Instant Rice Cooker Flake Soil?

D

darktheumbreon

L3
Just wanted to share this because this was a very interesting read.

http://insectforum.no-ip.org/gods/cgi-bin/topic.cgi?forum=1&topic=20566&show=100

This insect forum outlines utilizing a rice cooker in a similar way as the fancy Japanese composting machine. The whole idea relies on the fact that the "keep warm" setting of the majority of rice cookers out there is set at about 150 Fahrenheit, which also happens to be around the ideal temperature for the laccase enzymes that digest the lignin in the flake soil. The author of this post claims that it will take 3 days for the sawdust to be ready to use! This thread dates to about 2009, and it appears they have been using the sack method long before we have. I'm personally a bit reluctant to try this, but thought it would at least turn the neck of some people lol

 
Interesting.. If you want it real quick, and when your already-prepared ones went bad or failed, I guess it is one of ways to produce it quickly.

 
Scarabs said:
Can someone dumb it down for me
Click to expand...
The molecule in non-rotten wood that prevents beetle larvae from eating it is called lignin. Other molecules, known as enzymes, are able to break down things like lignin, but they only work under specific environmental conditions. In the case of lignin, it happens to be around the same temperature as that of a rice cooker set to warm. Therefore, putting wood into a rice cooker on warm will break down the lignin and make beetle food.

 
So you're saying that if I use a flake soil recipe and I put it in a rice cooker it would ferment faster?

 
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This is incredible! It could be a lifesaver for my Lucanus elaphus colony. I started flake soil back at the beginning of July when my attic was very warm, and it took so long that it is now cold and fermentation has stopped. 

 
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