experiments
kombucha
mycelium
experiment #1
experiment #1
Start Date:
September 26, 2023
Research question:
Can I grow a new scoby from a mother?
Tools:
Gloves, spoons, marker, tape, measuring cup, jar
Ingredients:
Green tea (3g), sugar (100g), vinegar (100ml), water (1l), scoby mother, rubbing alcohol
Start Date:
September 26, 2023
Research question:
Can I grow mycelium into a simple shape?
Tools:
Gloves, spoons, marker, tape, trash bin, scissors, incubator, box
Ingredients:
Hemp fiber (100 gr), flour (5 tablespoons), rubbing alcohol, inoculate (5 teaspoons)
Procedure:
1. Wear gloves and glasses
2. Sanitize and prepare working station
3. Loosen up the inoculation and clean the spoon
4. Prepare flour by putting the clean spoon in
5. Prepare hemp fiber by sterilizing and opening the bag
6. Put 5 tea spoons of mycelium inoculate in the hemp fiber bag
7. Put 5 table spoons of flour
8. Close and mark the hemp fiber bag by date, name, class
9. Put the inoculated bag into incubator
10. Wait 1-2 weeks for growth
11. Place the mycelium into a mold (box)
12. Wait 1-2 weeks for growth
13. Once the desired growth is there, air or oven dry
Procedure:
1. Wear gloves and sterilize everything
2. Boil half of the water (500 ml)
3. Mix the boiled water with 500 ml cool water
4. Put the green tea bag inside the jar
5. Let the tea chill for 15 min
6. Take the ea out and add in sugar and vinegar
7. Put 5 table spoons of flour
8. Close and mark the hemp fiber bag by date, name, class
9. Put the inoculated bag into incubator oven
Procedure:
Observations:
Conclusion:
Making kombucha is a straightforward process, more so than mycelium. It is a smelly processes, could disturb other people.
The mother sunk down, but a 2mm layer was observed on 24/10/23
Yes, I can grow kombucha! The scoby mother was healthy, and the procedure was followed strictly, allowing the culture to grow without problems.
experiment #2
Observations:
The following week, the inoculated bags were infected, causing us to repeat the inoculation process with the help of Emma & Georgi.
Start Date:
Research question:
Tools:
Ingredients:
Procedure:
October 3, 2023
Is it possible create a packaging for
Same as experiment 1, with the exeption of a larger container, a Turkish tea glass and a wooden box used at the end for using the kombucha leather as a wrapper
Same as experiment 1,only 6 times more.
a Turkish dessert, pismaniye?
1.Repeat the same steps for making kombucha
2. After 4-6 weeks, cultivate the leather carefully by gently picking it up from the container and washing it
3. Measure the amount of leather you have and create slices of leather to wrap around the box and glass.
4. Wrap around the objects
5. Leave the objects to dry
Observations:
The kombucha was growing with no issues, however, when it was moved to another location, a layer sunk to the bottom. This created another layer to be on top. At the end, I had two layers of kombucha leather, one thick layer that covered the tea glass and the box, and one thin layer that was used in the experiment 3
Conclusion:
Kombucha layers I have created are not sturdy enough to be a food package, although a longer and healthier environment can create thicker layers for loose packaging. For my experiment, I decided to use the kombucha for a storytelling tool by wrapping it around a box that emulates a pismaniye box.
experiment #3
Conclusion:
The initial inoculated failed, therefore the answer to research question was no. However, with the second attempt, I was able to create a simple shape with mycelium.
experiment #2
Start Date:
October 3, 2023
Research question:
Following up the first experiment, can I succesfully create a shape with different layers, using different substrates on top of each other?
Tools:
Same as experiment 1
Ingredients:
String hemp fibers, Recell
Procedure:
1. Follow the same procedure as the experiment 1
2. Add the new substrates on top of the other
Observations:
The second substrate worked without issues, however, after I added the Recell, the box got infected. The infected mycelium had green, moss-like fungus on top. It resembled a landscape, which contributed to my final project dealing with issues of cleansing and healing.
Conclusion:
The experiment failed as I couldn't create the layered shape, however, the end result was used with a new intention.
experiment #3
Start Date:
Start Date:
October 3, 2023
October 24, 2023
Research question:
Can I make paper from kombucha?
Tools:
Same as experiment 1, with the exeption of a larger container, a Turkish tea glass and a wooden box used at the end for using the kombucha leather as a wrapper
Ingredients:
Same as experiment 1,only 6 times more.
Procedure:
1.Repeat the same steps for making kombucha
2. After 4-6 weeks, cultivate the leather carefully by gently picking it up from the container and washing it
3. Dry the layers without breaking it
4. Shred the paper-like layer
Observations:
The experiment is connected to the second experiment, as it uses the thin layer created by moving the kombucha container. The thinness of the layer helped me to create a shiny, transparent paper that was then used for pismaniye.
Conclusion:
Yes, it is possible to create (transparent) paper from kombucha. The shredding processes is a good tool to create volume and shine.
Research question:
Can I grow mycelium without a solid structure?
Tools:
Same as experiment 1
Ingredients:
Same as experiment 1
Procedure:
1.Repeat the same steps for making mycelium
2. After 2-3 weeks, shut off all air ways to the container, add a small amount of water and leave for skin growth
3. After enough skin is grown, rip the mycelium apart
Observations:
The shapelessness allowed mycelium to grow more. The skin growth was more efficient than expected.
Conclusion:
The research went succesfully as the mycelium grew, and i was able to use it to create a pismaniye like structure.
Natural Dye Workshop
Date:
Tools:
Ingredients:
Procedure:
1.Wash the fabric thoroughly to remove residues with vinegar for dying with vegetables
2. Weigh the natural materials and add the double amount of water
3. Simmer the materials in water to create a natural dye bath
4. Let the bath cool down
5. Alternative methods: Grind the materials and use a mesh to sift. Add arabic gum or glycerine to the dyes to create different consistencies.
6. Submerge the fabric in the dye bath
7. Wash the fabric and leave it to dry
8. Use mint oil for the remaining dyes
31 October 2023
Bowls, spoons, scale, 100% unbleached cotton fabric, whisker, knives, hot plates, pots, sift
Califlower leaves, blueberry tea, kurkuma, glycerin, arabic gum, vinegar