The Spore Collector!
Creating Sterile Spore
Syringes
So you never want to purchase a spore syringe again? Well...CONGRATULATIONS!
Nothing sucks more then to grow-out countless mushrooms and still be forced to purchase more spore syringes! Well, the Keeper says...NO MORE!!!
Materials Needed
91%
Alcohol
Plastic or metal lid w/hole
1/2 pint jar
Screen
Masking Tape
Small Bowl or Saucer
Pressure Cooker
Poor Boys Glove Box
MUSHROOM CAP (Cap only...no stem) on a piece clean wax
paper.
Prepare the screen.
Note the nice and pretty straight screen.
Bend it like you see to the right.
The
screen needs to be bent so it will snugly wedge itself underneath the
lid. It should not wiggle or be able to EASILY slipped-out.
Now gently remove the screen and place it into the Glove Box along with a small bowl/saucer and a bottle of 91% Alcohol.
And away we go!!!!!
Fill your 1/2-pint jar slightly over 100ml with spring or
mineral water.
This will give you about 10 syringes (12cc each) of spore solution.
Enough to inoculate 120 1/2-pint jars of substrate.....OH YEAH!
Screw down the lid (note the hole) onto the jar. Make sure it is snug but DO NOT 'CRANK' THE LID DOWN! The plastic/metal lid will expand during the sterilization process, within the pressure cooker, so over tightening is not RECOMMENDED.
Place
TWO pieces of masking tape over the hole.
I like to fold the end of the tape so it will be easier to remove later.
Place the jar into the pressure cooker.
FOR GOD SAKES MAKE SURE YOU POUR ABOUT 1" OF TAP WATER TO THE BOTTOM
OF THE PRESSURE COOKER!!!!! You would be surprised the amount of
people that do not!
Cook the jar for 20 minutes at 15 psi.
When the pressure in the cooker has returned to normal (room pressure)
place the HOT jar into the prepared Glove Box and allow the jar/water to
completely cool.
Using the Glove Box allow the jar to cool for at least one hour then your can reach into the Glove Box (the Glove Box fan should be on the entire time) and re-tighten the lid. DO NOT CRANK IT!!! You will have to remove the lid in a few minutes.
All of the following steps should be done within the Glove Box (just a friendly reminder).
Note:
I will substitute a 'nickel' in place of a mushroom cap.
This is a prop only.
Submerse the screen in alcohol and get your mushroom cap.
Take out the screen and gently shake the excess alcohol back into the bowl/saucer.
Place the mushroom cap onto the screen and place all back onto the wax paper.
Unscrew the lid and carefully wedge the screen (with
mushroom cap) underneath the plastic lid. Can you see the mushroom
cap (nickel)?
Note: Be careful NOT to touch the underside of
the plastic lid or the rim of the jar.
And make damn sure you do not EVER have your hands, or anything else,
overtop the exposed water.
Here is the tricky part.
Carefully place the lid over the rim of the
jar.
DO NOT TURN THE LID ONTO THE JAR.
Instead you are going to turn the JAR until the lid tightens down
onto the rim of the jar.
If you twist the lid onto the jar you may bend the screen.
Allow the jar to sit for 24 hours.
You will notice a light to dark spore print floating on the surface of the water afterwards. That is the 'magic' my friends!
Place your jar in a functioning Glove Box and CAREFULLY turn the JAR away from the lid. Move the lid, screen and cap away from the jar (so nothing falls in by mistake) and remove the screen, with cap, and replace the lid BACK onto the jar.
Now you are to vibrate the jar so to 'break-up' the spores into the water (DO NOT SHAKE IT!!!!) dispersing the spores.
When you are ready to use the spore solution all you need to do is place the jar into a working Glove Box and, with a clean syringe, suck out one cc for every 1/2-pint jar you would like to inoculate. Keep the rest of the solution in a remote and cool area for up to 6 months.
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