I've seen some of Curtis' spalted wood and would highly recommend his method (can't argue with the results),
In my little experience, I would add that a newbie should read Russ' tutorial and consider the following for better results especially if you don't have the time and space like Curtis:
a) start with wet/green wood.
b) use light colored wood (most dark wood are difficult to spalt)
c) give your pile at least 2 months to spalt. Some wood may take a year or longer depending on the condition.
d) use fertilizer (like easy grow or horse manure) to speed up the process.
e) add green leaves to your pile (veggie scraps work great), rotting fruit may also be added to the mix. It stinks but onions work wonders!
f) avoid too much water esp if you are using plastic containers...it will lead to rot.
Remember that even perfect spalting may lead to rot or mush also if left for too long.
Good luck!
Here is my recent spalting piece. It is small and only being done on a bucket but those white "fuzzies" are doing their magic right now (I hope) lol.
