Interesting! I imagine I could find some local myco enthusiasts/society/club but haven't yet. I originally got the SPAWN (not spores) from Fungi Perfecti but have been collecting my own spores since the mushrooms started to fruit.
I don't believe in bleach. I use hydrogen peroxide which mushrooms can digest but DOES hurt you (learned that the hard way -- if you don't rinse off right away, your skin starts to turn white and dry up) and rubbing alcohol (which seems to be better for rubbing all over your hands... duh!
-- directed at myself, not you
)
It turned out that 3 out of 5 agar cultures were growing something: 1 Oyster spore, 1 Oyster clone, and 1 Shiitake spore.
Here are 2 of them:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6297.jpg[/img] [img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6306.jpg[/img]
Aside from the one that I flushed earlier, there was one other Oyster clone culture that was doing nada:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6309.jpg[/img]
so compared to this one, the other 3 seemed alive and well.
According to my notes, I
-Used a 50-qt clear storage tote as a "clean room" -- laid it on side, thoroughly wiped out with alcohol, kept the lid clamped on when not in use
(according to the full instruction for this box, you're supposed to cut a hole on the bottom of the box and silicone seal a small HEPA air cleaner outflow to it to make a clean airflow box -- oh well, one step at a time)
And on Monday 2/1, I made:
(1) Weck jars of Oyster spores, collected 1/30/10 on black construction paper <1> <2> <3> -- taped the lids closed.
(2) 1/15 PRSYA (Potato Rice Syrup Yeast Agar) cultured Shiitake spores <4> <5> and Oyster spores <6> and Oyster clone <7> mycelia. -- alcohol-wiped plastic bag/sheet+ring lids -- Cut a piece off the myceliated agar and placed it hyphae side down on block of RSEYA (mycelial sandwich)
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6304.jpg[/img] [img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6313.jpg[/img]
***
Filled a roasting bag with substrate and PC'd for 2 hrs.
Filled 1 pint jar. Boil/steamed remaining substrate in pasta pot for 2 hrs, placing the filled pint jar and an empty qt jar on top to steam pasteurize as well.
<1> Filled the pasteurized qt jar with PC sterilized substrate in 4 layers, sandwiching 3 Shiitake spore agar pcs between each layer (9 pcs total)
<2> Alcohol wiped, then Peroxide sprayed a squat jar, filled with PC sterilized substrate in 2 layers, sandwiching 3 Oyster clone agar pcs -- weaker growth than Oyster spore agar -- (3 pcs total)
<3> Buried 3 Oyster spore agar pcs in the Pint jar pasteurized substrate
<4> The pint jar "grain" spawn that was allowed to fruit 1x in December -- removed the top 1" of the substrate and used the remainder to inoculate 1/2 roasting bag. Alcohol wiped, then cut a hole in the bag -- taped closed with bandage tape
<5> Washed, alcohol sprayed, then peroxide sprayed the pint jar then mixed the top 1" spawn with substrate and filled the jar.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6316.jpg[/img]
Not boring you with these details, I hope. I *may* add some photos to this post later on, but no time now. Ta da.
ETA: My new Mushroom Room. (You like the new use I found for the room de-ordorizing doo-dad that was popular on TV infomercials last year?)
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6295.jpg[/img]