💬 What do the numbers on substrate products sold in stores mean?
🔎 LB1 = Substrate fermented once
LB2Â = Substrate fermented twice
LB2H =Â Substrate fermented twice with dried oak leaves
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💬 What brands of products do you use to make the substrate?
🔎 For oak pellets, I used to use Traeger's products, but since that brand of oak pellets is no longer available, so I had to find a substitute for it.
Two brands were nominated and they were Bear Mountain BBQ and Camp Chef.
Both brands are 100% natural and contain no artificial additives.
Currently I am using Camp Chef products.
For wheat bran, I have been using Bob's Red Mill products since 6 years ago, but since COVID, they no longer sell bulk products, so I am using 16oz pack of the same brand.
I have tried bulk products from other brands, but they contain too many impurities, so I'm still looking for good organic products.
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💬 How long does it take to make a substrate?
🔎 Depending on the ambient temperature, if the storage temperature is above 80°F, the first fermentation will take about 5 weeks, and the second and third fermentation will take about 4 weeks each.
The lower the ambient temperature, the longer it takes to ferment.
Many oak pellet products currently on sale have coarser particles than Traeger's products, so the fermentation time has increased by at least 1 more week.
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💬 Is it possible that the market prices of the substrate will come down?
🔎 I think it will be difficult due to the small size of the market.
In order for prices to go down, the market needs to grow and, above all, there needs to be enough demand.
The amount of demand I am talking about is a demand that requires at least 100 to 200 gallons per month to be processed by machinery to make the fermented substrate.
As long as the scale of production, which requires production by people rather than machines, is maintained, prices cannot go down.
Manufacturing fermented substrate by humans requires considerable labor.
I have a bio-type waste disposer machine that I purchased from Japan 5 years ago, but this machine can only produce 10 gallons of substrate per month.
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💬 Are the substrates distributed in the U.S. the same or better than the substrates distributed in east Asia?
🔎 Can't be.
Let's take the example of Allomyrina dichotoma, a rhino beetle native to East Asia.
20 years ago, when I was about 10 years old, the average size of dichotoma reared in Korea was 60-65mm.
Anything over 75mm was classified as extra large.
But now, the size of extra large is over 85mm and the average size has increased to 70-75mm.
An increase in average size means that the quality of substrates available on the market has improved.
They are constantly researching and improving.
I was recently introduced to an interesting video from a Korean beetle farm that supplies jelly powder to my store.
It was a video about a substrate factory that makes substrate for beetle farm.
The substrate was made by grinding discarded mushroom logs and waste kinshi.
They mature the mushroom mycelium for a month and add lab-grown lactic acid bacteria and additives to make the substrate.
I can tell that the substrate is rly good.
Japan farms are probably even more advanced than this.
Of course, U.S sellers are also making efforts.
I have also been studying substrates for over 5 years, combining them based on information, and producing substrates by receiving advice from Asia beetle farmers.
I'm trying to make it as similar as possible.
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💬 Is it okay to import substrate from Asia?
🔎 First at all, I am not sure whether the substrate is classified as soil or sawdust.
If the substrate is classified as soil, import is illegal. However, if the substrate is classified as sawdust, it is not illegal, but it may be discarded if dangerous elements such as bugs are found when checked at customs.
Whatever the result, it's your responsibility.
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