Making mycelia slurry syringes - bulk inoculant Tek

BuckarooBanzai · 09-21-09, 04:33

When inoculating a large volume of grain, the more inoculant used (up to a point) the faster the grain will complete. Shredded/macerated mushroom mycelia suspended in water (a slurry) makes an excellent bulk grain inoculant.

In about 10 days, .5mL of spore or clone water can easily be turned into 600mL of mycelia slurry using a pint jar and popcorn. 600mL of slurry will inoculate a lot of grain...

Total props to Fahtster for first introducing me to this idea in his thread:
http://forums.mycotopia.net/liquid-c...k-revised.html (-Fahtty Isolation/Mycelium syringe tek- *REVISED*)

Parts List:

Spore syringe
5 pint canning jars
2 pint lids with Tyvek vents and silicone injection ports
3 pint lids with double silicone injection ports
5 pint lid bands
60mL syringe (a 10mL will work but it takes much longer)
Airport syringe
Aluminum foil
PC capable of 15psi for 90min

Make all your lids with nice thick silicone ports. Use double Tyvek layers (one on the outside and one on the inside) for the popcorn jars. I find it helpful to attach circles of Tyvek to metal washers and then attach the washers to the lids. A dead air space between the Tyvek layers is important. The silicone used for the injection ports can be used to “glue” the Tyvek and the washers.

This is a picture of the lids and two popcorn jars. I like thick blobs of silicone.

When you prepare the popcorn, it needs to be properly hydrated (not wet), as pictured. Don’t use a layer of verm in the bottom – it will clog the syringe later.

Inject .5mL of spore water into the sterilized popcorn jar and incubate until it is about 60% finished. Shake the jar up violently at 60% and incubate until it is 100% finished. Shake it up again violently (after 100% colonized) and verify that it recovers. The jar on the right has been beaten up real bad and recovered each time – this is very important.

Shaking the popcorn and verifying recovery tests for contaminants you can’t see easily. If popcorn doesn’t recover, it has an infection of some kind and the jar is useless for this Tek.

The mycelia will also grow much thicker inside the jar from all the abuse - this is very helpful for this Tek.

The night that you beat up the popcorn for the last time, prepare your sterile water, airport and whatever grain you want to inoculate. I like to PC the airport syringe wrapped in aluminum foil with the 60mL syringe when I do the grain/water. I always try to sterilize grain bags/jars the night before they are used. I like to sterilize EVERYTHING for 60 minutes @ 15psi. This is overkill for the water jars and airport.

Put the sterile water in 3 pint jars with two silicone injection ports each. Fill the jars to the bottom of the band line with tap water and place the bands on loosely. PC or boil sterilize the water jars. Be certain a vacuum forms under each lid. No vacuum means no seal means don’t use the water jar. Tighten the bands down after they are sterilized. Sterilized/sealed water jars can be kept around indefinitely.

After you get everything into your work station, use the airport syringe to bleed the vacuum from a sterile water jar. You should hear the lid pop back up a few seconds after inserting the airport. If the lid doesn’t pop – the jar isn’t sealed and the water should not be used.

Leaving the airport in place to equalize the vacuum, draw 60mL of sterile water into the large syringe. You will do the same thing in a moment to extract the 60mL of mycelia water from the popcorn pint.

Shake the fully colonized popcorn jar until all the kernels are broken up.

Inject the 60mL of sterile water into the popcorn jar

Repeat until you have put 180mL of sterile water into the popcorn jar. It should be almost full with about ½ inch of free space to make shaking easier.

Shake the popcorn jar violently for about 60 seconds.

Take the airport out of the water jar and put it into the popcorn jar.

Insert the empty 60mL syringe into the popcorn jar and extract the mycelia slurry. Use the airport to equalize pressure rather than the Tyvek to avoid any chance of sucking contamination into the jar.

Use the 60mL of slurry to inoculate a big bag of grain (or whatever else you want). That 60mL will be inoculating the pictured 8 cups of hydrated popcorn (medium spawn bag from sporeworks.com). Note the slurry jar in the upper right hand corner.

You can easily make 600mL-700mL of slurry from a single popcorn pint jar. Just keep putting in more sterile water and shaking the heck out of it.

This is the 10th 60mL slurry syringe extracted from a popcorn pint. Not quite as thick/rich with mycelia but still totally usable.

I find this process for expanding myc volume and generating large amounts of inoculant to be superior to using Liquid Cultures.

The primary reason is being able to visually identify contaminants on the popcorn – there are no easy visual IDs of contaminants in an LC.

Slurry syringes should be used within 3-5 days if not immediately. Any slurry not used immediately should be refrigerated (not frozen).

Dispose of the popcorn jar immediately before it becomes contaminated and a hazard in your grow area...

BuckarooBanzai · 09-21-09, 04:42

Re-sized the pictures...

Om shanti · 09-21-09, 06:13

I want to try this!
Very nice explanation.

MLBjammer · 09-21-09, 06:22

As always, you have provided a wonderful educational resource. I don't think the old Fahtster tek ever really caught on like it should have, and your write-up is an extension of that idea. As long as one can prep popcorn--or whatever grain--he/she can use this tek.

weeeeeee · 09-21-09, 08:14

hell yeah nice write up buckaroo

Kreat · 09-21-09, 08:26

This is a fantastic tek. I have a few clones growing on popcorn right now and i was going to do a grain to grain transfer, but instead I think I'll try the slurry tek.

What is the time frame for a full jar of popcorn to colonize with this new slurry?

BuckarooBanzai · 09-21-09, 09:19

A popcorn pint will usually finish in 7-10 days when incubated at 84F-85F. It depends on what you start from. Spores are slower than clone tissue.

MLBjammer · 09-21-09, 12:04

Premature hyper-reactionary behavior stemming from too many unrelated sources to describe.

BuckarooBanzai · 09-21-09, 12:07

Calm down, man! Give folks a chance to read and comment...somebody might have something good to add.

Shroomette · 09-21-09, 12:18

Buckaroo Awesome write up and pictorial... hehe I got this one bookmarked.

hyphaenation · 09-21-09, 13:10

Sweet ! Thanks BB.

I have the worse luck with LC's and this is bound to help.

MrZeus · 09-21-09, 13:17

Excellent work as usual! I see this tek being used frequently to generate lots of spawn....as always, thanks to this community for all of the shared wisdom

Irishlion · 09-21-09, 15:59

sweet ass thread buck, kick ass. Very very good write up bro, Props

eatyualive · 09-21-09, 19:30

i need to give this a go with the pint jars i have.

P4ulada · 09-21-09, 20:02

Awesome, I´d love to try this too ^^
My problem is with pans... I thinks it´s not too indicated for them =/
But I´ll definitlly try with cubies

Sideshow · 09-21-09, 20:03

Sweet thread, Buckaroo. This tek deserves a write up as good as only you can post.

A pint of corn gives an AMAZING amount of innocculant. I have used the popcorn jars and then allowed them to recolonize wth mycelia, to be used again as slurry a second time. I do agree, however that there is a much greater risk of contamination the second go-round.

real_psily · 09-21-09, 20:48

Well done
Nice write up Buckaroo

Hey how did you attach the tyvek?
superglue?
tyvek > washer > lid > washer > tyvek type fashion?
did you put silicon in the space between the tyvek?
Sorry for all the questions

BuckarooBanzai · 09-21-09, 20:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by real_psily

tyvek > washer > lid > washer > tyvek

Leave the space between open for fresh air exchange. Glue the stuff together with the silicone - it works great.

mydarling · 09-21-09, 20:58

wow, awesome tek, i think i'm gonna try this...thanks for sharing

real_psily · 09-21-09, 21:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuckarooBanzai

Leave the space between open for fresh air exchange.

DUHH
Damn HAHAHAHA

can we pretend I didn't add that to my list of questions.

<---- me for a little while lol

BuckarooBanzai · 09-21-09, 21:01

The only stupid question is the one you DON'T ask, man.

Not a problem!

Tweexican · 09-21-09, 23:40

BB,

Are you using the same syringe over and over again?

BuckarooBanzai · 09-22-09, 11:30

Yep. I can usually PC a 60mL syringe 6-10 times. Eventually they will warp a little and the plunger won't make a solid seal anymore. Then I use 'em to measure liquids (very handy for liquid fertilizers and whatnot).

Thanks for the props, folks, much appreciated.

This really is a fantastic way to produce bulk quantities of inoculant. Popcorn spawn bags run SO very quickly with 120mL of slurry to start from!

kcmoxtractor · 09-22-09, 12:03

Damn I would say so with 120mL!

mydarling · 09-23-09, 02:21

bucky i know popcorn is your favorite, and the large kernels facilitate making slurry....but can you do this with wbs? i assume so, it would just be a bit harder to shake the myc loose from the grains. what do you think?

TheFreak · 09-23-09, 09:39

agar from shroomery used wbs in his tek that is closed to this one, but popcorn holds up better then wbs when it comes to storing it. that is why fahtster slightly modded this tek. for good reason too.

BuckarooBanzai · 09-23-09, 16:03

You could probably get WBS or rye to work, but I think you would get lots of little bits that would tend to clog the syringe.

Popcorn is great because it really shreds the myc but doesn't break down. Sometimes the slurry jars will even recover.

All the empty space lets you inject a lot of water as well.

OZ · 09-26-09, 04:49

Do you think the airport is absolutely necessary with those types of lids? Why would the 2 layers of tyvek filters with the dead space between the two be an insufficient barrier against contams?

CoyoteMesc · 09-26-09, 14:30

Feels good to log on and see you back in the swing of Buckaroo.

Nice summary, great read.

Your guess on your own success rate
without that hood in you work station?

I have never tried making a slurry. TV's, Fosters, no ones
method. My main concern is/has been that the slurry seems
too vulnerable to contamination or I would just plain kill it
and Id lose days redoing jars.

There are methods that I/myself have grown a custom to
because I short cut things in this hobby. I may have to go light
on this or go heavy with that. My point being, would one err
side of caution without that hood? Or is the flow hood just over kill with those air ports?

To increase success rates with a slurry mix in general would one make a thicker
slurry or a thinner one. More water or less water. Cooler temps or warmer
temps..etc I know this has been a proven tec and 'just following the steps to
the 'T' ' would be an excellent answer. However, are there suggestions to increase
success? Even if those suggestions would in turn yield you with a bit less slurry
to go around.

Thanks

OZ · 09-28-09, 09:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by OZ

Do you think the airport is absolutely necessary with those types of lids? Why would the 2 layers of tyvek filters with the dead space between the two be an insufficient barrier against contams?

So I made a slurry syringe without the airport, only utilizing the tyvek filters already on the lid. Wish me luck

Irishlion · 09-28-09, 09:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by OZ

So I made a slurry syringe without the airport, only utilizing the tyvek filters already on the lid. Wish me luck

GL and Great mushie vibes

Tweexican · 09-28-09, 22:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuckarooBanzai

Yep. I can usually PC a 60mL syringe 6-10 times. Eventually they will warp a little and the plunger won't make a solid seal anymore. Then I use 'em to measure liquids (very handy for liquid fertilizers and whatnot).

Thanks for the props, folks, much appreciated.

This really is a fantastic way to produce bulk quantities of inoculant. Popcorn spawn bags run SO very quickly with 120mL of slurry to start from!

BB,

Im sorry I guess my question wasn't more specific. I meant the same syringe during the initial harvest.

For example, do you take a sterile syringe, fill it with water, inject it into the colonized jar, then use the same syringe to draw that water back up?

BuckarooBanzai · 09-28-09, 22:54

Coyote - the flow station for this is total overkill. Total error on the side of caution (in appreciation of other work being done when those pics were taken - the station was fired up, why not use it). You should be able to do this slurry Tek in open/dirty air with no problem. I would flame the needle and/or use an iso swap in open air, but that is probably overkill too...

The thicker the slurry, the better. The only problem with slurry inoculation is all the water you add. If you don't have a little verm/coir on the bottom of a grain bag, adding 120-180mL of inoculant can cause moisture pools - and bacteria.

The only thing to make sure you do is shake the jar at least twice and wait for recovery. Three times is better. If a jar has any bacteria issues at all, those issues will screw the whole process to the wall.

OZ - the Tyvek filters work for safe air filtration, but they breathe a lot "slower" than an airport syringe. You get vacuum/suction buildup inside the jar and it makes filling the syringe a little more difficult. When filling a 60mL syringe with one hand and holding a popcorn jar up at an angle with the other, it is very annoying to have a vacuum pull plunger back in while you are adjusting your fingers.

Tweexican - the same 60mL syringe is used for everything. Suck up water, inject water, suck up slurry, inject slurry. All the same syringe.

MLBjammer · 09-29-09, 06:22

Buck, have you abandoned LCs for this slurry method? Just curious. Peace.

BuckarooBanzai · 09-29-09, 09:11

Pretty much. LCs take longer to finish, they need daily shaking and there is no way to know if they are clean until they are tested. And the nutritional value of popcorn is infinitely better than that of sugar water.

Popcorn slurry jars finish faster, they only need to be shaken twice and the shaking proves they are clean. You can see any nasties growing before you inoculate anything.

Finally, you can get about 3 pints of slurry from pint of jar of popcorn. Ya can't get 3 pints of LC from a pint jar without using a pocket dimension generator...

The only down side is that slurries need to be used quickly whereas you can store an LC in the fridge.

Of course, you can also store a popcorn jar in the fridge longer/safer than an LC because of the more complete nutritional profile.

So yah, I haven't played with the LCs heavily in quite a while.

MLBjammer · 09-29-09, 10:07

Gosh, thanks for the thorough response.

Two more question: Have you done long-term storage of the pint popcorn jars? I am guessing you let the grains dry out (as in Fahtster's tek) and then put the jar/s in the refrigerator? Honestly I am just wondering if the pint jar lasts as long as the half-pint with a small amount of grain in them (which I have kept for up to a year).

Faithjuice · 09-29-09, 16:52

I think this is a great Tec and strategy for growing mushrooms. it could be the default method. I'm trying it myself at the moment, as well as the benefits outlined, I am using this method as a means to isolate contamination from a dodgy syringe.

I'm using small 150 mL jars, experimenting with grain to grain transfer from contaminated jars, these should be quick to fully colonise. I only need one of these small jars to grow clean and to produce 20ml of slurry. to my mind a hugely better strategy than waiting two weeks for very old spores to germinate. Thanks Bucka

hyphaenation · 09-29-09, 19:52

Just came across a variant of this tek using BRF jars. Its not quite a slurry , but is a form of mycelium syringe.

http://archives.mycotopia.net/discus...tml?1077458711

BuckarooBanzai · 09-29-09, 21:31

I have never stored a grain master longer than six months, so I couldn't say for certain. But it should store the same as the smaller jars you have worked with.

Six-eight months has been kind of my default established "this culture has gone long enough" point. I have had a couple that slowed down before that, but only a couple. Most are still quite robust at six months.

MLBjammer · 09-30-09, 08:07

Six months with a huge amount of slurry at one's disposal is incredible! Thanks for the research and knowledge, Buckaroo.

BuckarooBanzai · 09-30-09, 19:44

Just keep going back and expanding from the original master.

If you clone from a clone from a clone...slowdown and contams set it.

Always work from 3-5 original masters (sometimes they contaminate) and you can't go wrong.

Mushxmagik · 10-02-09, 06:54

great write up of this tek!!! Thank u for sharing am looking foward to trying this out asap! will let ya kno how it goes!

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09-21-09, 04:33	#1 (permalink)
BuckarooBanzai Prone to ranting... Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,050	Making mycelia slurry syringes - bulk inoculant Tek When inoculating a large volume of grain, the more inoculant used (up to a point) the faster the grain will complete. Shredded/macerated mushroom mycelia suspended in water (a slurry) makes an excellent bulk grain inoculant. In about 10 days, .5mL of spore or clone water can easily be turned into 600mL of mycelia slurry using a pint jar and popcorn. 600mL of slurry will inoculate a lot of grain... Total props to Fahtster for first introducing me to this idea in his thread: http://forums.mycotopia.net/liquid-c...k-revised.html (-Fahtty Isolation/Mycelium syringe tek- REVISED) Parts List: Spore syringe 5 pint canning jars 2 pint lids with Tyvek vents and silicone injection ports 3 pint lids with double silicone injection ports 5 pint lid bands 60mL syringe (a 10mL will work but it takes much longer) Airport syringe Aluminum foil PC capable of 15psi for 90min Make all your lids with nice thick silicone ports. Use double Tyvek layers (one on the outside and one on the inside) for the popcorn jars. I find it helpful to attach circles of Tyvek to metal washers and then attach the washers to the lids. A dead air space between the Tyvek layers is important. The silicone used for the injection ports can be used to “glue” the Tyvek and the washers. This is a picture of the lids and two popcorn jars. I like thick blobs of silicone. When you prepare the popcorn, it needs to be properly hydrated (not wet), as pictured. Don’t use a layer of verm in the bottom – it will clog the syringe later. Inject .5mL of spore water into the sterilized popcorn jar and incubate until it is about 60% finished. Shake the jar up violently at 60% and incubate until it is 100% finished. Shake it up again violently (after 100% colonized) and verify that it recovers. The jar on the right has been beaten up real bad and recovered each time – this is very important. Shaking the popcorn and verifying recovery tests for contaminants you can’t see easily. If popcorn doesn’t recover, it has an infection of some kind and the jar is useless for this Tek. The mycelia will also grow much thicker inside the jar from all the abuse - this is very helpful for this Tek. The night that you beat up the popcorn for the last time, prepare your sterile water, airport and whatever grain you want to inoculate. I like to PC the airport syringe wrapped in aluminum foil with the 60mL syringe when I do the grain/water. I always try to sterilize grain bags/jars the night before they are used. I like to sterilize EVERYTHING for 60 minutes @ 15psi. This is overkill for the water jars and airport. Put the sterile water in 3 pint jars with two silicone injection ports each. Fill the jars to the bottom of the band line with tap water and place the bands on loosely. PC or boil sterilize the water jars. Be certain a vacuum forms under each lid. No vacuum means no seal means don’t use the water jar. Tighten the bands down after they are sterilized. Sterilized/sealed water jars can be kept around indefinitely. After you get everything into your work station, use the airport syringe to bleed the vacuum from a sterile water jar. You should hear the lid pop back up a few seconds after inserting the airport. If the lid doesn’t pop – the jar isn’t sealed and the water should not be used. Leaving the airport in place to equalize the vacuum, draw 60mL of sterile water into the large syringe. You will do the same thing in a moment to extract the 60mL of mycelia water from the popcorn pint. Shake the fully colonized popcorn jar until all the kernels are broken up. Inject the 60mL of sterile water into the popcorn jar Repeat until you have put 180mL of sterile water into the popcorn jar. It should be almost full with about ½ inch of free space to make shaking easier. Shake the popcorn jar violently for about 60 seconds. Take the airport out of the water jar and put it into the popcorn jar. Insert the empty 60mL syringe into the popcorn jar and extract the mycelia slurry. Use the airport to equalize pressure rather than the Tyvek to avoid any chance of sucking contamination into the jar. Use the 60mL of slurry to inoculate a big bag of grain (or whatever else you want). That 60mL will be inoculating the pictured 8 cups of hydrated popcorn (medium spawn bag from sporeworks.com). Note the slurry jar in the upper right hand corner. You can easily make 600mL-700mL of slurry from a single popcorn pint jar. Just keep putting in more sterile water and shaking the heck out of it. This is the 10th 60mL slurry syringe extracted from a popcorn pint. Not quite as thick/rich with mycelia but still totally usable. I find this process for expanding myc volume and generating large amounts of inoculant to be superior to using Liquid Cultures. The primary reason is being able to visually identify contaminants on the popcorn – there are no easy visual IDs of contaminants in an LC. Slurry syringes should be used within 3-5 days if not immediately. Any slurry not used immediately should be refrigerated (not frozen). Dispose of the popcorn jar immediately before it becomes contaminated and a hazard in your grow area... Attached Thumbnails __________________ Banzai Institute for Higher Education (a collection of growing Teks & threads)

09-21-09, 04:42	#2 (permalink)
BuckarooBanzai Prone to ranting... Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,050	Re-sized the pictures... Attached Thumbnails __________________ Banzai Institute for Higher Education (a collection of growing Teks & threads) Last edited by BuckarooBanzai; 09-21-09 at 10:39. Reason: bonehead...

09-21-09, 06:13	#3 (permalink)
Om shanti S.W.I.M. in H.POO Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,297	I want to try this! Very nice explanation. __________________ The most important thing is to find out what is the most important thing.-S. Suzuki

09-21-09, 08:14	#5 (permalink)
weeeeeee humanoid Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,851	hell yeah nice write up buckaroo __________________ -p.l.u.r

09-21-09, 06:22	#4 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,864	As always, you have provided a wonderful educational resource. I don't think the old Fahtster tek ever really caught on like it should have, and your write-up is an extension of that idea. As long as one can prep popcorn--or whatever grain--he/she can use this tek.

09-21-09, 08:26	#6 (permalink)
Kreat Mycotopiate Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 249	This is a fantastic tek. I have a few clones growing on popcorn right now and i was going to do a grain to grain transfer, but instead I think I'll try the slurry tek. What is the time frame for a full jar of popcorn to colonize with this new slurry? __________________ Favorite LC Tek Critter Country Tek

09-21-09, 09:19	#7 (permalink)
BuckarooBanzai Prone to ranting... Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,050	A popcorn pint will usually finish in 7-10 days when incubated at 84F-85F. It depends on what you start from. Spores are slower than clone tissue. __________________ Banzai Institute for Higher Education (a collection of growing Teks & threads)

09-21-09, 12:04	#8 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,864	Premature hyper-reactionary behavior stemming from too many unrelated sources to describe. Last edited by MLBjammer; 09-21-09 at 16:43. Reason: Lack of decorum

09-21-09, 12:07	#9 (permalink)
BuckarooBanzai Prone to ranting... Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,050	Calm down, man! Give folks a chance to read and comment...somebody might have something good to add. __________________ Banzai Institute for Higher Education (a collection of growing Teks & threads)

09-21-09, 12:18	#10 (permalink)
Shroomette Fairy Princess Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2,937	*Buckaroo Awesome write up and pictorial... hehe I got this one bookmarked.* __________________ "If I'm not seen in this world.I'm lost in my own lil world"!!!

09-21-09, 13:10	#11 (permalink)
hyphaenation Puck Teknician Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 5,646	Sweet ! Thanks BB. I have the worse luck with LC's and this is bound to help. __________________ We're just flying by the seed of our plants.

09-21-09, 13:17	#12 (permalink)
MrZeus -=Seeker=- Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 201	Excellent work as usual! I see this tek being used frequently to generate lots of spawn....as always, thanks to this community for all of the shared wisdom

09-21-09, 15:59	#13 (permalink)
Irishlion KEY MASTER Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 3,343	sweet ass thread buck, kick ass. Very very good write up bro, Props __________________ a man without honor isn't a man at all but, a soul trapped in a flesh body that is lost in a void of its own making

09-21-09, 19:30	#14 (permalink)
eatyualive ExoCannibalist Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 5,064	i need to give this a go with the pint jars i have. __________________ Click for Eat's Reference

09-22-09, 12:03	#24 (permalink)
kcmoxtractor Satan's Helper Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,349	Damn I would say so with 120mL! __________________ "It was the straying that found the path direct" - Austin Osman Spare

09-21-09, 20:02	#15 (permalink)
P4ulada Mycotopiate Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 696	Awesome, I´d love to try this too ^^ My problem is with pans... I thinks it´s not too indicated for them =/ But I´ll definitlly try with cubies

09-21-09, 20:03	#16 (permalink)
Sideshow Freakishly Large Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 353	Sweet thread, Buckaroo. This tek deserves a write up as good as only you can post. A pint of corn gives an AMAZING amount of innocculant. I have used the popcorn jars and then allowed them to recolonize wth mycelia, to be used again as slurry a second time. I do agree, however that there is a much greater risk of contamination the second go-round. __________________ Thank you, Mr. Mason

09-21-09, 20:48	#17 (permalink)
real_psily electron pusher Join Date: Aug 1972 Posts: 426	Well done Nice write up Buckaroo Hey how did you attach the tyvek? superglue? tyvek > washer > lid > washer > tyvek type fashion? did you put silicon in the space between the tyvek? Sorry for all the questions __________________ Be informed, then choose. - Shulgin

09-21-09, 20:58	#19 (permalink)
mydarling Modtastic Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2,033	wow, awesome tek, i think i'm gonna try this...thanks for sharing __________________ tonight your ghost will ask my ghost, who put these bodies between us?

09-21-09, 21:01	#21 (permalink)
BuckarooBanzai Prone to ranting... Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,050	The only stupid question is the one you DON'T ask, man. Not a problem! __________________ Banzai Institute for Higher Education (a collection of growing Teks & threads)

09-21-09, 23:40	#22 (permalink)
Tweexican Mycophiliac Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 69	BB, Are you using the same syringe over and over again?

09-22-09, 11:30	#23 (permalink)
BuckarooBanzai Prone to ranting... Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,050	Yep. I can usually PC a 60mL syringe 6-10 times. Eventually they will warp a little and the plunger won't make a solid seal anymore. Then I use 'em to measure liquids (very handy for liquid fertilizers and whatnot). Thanks for the props, folks, much appreciated. This really is a fantastic way to produce bulk quantities of inoculant. Popcorn spawn bags run SO very quickly with 120mL of slurry to start from! __________________ Banzai Institute for Higher Education (a collection of growing Teks & threads)

09-23-09, 02:21	#25 (permalink)
mydarling Modtastic Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2,033	bucky i know popcorn is your favorite, and the large kernels facilitate making slurry....but can you do this with wbs? i assume so, it would just be a bit harder to shake the myc loose from the grains. what do you think? __________________ tonight your ghost will ask my ghost, who put these bodies between us?

09-23-09, 09:39	#26 (permalink)
TheFreak Mycophage Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 139	agar from shroomery used wbs in his tek that is closed to this one, but popcorn holds up better then wbs when it comes to storing it. that is why fahtster slightly modded this tek. for good reason too.

09-23-09, 16:03	#27 (permalink)
BuckarooBanzai Prone to ranting... Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,050	You could probably get WBS or rye to work, but I think you would get lots of little bits that would tend to clog the syringe. Popcorn is great because it really shreds the myc but doesn't break down. Sometimes the slurry jars will even recover. All the empty space lets you inject a lot of water as well. __________________ Banzai Institute for Higher Education (a collection of growing Teks & threads)

09-26-09, 04:49	#28 (permalink)
OZ Mycotopiate Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 321	Do you think the airport is absolutely necessary with those types of lids? Why would the 2 layers of tyvek filters with the dead space between the two be an insufficient barrier against contams?

09-26-09, 14:30	#29 (permalink)
CoyoteMesc howling mad Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 4,045	Feels good to log on and see you back in the swing of Buckaroo. Nice summary, great read. Your guess on your own success rate without that hood in you work station? I have never tried making a slurry. TV's, Fosters, no ones method. My main concern is/has been that the slurry seems too vulnerable to contamination or I would just plain kill it and Id lose days redoing jars. There are methods that I/myself have grown a custom to because I short cut things in this hobby. I may have to go light on this or go heavy with that. My point being, would one err side of caution without that hood? Or is the flow hood just over kill with those air ports? To increase success rates with a slurry mix in general would one make a thicker slurry or a thinner one. More water or less water. Cooler temps or warmer temps..etc I know this has been a proven tec and 'just following the steps to the 'T' ' would be an excellent answer. However, are there suggestions to increase success? Even if those suggestions would in turn yield you with a bit less slurry to go around. Thanks __________________ WOODY: Hey, Mr. Peterson, there's a cold one waiting for you. NORM: I know. If she calls, I'm not here.[ (Cheers)

09-28-09, 22:54	#33 (permalink)
BuckarooBanzai Prone to ranting... Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,050	Coyote - the flow station for this is total overkill. Total error on the side of caution (in appreciation of other work being done when those pics were taken - the station was fired up, why not use it). You should be able to do this slurry Tek in open/dirty air with no problem. I would flame the needle and/or use an iso swap in open air, but that is probably overkill too... The thicker the slurry, the better. The only problem with slurry inoculation is all the water you add. If you don't have a little verm/coir on the bottom of a grain bag, adding 120-180mL of inoculant can cause moisture pools - and bacteria. The only thing to make sure you do is shake the jar at least twice and wait for recovery. Three times is better. If a jar has any bacteria issues at all, those issues will screw the whole process to the wall. OZ - the Tyvek filters work for safe air filtration, but they breathe a lot "slower" than an airport syringe. You get vacuum/suction buildup inside the jar and it makes filling the syringe a little more difficult. When filling a 60mL syringe with one hand and holding a popcorn jar up at an angle with the other, it is very annoying to have a vacuum pull plunger back in while you are adjusting your fingers. Tweexican - the same 60mL syringe is used for everything. Suck up water, inject water, suck up slurry, inject slurry. All the same syringe. __________________ Banzai Institute for Higher Education (a collection of growing Teks & threads)

09-29-09, 06:22	#34 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,864	Buck, have you abandoned LCs for this slurry method? Just curious. Peace.

09-29-09, 09:11	#35 (permalink)
BuckarooBanzai Prone to ranting... Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,050	Pretty much. LCs take longer to finish, they need daily shaking and there is no way to know if they are clean until they are tested. And the nutritional value of popcorn is infinitely better than that of sugar water. Popcorn slurry jars finish faster, they only need to be shaken twice and the shaking proves they are clean. You can see any nasties growing before you inoculate anything. Finally, you can get about 3 pints of slurry from pint of jar of popcorn. Ya can't get 3 pints of LC from a pint jar without using a pocket dimension generator... The only down side is that slurries need to be used quickly whereas you can store an LC in the fridge. Of course, you can also store a popcorn jar in the fridge longer/safer than an LC because of the more complete nutritional profile. So yah, I haven't played with the LCs heavily in quite a while. __________________ Banzai Institute for Higher Education (a collection of growing Teks & threads)

09-29-09, 10:07	#36 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,864	Gosh, thanks for the thorough response. Two more question: Have you done long-term storage of the pint popcorn jars? I am guessing you let the grains dry out (as in Fahtster's tek) and then put the jar/s in the refrigerator? Honestly I am just wondering if the pint jar lasts as long as the half-pint with a small amount of grain in them (which I have kept for up to a year).

09-29-09, 16:52	#37 (permalink)
Faithjuice Mycophiliac Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 57	I think this is a great Tec and strategy for growing mushrooms. it could be the default method. I'm trying it myself at the moment, as well as the benefits outlined, I am using this method as a means to isolate contamination from a dodgy syringe. I'm using small 150 mL jars, experimenting with grain to grain transfer from contaminated jars, these should be quick to fully colonise. I only need one of these small jars to grow clean and to produce 20ml of slurry. to my mind a hugely better strategy than waiting two weeks for very old spores to germinate. Thanks Bucka

09-29-09, 19:52	#38 (permalink)
hyphaenation Puck Teknician Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 5,646	Just came across a variant of this tek using BRF jars. Its not quite a slurry , but is a form of mycelium syringe. http://archives.mycotopia.net/discus...tml?1077458711 __________________ We're just flying by the seed of our plants.

09-29-09, 21:31	#39 (permalink)
BuckarooBanzai Prone to ranting... Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,050	I have never stored a grain master longer than six months, so I couldn't say for certain. But it should store the same as the smaller jars you have worked with. Six-eight months has been kind of my default established "this culture has gone long enough" point. I have had a couple that slowed down before that, but only a couple. Most are still quite robust at six months. __________________ Banzai Institute for Higher Education (a collection of growing Teks & threads)

09-30-09, 08:07	#40 (permalink)
MLBjammer Addicted to Invitro Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,864	Six months with a huge amount of slurry at one's disposal is incredible! Thanks for the research and knowledge, Buckaroo.