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Growing Mushrooms (2020-)

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Amazon

High Desert Spores

Optional

Inoculation

I would recommend watching a bunch of videos online that go over sterile techniques so you’re mentally prepared for this crucial first step.

  1. Spray everything down with Alcohol
  2. Get the syringe needle red hot with your lighter
  3. Wipe the needle down with an alcohol swab
  4. Inject the spawn jar from several different angles. You only need to use 1-2 CCs per jar. The syringe will stay good in your fridge for months.
  5. Mark your jar with the inoculation date and strain
  6. Leave your jars someplace that gets some occasional warmth like your kitchen or near a window. Don’t let cook in the hot sun.
  7. After 4-10 (depends on the strain) you’ll see the mycelium forming white clumps on the grain. When the clumps are about 1" in diameter vigorously shake the jar to break them up and distribute the mycelium.
  8. In another 10 days or so you’ll see the mycelium has spread quite a bit and is clumping. Shake the jar up again.
  9. Wait for the mycelium to form a solid cake in the jar.

Transfer to tub

  1. Sterilize tub and environment with alcohol spray
  2. Open the jar
  3. break up your spawn in the jar with a knife until it can all be dumped into the tub
  4. Dump an equal amount of substrate in the tub and then mix it up.
  5. Add another 3/4" of substrate as a top layer
  6. Use your water sprayer and spray the top layer for 20-30 seconds
  7. If you purchased the temperature and humidity sensor then just place it in the tub.
  8. Close the lid and put the tub someplace that can get warm
  9. Mark the tub with the strain and date
  10. When you start to see “pins”, remove unsnap the lid so there can be more airflow.

Harvest

The first harvest may come as soon as 2 weeks after transfer to the tub. Reach in and gently twist the base of the mushroom and it should come free from the substrate. Ideally you’ll pick the fruits after the veils have opened but before the spores drop. If the spores drop the fruits are still good and the spores are harmless.

Drying

12 hours @ 115F in a dehydrator works great. The dried mushrooms should be as dry as a cracker before they’re stored. If you want to powderize them a high-speed blender seems to work best. You’ll want to put some kind if desiccant into the jars with the powder to prevent clumping.

Notes