So where is this method you speak of, I'd like to look into it.
Now the red only takes less than an hour of total effort by the time it's all said than done, so those aren't much of a factor imo.
Now the blue, I have jars that at 3 weeks are almost 100%, figure give them another 7-10 days to consolidate and they will be ready to birth, which takes what, a couple seconds to bang out a cake and walla, it's "birthed". How much quicker is the grains, because most jars seem to be ready at the 4-6 week mark if you are doing it in optimum environments. Do the grains have to consolidate the jars in the same manner before they are ready to fruit?
I have thought buying the big bags would be pretty slick, but inoculating 9 jars took me less than 30 minutes of actual hands on and that included mixing it all up, punching holes in the lids, etc, the rest is just waiting. A more automated FC would be nice, but for me it's a couple weeks of daily hands on in trade for a year or two of frying balls.
Plus I was trying to leave some of that 120 in his pocket, no need to spend it just because the budget allows for it.
I never posted it as a tek.
use quart jars. Put your grain in a pot and cover about an inch higher than the grain, cook until the water is gone or just a few of the kernels have burst. You can actually do this in the jars but it takes a bit more finesse.
Fill the jars no more than half full, flip the tops and put them in your pressure cooker, 45 minutes at 15 lbs (leave the tops only slightly loose)
Let them cool, then tighten the lids and shake them.
after they are cool, put them in your glove box or in a still room, on a clean table in a freshly sprayed room.
loosen the lids so you can slip them slightly open
quickly but carefully squirt a cc or two into each jar, and tighten the lid again
after you are done, shake each jar.
In 3 to 5 days you will see growth, wait a day after you see any growth at all and then shake the jars again
after you see growth again, wait a day and do it again (shake the jar swirling it around as you do)
you can let them rest until you see lots of growth, usually all kernels will be growing, when you see this you will notice that the growth is grey rather than white, this is because the mycelium is running out of oxygen, wait a day or so more and then give it a little air by opening the jar for a moment or two.
when you are confident that all grains are colonized, remove the lid and put a zip lock baggie over the top - so that the corners of the zip lock are open to the air.
wait a day or so and then put sterilized casing 50/50 coir/vermiculite brought to field moisture on the top of the colonized kernels, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch when slightly compacted with a sterile spoon.
replace the baggie and wait, you will see the mycelium run up the casing.
When it runs to just short of the surface spray lightly once or twice a day.
If you are in severe light wrap in foil or just put the jars back into their box as is.
At optimum temperature (82) you will likely have full colonization in 10 to 12 days,LC is even quicker, I've seen it finishe in as little as 5 days the casing run will be about a week and you should see pins shortly after that.
No fuss, no birthing, no lights, no humidity (each jar retains its own humidity tent) no fanning (there is adequate air exchange through the sides of the baggie) no terrariums, no bins, everything is contained in each jar.
The caviot is that you MUST dispose of any contamination immediately and your temperature must not go above 82 ever. Yield from a single jar is between 1/4 and 3/4 oz dry depending on how many flushes you get. You can pressure cook 7 jars at a time, two times will let you do a full case of jars which should get you a minimum of 3 oz dry.