caps vs. stems

[wild_shroom_hunter]

Interesting trip report here, this is from quite a few years ago. Well, I scored 3g of large size Cubensis and proceeded to eat 2/3 of the stems when I got home.(didn't really want to shroom too hard) half hour later, nothing. Ate the rest of the stems, half hour later still nothing. Drove to pick up my friend, and felt a little weird on the way back. Ate all the caps when I returned home. 20 mins after that, I really started to feel it, ended up full on shrooming for 5 hours! (yeah, my friend was pissed that I didn't share, but she got over it when I said I would get her some)
I had one friend who grew cubes, he used to keep only caps for his stash, it kinda sucked that bags from him were a 2:1 ratio of stems to caps!
So has anyone else noticed that stems (cubes anyway) seem to be quite weak compared to caps?

[Hippie3]

no.
the total weight is far more relevant.
you didn't just get off on the caps
but also the stems already eaten.
anyone who throws away the stems
and only eats caps just
doesn't know the facts.

[Xerces]

I was under the impression that it was the other way around, stems containing the most amounts of alkaloids over caps.

[warriorsoul]

The caps may have a slightly higher content,
But its hardly enough to justify ignoring the stems.

i think its silly..eat the whole mushroom

[bill_cooper]

Originally Posted by warriorsoul

The caps may have a slightly higher content

as far as i know
this is correct
the time line given
seems about right to me
an hour or so before effects become really noticeable
everyone is a bit different
lots of factors to consider too
were they eaten on an empty stomach
that is to say
6 hours or more since your last meal

[Hippie3]

caps do not consistently have a higher content.
chemical lab testing shows sometimes it's the caps
but other times it's the stems testing higher.

[BigStemz]

Originally Posted by Hippie3

caps do not consistently have a higher content.
chemical lab testing shows sometimes it's the caps
but other times it's the stems testing higher.

w0rd.

and capz often have a nasty sporilation effect going on in my mouth when i eat them....... errrr gross

[kungpow]

Don't even get me started on this topic. This seems to be one of the most common misconceptions about mushrooms. Someone will get some mushrooms from ya and they'll only want caps. I tell them that they get them all or nothing. YOu tell them that the cap and stems have about the same alkaloid content. But most people don't believe me.

[Dimitrius]

I used to pick and spread large amounts of joy, I'd get a lot of people not wanting the stems. They thought they were worthless. Ughh, man, and the people that were like, "I only want caps, I don't want the stems."..... take it or leave it bitches.

Well, I proved them all wrong one night. I weighed out 8g of stems(cubes) and ate um' up. I tripped balls and went around showing everyone just how big my eyes were. Needless to say, they believed me.....but half of them still said they weren't going to eat stems because that was the nasty, shitty part. Whole mushrooms or no mushrooms, just like everybody else. They would just eat the caps and throw away the stems.

Or hand them back to me!

[Hippie3]

just grind 'em and capsule them,
no one knows the difference then.

[TVCasualty]

There might be an aversion to stems from perceiving that they were the part that touched the poop (even if they weren't grown on poop). Also, they probably smoke herb, and we all know the buds are better than the stems, so it might be partly from assuming fungus is similar to plants.

I tested this cap vs. stem thing out on myself, repeatedly. I decided that it's all good, and powdering them up like Hip said and encapsulating or mixing with honey makes other people's opinions about the issue moot.

[Xerces]

caps over stems? no way, just like BigStemz said caps are full of spores and usually taste a lot worst than stems, dry or wet. On the other hand, threads of stem usually end up between your teeth and it's kind of hard to get them out... Taste a lot better though..

[rocketman]

Originally Posted by Hippie3

just grind 'em and capsule them,
no one knows the difference then.

Wisdom


Swim ran into a few who wanted just caps, and swim was stunned they believed the stems were totally useless and swim was in fact cheating them because stems were in the bag.

Thats why you have to love Topia. The knowledge here dispells many myths.

[TVCasualty]

Originally Posted by Xerces

caps over stems? no way, just like BigStemz said caps are full of spores and usually taste a lot worst than stems, dry or wet.

Pick them before the caps open (before the veil breaks is ideal). Spore production is low at that point, and the caps don't start tasting crappy until they are open and sporulating heavily IME.

Years back I bought a sack of obviously indoor-grown cubes, and the people I was splitting it with were complaining about how much "stemage" there was, so I offered to take ALL the stems and none of the caps so their shares were all caps. They thought I was being generous, but I ended up tripping harder and had no stomach problems (unlike the cap-only trippers).

It's good to dispel a myth, but dispel it after benefitting from it! They won't believe you until afterwards anyway...

[dizzydank]

whole damn thing is stuck into capsuls over here. if eating them id prefer stems as to not get a mouth full of spores.

[oibchip]

Originally Posted by TVCasualty

It's good to dispel a myth, but dispel it after benefitting from it! They won't believe you until afterwards anyway...

Here, here!

[real_psily]

I used to get tons of free stems because of this myth. FOAF thought they were no good!! If mushies are dried I actually like the stems better they don't get stuck in my molars as bad. I also think the gut load is less cause you can't digest spores. I've also had many FOAFs get great deals cause all dude had left was stems.
Grow your own, pick the bullets, and eat whole & fresh.....the best way.
Any one have any preferences to fresh vs dried whole vs dried powdered & cap in regards to stomach irritation?

[BigStemz]

the more fresh , the more potent!

[real_psily]

agreed, but stomach wise? do you notice a difference?

[bill_cooper]

i have never experimented
with caps vs stems
i always ate the whole fruit
i have heard that spores from caps
cause more stomach discomfort
also
i don't have much experience with dried vs fresh
i have only eaten dried fruits a few times

[twiggedoubt]

I was reading something interesting while looking at different chemical reagents.

This test turns purple in the presence of psilocybin mushrooms. It is recommended to use about a 1/4 inch piece of the cap, since the stem does not work very well in the test. The color may form on the pieces of mushroom or the solution itself may turn purple after breaking the second ampoule. When you encounter fresh mushrooms a visual exam can verify Psilocybin. Cut the fresh mushroom stem in half - turn the fleshy middle toward you - if the mushroom is Psilocybin a blue/violet stripping appears. Dried mushroom: Cut the mushroom cap in half - place the cut half over a white piece of paper and tap the dried mushroom. If psilocybin is present, dried purple spores will fall onto the piece of paper.

Not to say that this has anything to do with potency, I just thought it was interesting.
quoted from Redwop: Psilocybin Reagent

[holywhatthe]

there is more fungal mass in the stipe. Fungal mass is really what dictates prescence of psilocyn/psilocybin. If you've ever dissected a cap, you'll notice that they are pretty flimsy, have very little weight to them, and have very little bluing.

if i had a choice, i'd prefer stipes any day.

caps aren't were it is at.

[oibchip]

If faced with a choice, I would take stems over caps any day.

[The Caterpillar]

most of my friends are still all over this. Thank you mycotopia for letting me have proof that they're the ones full of crap.

[coastalite]

grind and put them in TVCasualty's honey recipe:

http://forums.mycotopia.net/feasts-f...ngi-honey.html (TV Guide: Storing Your Fungi in Honey)