Blazed and Infused

The first thing you will need is a large plastic container. the size will be up to you and your available workspace.  Choose a container that will allow you to reach your arms inside. You can either cut openings into the sides like I do, or you can place both in the front. You will be doing all your sanitary work inside this container. You may find it necessary to cut a view port into your container and cover with cling film. Some containers are not fully transparent and can hinder your sight.   The next piece is your fruiting chamber.  The size will once again be up to you. 1 standard 10cc spore syringe can inoculate around 10 jars. If you go that route, I recommend starting with at least a 20qt container. We will be making a shotgun fruiting chamber. You can either heat up the tip of a nail or drill 1/8th inch holes around your chamber. Be sure to leave a 3–4-inch gap from the bottom for your perlite layer. 

Now that the DIY portion is done, we can focus on the next steps.  This form of growing is known as PF tek, a popular growing method that was made famous in the 90's by the Psylocibin Fanatics forum.  The most basic substrate recipe uses a combination of brown rice flour, vermiculite and distilled water.  in order to make approximately 12 jars you will need to mix 6 cups of vermiculite, 3 cups brown rice flour and 3 cups distilled water. It is very important to mix the water and vermiculite together first to help the brown rice flour stick to the vermiculite. you will end up with a thick oatmeal consistency.  Next, you will want to check the field capacity (moisture content) of your mix. if you can take a handful and squeeze with all your might and only get a few tiny drops, then you are at the right spot. If too wet, add a little more vermiculite to the mix. If too dry, add tiny amounts of water.

Once your substrate is made you will now need to put it into your jars. You will need 1/2-pint mason jars with four holes poked into the lid for your inoculation points. Fill your jar up to the point the threads start then top off with vermiculite. The extra vermiculite will act as a filter layer for other microbes protecting the substrate. once all of that is done take a sheet of aluminum foil and cover the lids of your jars

Once all of your jars are filled the next step is sterilization. the best method is to place your jars into a pressure cooker but not everyone has access to one. The next best thing is a simple crockpot. you will need to place your jars in a crockpot filled with around 2-3 inches of water set on high for around 4-6 hours. this will effectively destroy any contaminates in your substrate.

now that you have sterilized jars you can store them in a cool dark place or use immediately. 

The next post we will discuss inoculation and proper sanitary techniques.