Subtopic	Posts	Updated	Creator
	9er Tek Tips	-
	Alien Tek, bottom pg	-
	Drying questions	-
	Where to store dried mushrooms?	28	12/20 07:06am	nick waters
	EZ drying	5	01/25 08:52pm	Stewie

The most ruthless method I've heard is fan drying them, then using desiccant, then powdering. Get a glass container, drop in a "dry ice" cube or any form of CO2, then add the powdered shrooms on top. Let sit for a while with a loose top so the top doesn't burst from the displaced gas. Then tighten & place in darkness.

Basically the threats to potency are rot from moisture and oxygen. I can't explain the oxidation process, just that it's a threat to long-term potency.

The CO2 will displace any oxygen as it's heavier. Mushrooms eternal! (20 years okay?)

By simon stiffy (Flatliner) on Monday, September 03, 2001 - 05:07 am:

Relic, how long will the shrooms keep their potency using your method? And the desiccant in the jars won't hurt my babies?

By Lichen (Lichen) on Monday, September 03, 2001 - 01:05 pm:

I use a dehydrator to dry ALL my produce, including shrooms. It has a temp control setting, though, and I can dial down a minimum setting. It doesn't hurt the shrooms.

Desiccant won't hurt your shrooms at all, simon. If you use the CO2, they will last a long, long time. One man said his shrooms were even better after 23 years in a jar sealed with CO2.
I have seen shrooms just sitting in a plain jar, going through a year or more of temp extremes in a small shed, and they were wonderful. I really think the shrooms mellow and mature with age.

By relic (Relic) on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 05:36 am:

the desiccant is in the bottom of the jar and the shrooms are in a ziplock in the jar, so the never touch. they will last at least 6 months, and probably much longer.

By Nanook of the North (Nanook) on Thursday, October 11, 2001 - 06:09 am:

If you use a dehydrator, you should disconnect the heating element or make sure it has a "fan only" setting. Heat does reduce potency.

By Nan (Nanook) on Friday, October 26, 2001 - 03:29 am:

My Findings on Desiccants
by ShroomGod

I have tried three desiccants: silica gel, anhydrous calcium chloride (DampRid), and anhydrous calcium sulfate (Drierite). Here's what I found:

One can find silica gel in some larger craft stores for flower drying. It costs between $10-$20 for 5 pounds of the flower-drying-type silica gel. Silica gel will bring down the relative humidity of a closed container to about 40% while it is doing its job, and is a fairly good desiccant.

The white crystals are simple silica beads so are no more toxic than beach sand. One notable exception is the dust of broken beads, which is harmful to the lungs (like asbestos fibers). It should be noted, however, that a very small percentage of the crystals are of the indicating type and contain up to 1% cobalt chloride (Click here for a material safety data sheet for indicator silica gel crystals). This bad stuff is a heavy metal salt and is toxic and carcinogenic. It is there to turn these crystals blue when they are active (i.e. dry) and light pink when they need to be recharged.

The beads are not soluble in water, so they will not dissolve in your mushrooms like, for example, DampRid (calcium chloride). Never the less, don't let your mushrooms touch the tiny crystals because they tend to get stuck in the mushrooms, and the blue ones in particular are not good to eat (heavy metals are bad).

When the indicating crystals turn from blue to light pink, the crystals need to be recharged. To recharge them, place the beads in a shallow pan in an oven at 250°F for about five hours. Any higher heat than 250°F will cause excessive beads to fracture and turn to silica dust which is, as I mentioned above, bad for the respiratory system.

Anhydrous calcium chloride (the active ingredient in DampRid) is a slightly stronger desiccant. It is also cheaper. Locally, I can find this stuff at ACE hardware in the economy refill size of 48oz (3lb) for $3. I find that it will often bring down the relative humidity of the inside of a closed container with mushrooms to 25% or even less while it does its job.

On the down side, this desiccant is very hard, if not impossible, to re-use. It tends to dissolve in the water it absorbs from the air, so when you try to dry it out, it often dries to useless, large chunks rather than to its original form of small beads. Also, it is highly soluble in water so that even if you place your mushrooms on paper covering it, it will still find a way to get in your mushrooms. On the other hand, it is not toxic like the silica gel indicator crystals. Still, if you have the unfortunate experience of eating some DampRid, it tastes like shit and will make you as thirsty as hell (will set the stage for a really bad trip).

The last type of desiccant I tried is anhydrous calcium sulfate (Drierite). Drierite is quite expensive ($10 a pound for indicating and about $7 for non-indicating). It comes in indicating which, like the indicating silica gel beads, turn blue when dry and pink when it needs a recharge. It also comes in a number of rock sizes, but I have no idea which size is best for drying mushrooms. The grade I used was about like aquarium gravel.

I have not looked over the toxicity of Drierite, but if I had to guess, I'd guess the indicator is the toxic cobalt chloride salt. I definitely keep it away from the mushrooms. I don't have any humidity readings on this desiccant either, but I found it to be about average strength. Again, once the indicating rocks (and you should buy at least some of the indicating type) turn from blue to pink, it is time to recharge. To recharge this desiccant, you place it in a 400°F oven for two hours.

I liked the fact that Drierite didn't turn to goo like DampRid and can be recharged, but it was just too damned expensive for my tastes. I used it a few times, but wasn't too impressed considering the price.

In general, the key to using any desiccant is to first fan dry the mushrooms. Buy a cheap fan, and place the mushrooms on the grill of the fan so air blows through the pile for 24 to 48 hours. If you live in a dry climate (40% relative humidity or lower) your mushrooms will dry completely out using this technique and you won't even need a desiccant. If you aren't that lucky, you should continue the drying process using a desiccant. Just place the mushrooms on a screen right above the desiccant of choice in an airtight container. If you want to push your desiccant to warp speed (several times faster), use a tiny fan on low speed inside the airtight drying container to gently circulate the air.

By Krash (Krash) on Sunday, October 14, 2001 - 01:01 am:

I just harvested about 10 hawaiians. All of them over 6 inches, but after 8 hours of fan drying there stems are mushy. Anybody know if this is abnormal, normal? I know I should use desiccant but I can't find it.

By Lichen (Lichen) on Sunday, October 14, 2001 - 02:22 am:

it's ok, don't worry. They take time, give it 20 hours, and if they are not turning black and slimy, they'll be fine

By Nan (Nanook) on Sunday, October 14, 2001 - 02:26 am:

You can speed the drying by cutting them in half... It makes no difference to your stomach, and they do fan dry faster. Lichen is right. Give it time. If you store them you need to desiccate.

By Krash (Krash) on Sunday, October 14, 2001 - 07:33 am:

Anybody know where I could get desiccant? I looked everywhere.

By Lichen (Lichen) on Sunday, October 14, 2001 - 02:03 pm:

Damp-Rid [Damp Gone] is a closet dehumidifier product that you might be able to find in the local hardware/garden center. Hobby shops sell silica gel to aid people who want to dry out flowers etc. Alternatively you can use the absorbent, non-scented type cat litter commonly available in the grocery store.

By Sillycybin (Sillycybin) on Sunday, October 14, 2001 - 02:06 pm:

Ace Hardware, TrueValue...get Damp Gone or Damp Rid. I like Damp Gone better than Damp Rid, but that's just personal...

If you go to a small local hardware store, you are more likely to find what you are looking for

By Timothy Leary (Timothyleary) on Sunday, October 14, 2001 - 07:03 pm:

Check this out:stealthly fan drying

A desiccant free setup and in my opinion better. Desiccant is to messy for me. I also hate having to put it in the oven to re-use it. This way i don't have to do either.

TimothyLeary

Also check out the Archives for more info on drying

By Krash (Krash) on Sunday, October 14, 2001 - 07:52 pm:

Thanks guys, the help is much appreciated. It's good to know that you can go and get help from people who care.

By Nan (Nanook) on Sunday, October 14, 2001 - 11:50 pm:

Thank's for that link Tim Leary. I was looking for that Tek and could not find it. It's archived, good dry tek. Good linking to it.

By Black Star (Mr_Bug) on Monday, October 15, 2001 - 02:07 pm:

Isn't Damp-Rid just Calcium Carbonate, the same stuff they use to melt snow and in closets as "Moth Balls?" Doesn't it all have that same Moth Ball smell?

By Kooka C. Burra (Kookaburra) on Monday, October 15, 2001 - 03:34 pm:

Hrmm...I bought Damp Rid at a home depot in the paint section, they didn't have any other desiccants. If I understand correctly, as it absorbs moisture it becomes a liquid itself. The instructions say to pour what's left down the drain (though I get the impression you can bake it back to usefulness, too).

Anyway, I'm wondering if Damp-Gone is the same deal. What desiccants don't liquefy as they work?

I'm wondering about the new silica cat litter... can you heat it back usefulness after it's used (for drying shrooms, not for collecting cat waste).

By Nan (Nanook) on Tuesday, October 16, 2001 - 04:23 am:

We need a Desiccant FAQ...

Calcium Carbonate is the same stuff they use in Tums and Vitamin suppliments. It is the preferred calcicum salt for this purpose because it is the one Calcium salt that does NOT absorb water. It has no odor. Nor should any calcium salt.

Calcium salts that do absorb water include Calcium Sulfate (Drierite, CaSO4) and Calcium Chloride AKA: CaCl2, Damp Rid, Damp Gone, Damp Out, Ice Melt. Desiccants need to be baked in an oven in order to regenerate: From: http://www.drierite.com

After normal use, any of the forms of DRIERITE may be regenerated for reuse. The operation is simple and involves only standard equipment. The used and exhausted desiccant should be ventilated to remove vapors, if any, and stored in a convenient container until a sufficient amount is accumulated to justify the work of regeneration.

Regular and Indicating DRIERITE

For the regeneration of Indicating DRIERITE and small lots of Regular DRIERITE, the granules may be spread in layers one granule deep and heated for 1 hour at 210° C or 425° F. The regenerated material should be placed in the the original glass or metal container and sealed while hot. The color of the Indicating DRIERITE may become less distinct on successive regenerations due to the migration of the indicator into the interior of the granule and sublimation of the indicator.

Commercial Grade and Du-Cal DRIERITE

Exhausted Commercial DRIERITE or Du-Cal DRIERITE should be spread about 1 inch deep in shallow pans and heated in a oven at 450° F or 230° C for 2 hours to achieve complete dehydration. The regenerated material should be placed in the original container and sealed while hot.

The Importance of Temperature

The temperature at which DRIERITE desiccants are regenerated is crucial in restoring DRIERITE to its original condition. Absorbed moisture is water of hydration and is chemically bound to the calcium sulfate of DRIERITE. Temperatures in the range of 400° - 450° F are required to break these bonds and release absorbed moisture. Lower temperatures, regardless of heating time, will not regenerate DRIERITE unless applied under vacuum (26" Hg, 325° F or 28" Hg, 275° F). Care should be taken not to overheat DRIERITE Desiccants. High temperatures can alter the crystal structure and render the desiccants permanently inactive.

*****

This works with the Chloride ice melt stuff too. Use Non-Indicating Desiccant whenever possible.

By jim brown (Shrhobbyist) on Tuesday, October 16, 2001 - 08:39 pm:

If you want to see something funny, go to http://www.damprid.com and look at the "celebrity" page. I hope someone in their PR department got fired for that.

By SYDYSTYK (Addict) on Monday, October 22, 2001 - 09:14 am:

i got my desiccant at michaels(crafts store)
its called "flower drying art"
by all the fake flowers

By Snoopy (Snoopy) on Monday, November 19, 2001 - 07:49 pm:

The method that I use to dry my shrooms is to dice them up into small peices, and then placed in front of a fan for 10-12 hours. After that I place them in a large tupperware container that has DAMPRID on the bottom, and the shrooms elevated by about an inch on a screen.
Question: Will this cause any loss in potency for my shrooms... usually they only last about a few weeks before they are consumed. Any input and any other notes on how you guys dry and store yer shrooms would be a great help!

By jared (Jared112) on Monday, November 19, 2001 - 08:01 pm:

just make sure that you keep them away from heat. anything room temp and below is good.

By nuecrew (Nue) on Monday, November 19, 2001 - 08:05 pm:

My shrooms never last more than about two weeks tops. I saw one of those vacuum sealers today. Maybe if you first made the "air" in the bag CO2 or N2 and then vacu-sealed. Ah, hell with it..eat em up.

By Nan (Nanook) on Monday, November 19, 2001 - 11:19 pm:

My shrooms last for months. Chopping them might cause a little oxidation, but they will dry out much quicker. Fan drying followed by desiccant... Potency loss is neglible as far as I can tell.

I love my vacuum sealer. It was $100, but it has saved hours of labor packing dried shrooms. Properly dried, vacuum bagged, popped into the freezer... No complaints of potency loss here after several months.

By Lichen (Lichen) on Monday, November 19, 2001 - 11:45 pm:

we always eat ours before long, but there is an interesting article somewhere in Fanaticus' site that I have cited before. Interesting reading, if you can find it. It says a man stored some shroom dust, deliberately ground, in a glass jar with a bit of co2 in there, for 23 years. He claimed that the shrooms were even better than when he packed them, and I believe it.
I gave a friend a big fat Hawaaian in a quart jar. He lives in a yurt, no electricity, no way to freeze or refrigerate the thing. Turned out he didn't really want it. I had let my shroom setup die off, and in the springtime my partner and I put out the word we'd like to find a shroom. We had just experienced a magical time @the hotsprings in Jemez, seranaded by invisible frogs and fireflies in seclusion at 8,000ft, an experience that would have been utterly divine had we been fortunate enough to have a shroom to eat while we made love in the 107F water.

Word came from our friend, who brought the shroom in the jar. It was a year old, had sporulated, with upturned cap, spores all over it.

We divided that shroom into four portions and had two day's mild shrooming. I'd say the shroom was even better after a year in the jar.

Does that help?

By Snoopy (Snoopy) on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 12:27 am:

hmmm so it sounds like chopping them up will cause oxidization which will hurt them. And that is apparent by the blueing that you see when the insides come into contact with the air. I am worried that Neucrew said his don't last more than 2 weeks, I find that a bit odd. I was under the understanding that they could last a long time. Neucrew, was it the fact that they rotted and were destroyed, or that you ate them and they lost their potency? And how did you dry them Neucrew, and did you chop them up or dry them whole?

By Lichen (Lichen) on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 12:34 am:

If you add co2 to the chopped shrooms, it keeps them from oxidizing. I think Nuecrew eats them before thay have a chance to age.
I should add, I had a shroom I had as a showpiece, in the open air, gathering dust, for 8 months, and it was fine when we ate it. I bet shrooms interred with 3,000 year-old mummies still retain potency. Let it suffice to say that if you only want to store them for a year or so, as long as they are dry they will last

By An guy (Boomer) on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 01:22 am:

Snoopy- I think nue meant that they got eaten, is why they never last two weeks....

From everything I have read, and I asked this question too, a couple weeks ago, as I want to powder mine, any degredation is very minimal- not noticeable. As long as you don't keep them in too warm of an environment- the cooler the better, as with practically anything.

By Snoopy (Snoopy) on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 02:51 am:

An guy, yah I keep them just in a drawer, I suppost I could keep the container in the fridge, with the damprid. Probably would be better. Thanks for the input everyone.
happy shroomin'

By jim brown (Shrhobbyist) on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 09:11 am:

I have eaten mushrooms that were at least four years old and they were great. I have actually never heard of shrooms going bad unless heat was used in drying. I have heard of many people eating very old shrooms with luck, as long as they are properly dried. Lichen, I read that story too. My question is, why does he think they were more potent? Is there some evidence that psilocybin can increase? And, do you think after 23 years he really remembers how good they were, and can now acuratlly compare the trips?

By Lichen (Lichen) on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 03:12 pm:

I don't know, but I do know that I have noticed the "mellowing" thing when they've been stored for several months. They do seem to improve with age. Did the story say the man actually hadn't tripped on shrooms for 23 years? I can't find the link.
I went for six years or so, I can't remember precisely, and the first times I took shrooms they weren't as good as I expected them to be, not as good as I remembered. But I think I was suffering from fear and guilt that time, which can really fuck with the mood. Anyway, I think you can never forget what shrooms are like, I still remember precisely what it felt like 17 years ago...still looking for that feelin

By Drew Man (Dman) on Wednesday, December 05, 2001 - 04:26 pm:

I just picked some mushrooms, and I have dried them out and they shrunk substancially. Whats the best way to store them so they dont continue to shrink and loose weight?

By jared (Jared112) on Wednesday, December 05, 2001 - 04:46 pm:

once they are dried the won't loose anymore weight, the best way to store them would be to put them inside an airtight sandwitch baggie then put that inside a 1/2 pint jar or something that you have. Look here for info on how to store the best

By jim brown (Shrhobbyist) on Wednesday, December 05, 2001 - 05:00 pm:

Drew, make sure you dry them until they stop losing any weight. That way you know they are completely dry. They must be completely dry to be stored for any length of time. Trying to freeze them turns them into a disgusting black mess. I'm sure you wouldn't do this but, trying to give shrooms a false sense of weight (for whatever reason) will certainly lead to ruined shrooms.

By serialkiller1 (Serialkiller1) on Wednesday, December 05, 2001 - 05:27 pm:

i put mine inin a vac 500 like on t.v.. i think i can store them in there for ever.(no air). i noticed i can keep fresh shroomsfor up to 3 weeks in there also!!

By Trollhunter (Trollhunter) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 01:08 am:

dry them , crush them , jell cap them ,and store in cool dry dark spot .but again this is jmo

By Cbee (Cbee) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 01:32 am:

I have heard you can store 1/2 dried or fresh shrooms in honey.. is this true? I have no access to a drying agent but i would liek to keep my shrooms good for a week or so till after my exams.. is this possible? do you think air drying them would work fine just to keep for a week? When i have some cash i am planning on buying some of that drying crap but right now im on a tight budget.

By boomer (Cmos) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 01:45 am:

Damp Aid is only like 3 or 4 bucks. You must be on a REAL tight budget!

By Lichen (Lichen) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 01:46 am:

if you live in an arid clime, try putting them on a towel somewhere where it's warm, say, in a bathroom near a heater vent...they'll dry that way

By Cbee (Cbee) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 02:44 am:

boomer, that stuff isnt available where i live ive looked everywhere.. how much was that dry flower stuff from the craft store SYD?

By Cbee (Cbee) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 02:48 am:

oh ya and i am on a real tight budget, I owe 1500+ so I have -$1500, spend my last change on verm and BRF and parking at my college... School is too expensive and working is too time consuming, i dont think i coudl work and go to school at the same time

By quote: (Quote) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 02:56 am:

i paid like $7 for 5 pounds of flower-drying silica gel at Hobby Lobby.
finals are pretty soon, yes ?
why not just keep them fresh, in a paper bag, in a cool dry spot, refridgerated preferably.
they'll keep 2-3 weeks easily that way.

By SYDYSTYK (Addict) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 03:53 am:

mine was like $6 for 1.5 lbs and $15 for 5 at "Michaels" craft store

By Brad (Raze) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 05:05 am:

I picked up 1.25lbs for 10 bucks here in Canada

By boomer (Cmos) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 06:15 am:

Here you go bro, this is all I could find, and you can order online.

1.5 pound - $7.03

http://store.yahoo.com/bevfabriccrafts/silgelflowdr.html

5.0 pounds - $14.07

http://store.yahoo.com/bevfabriccrafts/silgelflowme.html

By Dr. Cubesis III (Newbieshroomer) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 08:20 pm:

Hmmm, I set the shrooms ( well my first and only flush so far ) in a collander on top of one of my my hepa filters running on high overnight, then into the dessicant chamber they go.....

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Sunday, December 09, 2001 - 10:32 pm:

I know that some info about storage is in the archives, but I thought it might be useful to get input on the main types in one post. Could anyone who has knowledge on storage give me comparative information on types of storage? For example:

stored whole with dessicant- x weeks/months
stored in honey- x weeks/months
stored as powder- x weeks/months
stored in gelcaps- x weeks/months

Basically I just thought it would be nice to have this info all in one post. Generalizations are ok...I'm basically just looking for the best type of storage given a certain time frame that I want to keep them for. Thanks.

By quote: (Quote) on Sunday, December 09, 2001 - 10:39 pm:

all 4 methods will work well for several months, even a couple years.
the powder will lose fastest, unless gel-capped.
the real critical factors you left out.
3 things will destroy potency.
heat, light, and air.
protect them from all 3, and they'll last several years.

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 05:02 am:

Thanks quote. I knew about the critical factors. If I wanted to keep things really simple once the whole mushrooms were totally dry, what would be the best way to store them for several months?

By relic (Relic) on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 06:15 am:

the best is either whole or gelcap'd in a good ziplock, placed into a tight jar w/ either a couple stay fresh silica gel packets or some damprid in the jar. put away in a cool, dry, dark place like the back of a drawer. i would bet they would last pretty good for years that way.

By quote: (Quote) on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 05:40 pm:

---

Quote:

put away in a cool, dry, dark place like the back of a drawer.

---

By relic (Relic) on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 10:32 pm:

yes, the freezer works very well too.

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 10:33 pm:

Quote...or anyone. I've heard about people using carbon dioxide to remove the oxygen from the storage container. What if you stored the dried mushrooms in a wine bottle and used an attachment to pump the air out of the bottle, creating a vacuum? I have one already that I use once my wine bottles are opened and they ARE made specifically for removing the air from the bottle. What do you think? Also, what is easier to use for long term storage, silica gel packs or drierite? Where could I get silica gel packs anyway?

By quote: (Quote) on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 10:59 pm:

it would be good to remove the air if possible, as you suggest.
i believe the silica gel is better for long-term storage.
as for packaging it, perhaps one could convert tea bags to hold it.
some camera stores carry them as well.

By prepschoolquote (Quoschoolprepy) on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 11:09 pm:

Does anyone know why it would be bad to store them in honey?

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 11:48 pm:

Quote..I think this will be the plan. Once dried they go into a wine bottle with a few silica gel packs (can the packs actually touch the shrooms?). Then I will pump as much of the air as I can out of the bottle. Then it's off to a cool, dark place for storage. Sound good?

By Nan (Nanook) on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 11:52 pm:

Sounds good to me! Nice dark bottle to reduce light exposure.

By quote: (Quote) on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 11:53 pm:

sounds good, it's ok if the shrooms contact the silica, but don't use the kind with the color changing indicator granules, as they are slightly toxic and will leave a foul taste behind.

as for the honey question, i have no idea why mj said that, as several others vouch for the method, which dates back into antiquity.

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 06:26 am:

The only silica gel packs that I've seen were in packages with things that I've bought (one was with a telescope I bought, I guess to keep humidity from the lens). Does the silica work to keep the mushrooms dry through the plastic bag that it's in? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to picture whether we're talking about loose silica in the bottle or small plactic bags of silica that somehow act through the plastic. Thanks

By kobayashi (Impalerzz) on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 07:10 am:

I bet you could go to the drug store and purchase those little silica gel bottles used in Excedrin.
I'd just say that u have a lot of vitamins and need to keep them stored or something..I think I'll try that tomorrow.
Excedrin bottles contain a very nice little bottle of silica.Its refillable too.
-d

By ion ewe (Ion) on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 08:20 am:

Just dropping in, here...I can't stay away long...

Silica is completely unnecessary if you seal your container well, and it is not a type of container that can "breathe" (freezer paper, old ziploc baggie, etc.). Dry rock hard. Leave whole. Store in a vaccuum or oxygenless container (CO₂, Nitrous, etc.). Place in a very cold (at least -5 C for high psilocin retention), lightless environment. They will keep like new for over five years this way.

When you do finally want to open up the container, let it warm up to room temperature (if you plan on leaving some shrooms in there) and open slowly. Replace the empty space with your inert gas or vaccuum, seal, and freeze.

This is the best way, hands down. I promise.

Honey is best with fresh or only partially dried mushrooms. It will leach the active principles out of them, so the whole mess should be stored in a dark, refrigerated (not frozen) environment. The mushrooms should be tightly packed in the jar with just enough honey to surround and cover them, and any empty space should be filled with inert gas if possible. These will last for a good few years, provided the jar does not become infected with nasties or something. The honey will be extremely potent and the mushrooms will be less, but still pretty good.

Pulverizing will expose more chemical to degrading factors, but is still OK if tightly packed and used with the first set of parameters I've listed.

Gelcaps tend to absorb a small amount of water from air, so one should actually use a silica bolus or pack in with the jar of pills. Again, store and remove as stated in the first two paragraphs.

Enjoy! Now... or later...

-ion

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Wednesday, December 19, 2001 - 07:06 pm:

Once my shrooms are dry, I'm planning on storing them in a dark wine bottle and using an attachment to pump the air out of the bottle. As for a dessicant, I was thinking of using silica gel. Since I'll be using a wine bottle, to get at shrooms I'll have to tip the bottle, meaning that I'll have to use silica gel packs, not the loose stuff. How do they work, anyway? Is the packet porous, thereby allowing the silica to absorb extra moisture through the packet itself? Can the packet be placed among the shrooms with them actually touching it? And finally, where's the best place to store the bottle? I don't want to freeze the mushrooms if I can avoid it, so is the fridge ok?

By Nan (Nanook) on Wednesday, December 19, 2001 - 11:23 pm:

Fine
Yes
Yes. No problem with packets touching shrooms.
Freezer or fridge. Freezer don't bother them a bit , but if you can't or don't, fridge is better than nothing.

By Dr. Cubesis III (Newbieshroomer) on Thursday, December 20, 2001 - 01:10 am:

WOW!!!

You did a GREAT job of answering those questions!

I actually have extra hepa filter material around... Probably going to make my own little packets with that and dessicant...

Where the heck do you buy those little packets anyway??

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Thursday, December 20, 2001 - 03:29 am:

That's a good question. I'm going to try some hobbie shops. I'm assuming that the silica packets don't have any indicator in them, since you can't see the actual silica, correct?

By Nan (Nanook) on Thursday, December 20, 2001 - 05:45 am:

It makes no difference. The generic packaging is FDA approved: sealed in filter bags or semi-permeable membrane and rated for insertion into bottles of medication. I have seen the indicating stuff in cellophane bags (semi-permeable), it's sealed, no indicator is getting out unless the packet is damaged. The filter bag stuff is non-indicating I'm sure, but it makes no difference because the filter bag prevents particulate contamination of any indicator.

By jim brown (Shrhobbyist) on Thursday, December 20, 2001 - 08:19 am:

If you put your shrooms in a wine bottle you might have trouble getting them out.

By Snoopy (Snoopy) on Thursday, December 20, 2001 - 01:54 pm:

Is the fridge really better than anything... what about storing them in regular room temp, are you going to lose any potency at all by not putting them in the fridge? I just find its easier to conceal them outside of the frigerator.

By quote: (Quote) on Thursday, December 20, 2001 - 05:53 pm:

you will gradually lose potency at room temp, esp. when temps get 90's and above. i once accidently left a bag of shrooms in the trunk of a car, during summertime. within a week, they were total bunk, no magic left.
lower temps take longer, the lower the better.
but at 70's or so, they'll still pack a punch months later.

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Thursday, December 20, 2001 - 10:45 pm:

jim...I take your point about not being able to get the shrooms out. I'll have to re-examine things once they're dry. Maybe once the shrooms are completely dry, I'll break them as needed to fit. I was mainly thinking about wine bottles because I can use the attachment to remove the air from the bottle. This was I don't need CO2 or anything else...keep it nice and simple. I know that oxidation can occur if you shrooms aren't whole, but I figure it should be ok if I only break them once they're completely dry and then remove all of the oxygen. Sound ok?

By Dr. Cubesis III (Newbieshroomer) on Thursday, December 20, 2001 - 11:21 pm:

Hmmm

Yea, I was in a paraphanelia shop two days ago, checked out some of thier mushroom cultivation books.... The first one I picked up told you to
dry your shrooms in the oven at low heat...


Geez,,, Talk about out of date, and that book was like 24.95.. and a half inch thick....

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Sunday, December 23, 2001 - 07:30 am:

I was previously thinking of storing my dry shrooms in a wine bottle with silica gel packets because I could use a little device to suck out the air from the bottle. However, after someone's reply one of my other questions, I started to wonder about getting them out of the bottle, especially now that my shrooms are getting bigger and bigger. My main problem is getting rid of the oxygen. First question: if you take care of the light and the temp issues, will the oxygen in the container be an issue over a period of 3-4 months. Second question: If so, what's a good way to eliminate the oxygem from the container, without CO2 or other technicalities. Can't you just stuff the remaining space with cotton or something to displace the air? I'm just looking for something easy and low tech.

By Cbee (Cbee) on Sunday, December 23, 2001 - 07:39 am:

If you want to store shrooms for a very long time I would just toss em in a zip lock freezer bag or something of that sort. Personally I would opt to make pills out of em, for really long time storage, I think that this method will get alot more popular as time goes on. The ease of storage and unsuspiciousness of a bottle off vitamin pills sure does ease the pressure keepin them in your home. Just dry with dess. and crush up and pack into pills. Very cheap to order and great fun! haha pop 3-4 and your out to lunch! peace

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Sunday, December 23, 2001 - 05:06 pm:

Thanks, cbee. I've thought about pills, but I want to get this technique down as well. So within my original idea, what do you think the solution would be, pills aside. Do you think ziplock bags are the solution?

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Tuesday, December 25, 2001 - 04:10 am:

If I were to store my shrooms with a few packets of silica gel, which would be best in the freezer, ziplock or glass jars. If glass jars, which kind are the best? The reason I ask is because I've heard the you're not supposed to store pot in ziplock bags, only in glass, because the plastic leaches chemicals from the pot. Whether that is true or not, does it make a difference with shrooms?

By Nan (Nanook) on Tuesday, December 25, 2001 - 05:07 am:

I don't know... People say over long periods of time the Ziplock bags are permeable allowing some gas exchange... I don't know the truth of the matter and honestly I don't think it's going to make much difference over the average storage shelf life of dried shrooms before they are consumed...

Certainly nobody would argue against hermetically sealed glass jars as primo for storing dried shrooms. Personally I use vacuum storage bags and a vacuum sealer bag to put up my shrooms in the freezer...

By Snoopy (Snoopy) on Tuesday, December 25, 2001 - 05:27 am:

I have also wondered whats better glas jars or plastic bags. I have been using a tupperware container instead of plastic bags because I like the shrooms to maintain their lean shroom figure. Plastic bags they can get broken up and with jars/tupperware you can put a nice layer of dessecant down and than a screen to set the shrooms on. Keeps them nice and dry

On a side note: Nan, what is the downfall of not storing them in a freezer? I leave them outside of the fridge is that alright? I don't want any loss of potency.

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Saturday, December 29, 2001 - 06:31 am:

Hi quote (or anyone else). You mentioned in another post about converting tea bags to hold silica gel to store the shrooms. Given this any more thought? I can't find any packets, although I have found loose silica gel which I'm using to dry my babies. I think the tea bags would work, but I don't know how best to seal them up again. Stitch them with thread? For storage of a few months would they be ok without the dessicant anyway, assuming no light, low temp, and reduced oxygen? Whether or not they would be ok, any advice on how to re-close the bags would be good, unless you know of an inconspicuous place where I could buy the packets without shopping online. Cheers.

By Nan (Nanook) on Saturday, December 29, 2001 - 06:42 am:

Staple them closed. I would enclose a desiccant bag for storage.

By quote: (Quote) on Saturday, December 29, 2001 - 04:08 pm:

fold the end over, then staple it closed.

By Kevin Smith (Canshroom) on Saturday, December 29, 2001 - 05:44 pm:

Should have thought of that...thanks, quote

I don't know if anyone has tried this before, but this drying tek works great for me and I thought it was worth mentioning

first i gather all of my freshies, aborts and all. Then I take a threaded needle and string them all up. Make sure there is space between each individual shroom. Then you just hang the string wherever you want. Just set a fan in front of it and in a couple of days or less they'll be rock hard.

LOL!!!

That is a pretty cool tek!
Never hear it before!

Like popcorn on a string!!

I think I read about that in the High Times psychedelic issue ("Best of" #17) a few years back. "Cool" idea.

-ion

Actually that is how my bud does it also, with a minor ajustment:

After you string up "popcorn" use masking tape to secure them to each side of a cooler (be sure to leave slack for when the lid closes) the fill the cooler with damprid. This alllows you to do TONS at once and the dry ultra fast. The only downfall is the time to string them up.