Cubensis on Toilet Paper Roll

[MNL]

I consider this attempt a failure in progress. But I have high hopes, and some ideas to do better next time.

It seems that the rusty colored areas are expanding, though they only follow where the myc. has gone. Perhaps a symbiotic paracite? It seems that the myc. gets 'unhealthy' when the rust color starts. It isnt a mold that I can see, at first I thought it was discoloration of the paper.

I dont know if the myc. is growing through the paper, or just over the top. I mean, I have clumps of myc. living on the gro-rocks in my tank....disconnected from any cake.

Next time, I will make the following modifications:

1. use a smaller roll of paper. The recovery from cake to paper took too long and 'something' took hold before the myc. reached the edges of these 'jumbo' sized rolls.

2. Puncture the roll. I am going to drill holes all over the roll to help the myc. get through it quickly, if even only as a casing.

3. Use more water to pasterize the TP roll. I used about a liter each, but I think that could be doubled.

4. Seperate bags, dont use oven bags. Oven bags are a cool concept, but I have found them more or less worthless for MYCO work. I think one of the rolls would have been OK, but it 'caught' the nasty from the 'ho next door.

I hope to do a new one in a few weeks, but what strain? Transki?

[destroy_erase_improve]

yeah those bags dont look too healthy right there.
its not a failure if you learned something . and it seems you learned alot . look at all the new things your going to try to do to refine this. imo thats a success more than a failure. they knowledge you gain and share will be more beneficial than any mushrooms that grew.

Thank you for trying something weird. We need more of that. You have to be willing to fail to try new things. I like that. Did you remember to remove the cardboard roll from the center of the toilet paper? That's very important in allowing your spawn to get past it and into the paper, which is mostly cotton anyway, which is one of cubes favorite foods. My bible experiments proved cubes love paper. Don't give up.

[MNL]

Yes, I removed the tube. The rolls I used were really big though. I had the 'choice' between small generic (euro-shopper) EKO TP rolls, or larger brand name 'natural' paper. I went with the larger rolls because the TP appeared to be softer/more processed. Next time I will use the smaller rolls, and 'help' process them using a power drill.

Thanks for the encouragement.

[MNL]

I think I am going to use EQ strain next. I am totally done with the smartshop strain.

[troutlips]

Cool concept MNL! Got any more details on how you did this???
Inquiring minds want to know!!!

[MNL]

I want add some blended/ground toilet paper to cake substrate. Perhaps to acclimate a clone before inoculating a whole roll of TP.

Should I shred/blend/ground the TP? A little of each?

Should I substitute TP for vermiculite, rice flour, or a little of both?

I see it as a food, thus a rice sub. Its probably not very nutritious, so perhaps its more like vermiculite?

Any advise or suggestions? Thank you.

I assume you intend to grow oysters, shiitake, ps. cyan or azure (proly not), or some other wood lover but not cubie. You don't really need to do it but I don't see where it would hurt. As for what to use it as a replacement, rice is what I would think, verm just adds space for mycelia to spread.

[destroy_erase_improve]

are there any nutes in tp? if not then i dont see how it can replace the rice. if the tp doesnt have nutes, and then its used as a sub for rice, and you eliminate the rice, then where are the nutes going to come from?

id see it more as verm, something that retains moisture. i dont know for sure though.

[MNL]

nope, this is for cubensis.

I wouldn't bother, then. cubies don't grow on tp as far as I know. If you did, then yes, the tp would proly only suffice as replacement for verm but I am not sure how good of a replacement that would be.

[MNL]

RR grew cubensis on a bible. I have grown cubensis on TP, albeit not without contams.

If anyone knows, will they do on wood as well? Why is paper good for cubies if they aren't woodloving? Just curious.

[MNL]

paper is highly processed, the industrial revolution did the hard work for our little friends.

[MNL]

Cakes made with ground toilet paper.

.25 cups ground toilet paper (first picture) was added to a .5 cup peat/vermiculite, .25 cups rice flour mixture (with lime). Mix was moisted to field capacity and loaded into cups.

[destroy_erase_improve]

pretty cool
how do you plan on sterilizing those cups
and is that pure verm layers on the top and bottom?

[MNL]

Originally Posted by destroy_erase_improve

pretty cool
how do you plan on sterilizing those cups
and is that pure verm layers on the top and bottom?

60 minutes in the steamer.

Yup: Pure verm on the top and bottom.

[Hippie3]

ya know
being as you're in europe 'n all,
the 'pf cake' method just might not be
the route for you to take.
not trying to discourage experimentation,
but you seem to have plenty of peat.
have you ever tried whole grains like rye
cased with peat ?

[highflyer]

What do you see the virtue as of adding toilet paper to the normal brf tek?

[pskovinsky]

You could grow wood-eating mushrooms on it for one, i would imagine... That could be useful...

Thats the only thing i can think of offhand though.

[MNL]

I am 'priming' for introduction to a roll of toilet paper. Trying to correct some problems on my last attempt. Also, its second-easter-day in the Netherlands, so NOTHING is open (sans bars and coffeeshops), I'm kinda dicking around.

[MNL]

Originally Posted by Hippie3

ya know
being as you're in europe 'n all,
the 'pf cake' method just might not be
the route for you to take.
not trying to discourage experimentation,
but you seem to have plenty of peat.
have you ever tried whole grains like rye
cased with peat ?

Never done grains....I am scared shitless of pressure cookers. Other than that, I really like the PF method, and have never failed with it. I like trying these little substitutions before doing something more drastic. Also: now that I use plastic cups, if anything goes wrong, I just pitch to whole thing in the trash.

[Hippie3]

have you tried
sponge [ground]
as a verm substitute yet ?

Toilet paper is mostly cotton, which cubes love. I'll bet it does well.
RR

[MNL]

One is nearly done, the other is a little slower.