On the subject of "dunking" mushroom substrates - question and discussion

A few of the more avid mycophiles here are dunking their plugs or pucks or cakes or what ever they are called. This discussion and question is for them.

The point of a nice casing layer is not only to provide physical support for the fruit but also to provide moisture. The methods I use ensures plenty of moisture in the substrate and of course a continuing supply of fresh water to the surface of the casing.

Now I think that what the dunkers are presuming is that the water content of the substrate runs low long before the nutritional value does.

Here is my issue - the casing layer becomes so compact and filled with mycelium that it no longer accepts water while the substrate is becoming quite dry - I am hoping to get another few flushes using your all's dunking. How long should I dunk? how do you keep your cakes from falling apart when you do? If I case, is dunking going to help me? Thanks in advance.

Dunk for 12-24 hours, if you dunk your trays, leave them in the tray just fill tray with water. i've gotten up to 8 flushes from a cake just from dunking after each flush, the last two flushes were not really worth it, just wanted to see how long the cakes would go for.

you can tell the wieght of the cakes have changed after the 24 hour dunk, their very light after a flush and afer a dunk their back or close to original weight. less noticeable with larger cakes in trays and I dont think many dunk their mono tubs, but you probably could.

the dunk and roll for cakes is normally used, the roll after the dunk is basically just replacing any verm that may have come off from picking and dunking.

its should help give more moisture to the lower part of the substrate, make sure your cakes tray are fully under water, most use distilled water with a little hydrogen peroxide

Thanks Darth - it will be a genuine pain to do but what could it hurt? Have much problem with Trich after the dunk? I have been testing ph on the casing and it is going up - not much longer before it starts inviting the dreaded forest green, do you suppose dunking encourages this?

Im not sure but im going to say it could.

add a little hydrogen peroxide to the water before you dunk, should keep endospores from germinating while in the dunk.

rinse off cakes after the dunking

its most commonly used for cakes... i've dunked a few trays of WBS before, most of them made it to fourth flush a few got tric after second flush, but im not sure if it was from dunking or what.

in the case of cakes dunking doesn't seem to lead to tric growth any more than not dunking. with something larger like trays im really not sure, but i would think it wouldn't increase chances much.

Dunking seems to do something.

Nice BIG Cap you have there.

I'm getting uncontrolable tric in places now - ah well, I got what looks like a decent final flush - 5s and 6s. On to clean up and start again with a clone of the one in the picture.

Ah man that sucks, did you dunk with the h2o2 mixed in to your water, I really hoped you wouldn't get the evil green after dunking....

Did you check the ph of the water used, I never thought of checking the ph of the water, but didn't you say your ph was becoming a little to acidic? any thoughts... Will you be dunking from now on?

Dunking..........It's the only way to go.

Here is the problem Darth - the trich is getting into my microcultivation jars. In the past I've just let it go, or tried to save them with a little baking soda. But that was because it was the only aseptic project I had in the room. Now I figure the sporeload in my lab must be getting higher than my HEPA can handle. I either toss what I have left and clean the room or ride it out for another two weeks and start tossing jars.

Oh, next time I will definiately dunk and next time I will adjust the ph of the water, that might carry the thing even further.