The Psychedelic Panel with fellow Cup winners was a success! If you missed it, you can read my entry here, which took top honors in the highest norpsilocin category.
Special appreciation to Chris of Tryptomics Lab, who encouraged me to participate in the panel and did a fabulous job MCing the event.
The only photo I captured from the hot seat is this blurry one. I’m next to Q Mystic, and we ended up bonding over a shared appreciation for Purple Mystic. There were eight of us on the panel in total – Aaron of Psyched Medicinals is also in the photo.
Panel Q & A
Chris asked the psychedelic panel these questions, and my answers are below.
Section 1: Foundations & Philosophy (10 min)
- What’s one mistake you made early that significantly changed how you grow today?
- Not exactly a mistake, but something I learned early on: if you want to take this hobby seriously, investing in a flow hood is essential. Still air boxes can work too, but they’re usually more of a hassle and give you less space to work with. At the end of the day, contamination is the number one killer.
- If a beginner could only optimize ONE variable, what would you tell them to focus on first—and why?
- Reducing contamination risk starts with your setup. A flow hood provides a clean, reliable workspace and significantly lowers the chance of contamination. I got my FFU from Myco Mates and it’s made a big difference.
Section 2: Optimization & Differentiation (15 min)
- At a high level, what do you think actually drove your winning result—genetics, environment, or process control?
- For my highest norpsilocin result, it really comes down to two things: time and genetics. Some researchers think baeocystin can slowly convert into norpsilocin over time, and my Krishna sample seems to support that. Comparing my 2024 and 2025 test results, there’s a noticeable shift. After a year in storage, baeocystin dropped from 0.321 mg/g to 0.033 mg/g, while norpsilocin increased from 0.009 mg/g to 0.100 mg/g. It could be correlation, but it’s still interesting. Either way, one thing seems clear: given enough time, norpsilocin levels appear to increase.
- Have you observed correlations between growth conditions and minor alkaloids?
- My highest norpsilocin result actually came from an aged sample, completely by accident. That sample was over a year old, which suggests post-harvest factors like storage and time may play a bigger role than we typically account for.
Section 3: Genetics & Selection (10 min)
- How many generations or iterations did it take to reach your winning phenotype?
- One grow that was preserved in the closet.
- What traits do you prioritize when selecting for future work?
- It’s goal-dependent, but I focus on a combination of efficiency, aesthetics, consistency and potency. Clean growth with strong structure and reliable full flushes tends to stand out.
- What’s your take on cloning vs spore selection for optimization?
- Both work…it just depends on what you’re optimizing for. Cloning gives consistency and preserves known traits, while spores introduce variability and the potential to find better ones. The mistake is relying on only one approach.
Section 4: Consistency vs Peak Performance (5 min)
- Is it harder to grow one exceptional flush or to consistently produce high-quality results?
- One exceptional flush is harder because consistency is something you can engineer, but exceptional results often come from variables you didn’t fully control or even notice. The real challenge isn’t achieving it once, it’s understanding why it happened well enough to repeat it.
- If someone wanted to go from hobbyist to competition-level, what’s the biggest gap they need to close?
- Stop trying to perfect one thing. Start testing many. Competition growing is about experimentation and identifying standouts, not just optimizing a single path.
Section 5: Forward-Looking / Tease Next Cup (5 min)
- Without giving away secrets, are you working on anything new for the upcoming cup?
- I’m always experimenting with different genetics and am currently growing a couple I’m excited about.
- What’s something the community isn’t paying attention to yet—but should be?
- Post-harvest outcomes are often overlooked. Storage, aging and handling can all influence minor alkaloids in ways we don’t fully understand yet, something my own results in highest norpsilocin point toward.
Bonus Rapid-Fire (if time)
- One tool or technique you can’t live without?
- Flow hood or pressure cooker
Thank you to everyone who came out to support, learn and network. Also huge thanks as well to the Psychedelic Club of Denver and Tryptomics Lab!
