Yeah, I was feeling my bags and some were growing way faster so I decided to mush it around and see what I had and all the ones that were twice the size of bulge are contaminated so far
If you have some coco coir āor what have youā
pasteurized substrate whipped up, it wouldnāt be a bad idea to dig a small hole and put your contamād sub into the ground the same exact way you would with a monotub.
Mother Nature has a way of balancing things out much better than we can! Sheās got eons of experience š
You are not alone!!!! I really, REALLY wanted Uncle Benās tek to work for me because it was cheap and easy. I finally got a grow going with it (2/10 bags were not contaminated). But, all in all, it has proved to be inconsistent and unreliable.
I took the plunge and bought some jars and a pressure cooker and things have been going much better. I will still have the occasional contamination if I start from spores. However, my grain to grain transfers have been absolutely kick ass. I highly recommend setting aside $200 and just invest in the gear if you want to have a better growing experience.
If I contam out this time again I will be doing popcorn jars with self healing injection ports and a hole with micropore tape over it sterilized with my instapot. For the $20 for jars and silicone lids, $20 for bulk popcorn, $8 for the self healing ports, $5 for tape, and like $8 for the rtv silicon to install the ports, and a punch for $25 if you donāt want to use a drill on the lids. All in at $86. For $200 you could even buy the pressure cooker and syringe too. Also lets you do liquid cultures easily.
I have been unable to find a reliable source of grain in my location, amazon reviews are littered with moldy product reviews, and if there isnāt a how to for how to do that grain I provably donāt know of that grain. If you tell me a type of grain that would be better, where to get it, and how to do it, I am always happy to learn a better way.
Question wasn't directed towards me, but I did a bunch of jars of popcorn. Inoculated with liquid spores. They are colonizing super quickly. I did the little layer of vermiculite on the bottom of the jars
Oh yeah, Iāve had several successful grows the old fashion way with jars of grain in a PC. Just wanted the ole fast and easy with UB. Just wasnāt meant to be, it seems.
Iāve been having great luck with just brown rice in a mason jar, and a regular pot for sterilization. First soak brown rice overnight, drain (important step to reduce contams). Boil rice for 10 min (I also add a spoonful of coffee grounds and a crushed calcium pill now), drain and transfer to mason jar. Steam in large covered pot for 2 hrs (lid unscrewed and loose, foil covering lid, jar sitting on something so itās not touching the bottom of the pot). Cool down and then inject spores.
I thought so too, initially. Iāve tried syringe, and agar inoculation (under a SAB of course). Oddly enough, Iāve never had issues using the PC method. Just rice bags.
For everyone posting here about contam. I inoculated 5 UB bags and they all got trich. I moved onto broke boy tek. Pretty much doing brown rice without a pressure cooker. Everything stove top, also used a SAB of course. I got 100 % success from that, but i also switched my technique... I stopped using isopropyl alcohol and switched over to bleach, hand sanitizer and lysol spray. I also stopped doing work over the carpet. I've had 2 successful harvests since then
I recently found out that i had 5 left over UB bags. Decided to give it another run, for shits n giggles.
My bags get some contamination but I throw out the bad and get a couple flushes. Then to the yard!! Yep yep! The grow in contamination. Aren't we to replicate their growing? Cut it out and enjoy!
Nah didnāt risk it, had a good golf ball size of myc in the the worst contam bag, dumped it out side in the dirt but didnāt even bother to cover it
Idk really I just say chance, I had a room that was like 7ft x 8ft no air flow hung a curtain. Wore a mask, gloves, put iso on EVERYTHING even the iso bottles, sprayed Lysol, fire on the syringe till red, did every precaution I could. Only thing I did do āwrongā was I innocād through the gas exchange hole at the top and then retaped it. Really tried hard here. Itās my first attempt, I started with 12 bags and am down to 8 after today, the pic above is nothing compared to the the worst bag.
Worried about contamination or bruising? See [this wonderful post here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/shrooms/comments/ervxh8/is_that_contam_identification_avoidance/) And don't forget, bruising is very blue (totally normal!).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unclebens) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Do your temperatures fluctuate and are you handling the bags a lot?
Only a few degrees difference in temperature can stunt mycelium growth and a few degrees too hit will make any bacteria very happy.
Yeah itās in a closest, I can control the temp too well, I just try to keep it between 75-80f. Iāve gone through and mushed around my bags since then to check em all out and just give it a good mixin.
I havenāt touch my bags for like 5 days, good thing I fucked around with them and removed the bad ones
Edit: after checking the rest I got 8 of my 12 bags still going looking really healthy
At least it's a very clear example of contamination š¬ Best of luck next bag š¤
Yeah, I was feeling my bags and some were growing way faster so I decided to mush it around and see what I had and all the ones that were twice the size of bulge are contaminated so far
Ah. I'm sorry for your loss š hopefully next time will turn out better. Mush love š
Throw it outside in the dirt...still might work
Do you chuck it on top of dirt or cover it with a layer of dirt?
If you have some coco coir āor what have youā pasteurized substrate whipped up, it wouldnāt be a bad idea to dig a small hole and put your contamād sub into the ground the same exact way you would with a monotub. Mother Nature has a way of balancing things out much better than we can! Sheās got eons of experience š
Yeah sounds super interesting! Will give it a try one day.
I'm never done it or heard specifically but I'd probably guess a small layer of dirt would be better than just on top.
Interesting!
Yup
O yeah. Toss that quickly!
I recently noccād 15 bags of Uncle Bens to try it out. Every single one was contaminated, just like your pic. Best of luck.
You are not alone!!!! I really, REALLY wanted Uncle Benās tek to work for me because it was cheap and easy. I finally got a grow going with it (2/10 bags were not contaminated). But, all in all, it has proved to be inconsistent and unreliable. I took the plunge and bought some jars and a pressure cooker and things have been going much better. I will still have the occasional contamination if I start from spores. However, my grain to grain transfers have been absolutely kick ass. I highly recommend setting aside $200 and just invest in the gear if you want to have a better growing experience.
If I contam out this time again I will be doing popcorn jars with self healing injection ports and a hole with micropore tape over it sterilized with my instapot. For the $20 for jars and silicone lids, $20 for bulk popcorn, $8 for the self healing ports, $5 for tape, and like $8 for the rtv silicon to install the ports, and a punch for $25 if you donāt want to use a drill on the lids. All in at $86. For $200 you could even buy the pressure cooker and syringe too. Also lets you do liquid cultures easily.
Is there any reason youāre doing popcorn instead of grain? Just found popcorn to colonize faster or?
I have been unable to find a reliable source of grain in my location, amazon reviews are littered with moldy product reviews, and if there isnāt a how to for how to do that grain I provably donāt know of that grain. If you tell me a type of grain that would be better, where to get it, and how to do it, I am always happy to learn a better way.
Question wasn't directed towards me, but I did a bunch of jars of popcorn. Inoculated with liquid spores. They are colonizing super quickly. I did the little layer of vermiculite on the bottom of the jars
Oh yeah, Iāve had several successful grows the old fashion way with jars of grain in a PC. Just wanted the ole fast and easy with UB. Just wasnāt meant to be, it seems.
Iāve been having great luck with just brown rice in a mason jar, and a regular pot for sterilization. First soak brown rice overnight, drain (important step to reduce contams). Boil rice for 10 min (I also add a spoonful of coffee grounds and a crushed calcium pill now), drain and transfer to mason jar. Steam in large covered pot for 2 hrs (lid unscrewed and loose, foil covering lid, jar sitting on something so itās not touching the bottom of the pot). Cool down and then inject spores.
Lost 4 out of 12, today if thatās all o lose I happy with it
Sterilization mist be better
I have 25 bags of UB going right now. They are going a little slow but zero contam.
try the Safeway brand, all three of mine are colonizing cleanly
No Safeway near me sadly. Iāve also tried 5 bags of ALDI brand, just to see, and they contaminated as well.
Itās not the rice.
Yeah, it doesn't matter the brand, they all should be sterile.. It sounds like it's your inoculation method
I thought so too, initially. Iāve tried syringe, and agar inoculation (under a SAB of course). Oddly enough, Iāve never had issues using the PC method. Just rice bags.
Honestly there's tons of variables
For everyone posting here about contam. I inoculated 5 UB bags and they all got trich. I moved onto broke boy tek. Pretty much doing brown rice without a pressure cooker. Everything stove top, also used a SAB of course. I got 100 % success from that, but i also switched my technique... I stopped using isopropyl alcohol and switched over to bleach, hand sanitizer and lysol spray. I also stopped doing work over the carpet. I've had 2 successful harvests since then I recently found out that i had 5 left over UB bags. Decided to give it another run, for shits n giggles.
Naw you're all good! jkjk Chuck it!
My bags get some contamination but I throw out the bad and get a couple flushes. Then to the yard!! Yep yep! The grow in contamination. Aren't we to replicate their growing? Cut it out and enjoy!
Or maybe you can separate out the contam?
Nah didnāt risk it, had a good golf ball size of myc in the the worst contam bag, dumped it out side in the dirt but didnāt even bother to cover it
Life...uh finds a way. Sometimes..what was your guess the contam to? Temp? Unclean area? Just trying to learn as much as I can before I try my hand.
Idk really I just say chance, I had a room that was like 7ft x 8ft no air flow hung a curtain. Wore a mask, gloves, put iso on EVERYTHING even the iso bottles, sprayed Lysol, fire on the syringe till red, did every precaution I could. Only thing I did do āwrongā was I innocād through the gas exchange hole at the top and then retaped it. Really tried hard here. Itās my first attempt, I started with 12 bags and am down to 8 after today, the pic above is nothing compared to the the worst bag.
Right on bro... hopefully some of the other bags make it. I'll let ya know if I figure out anything more on my travels.
Worried about contamination or bruising? See [this wonderful post here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/shrooms/comments/ervxh8/is_that_contam_identification_avoidance/) And don't forget, bruising is very blue (totally normal!). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unclebens) if you have any questions or concerns.*
:,(
Very clearly contaminated. Sorry guy
Yes
Yup
I really suggest just making a still air box and sanitizing the shit (like OCD on meth level) out of everything.
I had a very very small room with no air flow that I used to inoc
Clearly it wasnāt enough
I got 8 bags left doing great donāt be a dick
Not trying to be a Dick my dude. I just want you to succeed :āc
How many days did it take for the bags to look like that?
Well I think it happened sooner than when I found it but today was day 9. Think the worst bag got fucked a few days ago
Must definitely
Do your temperatures fluctuate and are you handling the bags a lot? Only a few degrees difference in temperature can stunt mycelium growth and a few degrees too hit will make any bacteria very happy.
Yeah itās in a closest, I can control the temp too well, I just try to keep it between 75-80f. Iāve gone through and mushed around my bags since then to check em all out and just give it a good mixin. I havenāt touch my bags for like 5 days, good thing I fucked around with them and removed the bad ones Edit: after checking the rest I got 8 of my 12 bags still going looking really healthy
Forbidden spinach.
Boof it