By Hippie3 (Hippie3) on Sunday, April 08, 2001 - 02:27 pm: Edit

3M's "No Shake" Easy Grain Tek

What you are going to need


-1litre autoclavable bags available at any mycology supply store. You can also use instrument sterilization bags from a science supply store


-wheat


-pressure cooker


-quilt batting


-electrical tape


-cotton balls and 95% alcohol


Preparing The Bags


Step 1: Cut the quilt batting into 1"x18" strips and set aside for later.
Step 2: Roll the bags down like a sock and place 250 ml of wheat and 175 ml water in the bags.
Step 3: Unroll the bags and take a strip of quilt batting. Roll the strip into a roll approx 2" in diameter and place inside the neck of the bag. Use electrical tape to close the bag. Make it tight enough to reduce the quilt batting to approx 1"
Step 4: Pressure cook for 2 hours at 250 degrees F or 15 pounds


Innoculating The Bags After They Have Cooled


Step 1: Cut strips of electrical tape approx 1" in length.
Step 2: Select an area approx 1" below the quilt batting plug and swab it down well with a cotton ball soaked with alcohol.
Step 3: Flame and quench a needle, with alcohol soaked cotton ball, and insert it in the center of the swabbed area being careful to ensure that you do not puncture the backside of the bag. Squirt 1 cc of spore solution into the bag.
Step 4: Withdraw the needle and place the precut tape over the hole. Try to make sure that the area of the tape that is actually covering the hole has not touched your finger.


Incubating


Step 1: Place the innoculated bags into a cupboard, box or some other dark place. Try to maintain a temp of approx 80 degrees F or 27 degrees C.
Step 2: When colonization reaches 25% (approx 4 or 5 days after spores germinate) manipulate the grain making sure to break up the colonized grain. Allow mycellium to recover and finish colonizing


*Note: be sure to allow airspace beween the bags of grain. A condition known as thermogenesis will cause the temp of the grain to be higher then the ambient air. If the bags are too close they can exceed the thermal death temp and your cultivation efforts will be in vain