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JETHRO TEK |
The Nook : Archives : Misc Teks & Questions
| Posted by: jethro Jan 10 04, 06:51 PM GMT |
| Hello, I am new here, and would like to share a method of fruiting cased jars of grain. I consider this an intermediate step between the Pf tek and doing bulk substrate casings. This tek is similar to MMGG by Terence McKenna, but I have added a secret trick to help with pin formation, and it also does away with fanning and spraying! Check it out, try it. Love to hear your results using this tek.... -jethro ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jethro Tek First off, this is a grain culture that will be fruited in the jar. For this reason, you will need QUART mason jars. Wide mouth jars work better, but are not necessary. Next you will need some ORGANIC RYE intended for human consumption. Feed store rye is usually treated with a fungicide and is useless for our situation. Along with the rye, you will need some distilled or filtered water. Tap water can be used, but use distilled or filtered to be safe. The third ingredient is a pinch of lime. I use Balls pickling lime used to make dill pickles. Lime is not absolutely needed here, but if you can get some, do it. Here are the proportions for each quart jar.... 1) 160ml of rye * 2) 150ml of water 3) 1/2 teaspoon lime *For diversity, 120ml rye, 20ml brown rice, and 20 ml of millet (OR birdseed) may also be used. -160ml of whole grain wheat could also be substituted. .............. Stir up the mix in the jars, put your mason dome lids on with rubber ring facing up, screw bands on loosely. Place jars in pressure cooker and cook at 15 lbs. for 60-90 minutes. Once cooked, but before completely cooled, the jars MUST be shaken!!!! Tighten the lids (not too much) before shaking. Shaking the jars mixes the drier grain on top with the wet grain on the bottom of the jar and unpacks it so the mycelium can colonize quicker. Shake the jars while they are almost too hot to hold. Your hands will be burning if you are doing it correctly. After the jars are shaken, they can be placed in your inoculation chamber. A cheap easy one can be a cardboard box sprayed generously with alcohol or Lysol**. When completely cool, the jars can be inoculated with your favorite spore solution. Once inoculated, the jars should be shaken again to distribute the spores throughout the grain. After this last shake, the bands are loosened so there can be airflow within the jar. Keep the jars in the dark in a warm place (at least 80 degrees). You can even store the jars in the box they were purchased in! After COMPLETE colonization by the mycelium, you are ready to case the jars. I use a mixture of black potting soil, vermiculite, coco coir, perlite, but just plain black potting soil will work fine. Make sure the casing is completely moistened with no excess. The casing mixture is then pressure cooked for an hour and allowed to cool. Open the colonized jars in a sterile area, put about a half inch of moist, sterile casing evenly over the colonized substrate. Put lids back on jars and return them to the dark warm incubation area. Incubate the jars until the mycelium just breaks the surface of the casing. It usually takes about a week for the mycelium to make it to the surface of the moist casing. Now the jars are ready to fruit! At this point is where my SECRET comes into effect. I remove the dome and band lid from the jars and replace them with a Glad sandwich baggie. The plastic baggie slips neatly over the top of wide mouth quart mason jars. The sandwich baggie allows for air circulation, keeps humidity in and contams out. If the correct amount of moisture was used in the casing, you will not need to mist the jars at all!! Each jar is its own little grow chamber. It works great, also keeps the caps relatively contam-free for collecting CLEAN spore prints. Once the baggies are added to the jars, they can be put back in the box the jars came in, with the top of the box open for light. The box of jars can be cold shocked if needed by placing the entire box of jars in the fridge for 8-10 hours over a couple of days. Aluminum foil can be wrapped around the jars up to the surface of the casing to prevent pins from developing on the sides of the jars, but as I said, if you keep the jars in their original box, with the cardboard divider, this does not seem to happen. With the added light, extra air circulation provided by the baggies and cooler temps, you will have pins in a little over a week. Good luck. jethro ............. **All aspects of this tek MUST be performed using sterile equipment and procedures. A cheap disinfectant is 90 percent rubbing alcohol. It can be placed in a spray bottle and used to disinfect hands, air and inoculation chamber. |
| Posted by: jethro Jan 10 04, 07:02 PM GMT |
|
Here is a pic using the Jethro tek..... |
| Posted by: jungjedi Jan 10 04, 07:11 PM GMT |
| hey jethro.what a coincidence. I'm doing that tek for the first time tonight with some argintines I just dunked. I read your tek in the captains forum and have been waiting to try it. Gallon zip lock bags sure are easy to keep sterile. I'm casing with coir and verm. Going to do 2 more jars mannana |
| Posted by: jethro Jan 10 04, 07:20 PM GMT |
| Good luck. Are you using quart jars? If so, I would use the thinner Glad sandwich bags... like the kind reefer is sold in, they seem to allow more air exchange than the thicker zip-lock type bags. Yep, those bags are pretty sterile right outta the box, placing one over the mouth of the jar really keeps contams away. It keeps them away so well, up to 9 flushes have been reported, and none of the grain or mycelium remained....100% conversion of grain into fruits! Let me know how it works for ya. later jethro |
| Posted by: Lemonyellow Jan 10 04, 07:31 PM GMT |
| I like the fact that you can contain contams to a
minimum. I guess you could use clear trash bags for larger grows on bulk substrates.  |
| Posted by: jethro Jan 10 04, 07:34 PM GMT |
| Yes, condensation falls from the "roof" like artificial rain. You have actually created a little "micro climate" within each jar. We will be testing this on larger casings soon. Peace -jethro |
| Posted by: sinoptik Jan 10 04, 07:34 PM GMT |
Hey jethro, great write-up on this tek. Cryptowhatever should read this carefully and learn how to write a tek according to you
 |
| Posted by: jethro Jan 10 04, 07:38 PM GMT |
| Thanks, I appreciate it. It just works so well, for so many, I think everyone should try it. I just had terrible luck with the PF tek (it never worked actually) so I developed this method over a few years. Using quart jars produces huge flushes. sometimes they raise the baggie right off the jar! I have also seen so many fruits coming from a wide-mouth jar, that you couldn't slide your pinkie in there! |
| Posted by: jungjedi Jan 10 04, 07:40 PM GMT |
| Ya I use em now wherever possible. Like when I go grain 2 grain. use em to mush up myc. Then throw the hole jar inside one if imp paranoid about contams and unsure about the lid. They're only a dollar at the dollar store. I'm thinking of a crumble tek using a gallon bag and casing in tinfoil with verm and coir. Putting on a second layer.poke holes and stick in zip lock for 10 days with some moist perlite |
| Posted by: jethro Jan 10 04, 07:47 PM GMT |
| sounds good....go for it. |
| Posted by: Zoom Jan 10 04, 08:04 PM GMT |
Good write up jethro. Definitely has an advantage of being able to contain contams to each casing or jar.
 Air exchange may be a concern on larger grows though. |
| Posted by: jungjedi Jan 10 04, 08:05 PM GMT |
| yea,im trying to keep it cheap.im thinking its a cross between your tek and eatualives flatkake tek.that would be a marriage made in heaven if it works,cheap and easy |
| Posted by: jethro Jan 10 04, 08:17 PM GMT |
| Thanks guys.....yeah baggies are cheap and easy to get. Zoom....I haven't figured that part out yet.  |
| Posted by: dcyans Jan 10 04, 08:32 PM GMT |
Interesting twist there jethro
So ya think that that casing would hold enough moisture to support a 100gm. or even a 50gm. flush? Interesting, very interesting
 shroom= 92% h2o
Just one question, have ya ever done this tek?beginning to end, and what were the results weight per jar, love to see some pics of the shrooms that are produced with this tek GL jethro |
| Posted by: jethro Jan 10 04, 08:54 PM GMT |
| Yes, this tek has been performed numerous times, by many people with great results. IF a good black potting soil and coir casing is used, it will hold plenty of moisture to support huge flushes. After a couple of flushes, you would want to recase, and possibly apply a new baggie. Not sure of the weight, over three flushes, maybe 20+ dry per jar. Some jars never contam and go 7 or 8 flushes. These jars produce considerably more weight. Pics and weights are coming. -jethro |
| Posted by: Sanpedro Jan 11 04, 07:10 AM GMT |
looks cool. I'm going to give it a try, sure would save space here
 excellent idea Jethro. Does CO2 buildup cause any probs? |
| Posted by: jethro Jan 11 04, 09:49 AM GMT |
| I have had no problems with CO2 build up, the gasses can pass through the Glad sandwich type baggies, but contams can't. Thanks for the welcome dcyans. The nook feels like home already. -jethro |
| Posted by: Nose Jan 11 04, 10:43 PM GMT |
| sounds easy enuff will deffinetly give it a try! this really outta be added to the archives! along with crypto's numerous extraordinary teks  |
| Posted by: DontTreadOnMe Jan 12 04, 08:51 AM GMT |
| Jethro my good man, before i found PF tek i fooled around with this method but had bad luck due to bad syringes...great robust mycelim but with oily bacteria  wich was no fault of the tek. i do like rye though..second favorite subsrate. One question: do you find that you have to slowly move the baggies up and down on the jar a few times a day to expel co2? or is it not a problem? i wonder |
| Posted by: jethro Jan 12 04, 10:47 AM GMT |
| Thats funny you asked that question. I have done that before, but really it seems unnecessary. Most people don't realize that sandwich baggies are not air-tight! They are gas permeable. Which allows for exchange of oxygen. I do know that CO2 is heavier than air, so you would think that it would collect in the jars, but I have never heard of this being a problem. Like you said, if you are worried, you could pump the baggie up and down a little to introduce more fresh air. Just make sure the surrounding air is clean. Pf jars have never worked for me....the Jethro TEK worked on the first try, and many others have reported the same success. Give it a try, and let me know what ya think.  --This jar was wrapped with paper to keep pins from forming on the sides. -jethro |
| Posted by: jungjedi Jan 12 04, 11:51 AM GMT |
and it gives shrooms room to spread out in a sterile enviornment
 |
| Posted by: jethro Jan 12 04, 12:39 PM GMT |
| That sterile environment helps promote up to 9 flushes! To get 9 flushes, you MUST be sterile in picking fruits, and when you periodically add fresh casing layers. A fresh baggie can be added after flushing or casing. If you do these things with cleanliness in mind, you willl easily be able to produce 7,8,9 flushes. The grain is completely used! The mycellium shrinks with each flush, and ya end up with only dirt in the jar after 9 flushes! It works really well, or I wouldn't recommend it here. Thank ya -jethro |
| Posted by: Lophophophile Feb 09 04, 01:21 PM GMT |
| the only thing i see as a potential problem with this invitro tek is the fact that the bag just sits ontop of the jar with no rubber band or anything securing it except a piece of paper wrapped around the jar loosely holding it in place. without the bag fully secure to the jar then there is definately a chance of a contam spore floating up inside. if you did seal the bags to the jar tops then air exchange problems would become obvious, neccessitating a small filter disk or polyfil for each individual bag. the tek suggests keeping all the jars in a cardboard box, but i don't think cardboard is such a good idea especially multiple uses (cardboard can trap contams and moisture, a rubbermaid bin would be better). i'm curious about what kinda weight and contam rate you've gotten from the tek. |
| Posted by: projectman Feb 09 04, 01:57 PM GMT |
| jethro.... if i have 3 colonized creepers PF cakes can i dump them into a small plastic container... case them with some coco coir. then can i put a plastic bag over the container. i would have to mist it everyday. Will it get enough air exchange for a casing this way? |
| Posted by: dcyans Feb 09 04, 03:06 PM GMT |
| Can't wait to see the shrooms that this tek produces
The glad bags may be gas permeable but this in no way will give you FAE also i'm going to guess the stems will be long and the caps very small
and will high levels of co2 i'll bet the pin sets are poor but i've never seen real good pinsets come from a jar anyways. I believe this tek has it's place and certain peeps will find advantages to your tek. I'd really like to see results better than this bc this was the best I could do in jars. Not trying to take anything away from your tek i'm just anxious to see the end results!!!  GL jethro |
| Posted by: jethro Feb 09 04, 11:26 PM GMT |
| Thats a nice flush, Imagine 6-8 flushes like that.....sterile spore prints....works better than that! |
| Posted by: dcyans Feb 10 04, 04:13 AM GMT |
| 3 went 7 and 4 went 6, 1 went 4
I was a very happy camper
|
| Posted by: jethro Feb 11 04, 08:13 AM GMT |
| Not bad at all. I would be a happy camper too. |
| Posted by: docthree Feb 11 04, 03:41 PM GMT |
| definately going to give this a try. props to the thought and i will let you know how it goes. |
| Posted by: sateliteshroomer Feb 11 04, 06:23 PM GMT |
| ..I can barely even see that little picture!~ It's tiny.. I'm doing the exact same thing basically, with no results to be shown yet.  |
| Posted by: jethro Feb 12 04, 08:33 AM GMT |
| I know the picture is very small, but I don't know how to enlarge it!!!!! Let me know how this tek works for you. Post some pics if you can........ peace jethro |
| Posted by: jungjedi Feb 13 04, 02:31 PM GMT |
| just finished experimenting between flatcake method and jethro tek.both sucessful flatcake much harder to do and several got contams,jethro tek very fast and forgiving for a newb,with no contams on straight verm.just wish there was a way to introduce perlite into the outer bag for humidity.just a thought.no biggie |
| Posted by: jethro Feb 14 04, 03:10 PM GMT |
| Great! You can take a water bottle with some sterile water and insert the nozzel into the side of the baggie while still on the jar. Spray a mist up into the bag. This will usually provide good humidity for 1-5 day. With the mycellium producing heat, and the cooler fruiting temps, there is usually a mist on the baggie most of the time. Maybe yer casing wasn't moist enough in the begining. Good luck. Keep up the research. |
| Posted by: jungjedi Feb 14 04, 04:26 PM GMT |
| yea.thats the problem im having.been preparing my grain on the dry side.gotta think of some way to balance it better in the future |
| Posted by: Cypher Feb 15 04, 05:22 AM GMT |
| Thanks for the tek....I'm kinda low on space and this looks like a good one for me
- Cyph |
| Posted by: jethro Feb 15 04, 10:55 AM GMT |
| Really easy, contam-free tek. IT teaches ya to work with quarts, and also provides the beginner with sterile sporeprints, being that the sandwich baggie keeps out the contams. |
| Posted by: jethro Feb 17 04, 11:39 PM GMT |
| Sorry, I missed your post, Projectman, but do just as you said, and it should work fine. Keep us informed. |
| Posted by: jethro Feb 17 04, 11:46 PM GMT |
| It seems that adding coffee to your substrate stimulates growth and pinning. I do not personally know this, but many other forums are reporting amazing results. Some of you that are trying the jethro TEK, may want to use 75ml of normal strength coffee and 75ml of water, instead of the regular 150 ml of water. If anyone tries this, please post your results. Good luck!!!! jethro |
| Posted by: Molester Feb 18 04, 01:02 AM GMT | ||
i used to do something similar but i screwed the band on over the bag, it was a pain in the ass to have to open the bag 4 times a day now i just fill pints halfway and keep a tyvek disc on there and neglect |
| Posted by: jethro Feb 18 04, 01:03 AM GMT |
| Nice, whatever works
|
| Posted by: jungjedi Feb 18 04, 01:32 AM GMT |
| i tape the bag on with clear packing tape |
| Posted by: jethro Feb 18 04, 02:03 AM GMT |
| That sounds good.
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| Posted by: jethro Feb 18 04, 01:17 PM GMT |
| Soft wheat will work with the jethro tek as well. Rye is preferred, but sometimes wheat or soft wheat is all that is available here. For a quart jar use 160 ml of soft wheat berries and 150 ml of distilled water. and some lime if possible, just a little. The only think with soft wheat berries, is they and sometimes stick to the bottom of the jar when shaken, but this doesn't seem to harm anything. |
| Posted by: jethro Feb 18 04, 01:22 PM GMT |
| check out the humidity inside the baggie, of this jethro TEK jar....
|
| Posted by: jethro Mar 01 04, 01:53 AM GMT |
My neighbor has just bagged some jethro tek jars, and said he would give me some pics to post here. Stay tuned........................
 |
| Posted by: Molester Mar 01 04, 12:37 PM GMT | ||
im wondering why use soft wheat berries instead of the hard ones. i just bought a big bag of hard ones last week thinkin its better because it has more nutes, is there some other factor to consider as well? I was thinkin maybe the soft ones could absorb moisture better from the casing, but after theyre cooked the hard ones should be just as soft right? have you tried the hard ones? |
| Posted by: jethro Mar 01 04, 02:33 PM GMT |
| Hard or soft wheat will work fine....soft wheat was used because it was all that was available. Yes, both are soft after pressure cooking. dcyans stated that there would be high levels of CO2 in the jethro tek jars, but what most people don't realize, is that sandwich baggies allow air to pass through them, they are gas permeable, NOT AIR TIGHT. CO2 is heavy and may sorta "pool" in the jars, you can "pump" the baggie to rid the jar of the gas, but placing your box of bagged jars outside on a slightly breezy, spring day or near an opened window will allow plenty of airflow. Lopho stated that contams could float up into the bag since there is a not rubberband holding the baggie securly. This has never been a problem, and the baggies keep contams from falling directly onto your casing. The baggie allows air exchange, but still retains moisture seen as condensation on the inside of the baggies. The jethro tek is an excellent addition to the Terrence McKenna method as written in the MMGG. Growing inside of quart jars limits contams to one single jar, and....no growing chamber is needed! What more could ya ask for? I have seen pictures where so many fruits were comming from a widemouth quart, that you couldn't slide a pencil in there!!!!! Now thats pinset. Large ones as well. Caps larger than the widemouth opening of the jar! Fruiting on grain is great! Just got to try it. I have had numerous e mails stating that this method has worked wonderfully for people having a tough time getting results, or having trouble with contams. Also, people wanting to step up from cakes love this tek. Try it, you like it. jethro |
| Posted by: 2ndRevolution Mar 03 04, 01:43 PM GMT |
| one thing i would like to say..and this seems a good place to say it...is that i never really understood why soil is even recomended as a casing. i have never had luck with soil casings...they just contam too easy. maybe i'm just a pig tho. i've talked to so many old timers who gave growing a shot in the past with the Mckenna method and failed due to contams at the casing stage. sad too because his method would have been made golden if we just tossed the soil idea and cased with straight verm. straight verm works great. i've done it. exchange the casing formula in Mckenna's book for verm and it's still a viable tek. the use of soil and the contams it brings (and the reulting failures) is in my opinion the main reason why folks think of Mckenna's tek as outdated. another thing - the caption under one of the pictures in the book says..." 26 days after casing, the first mushrooms apear"...or something like that.... with straight verm casing i had fruits poking through at 6 days after casing even tho the temps were as low as 68! this is not to detract from jethro tek. in fact it's a great tek! this is just a hint to the newbies (wich i wish someone would have told me)...: forget about soil. you dont need it. straight verm is the place to start for casings.
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| Posted by: jethro Mar 03 04, 02:59 PM GMT |
| There used to be problems with Trich. (the mean green), but sterilizing the soil in a pressure cooker has stopped this problem. I know most people say not to sterilize a casing, but thats what everyone I know does, with excellent results. After two flushes, you should recase, with more sterile soil. With this tek, using Glad sandwich baggies, you can get numerous flushes, and no contams. Another important thing, when the baggies are added, and the jars are introduced to light.....this is when fresh air should also be introduced. This could be as simple as placing the box of jars in front of an open window allowing cool spring air enter. Jar fruit unbelievably well when this is done. I agree, all McKennas tek is missing is my sandwich baggie idea. People I know have used verm. but had a little better success with black prepared soil. Verm., does work well, however. |
