1st attempt at FF culture

[Mvalenz]

I had a FF culture that I placed on my dresser about three weeks ago. When I placed on there it had nothing in it. I thought it was done for. But when I recently looked at it it had a ton of FF in it. Those little guys can get expensive and I plan on making a purchase soon, so I decided to try my hand at making a FF culture. I was going to use MikhailsDinos recipe because I had access to most of the ingredients.

I had to substitute some of the ingredients though:

Masa was already mixed and in the fridge. My mom said she had some. When I got there it was already mixed with salt, flour and water and was in a soggy clump. She just made tortillas.

Instead of apple sauce I used squished banana.

Instead of vinegar I used honey.

Instead of yeast I used bread.

I guess I didn't have access to any of the ingredients after all.

I will let you guys know how it goes.

I put more FF in it than you can see. They are all hiding in the coffee filters

 

[patrickfraser]

Good luck and may your culture bloom like the fields in Spring.

 

[Chivalry]

I just did my first ones too, only I used the potato flake method. Fingers crossed for both of us!

 

[Mvalenz]

Nice. Let me know how it works out. I'm also crossing toes for both of us.

 

[Bryce08]

I just did my first ones too, only I used the potato flake method. Fingers crossed for both of us!

should work fine...flakes, vinager and apple sauce...works for me

 

[PhilinYuma]

Mvalenz: Those substitutions will get you every time!

Vinegar doesn't really do anything -- it's useless as a mold inhibitor and does little to stimulate egg laying, especially since you had a rotting banana in there. Honey, though, unless well mixed in, where it will do neither harm nor good, will trap and kill the FFs in all likelihood.

Humans eat bread; FFs eat yeast and other microorganisms, so it is essential. If you are lucky, though, yeast and other microorganisms in the air will grow on the medium.

There is an old joke among the editors of Cook's Illustrated in the form of a letter from a dissatisfied reader:

"Dear Sir: I am just writing to tell you that your recipe for [whatever] is a total failure. I followed the recipe exactly except that i had to make the following substitutions...."

 

[Mvalenz]

Thats a funny letter. Sounds like my post. LOL.

There is yeast in the air? Didn't know that. I will most likely just buy the kit online in the end.

 

[Chivalry]

should work fine...flakes, vinager and apple sauce...works for me

Heh, the recipe I'd found didn't call for applesauce but I added it at sort of random. Stuff seems to be happening.

 

[hibiscusmile]

My flies Phil, insist on vinegar! I use calcium proportionate, or however u spell it, but they dont' care, they want the vinegar, so I give it to them and I find it really does help hold off mold, when I forget it, I get some mold. Also I don't know about the bread, but guess it cant hurt, I made cultures monday and the bloody flies that were in the used containers hatched again, it is distressing as I can't keep up with that many fruit flies and I hate to see them die, but die they must. I made a new potion of mashed taters and oats and I must of made 50 hydei cultures and there were so many flies in just one container I could of made prob a dozen decent cultures from it, and today when I looked at the ones I used to make them with they were overrun, I just don't know what I do wrong..................................... :taz:

 

[hibiscusmile]

OH! on top of that, I had fuzzy today! he has learned how to shake his head from side to side and it makes him dizzy! what a baby! I made meatload, taters, brocolli and califlower w/cheese sauce, french bread, and a pineapple nut upside down cake w/cream cheese frosting, but did not get to make butter, but bread was good nonethe less!

 

[Mvalenz]

Wow! Sounds like a great meal. Fuzzy is your grandbaby, right? My grandma never cooked for me like that. She just stole my piggy bank money for beer and told me the tooth fairy needed her money back for some bad teeth she got from me. Then the teeth she gave back to me weren't even mine. I think they were from her old dentures. Just kidding. She was great. Fuzzy is very lucky.

After reading the whole MikhailsDinos thread in its entirety, and it was long, I have decided to just use orins recipe. It sounds simple. And why fix something that isn’t broke? I will not be surprised if my current culture does nothing but make my room smell like banana bread. Tomorrow I'm going shopping for ingredients. But out of curiosity what are you using for media?

 

[hibiscusmile]

me? I use potatoes, oats, yeast, brewers yeast, vinegar, water, cal pro (mold inhibtor), real fruit or juice when I have it and powered sugar and thats about it I think, so automatic, if I made one, I made thousands :[.

yea, fuzzy cant eat all that, I made for gramdpa and self and to send some home with fuzzys parents, they both work, so I try to send food when they come, long week for new parents. ps I did make him some smashed peas and gave him yogurt and juice, he is so sweet, I love how they open their mouth for another bite, can't feed theirselves, but their little beaks open right up! :kiss:

 

[Mvalenz]

That mental picture made me smile.

You use regular yeast and brewers yeast? And where do you find Cal Pro?

 

[PhilinYuma]

My flies Phil, insist on vinegar! I use calcium proportionate, or however u spell it, but they dont' care, they want the vinegar, so I give it to them and I find it really does help hold off mold, when I forget it, I get some mold. Also I don't know about the bread, but guess it cant hurt, I made cultures monday and the bloody flies that were in the used containers hatched again, it is distressing as I can't keep up with that many fruit flies and I hate to see them die, but die they must. I made a new potion of mashed taters and oats and I must of made 50 hydei cultures and there were so many flies in just one container I could of made prob a dozen decent cultures from it, and today when I looked at the ones I used to make them with they were overrun, I just don't know what I do wrong..................................... :taz:

I wouldn't think of debating the merits or demerits of vinegar with such an experienced young woman as yourself, Rebecca! I did spend some time in a university FF lab (a paid worker making less than the janitor!) and nobody even thought of using vinegar and y more than they do in contemporary FF labs, but if it aint broken, don't fix it!

 

[Chivalry]

me? I use potatoes, oats, yeast, brewers yeast, vinegar, water, cal pro (mold inhibtor), real fruit or juice when I have it and powered sugar and thats about it I think, so automatic, if I made one, I made thousands :[.

yea, fuzzy cant eat all that, I made for gramdpa and self and to send some home with fuzzys parents, they both work, so I try to send food when they come, long week for new parents. ps I did make him some smashed peas and gave him yogurt and juice, he is so sweet, I love how they open their mouth for another bite, can't feed theirselves, but their little beaks open right up! :kiss:

I taught my son when he was little to open up when I asked what's in his mouth, in case he ever was choking on something... But it made for good entertainment when he was eating un-smashed peas and they all started to roll out. Off topic but a good memory.

Maybe you need more mantids to take care of all those flies, Rebecca

 

[hibiscusmile]

That's a good saying Phil! but my son has a better one,..... I cant fix it , it's broke :donatello:

yea, more mantis, thats the answer!

peas rolling out, I can see it now!

 

[Mvalenz]

UPDATE:

Nothin yet. My room smells like a banana bread factory though. Yummy

 

[Psychobunny]

I'm lazy, so I just buy this stuff;

http://www.store.repashy.com/superfly-32-oz-bag-two-pounds.html

It's cheap, has everything already in it. Just add hot water and stir.

It smells good too

 

[Mvalenz]

Definitely looking for something like that. Thanks. I made a culture with the potato flakes, applesauce, yeast, and vinegar. After about a week it is full of mold. Flies are still alive though. My first "Banana" culture is doing better with the mold. Flies are still alive in "Banana" culture as well. No sight of maggots.