywhere and none of the pins are black I'll assume its safe that the shroom are nice and healthy. Also made me think that keeping the room fan in there blowing would be a wise idea to somewhat force a little fresh air exchange naturally. (Just a ceiling fan that incorporates a normal ceiling fan light). Cheers
 
researchkitty

researchkitty

Well-Known Member
dreamwalk said:
Wow, great thread!:clap:

A couple of questions if you don't mind:

How long does it take from making the cakes to being able to enjoy the fruits?

What would be the best strain(?) for a complete beginner?
Click to expand...
This thread is a continually updated progression thread, but i started after the first jars were already knocked up. That took 2 weeks or 3 weeks depending on the jar. TOTAL time from when you inject spores till you eat mushrooms is about 6-8 weeks. It'd be most wise to make more jars after you've started to fruit the ones in the jars the first time that way when the first cakes are done you have another batch ready to roll.

The best strain for complete beginners? Anything will grow just as easily as the other! Mushrooms, unlike marijuana, dont really matter much on the strain. There's a few varieties here and there but for the most part a shroom is a shroom. The strain "Penis Envy" is a harder one to cultivate and get spore prints from because they have a very narrow cap that doesnt release many spores. Even though its the same potency, everyone loves it because it looks like a big dick. Makes you wonder why a bunch of guys want to eat a big dick, but hey, that's OK by me I guess! :)
 
researchkitty

researchkitty

Well-Known Member
DarthD3vl said:
just wanted to put out there many people use less or no holes in there terraium mine has ZERO, and I have no problem with contams just used a little bit of peroxide in the water I soaked the perlite in. After the flushes I wash it and soak it again. I like to inject my two cents when ever possible hehe
Click to expand...
Very interesting -- Could you use H2O2 or Hydrogen Peroxide in the misting spray as well or just for soaking perlite with?
 
researchkitty

researchkitty

Well-Known Member
Picture pages picture pages always time with picture pages lets have a picture page with you, woohoo. Wasnt that a PBS kids show I remember? Eeh, anyways. Shroom time!

Another 24 hours has passed, here's the update.


006: Starting to pin on almost every cake.



007: Another drawer starting to pin on almost every cake



008: And another drawer starting to pin on almost every cake. (I guess my fresh air exchange and misting is fine after all)



009: Harvested a bunch in here today



010: ......and here



011: ....and surprisingly NOT here -- the caps havent opened yet which means they are still growing.



012: Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmy.



013: Top left set of drawers



014: Bottom left set of drawers



015: Bottom right set of drawers



016: Another two dozen cakes getting dunked, will be rolled tonight, they've been there since lunch yesterday.



017: These are the only jars out of the near 200 that didnt colonize. Fuck em! In the trash they go. :)



018: This is the total harvest *before* today.......



019: This is after todays picking.



020: Yay.

That's it for now, next photo update tomorrow.........
 

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dankillerbs

Active Member
Well, sorry for being the only one critiquing your grow... I really am quite surprised you have gotten this far on a second attempt! Keep it up! As with any hobby like cultivation, home brewing, and mycology, it is possible to get results and have something to show at the end even if you didnt provide the perfect conditions... Im know you dont claim to be a pro yet after only a second attempt so im just offering advise that you may aknowledge eventually...

Fresh Air Exchange is the #1 pinning trigger... If you dont have enough and your spraying your cakes after you fan them, you are leaving them sitting in a wet environment with stale air... this WILL lead to contamination quicker than it should under proper conditions...

Fan your tubs AFTER misting with a FINE spray from above... some of your caps are looking wet.

Weather you believe me or not, the shotgun tek was developed over MANY years of trial and error... it REQUIRES holes on EVERY side to maintain the proper RH% in the ENTIRE tub for all the cakes... Its science... doesnt mean you wont pull off some fruits, just means your not pulling as much as you could... If you modify the tek you get modified results... and chances are you wont get as many flushes as you could... some of your cakes are not up to speed with others in the same tote and that is because conditions are not the same throughout your tub... its the same mycellium getting different conditions...

Dont believe me? try taking one of the extra tubs you have around... drill holes on EVERY side with the drill size recomended in the shotgun tek... TOP, BOTTOM, and ALL four sides... keep it elevated with block on all 4 corners so air can travel beneath it and fill it with 4-5 inches of wet, drained perlite. After a good dunk and roll toss em in that terrarium and treat em like the rest...see the results... cant hurt to try right?

What are your dry yeilds so far per flush? and how many cakes picked to get that flush?

Also, many people think mushrooms require very little light... that is quite outdated and you will get better preformance with a bright floro in the 6500k(daylight) spectrum.

your doing fine, but im sure you know you can do even better!
 
researchkitty

researchkitty

Well-Known Member
dankillerbs said:
Well, sorry for being the only one critiquing your grow... I really am quite surprised you have gotten this far on a second attempt! Keep it up! As with any hobby like cultivation, home brewing, and mycology, it is possible to get results and have something to show at the end even if you didnt provide the perfect conditions... Im know you dont claim to be a pro yet after only a second attempt so im just offering advise that you may aknowledge eventually...

Fresh Air Exchange is the #1 pinning trigger... If you dont have enough and your spraying your cakes after you fan them, you are leaving them sitting in a wet environment with stale air... this WILL lead to contamination quicker than it should under proper conditions...

Fan your tubs AFTER misting with a FINE spray from above... some of your caps are looking wet.

Weather you believe me or not, the shotgun tek was developed over MANY years of trial and error... it REQUIRES holes on EVERY side to maintain the proper RH% in the ENTIRE tub for all the cakes... Its science... doesnt mean you wont pull off some fruits, just means your not pulling as much as you could... If you modify the tek you get modified results... and chances are you wont get as many flushes as you could... some of your cakes are not up to speed with others in the same tote and that is because conditions are not the same throughout your tub... its the same mycellium getting different conditions...

Dont believe me? try taking one of the extra tubs you have around... drill holes on EVERY side with the drill size recomended in the shotgun tek... TOP, BOTTOM, and ALL four sides... keep it elevated with block on all 4 corners so air can travel beneath it and fill it with 4-5 inches of wet, drained perlite. After a good dunk and roll toss em in that terrarium and treat em like the rest...see the results... cant hurt to try right?

What are your dry yeilds so far per flush? and how many cakes picked to get that flush?

Also, many people think mushrooms require very little light... that is quite outdated and you will get better preformance with a bright floro in the 6500k(daylight) spectrum.

your doing fine, but im sure you know you can do even better!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the continued information. :) There's a bunch of drawers that I'm about to drill for the roll of 20-ish cakes that were dunked yesterday. I'll do these on all sides and then we can compare notes to see if it helps or not.

Immediately, I will begin to mist and then fan the tubs after they are misted. I thought the goal of misting was to force humidity up, which is why I always misted then immediately closed. What benefit is the misting then, I ask?

For lighting, I actually grow these in my clone room so there's 6500k blue veg lamps on in there. It's on 24/0. Additionally, they are placed next to a triple set of windows so they get the morning to lunch time light. I dont know if this is bad, its just how I do it.

It seems the tubs go from top to bottom in an order of pinning super fast and big, little less, little less, litltle less each drawer after it. Then again, they are different strains too. I'm going to keep an eye on this to see if the placement of drawers adjacent to others impacts the tubs by spacing these next two drawers far apart from other drawers too. This was a hard one to describe on a forum, let me know if I need to clarify <G>

Cheers
 
researchkitty

researchkitty

Well-Known Member
dankillerbs said:
What are your dry yeilds so far per flush? and how many cakes picked to get that flush?
Click to expand...
Oops, I missed this question. Dry yields per flush, I have no idea. In the first attempt the cakes were made poorly, things werent as sanitary, and in the end all of the mushrooms except a handful I ate molded because they werent properly dried with dessicants either.

I bet I've picked a QP of dry shrooms so far right now, but that's a guess, pics are above, and that's on about 6 or 7 of the cakes that had stuff ready to harvest I guess? I'll be able to answer the yield question much better when each drawer completed their first and second flushes.................

Kitty
 
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