So you can't find any 1/2 pint jars...

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By jim brown (Shrhobbyist) on Thursday, December 20, 2001 - 11:33 pm: The Nook

A lot of you have mentioned that you can't find 1/2 pint jars but can find full pint jars. If you don't like waiting so long for those damn full pints to colonize, try this; Take your full pint jar and fill it half way with dry verm (give or take some for a bigger/smaller cake). Then take a round piece of tin foil a little bigger than the circumference of the jar. Now put that foil piece on top of the verm so the outer edge bends up along the side of the jar, making a little dish on top of the verm. Fill the foil with about 1/4 of an inch of more dry verm then add the substrate just like it were a 1/2 pint jar. Of course, put another dry verm layer on top of the substrate.

I have tried this and it is working just fine, just as if it were a regular 1/2 pint. The foil might not be necessary but without it, all that dry vermiculite might suck some of the water out of the substrate. Make sure you put a bit of verm in that foil under the substrate because you won't be able to see the colonization on the bottom. Also, be careful not to press too hard on the syringe when you innoculate, you don't want the spores to go too far down. I think this will work well for those who can't find the 1/2 pints and don't like the full pints for making cakes. My jars are almost completely colonized with these modifies jars. Hope it helps.

By Cragith Kilbonith (Kilborn) on Friday, December 21, 2001 - 12:25 am: The Nook

why not 3/4 pint

By Nan (Nanook) on Friday, December 21, 2001 - 09:37 am: The Nook

Generally what I do on pints is put a tablespoon or two of Verm in the bottom, use a long assed needle that will reach the bottom of the jar and slowly dribble inoculant from the syringe as I am pulling the needle up from the bottom.

This inoculation tek for pint jars of PF substrate overcomes every limitation of pint jar cultures. The "striping" of the jar with inoculant and the resulting growth pattern resembles OT Jar Tek. Pints shot this way beat 1/2 pints to the finish line

But you have to have the needle.

By onediadem (Onediadem) on Friday, December 21, 2001 - 02:59 pm: The Nook

Great info all. I was really frustrated with my pints. These are great ideas. I will be trying them.
Merry HOHO
pj

By Karna (Karna) on Friday, December 21, 2001 - 10:51 pm: The Nook

If you want pints to colonize faster, I'd say, pack the substrate nice and airy, leave the jar lids nice and loose, use plenty of inoculant and MAKE SURE like Nan said, that the inoculant runs down to the bottom. This is much easier if the substrate (pf substrate that is. Rice will let the inoculant roll down anyhow.) is not packed to death. To accomplish this, stick your needle through the top verm layer on the side till you can see the tip poking against the side of the jar right around where the substrate meets the verm layer, then squirt a bit and watch it drip down to the bottom. This is kind of the reverse of what Nan does, but it does not require a needle extension which I am too gauche to consider!
To do this one needs plenty of inoculant available as from a liquid cuture jar. I use 10cc per pint with pf substrate as well as whole rice and 5cc per pint or quart with rye. 10cc allows you to do 2cc in four places around the edges and 2 cc down the middle. That will get things off the ground in a rush. If you use pf maximum fruiting formula, it is already maximized in water content so you have to adjust your initial mix to account for 10cc per pint added post sterilization. That's just common sense - the Nookian's best friend.

By jim brown (Shrhobbyist) on Saturday, December 22, 2001 - 03:21 am: The Nook

Kai, that is good for those of us who make our own innoculant. Those that are asking about if pint jars are okay because it is all they have been able to find are usually newbies still ordering prints or syringes.

By Hatcher (Hatcher) on Saturday, December 22, 2001 - 05:30 am: The Nook

Spring is the time to find the 1/2 pt. jars gentlemen. Be looking for the first shipment of jars and scour the supermarkets. Last year I found three cases at Winn-Dixie, bought those, asked them to order some more, and they couldn't get them. Turned out three is all I needed, but I'll be looking for a spare case when the weather warms up...