Condensation Problem

Nan's Nook : Archives : Jars : Condensation Problem
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By Professor Fustertingle (Fustertingle) on Thursday, September 06, 2001 - 11:59 pm:

I am currently incubating 6 half pint jars following the PF tek. They are currently about 90% colonized and I thought I would try turing three of them over to see how it would affect the colonization of the bottom (top) of the jars. But now I am seeing a TON of condensation on the bottom (top) of the jars which is dripping down on to the mycelium. Any ideas? I know that the water droplets are damaging to the mycelium. How can I help this? Did I add to much water to the substrate? The jars that I didn't turn over are doing just as well and I don't see any signs of condensation.

This is my very first attempt at growing, but I am very pleased with the ease of the pf tek.

Thank you.

By Saluras (Saluras) on Friday, September 07, 2001 - 12:06 am:

I wouldn't worry, i grow a load of cakes, all show what you describe, turn em over and let them finish colonizing. if its any consolation i haven't even had any contams with cakes. i've turned jars over when only 30% colonized, the seem to go faster.

keep it up :)

By Babycake (Babycakes) on Sunday, September 30, 2001 - 03:29 am:

Is it bad for cakes at all most 100% surface colonaiztion to become sweaty (i.e. lots of condensation in the jar but none pooling at the bottom)? Cakes double end cased in vitro. What should be done?

By Liberty_Caps (Liberty_Caps) on Sunday, September 30, 2001 - 03:49 am:

hey I was wondering im my terrium I was thinking off hot glueing some saran wrap pieces to the inside top in my terrium to collect condesation so my grow chamber would be more humid would this work BETTER???? make it more humid???,,,,does anyone know any ways to make a grow chamber more humid??? how do u keep a perlight chamber at 99% humidty????

By Nanook of the North (Nanook) on Sunday, September 30, 2001 - 04:04 am:

Babycake: Condensation in the jars is normal, don't fret.

Liberty Cap: You get the proper Humidity in a grow chamber by: placing one inch of damp Perlite into the bottom, Misting the side walls daily, keeping the Verm casing on the wet side by dripping Water onto it when it dries. You do this and you will have plenty of Humidity.

Nan

By whoever (Livedangerous) on Friday, October 19, 2001 - 05:23 am:

some water has condensed along the walls of most of my jars but there isnt a bunch of water collecting on the bottom of the jars. is this bad for my cakes. will this amount of moisture make them rot? should i loosen the lid so some evaporates? do what if anything? help before my babies die. thanks

By monkeyod (Monkeyod) on Friday, October 19, 2001 - 05:39 am:

Your cakes are fine. Just let them finish and start to pin then case them as normal.

By Nan (Nanook) on Friday, October 19, 2001 - 05:51 am:

Water droplets can frequently be moved/removed by turning the jar upside down, shaking, or tapping on the alcohol sterilized cover of a phone book. Try to get water to the side wall where it will trickle down and be absorbed by the verm barrier.

For stalled jars: Remove the tape and/or flip.

For stuck bottoms or stuck grain: Bang the jar hard, lid down on the sterilized cover of a phone book. Be careful the jar does not break in your hand.

By whoever (Livedangerous) on Friday, October 19, 2001 - 01:58 pm:

thanks for the archive link nanook. it was helpful but now im reading that you should flip the jar upside down. what is this all about. does it help the jar colonize faster? wouldnt the water run down into the dry verm that was once on top? you dont want mycellium growing in the contaminant barrier of dry mycellium right? thanks again guys, i was worrying bad.

By Nan (Nanook) on Friday, October 19, 2001 - 04:01 pm:

Some people flip, other's don't. It does seem to help stalled jars. The verm in the jar sucks up any extra water that drips on it without any problem.

Also See: Do I need Tape?

Shroom Glossary

By Isaac Lipnick (Isaac) on Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 08:05 am:

Hi everyone,
This is my first time growing and so I'm still trying to figure out the best way to approach the problems I'm running into. Right now, I have four 1/2 pint jars at different stages of colonization. They are pf race, and seem to be doing fine (so far). My question is: now that the older ones are almost fully colonized, there is a lot of condensation on the inside of the jars- what do I do? I've heard direct contact with water is bad for the cakes, so what's the best way to get rid of it? I very much appreciate any and all help/advice. Thank you.
Your bud,
Isaac

By ggg (Ggg) on Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 12:40 pm:

If you are using BRF/verm in a PF max mix you should expect to see a little moisture in the jars. I have read that If you remove tape and foil and flip your jars at the 50% colonized point, you might see some of the moisture drop into the verm layer that is now on the bottom.
If you are planning to fruit invitro you could wait for pins then unscrew the inverted jar and wipe out the water.
****I would not advise opening the jar until
AT LEAST
7 days after 100% colonization!!****

Try a keyword search on condensation.
I hope I helped.

piece

By quote: (Quote) on Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 02:25 pm:

there's no need to wait 7 days after full colonization of the cake's surface, that only applies to those crumbling the cakes for casing, since the interior of the cake might not have finished yet.

By ggg (Ggg) on Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 10:38 pm:

Sorry guys -I just get real spooky about contamination!

By Dr. Cubensis (Shroomzilla) on Wednesday, January 16, 2002 - 03:33 am:

Don't worry about the water unless it seems to be turning your cake colors, specifically yellow.

Given time your cakes will sprout mushies regardless of the water droplets in the jar during colonization.

By Isaac Lipnick (Isaac) on Saturday, January 19, 2002 - 02:32 am:

Thanks again guys. Take it easy.

By Mr. Tambourine Man (Tambourine_Man) on Monday, January 28, 2002 - 06:33 pm:

Hi, I've read that condensation inside jars is just fine, but what if the mycellium is in direct contact with a droplet of water for over 48 hours? It would drown right?

By Dr. Cubensis (Shroomzilla) on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 - 12:18 am:

Ehhhhh....

Hmmm, Meestor tam.

My friend has had jars that waited almost two
months before they were actually " picked "
to be used in his wild experiments.

Seems that the " direct contact " issue usually
ends with yellowing of the mycellia, which seems to heal up just dandy when jars are fruited in-vitro ( quarts IME ) or in a terrarium.

Stuff bounces back like crazy.

For example. My buddy left about twenty 2nd and 3rd flush cakes in a trash bag and misted the insides of the bag. It was pretty wet in there....

He fully expected to find contams and nasty smells
a week and a half later, but instead found a trash bag with TONS of mushrooms growing in it.

LOL! Mycelia will survive...

By quote: (Quote) on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 - 02:20 pm:

you're basically correct, tam.
but, as zilla points out,
water damage is ugly but doesn't seem to seriously impair the cake's fruiting.