beginning to end teks for grain spawn, bulk substraits and printing

[alpiner]

to start, these are not mine though the methods described are very similar to my own for the most part, these were written by a friend that based his methods which were based on the findings of others but tweaked a bit.
I hope these documents help some of you get started

no method is perfect and no one is implying that these methods are to cast in stone, all of us tweak to our own needs.
these teks however are well thought out for the most part and do work quite well for a variety of species with minor adjustments.


DISCLAIMER: This document is purely for educational purposes and in no way advocates what is stated within it, in now way suggests following its instructions, and in now way advocates the production or consumption of illegal substances. Do not assume this document was created by one person. The owners, and any contributors, cannot be held liable in any way for any information made available, or omitted in these texts. All of the material may—or may not—have been checked for accuracy or completeness or its ability to offend some individuals. All material is stated "as is" without warranty of quality or accuracy of any kind.

Growth Timeline: (see also: “growth parameters”) Typically if temperatures are kept as prescribed, the timeline will keep to the shorter side of what is listed below. Even if all parameters are perfect, it is not unusual for the timeline to be a little longer than the shortest possible time prescribed below. The range of days are given as most optimal growth time, to pushing being too long.
Day 1:
Spawn jar is inoculated.
7-14 days later:
Spawn jar should be fully colonized. Now you can use it to inoculate your substrate layer.
7-14 days later:
Substrate layer should be fully colonized. Now you can case the substrate layer.
3-7 days later:
There should be mycelium poking through the casing in a few spots. At this time, the casing can be put in the fruiting chamber.
5-14 days later:
You might start to notice hyphal knots forming. Pins will form from these in a few days. It is likely, also, that you will not see the hyphal knots even if pins are forming.

Making a Spawn Jar:
On the jar’s cap, have one hole as an injection site and one with poly-fill for ventilation. You can cover the injection hole with electrical tape [tip: fold a small part of the tape over on itself; this will serve as a tab so that you can easily peal back the tape to inject, then reseal (optionally there are ways of making self sealing injection ports). The ventilation hole should be just under the size of a Bic pen, and the injection site, just large enough so that you can easily insert the needle.
Use either quart or 1/2 gallon jars.

Spawn Ingredient Options:
Millet, A+:
Easy to use and is small, which will increase inoculation points when mixed with substrate.
Finch Seed, A
Comparable to millet. It is easy to use and is small, which will increase inoculation points when mixed with substrate. The only problem that you should watch for is that finch seed is a mixture of seeds; some mixtures might have poor characteristics, leading to spawn that is soggy and/or hard for mycelium to penetrate.
Rye, A:
Easy to use, but is relatively large, reducing inoculation points in substrate, but leaving more room for mycelium to quickly penetrate in the spawn jar. Is often commercially used even though it is more expensive than corn (which is not commercially used).
Cracked Corn, A-
Slightly harder to use because you have to cook it well. It is medium sized and is as successful to use as rye and millet. It is also very cheap, and can be found as bird food.
Whole Corn, C:
Is hard to cook and will often leave uncooked parts that can lead to contamination. Its large size will make for less inoculation points. Avoid this substrate material if possible.

Calculating Ingredient Amount For Spawn Jars:
Cracked corn:
1 lb of dry corn cooked fills 2.6 quart jars.
25 lbs of dry corn cooked fills 65 quart jars.

Calculating Pan Size for Amount of Spawn Material: when filling the pan with water to cook your grain spawn, fill the pan only, approximately, 5/6 full to allow for the expansion of your substrate material.
Corn:
For every pound of dry corn, you should have 2 quarts of pan space.

Grain Spawn Method:
Measure cracked corn to fill 1/2 of the spawn jars you are going to use—the corn will expand a lot.
Pour dry cracked corn into a pot of boiling, or near boiling, water.
Turn the heat down immediately to low. This temperature should keep the water above 200 degrees Fahrenheit (the water will be just at, or below, simmering is just not simmering. This temperature is sufficient to cook the corn, and will keep it from burning on the bottom of the pan. (You can also put an upside down plate at the bottom of the pan before adding corn to the water. This will keep enough corn off the bottom of the pan, as well as its weight, so that it will not burn. This step shouldn’t be necessary.)
Maintain this temperature for about 45 minutes. You will have to stir every 5 to 10 minutes. If you need to add water, try to add it as hot as possible. Hot water out of the tap is fine. Feel free to turn up the temperature until 180 degrees is maintained again.
Watch for slime to form; should pull off burner about 5 minuets after slime begins to form (though slime formation is a mater of judgment; should go at least 50 minuets). Let sit in hot water for next 15 min with heat off. (so: 45 minuets with heat on, then 15 minuets in water with heat off.)
Strain and run cold water over corn until it is cold and there is no slime.
Let drip dry from 20 minuets to one hour.
Fill spawn jars to just under 3/4 full and put on cap (firm but not at all tight). We are leaving room so that we can shake the inevitably clumping corn apart to disperse spores.
* gypsum is a great aditive if you have it, helps to keep grains from getting too stick as well as adds calcium, not much is needed about teaspoon or two to a big pot of grain.
Things to watch for:
Try to leave at least 1/4 of the jar empty. This will allow you to break up the spawn mixture after it is stuck together from pressure-cooking. It is important to shake the mixture well for two reasons: (1) if the mixture is stuck together, there will be less cracks and small airways to allow the mycelium to travel quickly through it, and (2) if you don’t disperse the inoculant throughout the mixture, it will take much longer for it to fill the jar. It is worth spending the time to disperse the incoulant.
A grain spawn mixture that is boiled too long can be sticky and water logged. We don’t want the mixture under boiled, because the mycelium will not be able to effectively penetrate the mass of grain easily due to the grain not being well hydrated and still hard. However, if it is over cooked, the saturation of water throughout the mixture, and most notably between the starchy sludge between the grains, will hinder the mycelium’s ability to grow. There are three ways to assure that the material is properly cooked: (1) you followed the prescribed cooking instructions, (2) you learn how much slime was present when it was finished cooking, and, most importantly, (3) the medium should feel a certain way when it is done (corn will feel spongy); so, cool some of the medium and squish it in your hand. A good way to assure a moisture balance is to check how much slim has formed after certain amounts of cooking. Take mental notes, and pay attention to the outcome.

Pressure Cooker Tips:
(1) these tips are specific to the newer mirro cookers,put cooker on stove; (2) fill with 1/2 to 3/4 inches of water (meaning very little); (3) make sure your spacer is at the bottom of the cooker so that the jars do not sit directly on the bottom of the cooker (they will crack) and put as many jars in the cooker as can possibly fit; (4) make sure the rubber seal is dry and oiled (if it is not oiled, wipe a very small amount of any home cooking oil on the seal; this will make a solid seal and will keep steam and water from coming out the sides); (5) put the cover on and lock it in place; (6) keep the valve open until 5 minutes after the water inside boils (this is very important; you must let the steam vent until thermal inertia is overcome; (7) then, close the valve to hold the steam in, not before; (8) as soon as the pressure valve begins to vent at 15lbs, reduce the heat on your stove so the pressure stays at 15, but very little steam escapes.

Incubation for Spawn Jars:
Incubation is the process of keeping your inoculated spawn jar at the right temperature until the mycelium has grow out and it is ready to use. For most species, 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature. There are two primary methods.
(1) Use two plastic totes (tub is another name for these): One that will fit into the other (they can be the same exact type of tote), so long as there is space to put at least 1/2 inch of water and a submersible fish tank heater in that space.
Fill one tote with water to fill the space between the two totes; place the fish tank heater in the water with the power cored coming out of the tote; then, place the second tote into the one with the water in it.
Now, you can place your inoculated jars into the dry tote. The temperature in the tote will be regulated by the water, and fish tank heater in it.
Cover the tote with its lid.
(2) Use one tote: in the tote, place a glass jar, filled with water, with a fish tank heater in it. This heated jar will regulate the temperature of the entire tote. There are heaters that will mount perfectly to the glass jar, just as it would to a fish tank with this methods a bit of insulation is reccomended.
Keeping temperatures at their prescribed level will assure fast and successful growth at this stage of mycellial growth. Temperatures that are too cold will slow down growth. Temperatures that are too hot will not help growth, and will promote contamination by causing present endospores to germinate.

Grain to Grain Transfer:
Do the procedure in a glove box. Once you have successfully colonized a quart jar or two, you will use your glove box to complete grain to grain transfers—thus multiplying your spawn by 5-20 times. Use about 2tbs or more (depending on how careful you want to be) to inoculate new jars that have been pressure cooked with a spawn material. Most finish in 5 days. Your new jars should be fully colonized by five days. Once they are fully colonized, give them two more days to eat; then use them.

Liquid Culture:
For liquid cultures use ear plugs as the injection site with poly fill in another hole for ventilation, be careful of getting the polyfill wet it will contaminate if you do get it wet, also it is not absolutley needed, LC will do just fine with just a earplug.
Use the LC of your choice, in these parts light corn syrup or malt extract are prefered over honey.
B ulk subtrate and Casing Materials:
What you need:
Sterilite or another brand of plastic containers (one per bulk)
hydrated Lime
Vermiculite
Straw (can use hay or “straw”; however, straw has the seeds removed thus less prone to contanination)
Herbivore shit AKA manure, preferably equine or bovine (can buy composted manure this does however come out “muddy” and is not nearly as good as the feild dried type)
Clear plastic wrap or preferably plexiglass for the tops of Sterilite containers
Rack to put wet pillowcase on (can use one or more milk crates)
Pillowcase
Isopropyl alcohol
Rubber gloves
Large pot (need enough water to cover the material you are pasteurizing)

Substrate Method:
Take your straw and chop it up with some utility shears (fabric scissors work well). You are going to want about two to three times the volume of your end volume. Add some manure (not much; about 1/4 the volume of your straw). The manure should be broken up as much as possible. Put everything in a pillowcase and mix it up well. Then, add 3/4 of a cup of lime to your water or right into the pillow case you are putting the straw in.
One 10 Gallon tub filled with straw, plus 1 gallon of manure will make 5 3.5 inch deep bins.
Bring enough water to well cover your straw mixture in an insulated container (most commonly a cooler) to between 175 and 212 degrees. This will allow you to pasteurize the mixture at around 170-175 degrees for 1.5 hours. Keep in mind, the temperature of the water will drop dramatically when you put it in with the substrate ingredients. So, the higher the ratio of water to straw, the less hot the water has to be when you put it in.
Some people add 1/4tbs of bleach per gallon of water.
Put a rock or anything heavy on top of the pillowcase to keep it under water. This is important, so do it. Note, sometimes lots of air get trapped in the pillowcase; that’s okay, just poke some holes in it with a fork.
Drain the water after 1.5 hours. Placing the pillowcase on top of milk crates works well. Use the heavy item you used to hold down the pillowcase during pasteurization to push water out of the straw mixture. It’s good stuff for your plants, so save it if you like.
Now, let your bag of straw/shit drip dry and cool for an hour or two. Shake it loose so that it will cool faster. Do not worry about contamination from the air, just don’t let the bag touch anything dirty.
Now that its cooled down, wring it out and get any extra water out of it.
Place your containers in accessible rows so that you can quickly fill them with little exposure to the air. Also, place your spawn jars near the casing containers. Before you start, loosen all the jars lids to minimize handling. Spray jar lids and other items you might touch with alcohol to minimize contamination potential. Place the pillowcase near the bulk containers on something clean. Have a bowl with some alcohol at your substrate mixing site.
Wash your hands very well.
Take a long spoon that you will use to pull spawn from their jars and, with a pair of pliers, sterilize it over a flame until it is obviously very hot. Then, submerge it in alcohol.
Return to the substrate mixing site with your spoon in alcohol and wash your arms with alcohol up to your elbows. It is also advisable, if you have many separate containers of bulk substrate, to have a bowl of distilled, or bottled, water so that you can rinse your hands once in a while. But follow by washing with alcohol.
To create Substrate Layer:
Remove the lid of a container without moving much air.
Remove the 1 quart spawn jar’s lid. Grab the jar with one hand and the spoon in the other. Shake any loose alcohol off of spoon and then pull spawn out of jar as fast as possible. (Should take less than 15 seconds.)
Rinse hands with alcohol.
Break up spawn between hands. Ideally, each seed or grain of substrate should be separate; but close to that is fine. (Should take about 10 seconds)
Grab your straw by hand and dump enough into the container to make 3 inches packed. Mix the spawn into the straw so that it is evenly dispersed within the straw. Pack mixture down firmly so that it is level, and so that there is no straw poking out. Should be about 2.5 to 3 inches deep. (Should take less than 20 seconds.)
(Can choose to case now or in 5 days to 9 days when substrate is colonized; it is recommended to wait)
Place lid on casing container.
For each additional casing, you may want to rinse hands with water. You should always rinse with alcohol.
Now, let the substrate colonize. It should take 5 to 9 days.

Substrate Ingredients:
Compost Mix:
One experienced grower observed that the more ingredients in a compost mix, the better. Complex substrates do better than single ingredient substrates. This grower uses store bought compost, store bought composted cow manure, coco coir, coffee grounds, vermiculite, and, sometimes, seaweed (it is expensive, but can be gotten free from the ocean).
Coir Mix:
Straw 20 gallons
Coir 10 cups
Compost/Manure 14 cups
Lime 2 cups

Calculating Substrate Ingredient Amounts For Bulks and Pasteurizing:
All Ingredients:
One 10 Gallon tub filled with substrate ingredients (packed, cut straw, plus 1 gallon of manure [or other ingredient mixture] and 3/4 cups hydrated lime) will make approximately 4.5 11” x 22” x 2” inch bulk bins.
One 10 Gallon tub filled with substrate ingredients will fill one common pillowcase. The pillowcase will be filled and packed so that there is enough room to easily tie the open end shut.
Straw:
One bail of straw (a standard farmer’s bail) will make approximately 63 11” x 22” x 2” bulks.
One bail of straw will fill approximately 14 pillowcases.
Compost/Manure mixture (total: whatever your recipe)
2 bags,1 cubic foot (28.3 liters), and 3 blocks of coir, will make approximately 63 11” x 22” x 2” bulks.
Lime:
Approximately 1 cup per 10 gallons of straw.

Removing Pasteurized Substrate from Pasteurization:
(1) Have a tote large enough to place milk crates inside of it (the number of crates depends on how much substrate you have). The milk crates will allow water to drain, and the tote will catch the water. They should be clean, but do not need to be sterile.
(2) Place the sheet or pillowcase of substrate into the milk crates. Twist the loose part of the cloth to force as much water out of the substrate as you reasonably can. Place the metal or brick or whatever that you used to hold the pasteurizing straw down onto the straw in the pillowcase now. The weight will help push water out (you can also step on this mettle; keeping your shoes from the pillowcase and straw).
(3) Once the straw is cooled and the extra water is out, dump the straw into a tote large enough so that you can mix the substrate material and put a cover on it.
(4) Bring the covered tote to where the substrate will be prepared. There you can mix it with your clean hands (maybe with gloves and washed with isopropyl alcohol) so that the manure, lime, and straw are evenly mixed.

Casing Method:
Casing will reduce contamination (especially on top of the casing so that contamination) and help maintain appropriate humidity for the substrate layer so that you will have maximum pinning.
Things to Remember:
An even casing layer is important; more important than an even substrate layer. It will allow for an even pin set.
Method:
After the substrate layer is colonized—meaning that mycelium has grown through 90 percent, or more, of the top of the substrate layer—case it (which means cover this layer) with a very thin layer of your favorite casing mix (about 1/4 inch or less deep; just enough to cover straw).
Pasteurize the mixed casing recipe for an hour at between 150 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
One bag (8 quarts) of vermiculite, should be enough to case 4 13” by 18” casing containers.
When taking the casing material out of pasteurization, use the “Removing Pasteurized Substrate from Pasteurization” method above.
After draining, the mixture should be wet enough so that when you hold it, no water runs out, but when you lightly squeeze it, a little water will run out. It should not be wet or dry, but damp.
*Alternatley, you can oven pastuerize you casing materials or you can do it in jars in a hot water bath, please refer to the archives on mycotopia.net
Casing Recipes:
Recipes can vary because of a few factors (e.g., ph of ingredients and the needs of your environment vary), but any recipe along these lines should work fine. These recipes us regular lime, not hydrated lime.
Contamination: Pure vermiculite is recommended for people who are having contamination problems with their casings.
Coir and Vermiculite:
14 parts vermiculite
6 parts coir
1 part limestone
50/50 TEK:
10 parts vermiculite
10 parts peat
1 part limestone
Peat and Vermiculite:
Recommended by Roger Rabbit from mycotopia.net. Supposedly, less overlay and better pin set. Peat is more acidic than coir.
10 parts of peat
10 parts of vermiculite
1.5 part of limestone
1.5 gypsum
Vermiculite:
20 parts vermiculite
optionally, 1 part limestone.

Straw Log Technique:
When the log is colonizing, and is enclosed in the bag, poke holes in the bottom of the bag so that water will not collect. This will allow mycelium to colonize effectively and can help to keep contaminants from blooming.

Initiating Pinning:
As a general rule of thumb, the initiation of pinning should begin as soon as mycelium is first visible in the valleys of the casing layer (or, when you can just barley make it out underneath the surface of the casing). However, cubensis is a species that enjoys high mycelial momentum. Even after initiation of the pinning process, the mycelium will continue to grow for a period of time and consume more of the casing. This is why timing is critical.
Steps:
Temperature: keep it at (roughly) 85 degrees to 72 degrees. The temperature should remain at this between these two temps
Oxygen: increase oxygen levels (the air they use to grow) by fanning two to tree times a day.
Light: Expose casings to a rotation of light. Can be low light for just a few hours a day (3-6 hours is fine). Light is critical for initiating pins and for letting the mushrooms know which direction to grow; but unlike plants, mushrooms don’t use light to develop, only to know when and where to grow. To put light levels in perspective, some people use just one LED light per container.
Problems:
Overlay is caused by prolonged vegetative growth, high CO2 levels, and excessive humidity. It results when the grower does not take the proper steps to initiate pinning, or, when the grower initiates the pinning strategy too late. Overlay is not a big problem for the most part with proper care though.
Spore Printing:
Need:
Pint jar
A large jar with a lid bigger than your print jar’s lid
A pint jar
Two standard wide-mouth plastic lids
Container for loose items in pressure cooker (i.e., a Pyrex food container with a rubber lid)
Bendable, but taught, wire
Standard two piece wide-mouth lid
Electrical tape
Syringe
Scissors
Very Small paint brush
Small jar to put alcohol in to paint cap
The key to this method is making a lid with a hook that will allow the cap to hang over the jar on which it will make the print, but without touching the jar itself—thus reducing contamination.
Poke a hole in the metal lid just large enough so that the wire can slide through.
Slide the wire through the snug hole.
Bend the wire so that part of it lays on top of the lid. Tape this piece of wire to the top of the lid with electrical tape so that air won’t enter the hole in the lid, and so that the wire won’t shift much on the inside of the lid.
Bend the remaining wire (on the inside of the lid) in a slanted L shape, so that (1) you can push the bottom of the L all the way through the cap, and (2) so that the cap will hang without hitting the jar (The cap doesn’t have to be any specific height from the bottom of the jar).
Sharpen the tip of the L so that it can pierce a cap easily. This can be done easily by using wire cutters to cut it at a sharp angle.
Pressure-cook (1) the pint jar with enough water to fill your syringe in it and the cap with the L hook firmly on it, (2) your extra lids in tinfoil, (3) the scissors , and (4) your syringe, for an hour at 15 psi.
After they have been sterilized, bring them as close to your grow area as possible.
Loosen the lid of the hook jar so that it is on, but so that you can take it off with one hand easily.
Optional: have a small, sterilized brush and isopropyl alcohol (or hydrogen peroxide) ready. Paint the TOP of the cap tissue so that any contaminants that might be on the cap, and that might fall from the cap, are killed.
Take the L lid out of the foil and push the L through the cap with your clean hands. To keep the cap from tipping sideways, push the L through the cap in a way so that there is more weight below where it is pierced than above.
As you hold the L lid hooked to the cap, cut the stem as close to the cap without touching it if possible. You want as much of the stem as possible gone so that spores can fall freely.
Replace the L lid as quickly as possible, allowing the cap to hang, gills down, over the bottom of the jar without touching it. Put the lid wring on.
Allow the cap to drop a print for 24 hours. The benefit of having the water in the jar already while the print is being made is two fold: (1) with out the water, much of the print will end up stuck to the glass, and (2) you don’t have to go through the procedure of pouring water in, putting on the lid again, shaking the spores vigorously into the water, and then pulling the water into the syringe (which would increase contamination potential).
Now you can draw from the jar at any time.

Sterile Techniques:
Air Spray:
Bleach: A solution of 10 percent bleach and 90 percent water can be used in a good misting spray bottle to help sanitize the air.
Lysol: Lysol spray is very commonly used for sanitizing the air.
Wax Paper:
Place a piece of wax paper or tin foil over the top of the casing to help hold in the moisture as well as keep contaminants off the casing as they fall from the air. This can be especially helpful grow rooms with constant air circulation. Change the wax paper out for a fresh piece every second day. It will take a few flushes, but you'll get the hang of it.


Contamination:
Mold Types:
Blue/Green, “Trichoderma:”
Description: it starts out white and grows slow, so you may not identify it until it turns green; the green are spores. If you have Trich, you can buy a few days by using the “Buying time” procedure below, but you will not win.
Cobweb:
Description: it grows very fast; is most common on top of casings, and in spawn jars, and not on cakes; it is very wispy and will turn gray as it ages.
Prevention: Good Air exchange and sterile technics are the best prevention. You can dissolve it immediately with Hydrogen Peroxide to buy time if you must.
Buying time with contamination: with the usual blue/green mold you can sometimes gain some time for a casing, or allow it to fruit without being totally wasted. But you must get to it fast, and you will, still, almost never stop contamination from coming back.
If at all possible, move the casing away from other casing (preferably another room); especially for the procedure, and if you can for good.
Get two bowls (small, or any size you wish; one for waste and one for your spoons and alcohol), isopropyl alcohol, and one spoon for every scoop you need to make.
Pour some water on the clean spoons. Make sure that all surfaces that will touch the casing are clean. (I don’t think it is necessary to sterilize the spoons.) The extra alcohol will run into the bowl.
Open the casing, and scoop out the mold. Go at least 1/4 of an inch below the mold. And start from a point clearly outside the contaminated spot. Use Your hand to hold the contaminated material on the spoon, and so that it doesn’t fall back onto the casing. Use a new spoon for each scoop so that you don’t recontaminate the casing.
When all of the visible and at risk spots have been removed (hopefully not more than two spots; and each not being more than 1.5 square inches) spray the hole where the contamination was with either hydrogen peroxide or alcohol. Making sure all surfaces at that spot are covered, but so that the liquid doesn’t soak too much into the casing and substrate. Remember: alcohol will evaporate fast (advantage), and hydrogen peroxide will not. However, hydrogen peroxide is often used in casings anyway. I don’t know more than that.
Check the casing often for future contamination. Also, don’t bother saving a casing that has well spread contamination.
If you just want a day or so of time, you don’t have to be so sterile. Just scoop the contam site out.

Humidification:
Misting casings:
You want to get as much moisture into the substrate without forming pools of water as you can before primordia form; then, don't mist again until after you pick the flush. If you mist pins, they may abort. Therefore, the moisture for the flush must be in place before pinning starts.
Use a mister that mists more than sprays.
Use filtered or bottled water. It is safest to boil or pressure cook the water in large jars to assure potential contaminants are killed before use.
Frequency of misting will depend upon setup and air exchange. Therefore, it is important to pay attention and to learn from experience.
There is a critical phase during which a pin will abort if misted. That phase is from tiny primordia to about an inch high. Once the pins are over an inch high, you can safely resume misting the casing a few times a day to help the flush finish if they seem slow or stunted.
Method for a bulk casing in a tote:
Mist twice daily after the casing layer goes on for about a week. When you see mycelium poking up through the casing, mist for a day or two after that; then, it's time to stop.
Optional (uncommon): Place a piece of wax paper over the top of the casing to help hold in the moisture as well as keep contaminants off the casing. Change the wax paper out for a fresh piece every second day. It will take a few flushes, but you'll get the hang of it.
If your fruits only form around the edges of the casing, it says you misted too much or overlay is a issue.
Humidifier setup:
If the humidifier is in the same space as its exhaust, create an intake hose that will allow it to intake air from an external environment. This will bring fresh air in, as well as keep your HEPA filter from not working.
Using a fogger:
If you are using a fogger, you should also use a very tunable timer. If your timer does not give you much control, a fogger can over saturate your chamber. Foggers are used for very large setups: something at least the size of a wardrobe rack setup.
Hang the fogger, attached, below floating foam (a buoy). This will keep it near the top of the water, but always below its surface (as it is supposed to be). Place this contraption in a 5 gallon bucket of water.
To keep contaminants down you should use iodine (not bleach or hydrogen peroxide). Other sterilizers will break the fogger.

Air Exchange:
Fanning bulk totes:
All air should be changed at least three times a day
Fresh air for fruiting chamber:
For each chamber, have a small exhaust fan with a filter that will keep bugs out and not be affected or ruined by water. This system must be balanced with the humidification system so that it keeps the air fresh (plenty of oxygen) and from stagnating, but does not pull so much air that the humidifier cannot maintain proper humidity.

Composting for substrate:
Use gypsum to loosen dense compost and urea(lots of urea in piss BTW) to speed up decomposition.

Measurement Ratios:
> unit of measure > # of units to equal .5 Gallon
.5 Gallon 1
1 Quart 2
1 Pint 4
1 Cup 8

>liters
4 cups (1 quart) .95 liter

Further Information:
Cold Shocking:
Cold shocking for Cubensis is a myth. It will do nothing but slow down fruiting time. It is true that for other species that it is critical. Some still say that dunking can be done in a refrigerator because the low temperatures can reduce contamination potential. For technical reassurance, all Cubies originated in the tropics.
Fly Infestation:
Use a standard sticky, hanging flycatcher. This can be hung in in your containers as well as in a room.
Spawn Grain Size:
The smaller the grain you use, the more pieces the colonized jar can be broken up into. The benefit of smaller sized grain is that, when you break it up to use as spawn, you will have many more points of new growth. Millet compared to corn, for example, can break up into many more pieces.
If there is carpeting or other floor surfaces that will promote contamination (such as cracks in floor boards), it is best to cover it with a material that will not.
Growth Parameters:
Spawning to bulk:
Relative Humidity: 90 to 100%
Substrate Temperature: 84-86 deg. F. Thermal death limits have been established at 106 deg. F.
Duration: 10-14 days.
CO2: 5000-10,000 ppm.
Fresh Air Exchanges: 0 per hour.
Post Casing/Prepinning:
Relative Humidity: 85 %.
Substrate Temperature: 75-86 deg. F.
Duration of Caseing colonization: varies depending on depth 2-10 days.
CO2: 5000-10,000 ppm.
Fresh Air Exchanges: 0 per hour.
Light: Incubation in total darkness.
Primordia Formation:
Relative Humidity: 85-90%
Air Temperature: 74-78 deg. F if possible.
Duration: 6-10 days.
CO2: less than 5000 ppm.
Fresh Air Exchanges: 1-3 per hour.
Light: Diffuse natural or exposure for 12-16 hours/day of grow-lux type fluorescent light high in blue spectra at the 480 nanometer wavelength.
Cropping:
Relative Humidity: 85-92%.
Air Temperature: 74-78 deg. F.
CO2: less than 5000 ppm.
Fresh Air Exchanges: 1-3 per hour.
Flushing Pattern: Every 5-8 days.
Harvest Stage: When the cap becomes convex and soon after teh partial veil ruptures.
Light: Indirect natural or same as above.

Glossary:
G2G: Grain to Grain transfer. Taking one colonized jar and using it to inoculate other colonized jars. Usually between two tablespoons per new quart jar or a 1:5 (very safe) ratio is used.
Incubation: The period of mycelium growth from when a spawn jar is inoculated until the spawn is emptied from it. It is critical to maintain temperatures between 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit during this period for fastest growth; therefore, incubation also concerns itself with the containers and devices used to maintain appropriate temperatures.
Spawn: The mycelium that has grown throughout the food material (e.g., cracked corn) that will be used to grow more mycelium in the bulk substrate layer.
Substrate: anything that the mycellium eats such as grain or straw.

Web sites:
shroomery.org
mycotopia.net


A big thanks goes out to the OMC in general, PF, hippie3, rogerrabbit and SLP to name a few.

[SIMBIOSIS]

GREAT WORK!

[Hippie3]

sweet.
might i make a suggestion?
i'd edit in some pix here and there

[alpiner]

the thing is, it's not my work
for example the way I take prints is much different
I put this up mainly because I had the document and I thought it might help someone get a couple ideas

I can add some generic pics of the lids abd stuff though, as well as some pics just to give the idea of whats going on.

[alpiner]

some pics
a bulk ready to initiate pinning(pure verm casing), the printing jar and the L shaped hook.
ohh yeah and the containers use for all this

[alpiner]

sorry about the blurryness and one I have to resize

[Hippie3]

thx