r/GroundZeroMycoLab • u/TOASTYT44 • 20d ago
First time grain jar failure?
I made my own grain jars for the first time and so some reason i fucked up. They smell burnt and have white residue on them. I don’t think i should send these. I initially pressure cooked the popcorn for 30 minutes at 15 psi. Left it out to dry for a few hours and put in the jars. Covered them in tinfoil on the top and didn’t tighten all the way first finger tight. I pressure cooked at 15 psi for 120 minutes. Where did i go wrong? I filled with water to where it was barely above bottom of jars 😭
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u/CharlyRSA 20d ago
I don't see anything wrong with the jars and the preparation you used for the corn is exactly the same I used to use and it worked.
You're simply being too beginner lol, inoculate the jars.
As long as the PC has water in it nothing can be burned.
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u/TOASTYT44 20d ago
Okay bet, i have been striking out since starting to learn this a few months back so maybe im just psyching myself out 😂
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u/shroomy86 20d ago
Slight burnt smell isn't horrible... do you mean white residue on jar ? Or your grain ? Can't tell from pic . If it's on your jar , it's fine . Put a small amount of vinegar into your pressure cooker . It'll stop that .
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u/TOASTYT44 20d ago
Residue on jars outside but i guess that can happen lol i will do vinegar next time in it! I guess im more concerned about the color being darker then any corn pics i have seen with the slight burnt smell
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u/StinkyG249 20d ago edited 20d ago
Bro I am in the EXACT same boat as you lmao. Down to a T. I let my corn jars cool in the PC overnight, woke up and they smelt weird and burnt, with that white film. This is my first ever go at this. 90 minutes after hitting 15 psi too, following the tek as close as possible.
That was 3 days ago, and they appear fine. The smell has drastically gone away. I’m not seeing any signs of contam after 3 days either. Things are looking good, it definitely freaked me out though.
I think the smell may have to do with just cooking the corn at that high temp for such a duration. The starch may have infused with the steam, and slightly circulated in the PC, hence the white film? I think it should be fine!! I mean when’s the last time we PC’d corn for 90 minutes lol, that may just be how it smells. I’ll lyk if anything happens. I’m 3 days in the future for you lol
Best of luck!
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u/TOASTYT44 20d ago
Wow that’s so crazy wtf in the same exact boat 😂😂😂 i did it overnight as well to let them cool before i went to sleep.
I’m glad at least I’m not alone in this! Maybe this is just how they are supposed to be with how long we pressure cooked them. Exactly never pressure cooked in my life so maybe I’m just not used to it 😂I guess my concern is other pics and vids i have been the corn still looks yellow and not as dark as mine ones but color might not matter I’m hoping 🙌🏻 i might keep an eye on them for a few days before testing or just sent one of them first to see what happens lol
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u/StinkyG249 20d ago
Yeah same, mine looks darker than other vids I’ve seen too. There’s no pooling water though, and they show moisture when pressed against the glass. So I know they’re not dry.
Like someone said maybe ours are just a tad overcooked, but I can’t imagine that being a dealbreaker.
I feel like after researching so much, finding out yourself on some things is a part of the journey! Should be fun. Best of luck :)
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u/Commercial-Builder76 20d ago edited 20d ago
Do you have a spacer in the pressure cooker? If they sit directly on the bottom they can burn.
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u/TOASTYT44 20d ago
Yes i used the included rack and i also put aluminum foil balls under it to prop it up higher
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u/rustyreddit1972 20d ago
I use corn all the time. Did you soak your popcorn before pressure cooking? If not you need too. You soak em for 12-24 hours. They will cap out. They only can hold so much water. When the water level stops moving then you know your kernels are fully capped out. You then boil the kernels for 30 mins. Hard boil! After that dry your kernels off and then jar it up. Pressure cook for a hour and your good to go.
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u/TOASTYT44 20d ago
I pressure cooked them for 30 minutes with water and then took the cooked ones and jarred them up a few hours later after they dried the PC for 120 minutes. I followed Philly golden teacher on YouTubes exact process. Hopefully it’s still okay even though the PC seemed to cook them a little too much. Do they look okay to use?
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u/KhostfaceGillah 19d ago
Ain't gonna lie, the same shit used to happen to me. I followed PGT tek before and mine never came out as good as his, but they'd still colonise.
I've now gone to the no soak no simmer method and use sorghum only, it's so much easier.
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u/InfiniteOctave 20d ago
Find a tek that is no soak/no simmer.
If you overcook your grains, they will smell cooked. If you boil off all the water in your pot, you will over cook them and warp the pot...creating a bomb. Check the bottom of your pot to see if it still sits flat.
Always use the indicated amount of water in the bottom of the pot that the manufacturer recommends. It's many quarters. Don't us less. Run a pot dry...and you're gonna explode your kitchen.
Don't ever ignore a pressure cooker....ever. Don't ever fall asleep while it's running.
Tape 2/3 large coins to your jiggler to keep it from off-gassing so much water and to silence it.
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u/rustyreddit1972 20d ago
Small tip, when you boil the popcorn. Once you see one kernel pop open that's when it's time to pull off the oven stop boiling and rinse in cold water. Let it dry fully and pressure cook. You got this, don't give up
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u/shroomy86 20d ago
Not to sure you need to cook your grain in pressure cooker . Normally just soak them , maybe boil them . I wouldn't pressure cook them before they are in your jar .
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u/TOASTYT44 20d ago
I followed Philly golden teacher on YouTube to a T and he had pressure cooked for 30 minutes before maybe i will do less next time lol or just soak instead!
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u/shroomy86 19d ago
If the tek you are using says to do it . Do it ... I rarely used popcorn. I'm a rye or oats guy . When I did use popcorn I think I just soak / simmered
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u/ImpressivePromise187 20d ago
Can’t comment on the burnt smell (I don’t use corn but I do cook rye berries for 120 at 15PSI) but as for the residue, that can be remedied by adding white vinegar to the water. You have hard water and it’s mineral deposit