First time shroom grower,I need some help

[John Rambo]

Im trying to grow shrooms and I have the spores,but I have a few problems.
1.I cant find ANY vermiculite so what are some alternatives to it that are common?I would use wild bird seed but the store i go to only sells them in 40lb bags and I have to ride my bike so thats a bit heavy.
2.I also cant find any canning jars so I was thinking of using some drinking glasses,will this work?
3.Also I dont have enough money for a pressure cooker so how can I sterilize the cups without it?

 

[timeismoney1]

1. rye grain
2. need jars
3. pot with a tight fitting lid

 

[John Rambo]

care to elaborate on #2 as to why cups wont work?

 

[weasels911]

Drinking glasses will work. Just make sure they are wider at the top than bottom or you won't be able to get the cake out.

 

[John Rambo]

Thanks,also one last question,are there any teks that only involve wild bird seed?All the ones ive seen say cover the cake in verm. but i dont have any.Also the WBS that im going to get is cherry flavored,does the added flavoring matter?

 

[mojoganjaman]

to use WBS you need a pressure cooker...use the PF tek...no PC needed...just a 90 minute steam bath in a big pot...look it up..it is the recommended tek for first timers...if you follow the tek to the letter you will have to try hard to fail...hth

 

[John Rambo]

to use WBS you need a pressure cooker...use the PF tek...no PC needed...just a 90 minute steam bath in a big pot...look it up..it is the recommended tek for first timers...if you follow the tek to the letter you will have to try hard to fail...hth

I cant just steam the WBS jars?also the PF tek needs vermiculite which I dont have and cant find anywhere and ordering online isnt an option.

Question is ,is it possible to grow ONLY using WBS and steaming the jars(no PC)?

 

[dankillerbs]

Im trying to grow shrooms and I have the spores,but I have a few problems.

1.I cant find ANY vermiculite so what are some alternatives to it that are common?I would use wild bird seed but the store i go to only sells them in 40lb bags and I have to ride my bike so thats a bit heavy.
So your saying there are no hardware or gardening stores around? I doubt that. Either of them will carry vermiculite and there is no substitue for it when doing the pf tek. Wild bird seed has nothing to do with the pf tek, which is the only tek you should attempt without a pressure cooker.

2.I also cant find any canning jars so I was thinking of using some drinking glasses,will this work?
Now your saying you dont have a grocery store nearby also? Doubt that too. Every grocery store ive been in has them, so it doesnt sound like you looked very hard.

3.Also I dont have enough money for a pressure cooker so how can I sterilize the cups without it?
Dont use cups. You can sterilize as mojoganjaman said. Look up the pf tek and follow it.

​

 

[weasels911]

Vermiculite is out of season at most hardwares stores I have been to recently, try asking if they have some in the back. Grocery stores and wal-mart only carry jars at certain times of the year around here also. Glass cups will work fine, I believe ANC uses them with much success. No one is going to reccomend using WBS without a pressure cooker and experience, you are better off looking for vermiculite and following pf tek.

 

[mojoganjaman]

I cant just steam the WBS jars?also the PF tek needs vermiculite which I dont have and cant find anywhere and ordering online isnt an option.

Question is ,is it possible to grow ONLY using WBS and steaming the jars(no PC)?

nope...WBS has endospores that will grow and contam if not killed...steaming=pasturization...PC=steralization...read till your eyes bleed...then read some more...get your ducks lined up and have at it!!!!

 

[loizier]

nope...WBS has endospores that will grow and contam if not killed...steaming=pasturization...PC=steralization...read till your eyes bleed...then read some more...get your ducks lined up and have at it!!!!

omg, thanks for putting to him lightly.
i was going to say UTFSE SOMEWHERE ELSE.

this is not the place to find extremely detailed info from an extreme amount of people.. not to say these people arent extremely knowledgable...its just not that kind of site.

i dont go to a toyota forum asking how to fix a bmw...although half of the people would know.

 

[mojoganjaman]

omg, thanks for putting to him lightly.
i was going to say UTFSE SOMEWHERE ELSE.

this is not the place to find extremely detailed info from an extreme amount of people.. not to say these people arent extremely knowledgable...its just not that kind of site.

i dont go to a toyota forum asking how to fix a bmw...although half of the people would know.

well..you have to take into account not all posters are computer literate...and folks new to a hobby are almost always in a hurry to dive into it...much more civilized to explain in a short post that gets the OP thinking...some will carry on researching themselves...some will ask the same question that was answered yesterday...myself I read 'till my eyes bled...still do on a daily basis...some won't put the time in or haven't the time...I'm sure the site owners don't want posters run off simply over a question that has been answered many times...just my .02

 

[John Rambo]

Im trying to grow shrooms and I have the spores,but I have a few problems.

1.I cant find ANY vermiculite so what are some alternatives to it that are common?I would use wild bird seed but the store i go to only sells them in 40lb bags and I have to ride my bike so thats a bit heavy.
So your saying there are no hardware or gardening stores around? I doubt that. Either of them will carry vermiculite and there is no substitue for it when doing the pf tek. Wild bird seed has nothing to do with the pf tek, which is the only tek you should attempt without a pressure cooker.

2.I also cant find any canning jars so I was thinking of using some drinking glasses,will this work?
Now your saying you dont have a grocery store nearby also? Doubt that too. Every grocery store ive been in has them, so it doesnt sound like you looked very hard.

3.Also I dont have enough money for a pressure cooker so how can I sterilize the cups without it?
Dont use cups. You can sterilize as mojoganjaman said. Look up the pf tek and follow it.

​

1. I do have a hardware store around here but not a gardening store or nursery.I checked all the stores and none of them have verm.
2.I have a few grocery stores nearby also but none of them have canning jars,ive checked all of them and even asked.

 

[PistilPimp]

Order the vermiculite and the jars online.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDoQgwgwAg&url=http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BuildLinkToHomeDepot?linktype=product&id=202187625&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googlebase-_-D28X-_-202187625&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=202187625&rct=j&q=vermiculite&ei=WJD-TIaxMsKC8gbB2smFBw&usg=AFQjCNEixiAKWRf5ax6xP7Sd3D9IJFfioA&cad=rja

Found that by simply typing vermiculite into google. under 20 bucks for 2 cubic feet.


http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CB8QgwgwAA&url=http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/292261-regular_tapered_jars.html?source=googleps&rct=j&q=tapered canning jars&ei=jJD-TL2GDMKclgeS8snHCA&usg=AFQjCNFYJL9AG5D1PwRHOXfaxhuSDyKM8g&cad=rja

'Tapered Canning jars' in google.

If you don't have a credit card, take some cash and go and get a prepaid card from the bank.

Problem should be solved.

 

[loizier]

sorry, bro. but you will find that growing shrooms is awesomely hard.

to prevent "infection" of your medium, your supplies (and process) will have to be 'tip-top'.

or you will have to go through MANY, MANY "trial and error" runs to see what DIY equipment works for you.


best of luck.

 

[BuddhaC]

Around where I live its hard to find canning jars and verm too, even untreated perlite is a pain in the ass. I have to go out-of-town to get canning jars (Ace Hardware <3), but I have a car and you got a bike.

Next time a family member goes to the hardware store (Lowe's is where I got mine) try to hitch a ride an act interested. Come up with some bogus story of why you got the verm, parents will probably think you gave up on it. (A lot of kids do that a lot, xP) And if you don't live with your parents then you have less explaining to do.

 

[cajun rose circle]

I cant just steam the WBS jars?also the PF tek needs vermiculite which I dont have and cant find anywhere and ordering online isnt an option.

Question is ,is it possible to grow ONLY using WBS and steaming the jars(no PC)?

You can find vermiculite or perlite at almot any nursery or hardware store i hink. i'm not sure.

 

[John Rambo]

Holy fuck I am so happy right now,I went out into my garage for a smoke,and out of the corner of my eye I spotted a bag of vermiculite ,i nearly had a heart attack from happiness . So now the last question is can I use regular drinking cups in the pf tek?

 

[timeismoney1]

bro rule #1 with shrooms... dont skimp! Hit up a local store or hyvee and buy 1/2p jars.

 

[mojoganjaman]

sorry, bro. but you will find that growing shrooms is awesomely hard.

to prevent "infection" of your medium, your supplies (and process) will have to be 'tip-top'.

or you will have to go through MANY, MANY "trial and error" runs to see what DIY equipment works for you.


best of luck.

this is not a knock on you personally...just a different perspective...mushrooms are easy to grow...you just have to be clean...and have a suitable fruiting chamber...I innoc at my kitchen table...spawn grain too poo at my kitchen table...I do use a glove box sans gloves when going G2G or working with agar(which I do very little of)...I fruit in a mini-greenhouse...contams happen to everyone...but with just a little preparation contams are pretty much a non-issue for me...your mileage may vary.