First bulk sub (monotub) grow

[nra9785]

I have had some success with the PF Tek on my first few growing experiences, and was looking to go larger. Sadly, I had to move most of the way across the country(California to Missouri), so I left a major portion of my equiptment home, figuring I wouldnt pursue another grow.

I ended up getting the Alacabenzi cubensis strain from spores101(edited out hyperlink) and a rye spawning bag from sporeworks(http://sporeworks.com/store/catalog/...M-p-16244.html)

Im waiting on the spawning bag (a gift brom my brother), and prepping a ~20 gal. clear-ish rubbermaid tub with tight lid. Looks like I will try to model my tub after Faht's monotub grow(http://forums.mycotopia.net/holding-...-bulk-tub.html), since there are a number of stables around with straw I can get from people at the rodeo ranch near the college.

Is using the spawning bag, like the one listed above, a terrible idea? Some have told me that their luck with those was moderate at best. My brother is getting it for me regardless, but what would be the recommended path to take?

Also, I do not have access to a pressure cooker at the moment, so any ideas you may have, please keep that in mind. Trust me, I am just as frustrated as you are, haha.

[extrememetal43]

off-topic

[nra9785]

Thanks man. So no problems with the rye spawning bag, in your opinion? That is my biggest worry.

[chill]

Ok, you've got two things going on. One is the spawn bag and the other is the straw.

You don't have to do anything with the spawn bag other than follow the instructions on the website. No pressure cooker required.

Now, about the straw. Are you going with straw and poo? You mention you have access to stables but you don't actually say you're going with hpoo.

The reason I mention this is that working with straight straw is a little different what with hpoo and straw mixed. If you're going with hpoo and straw just do as fahtster did and you'll be fine.

with straw you'll have to chop it up into 2" lengths and pack it down somehow. Straw works better when it is compacted. That's why people usually do straw logs rather than bins with just straw.

good luck

[nra9785]

Thanks! I will be using Hpoo and straw.

Also, I was thinking about possibly casing in only verm.(simplicity and pH) What do you think?

Also, what would be an effective way to keep the temp. constant?
I have been looking for a larger tub what could hold H2O and an aquarium heater , but am having no luck. I am trying to figure this out asap, since the temp. here is aready going dipping and the heater in our place doesn't function very well.

[Raziel]

100% verm is good for casing.

Just go for a TiT setup, go to a DIY store or home base store and pick up to storgae tubs the same size. They slot right in to each other and are great for TiT. Cheap too

[Hippie3]

don't bash cakes-
they are extremely efficient and very reliable.
many very experienced growers still use cakes,
fahtster was a good example of such-
he got more from cakes than most get from 'bulk'

[nra9785]

Awesome. ALso, I was wondering if I could possibly use a layer of oats over the top layer of spawn (from Faht's post "Faht makes a bulk tub") instead of rye. Just pasturize the oats and im set?

[chill]

technically that wouldn't be a casing since a casing is supposed to be non-nutricious. Poo should be more than fine. I'd go with a simple verm casing. Why introduce an extra vector for contams (and my gut tells me that oats would love to contam in no time at all).

[nra9785]

Oh ok, for sure. I guess I misinterpreted his directions; I had thought he had added the rye in with the hpoo during the layering process. Thanks for catching that one , man!

[chill]

I took a closer look and his top layer is hpoo with layers of rye spawn underneath.

You don't have a pc so all you have to work with is your pre-steralized bag of spawn and your hpoo substrate. I wouldn't go adding anything else. This is pretty straight forward, best not to change things by adding variables like oats.

Mix the spawn with the poo and case with verm. volila! your done.

[nra9785]

thanks man.

In a few weeks when everythign is going I will update with pictures and a log!

[nra9785]

(T= 0)
FOAF just innoculated the rye bag and have it in an incubation chamber.
Heat kept constant with an aquarium heater placed in a completely filled 1.5 gallon jug and sealed.

Fingers crossed

[meanman420]

Good luck dude.Keep us posted and remember to keep a check on the temps

[nra9785]

Temperature was dipping during the night.
FOAF's initial setup for temp regulation was an aquarium heater rated for up to 15 gal sealed in a 1.5 gal bottle filled with water, this was placed in a smallish container with the rye bag.
I expect if kept in an extremely insulated container it would work well, but the temperature outside coupled with the thin walls/blankets lent to the dip; also the surface area available to radiate heat was not enough to keep it warm.
He then placed a larger rubbermaid-style tub in another of equal dimensions; removed the top one, filled the bottom with water (so when top was placed on the h2o goes partially up the side of the top without overflowing) and placed the aquarium heater in the bottom and put the rye bag in the top one and placed it in its expected position. Then he wrapped the whole shebang on a blanket.

(NO Visible growth--dont expect any until Id say around 5-6 days)

~Fingers Crossed!~

[nra9785]

NO visible growth yet (no suprise); however I cant seem to keep the RH below the low 90's.

any ideas? (No dessicants are freely available within reasonable distances)

[nra9785]

Still Nothing visible happening, but I figured, on the advice of a fellow forum member, that I should post some pictures of my little incubation chamber.

You can see the two tubs sitting in one another. Aqurium heater securely adhered to the bottom of the the lower tub, and constantly topping off the water level with warm, distilled water.

Also, so there arent any people who think Im absolutely incompetent, I pulled the chamber out of my 'sterile' closet to get the pictures.

[nra9785]

Guess who I found cuddled up against my warm incubator in my cold old house!!!!
Prairie kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster) (juvenile)

[lucysd]

Originally Posted by Hippie3

don't bash cakes-
they are extremely efficient and very reliable.
many very experienced growers still use cakes,
fahtster was a good example of such-
he got more from cakes than most get from 'bulk'

i go for hip with that definately im learning that the smaller particle size definately gives wbs a run for its money when it comes to colonizing bulk sub

its a little harder to break down but once it does it mixes really well'


i reached full colonization in like 50 hours using broken up brf cakes in my straw casting mix

compared to the 7 days i generally give my wbs to colonize my bulk sub

soooooooooooo yeah dont bash cakes

plus, one myco bag

jeez what if it gets infected

honestly since you have no pc

just steam a million brf jars, cause its way easier(shit that dont look right)

and that way if a few jars contamn its ok

where as if just one of your myco bags get contaminated your fucked cause you only have one

[lucysd]

imho if you have the casing material mixed in with the sub

i really dont think you need the casing

hehehe

so if you mix the verm with the straw and the poo you dont have to add it

but i always do anyways

the reason being is so you open you tub as little as possible,

idealy once when you put it in there, and once when you pic and do between flush maintenance

but i have no sucess with just leaving my shit there i always get trich so i do fan at least 3 times a day, and when they are like 3inches tall (the shrooms) i go up to at least 8 times a day for fanning

but some ppl never fan

soooo many variables

wow good luck though cant wait to see pictures on how everything looks hehehe what temp is the incubator at?


ive been soaking my straw in pickling lime of late

to try and keep infections down

who knows maybe its helping

[TastyBeverage]

I removed the last photo you posted because it showed your face. Please do not post pictures or information that would help identify yourself. The safety of everyone on this board is ensured through anonymity, so stay safe!

[nra9785]

I didnt even think of my face, thanks man

Also Due to capital problems, I used the 'free' gift of the bag to get it going...

Ill get going on locating a PC. This is MEGA amateur, sice all my stuff is back in my home state.....dang

[lucysd]

omfg

nonononononononononononononononononono


just build a heat bomb

thats definately not a tit hehehehehehehehehehehehe

the containers are supposed to be the same size so the water level covers most of the inner container

the bottom 5 inches are a different temp than the top five inches

that looks more like an fc than an incubator

incubators are supposed to be light proof or close to it,

thats probably another reason why theres no colonization

that shit happens in the dark

shti since you already got that container turn it tinot a fuckin monotub
hehehehehehe
or a glove box

man just get a styrofoam cooler and put the heating element in a water bottle (check the archives for the real instructions) your set up looks highly inefficient hehehehehe

[seedlessstinky1-4u]

looks like my tit incubator....just put blankets over them or in a sleeping bag to keep it dark during incubation.

Also, you can use that later on as a fruiting chamber, if you change your heat element to a lower level....

TiT works pretty damn good IMHO. I also think heat bombs are excellent...all a personal preference thing....

[lucysd]

Originally Posted by nra9785

I didnt even think of my face, thanks man

Also Due to capital problems, I used the 'free' gift of the bag to get it going...

Ill get going on locating a PC. This is MEGA amateur, sice all my stuff is back in my home state.....dang

fuck the pc honestly,

if you use cakes and you pasturize your sub you dont need that shit

just get a candy thermometer, and a steamer basket to hold the jars

fuck the pc, if i know what i knew now i wouldnt even have one hehehehe, cause honestly apart from grains i never use it,

i got one of those things from the barber shop where they soak all their tools in an i got it filled with alcohol so i jsut pull my shit out whenever i need it hehehe

but for brf jars and bulk sub i dont think a pc is a must

[seedlessstinky1-4u]

You now should have two lids for those tubs. Well with one you can cut the top out and make it clear by placing a clear peice of plastic, plexi-glass, or good old ghetto saran wrap.... this will help if you do decide to fruit and incubate in the same set-up...SWIM has done it......It jsut slows other grows down.

[nra9785]

one of the tops was modified to have a clear window in the center using an old bead-holding box from a summercamp (sterilized with H2O2 and iso. alch.)


As far as the heat bomb, will get on that ASAP!
As of now the tub is in the closet with blanketsaurrounding it, but the temp hovers around 79-81 when insulated.


Thanks for the input guys!!


Keep it comming!!!

Also, a ton of stuff is going out of business in this town (THANKS WAL-MArt, GEEZ) so scavengi ng industrial style supplies will be easy (relatively), getting on that ASAP as well

[lucysd]

79 to 81 is "perfect" (someppl will tell you 82 and shit)

cause you dont have to do any extra work and thats a good enough temp hehehehehehehehes

sweet,

i was just thinking since that tubs sooo shallow, it could run out on you, and cause a fire cuase the heater always needs to be in water

make sure to follow the instructions in the archives to a t so you dont have and hazard problems

or

if you cant do it,

hips got em at mycrotopia.com so you can buy them from him there

[chill]

Originally Posted by nra9785

Still Nothing visible happening, but I figured, on the advice of a fellow forum member, that I should post some pictures of my little incubation chamber.

You really should get another tub the same size as the bigger one and use that to hold your water and heater. Screw the heat bomb, TiT's the shit

Also, unless you have stealth issues, take it out of the 'sterile' closet. For incubating, the PF jars have the verm barrier for protection.

[nra9785]

Word.


(T+9)
Also, good times! FIrst tiny little fluffy white goodness can be seen between the rye!
I took a few pictures, but my camera doesnt have the resolution to see it, sadly. (its REALLY faint)

[nra9785]

The Myc. continues to pull apart the rye grains!!
Awsome. Many patches of mycelium can be seen throughout the bag.