Psilocybe Cubensis Ecuador [2019]

I. Substrate preparation [8 days] 1) I sorted out oats (1.5 kg) and wheat (0.9 kg). It took about 6 hours to clean the grain from trash. Weighed cereals to calculate the antibiotic during decoction. I thought about numerology and the number 13 😂 I realized that January 13 should be a good date to start actions. 2) 12.01 Soaked cereals in boiling water from a kettle. A couple of years ago I soaked it in cold tap water, as some schroomers recommend on thematic forums, but overnight the cereals began to sprout. Since then, I have been pouring boiling water so it does not happen. In my opinion, this does not affect the adaptability of contaminants to subsequent thermal processing. The cereals were in the water for a day (t = 17C - 19C). 3) 13.01 Boiled cereals with the addition of an antibiotic: oats within 20 minutes after boiling with 750 mg of chloramphenicol, wheat 15 minutes after boiling with 500 mg of chloramphenicol. The antibiotic was simply crumbled with two tablespoons (at the rate of 500 mg per 1 kg of dry cereal), poured into pots and stirred for several minutes. 4) I washed the cereals under cold water in a colander (in parts, long and dreary), until the running water drained clear. Drying on a towel for about 2 hours. I made a “test with a napkin” (this is when you put the cereals on a napkin, then shake them off and look at the residual moisture), a small stain of moisture remained, but I decided not to dry further and add vermiculite to my substrate. 5) Mixed cereals, adding vermiculite (about 1 l) and chalk (100 g). The result was approximately 9 liters of substrate. It turned out much more than I expected :) 6) Distributed the substrate into one-liter jars: 1 cm of perlite on the bottom (I put vermiculite in some of the jars, because my perlite was unexpectedly finished halfway through), about 600 ml of the substrate, sterile cotton wool in the holes of caps, covered with foil and secured with an elastic band . It turned out to be 15 cans, filled just above the middle. 7) 13.01-19.01 I did 3-fold fractional pasteurization (that is actually tyndallization). I used nano technology in the form of a large pan and 3 flat stones from the river :) My pan fits 7 cans at one time, so I divided my cans into 2 batches, and decided to pasteurize one can in an airfryer (1.5 hours at t = 110C). I left cans in a closed saucepan until morning. Then they stood at the balcony for a day (t = 16C - 18C), while in the evening I did pasteurization of the second batch of cans. Thus, two days passed between each pasteurization procedure. II. Inoculation [3 days] 1) 17.01 Boiled water in a pan. Without removing the cap, rinsed the syringe (10 ml) with boiling water, took 9 ml of boiling water, put cotton wool soaked in ethanol under the cap, put the syringe into a zip lock, put it in an upright position in a glass. Thus, I prepared 4 syringes with boiled water for suspension. 2) 18.01 I made a spore suspension. I used prints from my previous cycles. Left spores for rehydration for 2 days (t = 24C). 3) 20.01 I took 1 ml of gentamicin sulfate into each syringe, shaken it so that the suspension solution was mixed with the antibiotic. An hour later, I changed the cotton wool in the caps that had become damp after pasteurization and inoculated jars with a spore suspension. 2-3 ml of suspension was poured along the wall into each jar. I put the cans in boxes on a cabinet (t = 26C - 27C).

III. Incubation [22 days] 1) 20.01 I decided to make incubation at a “lowered” temperature: 26C-28C. 2) 25.01 Today I made the first check for the presence of trichoderma and bacterial infection. The flight is normal, no contaminants were noticed, 15 out of 15 cans are overgrowing (t = 26C - 27C).

3) 29.01 Second check of incubation: no contaminants were detected, rhizomorphic mycelium appeared, and now the process of substrate capture will go much faster. Some jars have colonized 20% -30% of the substrate, others 40% -50%. Today I decided to shake them up to improve air exchange and create new spots of colonization. In the process of shaking up, I periodically tapped the walls of the can with my fist so that “cracks” and splits would appear in the substrate. I removed jars for further overgrowth (t = 26C - 27C). 4) 03.02 Today I made the third check: there are no infections, some of the cans are colonized by 60% -70%, the other part has practically grown (80% -90%) and began to “sweat” all over (condensation appeared).

5) 11.02 Fourth check. No mold. There are small spots of non-overgrown mycelium in 4 jars. The rest 11 jars are 100% overgrown. Ideal incubation. IV. Preparing cases [3 days] 1) 06.02 Soaked for two days a coconut for the cover layer of cases and expanded clay on the bottom of the fruiting chamber. 2) 08.02 Pasteurized coconut and expanded clay. 3) 11.02. Pasteurized coconut and expanded clay for the second time. 4) 12.02 Put substrate from 9 cans into 8 liter containers. The rest did not fit into the fruiting chamber and went outside as birds feed :) There are holes at the bottom of the containers; the bottom is pasted over with cling film that will be removed in few days. The cover layer of coconut is about 1 cm. I have expanded clay in the fruiting chamber, the walls of it are moisturized with a spray bottle 1-2 times a day (t = 24C - 25C).

5) 14.02 Cases started to “sweat”. Condensation can be seen. 6) 16.02 I removed caps from the cases (t = 24C - 25C). Airing 3-4 times a day. Moisturize walls 1-2 times a day.

V. Fruiting [47 days] V.I. Wave 1 [10 days] 1) 21.02 First pins appeared! Yeah! 2) 21.02-02.03 Fruiting. t = 22C-25C. Airing: 3-4 times a day. Lighting: natural. This time, I will hold each wave a little longer before harvesting the fruits (a day or two). It seems to me that it has a beneficial effect on the mass of mushrooms and the content of active substances in them. For the last 2 days the fruiting chamber was in a low temperature: t = 21C.

3) 02.03 Harvested half of the cases. Rehydration. Cold shock in the refrigerator. 4) 03.03 Harvested second half of the cakes. Rehydration. Cold shock. 4 cakes returned from the refrigerator to the fruiting chamber. One of them was injured on the way (dropped half of the cake on the floor, it automatically went to a trash can), so now it will be damaged :(

V.II. Wave 2 [7 days] 1) 11.03 Harvest of the second wave. 2) Here I started to make prints: I treat a plate, a cup, each piece of foil on both sides with alcohol. I have been printing for 2 days. Before putting the prints in the zip lock, they stand under the hood already without mushroom caps for half a day, so that the prints dry out and do not stick to the polyethylene. T = 26C. 3) 11.03 Cases are sent for rehydration.

V.III. Wave 3 [17 days] 1) 13.03 Greenhouse disinfection: expanded clay is washed with boiling water, the walls are washed with detergent, then wiped with alcohol. 2) 13.03 -29.03 There are less mushrooms, but they are noticeably larger. Some mushrooms are more than 20 cm high. Overexposed them a little bit.

3) 21.03 [1] Harvest part of the mushrooms. T = 23C. 4) 23.03 [2] Harvest part of the mushrooms. T = 22C.

5) 29.03 [3] The last harvest of the 3rd wave. I decided to make some space for the 4th wave, so 2 cakes were utilized (one of them is that fell apart after the cold shock last time). The remaining 6 pieces went to the refrigerator for rehydration. Fruiting is going for more than a month. 5) 29.03-31.03 I changed the water 4 times during the pot.

V.IV 4 Wave [13 days] 1) 31.03 Thorough disinfection of the fruiting chamber. 2) 07.04 [1] Harvested half of the cakes. 3) 13.04 [2] Final harvest. The remaining cakes were utilized. The fruiting chamber was disinfected with ethanol, expanded clay was disinfected with boiling water. 4) 13.04 My shrooming cycle is ended. It lasted exactly 3 calendar months and was finished at 13 of April 😎 Numerology 😅

Materials used during the process: Pharmacy and stuff from drugstore: ethyl alcohol; syringes; mask; latex gloves; sterile cotton wool; chloramphenicol; gentamicin sulfate; hydrogen peroxide. Containers and some junk: foil; cling film; container 50 l; elastic bands; 1 liter cans with drilled caps (3-5 holes); disposable food containers 1 l; plastic basin 12 l; cardboard box 50 l (from my PC speakers); zip locks for storing prints and rehydrating spores; a piece of chalk; paraffin candle; A4 paper for drying. Garden shop: vermiculite; perlite; expanded clay; coconut; spray; thermometer. In the kitchen: a pan for pasteurization (rofl tyndallization); rehydration pan; microwave; airfryer; glasses, spoons, scoops and other common items in the kitchen. Tools: knife; scissors; tweezers. Also: spore prints of P.C. Ecuador from previous cycles. May Shiva favors you. Peace.