Funky unidentified contam

hungryhippo999 · 08-12-09, 08:52

PICS ADDED: 1st pic is first area I described. 2nd pic is 2nd area described. last 3 pics are of 3rd area described...all on same cake. FOAF was afraid to open jar for clearer pics. Sorry about quality. Also some loose verm on side of jar decreases visibility a bit too...

FOAF went through contams image browser and did not see anything like this. FOAF had a few fully colonized PF jars with NO contams. Some half pint and some full pint. After they had been fully colonized for almost a week he transfered all of them into quart jars to fruit chronic tek. They have been in the quart jars approx a week or maybe a bit more. One of the pint jars has about a quarter size patch of a purplish/brownish patch about the size of a quarter. If the jar is rotated abouyt a 1/4 turn from that spot there is another patch of purplish stuff that spans about 1/4 of the bottom of the cake around the bottom of it. The larger purplish area here has some parts of loose verm that stuck to the side of the cake when he transferred to quart jars. This verm has been coloniozed and is purplish but where the colonization of that verm occurs it almost has a slight blackish fuzziness to the purple color. FOAF will try to upload pics if he can get a camera soon. I should also mention FOAF has not removed lids since putting cakes into quart jars. The pints kind of get stuck and are a tight fit into the wide mouth quarts, so no FAE except for the 4 holes in lids.

Should this jar be tossed or is it salvageable by a peroxide spray or bleach dunk? Thanks

ps. they are not spores. No fruits on cakes at all. At least not this one. No pins yet either

MLBjammer · 08-12-09, 08:58

It sounds like spores dropping (which would be purplish), but you didn't mention any fruits. Without pictures, it is tough to tell. Do you have mature fruits on the cakes?

hungryhippo999 · 08-12-09, 09:01

they are not apores. no fruits on cakes. no pins on this particular cake yet. thanks

MLBjammer · 08-12-09, 09:11

Then purple is probably a bad sign. Isolate the bad jars at this point. A picture would really help. If those spots are growing, then you know it's contaminated.

hungryhippo999 · 08-12-09, 09:13

pics added. pics 3 and 4 are not very clear. pics 1,2, and 5 are the best to view the problem areas... thanks

MLBjammer · 08-12-09, 09:14

I just saw the pics. Yeah, that is contamination. I would throw it out or at least take it outside to a compost pile/hole. Sorry about your cake.

Did you have a spacer for the cake to sit on in the jar? If not, it got no air exchange, which led to the contam.

hungryhippo999 · 08-12-09, 09:18

no spacer was used. FOAF has only done this twice before and unfamiliar w spacers. He has fruited cakes in a FC once, and done a hongus tex in a FC once. This is first grow inside jars. Cakes are sitting on lids. What would be best to use? A sterilized plastic water bottle cap or something like that? Thanks!!!

MLBjammer · 08-12-09, 09:28

I would suggest a PVC coupling (for plastic plumbing pipe)--at least 2" in diameter. A soda lid might work, but that's a bit wobbly for my taste.

Again, I am sorry for your loss. Here's the complete chronic tek: http://archives.mycotopia.net/discus...tml?1012857760

Peace, and good luck!

hungryhippo999 · 08-12-09, 19:44

thanks for advice bud! just curious... any idea what this contam is? should entire jar be tossed?

MLBjammer · 08-12-09, 20:01

Definitely toss the jar. You don't want to spread that mold. If you can see it on a cake, that means there are millions of bad spores there.

It could possibly be pink mold (also called red bread mold). Sometimes contams will start one color, then change.

You want nice white mycelium, which will bruise bluish green. If you are ever unsure about a contam, wipe the spot with a moist towel. If color bleeds off, it is bad.

lysergic · 08-12-09, 20:15

Yeah, throw that out asap

BuckarooBanzai · 08-12-09, 21:10

Get it out!

Don't open the jar inside if you can avoid it but definitely don't open it in the grow area.

[Home]	[The Vaults]	[Glossary]	[Sponsors]	[Affiliates]
[Search]	Today's Posts	Mark Forums Read	[Register]	[Activate]	[Resend Email]

08-12-09, 08:52	#1 (permalink)
hungryhippo999 Mycophage Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 122	Funky unidentified contam PICS ADDED: 1st pic is first area I described. 2nd pic is 2nd area described. last 3 pics are of 3rd area described...all on same cake. FOAF was afraid to open jar for clearer pics. Sorry about quality. Also some loose verm on side of jar decreases visibility a bit too... FOAF went through contams image browser and did not see anything like this. FOAF had a few fully colonized PF jars with NO contams. Some half pint and some full pint. After they had been fully colonized for almost a week he transfered all of them into quart jars to fruit chronic tek. They have been in the quart jars approx a week or maybe a bit more. One of the pint jars has about a quarter size patch of a purplish/brownish patch about the size of a quarter. If the jar is rotated abouyt a 1/4 turn from that spot there is another patch of purplish stuff that spans about 1/4 of the bottom of the cake around the bottom of it. The larger purplish area here has some parts of loose verm that stuck to the side of the cake when he transferred to quart jars. This verm has been coloniozed and is purplish but where the colonization of that verm occurs it almost has a slight blackish fuzziness to the purple color. FOAF will try to upload pics if he can get a camera soon. I should also mention FOAF has not removed lids since putting cakes into quart jars. The pints kind of get stuck and are a tight fit into the wide mouth quarts, so no FAE except for the 4 holes in lids. Should this jar be tossed or is it salvageable by a peroxide spray or bleach dunk? Thanks ps. they are not spores. No fruits on cakes at all. At least not this one. No pins yet either Attached Thumbnails Last edited by hungryhippo999; 08-12-09 at 09:11. Reason: added pics

08-12-09, 09:14	#6 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,877	I just saw the pics. Yeah, that is contamination. I would throw it out or at least take it outside to a compost pile/hole. Sorry about your cake. Did you have a spacer for the cake to sit on in the jar? If not, it got no air exchange, which led to the contam. Last edited by MLBjammer; 08-12-09 at 09:16. Reason: additional comment

08-12-09, 20:15	#11 (permalink)
lysergic Down on the Pharm Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,961	Yeah, throw that out asap __________________ Lefty: They should ban idiots not drugs

08-12-09, 21:10	#12 (permalink)
BuckarooBanzai Prone to ranting... Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,050	Get it out! Don't open the jar inside if you can avoid it but definitely don't open it in the grow area. __________________ Banzai Institute for Higher Education (a collection of growing Teks & threads)

08-12-09, 08:58	#2 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,877	It sounds like spores dropping (which would be purplish), but you didn't mention any fruits. Without pictures, it is tough to tell. Do you have mature fruits on the cakes?

08-12-09, 09:01	#3 (permalink)
hungryhippo999 Mycophage Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 122	they are not apores. no fruits on cakes. no pins on this particular cake yet. thanks

08-12-09, 09:11	#4 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,877	Then purple is probably a bad sign. Isolate the bad jars at this point. A picture would really help. If those spots are growing, then you know it's contaminated.

08-12-09, 09:13	#5 (permalink)
hungryhippo999 Mycophage Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 122	pics added. pics 3 and 4 are not very clear. pics 1,2, and 5 are the best to view the problem areas... thanks

08-12-09, 09:18	#7 (permalink)
hungryhippo999 Mycophage Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 122	no spacer was used. FOAF has only done this twice before and unfamiliar w spacers. He has fruited cakes in a FC once, and done a hongus tex in a FC once. This is first grow inside jars. Cakes are sitting on lids. What would be best to use? A sterilized plastic water bottle cap or something like that? Thanks!!!

08-12-09, 09:28	#8 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,877	I would suggest a PVC coupling (for plastic plumbing pipe)--at least 2" in diameter. A soda lid might work, but that's a bit wobbly for my taste. Again, I am sorry for your loss. Here's the complete chronic tek: http://archives.mycotopia.net/discus...tml?1012857760 Peace, and good luck!

08-12-09, 19:44	#9 (permalink)
hungryhippo999 Mycophage Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 122	thanks for advice bud! just curious... any idea what this contam is? should entire jar be tossed?

08-12-09, 20:01	#10 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,877	Definitely toss the jar. You don't want to spread that mold. If you can see it on a cake, that means there are millions of bad spores there. It could possibly be pink mold (also called red bread mold). Sometimes contams will start one color, then change. You want nice white mycelium, which will bruise bluish green. If you are ever unsure about a contam, wipe the spot with a moist towel. If color bleeds off, it is bad.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode