Anybody ever tried to make a LC syringe from cardboard?

[Thre365ive]

So, these cardboard clones are coming along nicely, but they're about to dry out. I was thinking that maybe I could sterilize some water, scrape the myc from the cardboard with the syringe into the water then suck it up and inoculate with that. Anybody know of any problems with that?

Also, these would need to be stored for a little while - would you add nutrients or just leave the water alone?

Just a random thought I had. If nobody has tried it, I may just give it a shot.

[BuckarooBanzai]

It out to work, if you work clean. Any nasties you suck into that syringe will screw ya.

I would make that myc syringe and then put a little on some sterilized grain. As it grows out, you can watch it for contams. After it is fully colonized, you can refrigerate grain for storage with great results.

2-3 months in a fridge on grain is no problem at all for a clean culture.

[Thre365ive]

Originally Posted by BuckarooBanzai

It out to work, if you work clean. Any nasties you suck into that syringe will screw ya.

Of course it'd have to be clean. I just figured all the info about being sterile was just redundant.

I would make that myc syringe and then put a little on some sterilized grain. As it grows out, you can watch it for contams. After it is fully colonized, you can refrigerate grain for storage with great results.

2-3 months in a fridge on grain is no problem at all for a clean culture.

Well, yeah, but I was thinking that it's easier to just store a small syringe than a big-ass grain jar, or a bunch of smaller grain jars.

Not saying that this is the best method at all, but I was just thinking it might work. I'll probably get started on some experiments with it once I get some gloves. I ran out on my last project.

Edit - OK, I completely read that wrong. I was already thinking about trying out a CC or so on some grain after making the syringe. Probably wouldn't store the grain, though, I'd just go ahead and use it.

[BuckarooBanzai]

A couple half-pints take up very little space. No reason to use a big jar. 3 little ones is better - in case one contaminates.

You can store cultures successfully in a syringe (or vacutainer) of sterile water. But it isn't guaranteed. I've seen cultures in sterile water fail to remain viable after 6 months cold storage. I have also seen those cultures succeed. It is a toss up IME.

Every culture I have stored on grain has survived at least 3 months cold storage with no problems. I have had some fail at 6 months on grain, but a much lower percentage than storage in sterile water.

If you are only storing for a month - a syringe of sterile water will have a very good chance of succeeding (IME). If you are storing for six months, grain drastically increases those chances over sterile water.

But stealth is always a primary concern. You can always order another spore syringe.

But it would also suck major to store that culture for 2 months only to discover it was contaminated...

[Thre365ive]

Originally Posted by BuckarooBanzai

A couple half-pints take up very little space. No reason to use a big jar. 3 little ones is better - in case one contaminates.

But sometimes people come over and we make dinner. They look in my fridge and see some jars of mycelium and they'll know what it is. I can throw a syringe in a bag and put it in the drawer where nobody will see it.

You can store cultures successfully in a syringe (or vacutainer) of sterile water. But it isn't guaranteed. I've seen cultures in sterile water fail to remain viable after 6 months cold storage. I have also seen those cultures succeed. It is a toss up IME.

So what if I'd add nutrients, like basically make a little LC inside the syringe? LCs can last a good while in the fridge.

Every culture I have stored on grain has survived at least 3 months cold storage with no problems. I have had some fail at 6 months on grain, but a much lower percentage than storage in sterile water.

If you are only storing for a month - a syringe of sterile water will have a very good chance of succeeding (IME). If you are storing for six months, grain drastically increases those chances over sterile water.

I don't think it'd last 6 months before being used. Good to get some more info in my head, though.

But stealth is always a primary concern. You can always order another spore syringe.

Bah! I've decided that since we have a free spore ring, I'm never buying a spore syringe again, unless a strain I want just doesn't get offered up. It helps the community out & is way cheaper on me.

But it would also suck major to store that culture for 2 months only to discover it was contaminated...

Yeah, I would definitely do a test jar. I just don't really need a shitload of colonized grain at once. I'm against doing this kind of thing for money in most situations, and I can only eat so many mushrooms myself before losing my mind.

But as I said before, I'm just kicking around ideas.

[BuckarooBanzai]

If one of your friends looks in the vegetable crisper and recognizes a canning jar of colonized popcorn, it means they are doing the same thing you are doing.

Seriously, what is more difficult to explain in your refrigerator? A canning jar of "special fish relish" or a 10mL syringe? Syringes scream drugs to most people. Weird shit in canning jars is pretty normal, though. Especially if you eat natural foods and whatnot.

You would be very hard pressed to cheaply make a syringe of water nutritionally equivalent to grain. But again, a month or so in sterile water is just fine for a clean culture.

Buying spore syringes from vendors ALSO keeps the community going, by the way. Buying spore syringes helps keeps this site going, for instance...

[Thre365ive]

Originally Posted by BuckarooBanzai

If one of your friends looks in the vegetable crisper and recognizes a canning jar of colonized popcorn, it means they are doing the same thing you are doing.

Not necessarily. There was a time when I wasn't so tight-lipped and tried to teach a lot of people.

Seriously, what is more difficult to explain in your refrigerator? A canning jar of "special fish relish" or a 10mL syringe? Syringes scream drugs to most people. Weird shit in canning jars is pretty normal, though. Especially if you eat natural foods and whatnot.

Yeah, but all my friends know I do drugs. "It's some 2C-E solution. No, you can't have any" works just fine. Most of my friends wouldn't want RCs anyway.

Buying spore syringes from vendors ALSO keeps the community going, by the way. Buying spore syringes helps keeps this site going, for instance...

If I wanna keep this site going, I'd prefer to just donate, which I plan on doing once my finances are straight again anyway. I know it sounds weird, but I'd rather give someone money for free and get spores for free than actually pay for the spores. Capitalism is bad.

Sorry that my tone is kind of dickish right now. I'm hungover. I'm normally a lot better about it, but I can't be bothered to phrase things differently with this headache.

[BuckarooBanzai]

Dude - I was about to apologize for my tone because I started drinking early today!

Funny how the upside and the downside of booze both involve excess agression, eh?

No harm, no foul from my end.

G'luck with yer storage, brother!

[kcmoxtractor]

You could just go to the liquor store or anywhere really and get a small box and put a couple colonized grain jars or your syringe in there. I store my syringes in a small box in my fridge. I think keeping it out of sight, even if it is in a box in the fridge that is taped up, would far and away be your best idea. There are too many folks over at your house playing music and such to have to worry about who might see your shit.

I think that if you put some cardboard in a nutrient solution it might contaminate. The cardboard resists contamination because there are no nutrients, not because there are no contaminates lurking. When the mold and bacteria spores that are on the cardboard come into contact with the nutes in the water, they are likely to germinate.

BTW 365- Thanks for teaching me the basics and giving me the spark!

[Thre365ive]

Originally Posted by kcmoxtractor

You could just go to the liquor store or anywhere really and get a small box and put a couple colonized grain jars or your syringe in there. I store my syringes in a small box in my fridge. I think keeping it out of sight, even if it is in a box in the fridge that is taped up, would far and away be your best idea. There are too many folks over at your house playing music and such to have to worry about who might see your shit.

Ehh, not anymore. The band broke up yesterday. Singer's leaving. But nobody goes in the fridge anyway.

I think that if you put some cardboard in a nutrient solution it might contaminate. The cardboard resists contamination because there are no nutrients, not because there are no contaminates lurking. When the mold and bacteria spores that are on the cardboard come into contact with the nutes in the water, they are likely to germinate.

I'm not talking about putting cardboard in the solution, just scraping the myc off of it. It's pretty damn dry by now.

BTW 365- Thanks for teaching me the basics and giving me the spark!

NP. I'm just glad you decided to actually do something with it.