PF TEK Experience #1

As a grower I'd like to post a minor missal with a general account of my experiences and in defense of the PF Tek.

I've now been thru about five VERY successful cycles of cultivation and must say it's had a tremendous impact on me. My first 'run' was using brown rice methods from the Hyperreal pages right here. - I had a PF spore sample - quart jars etc, meanwhile I shelled out the $10 for the PF Tek and waited. While i waited I found humidity VERY hard to maintain in the jars - especially during a heatwave with the AC drying the air. When the PF Tek arrived and I read it, it was obvious that this was the way to go - I busted all my jars and migrated mid-stream to dual chambered terrarium. I found the hand spraying to be a little laborious so I hooked up the bubbler method and it works great.

In defense of PF!

Before I got into this I scoured the net for everything I could find and read it all - the PF Tek isn't like anything on the Net that I've seen (besides the recent Growers Guide 2.4 here on the Hyperreal Growers Page). When I first read the 'Growers Guide' (which PF also rebuts) I was a little offended by it, I mean I payed ten bucks for this info and didn't even distribute it personally, I told friends "Dude you really need to buy these instructions" and here they are on the net.

I feel a loyalty to PF here's why......The PF's Tek works, I can assure you and it's worth the $10 you spent in the frustrations you will save. I have not lost one jar to contaminents since fully implimenting the PF Tek. PF Tek is a real person out there somewhere that will answer questions too - I had what I though was a problem - wrote to PF and got a FAST answer back to reassure my neophyte mind. I can also say that PF was very generous in making good on a problem spore sample I got - no sweat at all.

About the PF Tek

I'm not gonna publish any methods because I am fiercely loyal but within those parameters here are some of my experiences which may help other growers - some are a response to the posting of the Growers Guide 2.4....

The only thing I tried directly from the "Growers Guide 2.4" was the "drill a small hole in cakes approaching the end of their life span and rehydrate them" technique. I had high hopes for it but never saw a result - I will try it again though, I keep a diary with #'s of days on which events occur and will note when I implemented last time and try an adjustment.

1/2 pint jars are it - and make sure they're the short wide ones not the tall slender jelly jars - takes me 14-18 days to fully colonize these. Don't even think about Pints, you'll be there forever waiting for them to colonize.

I use a 5.5 gallon aquarium - it's real small, fits in my closet much smaller than the reccomended 10 gallon one - I bought these things at rickel's - in their shelving organizing section - they're made of wire mesh rubber coated - like dish drainer material - approx 6"x10" flat surface with tall legs - i cut the legs real short and use them as a re-useable washable raised floor - I customized another one to act as a 2nd level about 5" over top of the floor level one and with only about 1/2 the floor space (length) otherwise - it lifts right out if needed - the 5.5 gallon supports 10 cakes comfortably.

I use a cup-o-water with an aquarium bubble stone in it - sittin in the aquarium - with a diagonally mounted shield in front of it to stop actual flying drops - for a lid I bought one at the pet shop for my tank - it's a plastic frame with screen made into the top - I glued plastic to it and fitted the top edge of the tank with adhesive foam weatherstripping, the lid 'clicks' onto thew aquarium fram firmly, except for where my airhouse goes in (3") I'm airtight. - the whole thing fogs up - I don't have a humidistat but it gets WAY humid. - very low maintenance. I would never dream of doing it any other way (Humidifier?) unless perhaps i was going into mass production - I'm sure most of the interest here is for personal...

In my experience w/ spore print I diverge with PF here a little (I tried both mature caps per PF and the rounder ones per "Growers Guide 2,4", PF is 'on' here too again - the round ones got me only the lightest prt. Here is where I diverge a little - I'm only just beginning with the printing so I defer to PF - I used optical lense cleaning paper - it's almost like cigarette paper, and short of delineating the entire technique - I layed it out like an open book and printed right in the middle where the fold was - then i closed the fold and with the open end up, rolled it like a cigarette and twisted the ends - later when i wanted to transfer it to sterile water i unrolled it - but it's still folded get it - and then unfolded it over the water - and never had to touch the side of the paper the print was on - there's a lot to learn however you approach this and PF is a powerful resource.

If yer gonna do this, order the PF Tek, His spore samples are the most easily used, his technique is clear and effective and he explains a lot of the 'WHYs' and he (or she) can answer questions.

M. Speed Bishop

p.s. PF - I sincerely hope that I have not affronted you in anyway with these tips here.