So, a couple weeks have passed and I finished my experiment on adding scent to mycelium.
I made a small report to guide you through my observations. It is in dutch, if there are any questions feel free to adress me. If you guys like I can make a newer version in English this time, only need to ask.
Some details that are not discussed up close in the report:
I’ve choosen some herbs and other products which either have a very specific strong scent or a more subtile aroma.
There is a lot of variation, you can find the list on my previous post.
I cooked the additives in small plastic bags which were sealed properly (dont open them afterwards unless you are going to use them but let them cool down first)
The base for the fungi is hemp straw (used for hamstercages), I put the requested amount in a kitchen towel and boiled it for half an hour. Afterwards let the water drip out using a colander (believe me it is a lot), let it cool down. As soon as the straw is cooled off (but still damp) you can use it, do not wait to long because then it won’t be sterile any more.
The conclusion?
Well I stated that the quality of the growth is strongly connected to the additive. For example the batches with synthetic additives didn’t grow at all, which is kind of logic for the all-surface cleaner ofcourse, it does not only destroy the bad moulds but also the good ones.
Also; I noticed that some ingredients of a product, if they are not completely natural, can prevent the fungi from growing properly.
But even if they are, completely natural, the problem can be explained if we look further into chemical composition of a product or herb. Such as clove; the principle ingredient is eugenol, which works antibacterial.
So after lots of effort I discovered it is not a simple task to add a scent. The typical stuffy aroma of mycelium mostly wins over the added scent…
Only star anise made a good effort but the stuffy scent was still present.
https://issuu.com/irismeeus/docs/irismeeus_dossier_experimental
Enjoy reading! 