What the Cordy-Cult doesn't want you to know about Cordyceps Militaris Preservation: Peep this very interesting 2024 study that was passed along to me a week or so ago. In essence if you are preserving known mating pairs of CM in their monokaryotic forms (through Deep Freezing/LN/Freeze Drying) and combine once your ready to expand to a round of LC and then fruiting substrate you will never experience "senescence"...as this study points out, our perception of "senescence" might be one thing but in fact in the case of C. Militaris it looks like a dominant monokaryon kicks the other Mon out after a series of expansions essentially rendering a dikaryon, monokaryotic once again. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gxqBeIbpvyYTtMGPyu3yiw2vimbfPIfd/view?usp=sharing

A deep dive that follows along this specific protocol is in the works to see if it can be replicated! Stay stoked and share your fungal-finds homies!

-Erik

I was wondering if anyone here has experimented using UV lights to detect bacteria or contamination in general in their setups, spawn, substrate etc.

I saw that blotch is florescent and UV at 365nm would make it glow greenish yellow, so I bought a small UV flashlight and I've been testing inspecting the farm with it. So far I've seen the most use when checking out spawn bags, as I can see weird colored glowing stuff in bags that to the eye seem normal... Anyway it's still under the experimental phase but wanted to share and hear your thoughts!

We all starting somewhere. There's my first home lab set up. Im about to buy a flowhood soon and epoxy paint the desk, now i'm using a homemade glovebox. I got everything I need to make it work.

What's up Mainers 🤘. Just wondering if you guys have found conclusions about how many 10lb Chestnut blocks is a maximum amount assuming there is a perfect FAE/humidity situation. I'm about to be building a Chestnut only grow room which is about 500 Cubic Feet of space. Possibly an answer is doomed to a shit load of variables. Had a tent packed and removed a few blocks because I assume they were breathing all the air up and the CO2 was hard to keep below 900. My aim is to achieve at least 40blocks fruiting. Any advice is sweet I just don't want to mess up the first big round of them as I'll just go pick them up from you guys. So far I've been able to use trade over money for funding. 10oz Cordys got me a Flow Hood and various side masonry jobs got me $1,200 of which I have what I need now, steel studs in all. We have a shit load of kids so spending my income/losing money is not an option for me 

"Hi everyone!

I’d like to hear your opinions and experiences: Is it better to use more or less nutrients in liquid culture and agar? How can this affect the subsequent growth of mycelium and fruiting bodies? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using higher or lower nutrient concentrations in these media? Thanks in advance for your responses!"

This broth has insect powder in it. I have no idea if it's better than anything else but I will say it somehow slowed down growth in general.

Any essential equipment for tincture production that has made your process easier/more efficient? We have some pretty basic alcohol extraction and boiling extraction methods. I have seen some people talk about industrial strength grinders as a way to increase surface area and extraction. 

Recently joined the culture club and ordered some genetics. Very impressed with the packaging and quality of the cultures. The golden enoki and lions mane plate cultures are super aggressive. Also tried out the king oyster and reishi grain spawn. So far every thing I have received has performed well on media and grain, moved 40 blocks into my tents this morning, looking forward to seeing the final product and yields. Thank you so much for everything you do, you have a lifetime customer here. Soon I will be trialing out the maitake and 3790 shiitake to compare with my current cultures

LOVE the new Maine Cap n Stem website format! I really appreciate the detailed strain information. Ya’ll are KILLIN it as usual! Thank you! ✌🏻

Workman interview.