I was inspired by a video by GrowVeg on growing mushrooms in buckets and I’m really starting to break down what I want to do with the current jars. I’ve updated my Inventory and am planning to divide my current jars into shoe boxes and buckets. I have always wanted to stick to a smaller setup, so being conscious of this, I bought four 2.5 quart buckets and plan to drill 1/2 inch holes in them per the advice in a Northspore video I watched. The buckets do fit on the shoe rack shelves I put on there, albeit tight, but I plan to use those mostly for shoe boxes, and maybe the top shelf for some buckets as well as the foot or so on side of empty space.
Circulation Schedule for Air and Humidity
After much trial and error with mechanical timers, leaving air or humidity on for x min every x hours, I found I couldn’t find the right balance for my Martha. I wanted a finely controlled timer and the solution ended up being cheaper than you think! I purchased “smart plugs”, you can usually find a 4 pack on Amazon for about $20. Make sure they have what’s called a “circular” schedule (most do) and you’ll have all the control you’ll want!
Right now, my goal is a 80% humidity level and my current schedule is:
- Humidifier 1 minute every 30 minutes.
- Be sure to adjust the dial on humidifier for how much you want released each time. My round dial is off at 12 o’clock position, I have the dial at 4 o’clock.
- Fresh air fan is 1 minute ever 6 hours.
- Still working on this one and might change later.
Tossed the Martha, Got a Tent!
The Martha was rusted and just a pain in the ass to put back together after the move. I also was tempted by the fact that I could have the lights covered and not bother the room it was in. So, I got a 24x24x48 Melonfarm grow tent! I’m using the same lights and fan I had before and a shoe rack with $1 disposable cookie sheets from Dollar Store for shelving. I set it all up and will dial it in as the jars colonize.
Lion’s Mane and Chestnut
Liquid culture, direct to hardwood pellet + bran block!
Direct Innoculation to Sawdust
Trying a combo of Hardwood Pellets bought at Walmart and bran. Followed a simple mixture recipe and made some bags for Reishi, Lion’s Mane and Chestnut (August 2nd). Only the Chestnut and Lion’s Mane are taking.
Pressure Cooker vs Induction Stove
Learned almost too late you SHOULD NOT put a pressure cooker on an induction stove (glass top stove). It can cause it to crack! So, my solution was a hot plate. My pressure cooker is 16 qt, so a bit smaller than the 23 qt most people get for canning. It managed to get up to pressure, but just not ideal.
Keeping Spore Prints
Trying out storing my first prints. Laid them on aluminum and set them in a shoebox. In the shoebox, I have some silica gel, a screen on top, and then the prints. Added some labels with my label maker and all set!
Harvesting Oyster Mushroom Block
Harvested the oyster finally and there were some surprises as I just had never seen spores and the “trash” they can make. I also think I definitely waited too long to harvest the oyster. I cut it up and had it in place of chicken for some stir fry using this: Stir Fried Oyster Mushrooms, how to cook delicious mushrooms 炒平菇
Storage
I tried storing in plastic bags but didn’t feel too good about it after all my hard work. I decided on these small jars as they’re small, easy to store and organize. Added silicone packets to keep it dry inside. And to be fwancy, I got a label maker! But they ARE small, 3″ x 4″, so I might have to get some bigger ones later.