WBS Casing question

almorel · 08-26-09, 08:11

I have 12 qts of wbs ready to go. Was going to crumble in aluminum trays. Can i get away with casing top and bottom with just verm? Thanks

MLBjammer · 08-26-09, 09:02

That would work. I would recommend a 70/30 coir/vermic. top casing. The coir will really help pinsets, easy to tell when it is dry, etc.

Good luck. That is a lot of birdseed!

almorel · 08-26-09, 09:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLBjammer

That would work. I would recommend a 70/30 coir/vermic. top casing. The coir will really help pinsets, easy to tell when it is dry, etc.

Good luck. That is a lot of birdseed!

Another quwstion. How thick should the wbs be in the trays?

MLBjammer · 08-26-09, 09:25

Most I have done were about an inch thick. Never used WBS, though.

almorel · 08-26-09, 09:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLBjammer

Most I have done were about an inch thick. Never used WBS, though.

Wow i was thinking maybe 2 or 3 inches. Maybe ill split the difference and go 1 1/2

RITTER · 08-26-09, 09:39

yup, just wbs will definetly work! But like already said if you have like 5$ go to your local pet store & get some coir, will definetly increase pinset... I've done just wbs, did it in cat litter pans about 4 qt's a peice if I remember correctly, neglected the shit out of it too & still fruited like a champ!

good luck with whatever you choose to do

"Ritter"

RestartLater · 08-26-09, 10:05

My past casings have been 1-3.5" thick with 1/2-1" casing layer. Using the good ole trusty 13x9 alum trays or 9x9 for smaller amounts of wbs colonized. Also, I found that mixing the casing mixture with the WBS and then putting the 1/2-1" top layer, seemed to make for better flushes.
But then I have went to popcorn because my wbs contam rate sky rocketed for some reason this year.

good Luck

RestartLater

coyoteyogi · 08-26-09, 10:23

Good luck and please continue to post your results. I am an expert on WBS. Everytime I have tried it I have grown lots of trich and little else. You will want to pasteurize the coir before casing IMO.

almorel · 08-26-09, 10:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by coyoteyogi

Good luck and please continue to post your results. I am an expert on WBS. Everytime I have tried it I have grown lots of trich and little else. You will want to pasteurize the coir before casing IMO.

Wow I lucked out cause im not a Expert. lol

TVCasualty · 08-26-09, 11:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by almorel

I have 12 qts of wbs ready to go. Was going to crumble in aluminum trays. Can i get away with casing top and bottom with just verm? Thanks

No need for a bottom layer. I'd also suggest plastic trays since aluminum often gets holes eaten through it and where the aluminum ends up is still a bit of a mystery.

Anyway, straight verm will work as a casing (coarse is best). Verm dries out faster so you'll have to keep an eye on it a little more and mist as needed.

I've fruited WBS in trays with all types of casing mixes and none at all (for WBS, I definitely recommend casing) and at various depths. A one inch thick layer of WBS with a 1/2 inch casing works great, as does a 3 inch layer of WBS and a one inch layer of casing. If your fruiting conditions are clean and you generally don't get contamination until the 4th flush or so, I'd go with a thicker substrate. If trich is a problem and subs tend to contaminate earlier, go with a thinner one (it would exhaust it's fruiting potential faster, hopefully before going green). If you're not sure, go somewhere in between.

As for casing, I finally settled on an unpasteurized mix of coir and verm as the easiest method with the best results. I only pasteurize bulk substrates now. If this is your first grow in a tray, you might want to minimize the variables and go with straight vermiculite as a casing layer. From an unopened bag, it's nearly sterile so just needs to be hydrated and applied. Don't breathe the dust as you pour it out of the bag!

Good luck!

almorel · 08-26-09, 11:39

[QUOTE=TVCasualty;761371]No need for a bottom layer. I'd also suggest plastic trays since aluminum often gets holes eaten through it and where the aluminum ends up is still a bit of a mystery.

I thought the holes only came into play when spawning to poo in aluminum trays?

RestartLater · 08-26-09, 11:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVCasualty

No need for a bottom layer. I'd also suggest plastic trays since aluminum often gets holes eaten through it and where the aluminum ends up is still a bit of a mystery.

With the rubber maid or plastic trays I will use duct tape the sides of these trays to slow down on to stop the side pinning. Good idea since you can reuse these over and over.

Quote:

Anyway, straight verm will work as a casing (coarse is best). Verm dries out faster so you'll have to keep an eye on it a little more and mist as needed.

Always have my mister handy with H20 and peroxide added, and mist to the point where you do not leave pools of water on the casings. Also, use perlite in FC to help maintain RH.

Quote:

I've fruited WBS in trays with all types of casing mixes and none at all (for WBS, I definitely recommend casing) and at various depths. A one inch thick layer of WBS with a 1/2 inch casing works great, as does a 3 inch layer of WBS and a one inch layer of casing. If your fruiting conditions are clean and you generally don't get contamination until the 4th flush or so, I'd go with a thicker substrate. If trich is a problem and subs tend to contaminate earlier, go with a thinner one (it would exhaust it's fruiting potential faster, hopefully before going green). If you're not sure, go somewhere in between.

For me I have always looked at casing wbs as well as PF cakes...as a method to maximize the fruiting surface area of myc in hopes to grow and harvest more fruits per/ jar of colonized myc.

Quote:

As for casing, I finally settled on an unpasteurized mix of coir and verm as the easiest method with the best results. I only pasteurize bulk substrates now. If this is your first grow in a tray, you might want to minimize the variables and go with straight vermiculite as a casing layer. From an unopened bag, it's nearly sterile so just needs to be hydrated and applied. Don't breathe the dust as you pour it out of the bag!

Good luck!

The debate on whether to sterilze or pasteurize can go on for days. For me when I am using a non nutritious mixture such as peat/ vermic or Coir / Vermic. I always sterilize it any more. Now when using a nutritious bulk substrate that contains hpoo etc. I will pasteurize always.

Again Good Luck.

RestartLater

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08-26-09, 08:11	#1 (permalink)
almorel Mycophage Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 157	WBS Casing question I have 12 qts of wbs ready to go. Was going to crumble in aluminum trays. Can i get away with casing top and bottom with just verm? Thanks

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08-26-09, 09:02	#2 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,877	That would work. I would recommend a 70/30 coir/vermic. top casing. The coir will really help pinsets, easy to tell when it is dry, etc. Good luck. That is a lot of birdseed!

08-26-09, 09:25	#4 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,877	Most I have done were about an inch thick. Never used WBS, though.

08-26-09, 09:39	#6 (permalink)
RITTER Mycophage Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 120	yup, just wbs will definetly work! But like already said if you have like 5$ go to your local pet store & get some coir, will definetly increase pinset... I've done just wbs, did it in cat litter pans about 4 qt's a peice if I remember correctly, neglected the shit out of it too & still fruited like a champ! good luck with whatever you choose to do "Ritter"

08-26-09, 10:05	#7 (permalink)
RestartLater Mycotopiate Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 274	My past casings have been 1-3.5" thick with 1/2-1" casing layer. Using the good ole trusty 13x9 alum trays or 9x9 for smaller amounts of wbs colonized. Also, I found that mixing the casing mixture with the WBS and then putting the 1/2-1" top layer, seemed to make for better flushes. But then I have went to popcorn because my wbs contam rate sky rocketed for some reason this year. good Luck RestartLater

08-26-09, 10:23	#8 (permalink)
coyoteyogi Mycophiliac Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 69	Good luck and please continue to post your results. I am an expert on WBS. Everytime I have tried it I have grown lots of trich and little else. You will want to pasteurize the coir before casing IMO.

08-26-09, 11:39	#11 (permalink)
almorel Mycophage Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 157	[QUOTE=TVCasualty;761371]No need for a bottom layer. I'd also suggest plastic trays since aluminum often gets holes eaten through it and where the aluminum ends up is still a bit of a mystery. I thought the holes only came into play when spawning to poo in aluminum trays?