Making a simple casing like bin easy to grow from pf tek??

[mushhed8055]

hey all
was thinking and reading. now can i take a cake like aluminum pan or plastic bin and then take vermiculite wet it to the right amount and also take some peat and moisten that correctly then but the verm into jars and put the peat into seprate jars and then stearlize them in a pressure cooker just like done with the pf tek method. then after done cooling take the colonized verm and pour it into the bottom of the pan about an inch and i would be doing this all inside a glovebox. then take cut slices of a pf fully colonized cake and lay them down over the verm then take a baggy with a fully colonized pf cake and crumble it up to fill the gaps around the slices. then case it with a 50/50 mixture of peat and verm all steralized? then cover with syranwrap and incubate? will this method work? ive read a lot and kinda made this methin into a nutshell
but havent tryed it. think it sounds like it should work?

 

[mushhed8055]

if no ones going to answer. then can someone tell me an easy way to make casings or bins of beautiful white mycelium and then the pinnint mushrooms im done with pf cake way i cant yeild nearly enough to even feed myself let alown a couple friends. please help

 

[user_1919]

Alright, I have no experience with casing, but have done a lot of reading on the topic. First read about why it is important to have a buffer.

Casing material pH & why it is important.

"pH", is a measure to describe the acidity of a medium. pH 7 is neutral; higher means alkaline, lower acidic.

Peat is a major constituent of preferred casing mixes. The pH of peat is variable, dependent on the source it came from. Meaning, the pH of peat differs from various sources.

The preferred pH range of a casing mixture is 6.5 to 8. 7.5 is optimal. Peat is acidic. Consequently, to achieve an optimal pH range of a casing mix, the pH of the casing mixture must be adjusted accordingly (within the range of 6.5 to 8).

The pH of the casing must be within certain limits to support strong mycelial growth. An overly acidic or alkaline casing mixture will depress mycelial growth and supports unwanted competitors.

It is generally easier to make casing materials more alkaline (i.e., increasing the pH) than it is to make them more acid (i.e., reducing the pH).

A movement of 0.5 is easy but, because the pH scale is logarithmic, a movement on the order of, 2.0 points becomes more difficult because there is a factor of 10x between each full point, so pH 5.0 is actually 100 times more acid than pH 7.0.

There are several common types of lime available for use, though care should be exercised with all of the products. Lime is caustic and a skin and eye irritant and can be dangerous if misused. If you choose to use such products, carefully read and follow all manufacturer directions exactly. The major types of lime products include:

Hydrated Lime: fast acting, but not long lasting. It is very effective to produce a fast change in pH level. It is also the "strongest" form of lime generally available, and you must follow all manufacturer precautions, since your skin and eyes can be easily irritated or burned if the product is misused.

Ground Limestone: a naturally occurring type of limestone that has been ground to a fine powder. How quickly it will act to modify pH and how long it will persist depends on how finely it was ground.

Generally, ground limestone is weaker than hydrated lime, needing about 30% more to raise the pH by the same amount. It has the advantage, however, of usually being significantly cheaper than the hydrated lime, and usually works more slowly and lasts much longer.

Mixed Lime: usually sold under a brand name. Most brands contain a variety of particle sizes to provide some immediate benefits, as well as a longer persistence. (this is often referred to as "time released" lime).

pH gradually falls to less than optimal by the end of cropping due to acids secreted by the mushroom mycelium. Consequently, a long lasting buffering agent is preferable.

If you wish to achieve optimal results, when adjusting pH? It is highly advisable to use litmus strips (with color chart), or acquire a pH test probe (available at most garden supply stores, under $20) to accurately test, and adjust the pH of your casing mix, prior to application.

Doing all other cultivation steps properly. Then, applying a casing mixture outside the proper pH range, most often creates poor cropping results.

http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showfla ... er/7053582

Secondly, you need to find yourself a good mixture for casing.

http://www.erowid.org/plants/mushrooms/ ... ion2.shtml

Here are some casing mixtures. A lot of experienced growers have great mixtures that they have learned through experience. Maybe one of the more experienced growers could share some of there mixtures? I am too interested in this.

PEACE & LOVE

 

[BlimeyGrimey]

If you are done with PF tek then why are you still using pf substrate? Get some rye or barley or grass seed and make some 1 pint jars or quart jars. Then when its done colonizing simply smack the jar on a tire or shake vigorously and pour into tin trays then case with vermiculite or 50/50 verm/peat.

Simple and will yield more. I don't see why you would try to keep using the same method and expect a different outcome.

 

[mushhed8055]

nice im gona have to read up then on inoculating different grauns then the pf ones im used to. same process different substrate correct?

 

[MycoMate]

You don't have to sterilize casing nor case in a glovebox for cubensis (although casing in a cleaner room is a good idea). Sterilization of casing materials can often increase your risks of contamination by offering other organisms a chance to thrive. Sterilized casing is best for cubensis incubating in fairly sterile environments. Try just mixing the casing and working with it. I rarely run into problems in this manner. Additionally, many microorganisms in the casing are beneficial for mushroom production.
I sterilize casing only for research projects which require it and other species. I will provide a good example: I recently utilized leftover, sterilized casing for my houseplants. The sterilized version of what I often use in my houseplants turned green (Trichoderma) at once, and then flies infested it, and so on. This doesn't occur with the unsterilized version.