The Mushroom Growing Thread

[rhys333]

There are a lot of guys out there reporting success with low tek though. The hardwood pellets sanitized with boiling water method seems really popular. Granted, most are using commercially prepared spawn instead of trying to culture up their own, which makes a lot of sense. Have you had any success with this approach, @Miraculix ?

I can't see myself going whole hog with a pressure cooker setup. The GrowCycle guys even use straw pasteurized with a cold water hydrated lime bath. I can't see myself doing that though due to the mess involved. And it's not very winter friendly.

 

[bracconiere]

The GrowCycle guys even use straw

i would imagine that's for compost loving shrooms, which like i said doesn't want to be sterilized, just pasturized? i don't think wood lovers would take to straw well? not sure though...

 

[rhys333]

i would imagine that's for compost loving shrooms, which like i said doesn't want to be sterilized, just pasturized? i don't think wood lovers would take to straw well? not sure though...

I'm not sure about compost loving varieties. The GrowCycle guys use straw for production of a few varieites i think. They used to use coffee grounds too, before moving out of the city. Now they just dunk chopped straw into an IBC tank with water plus hydrated lime. Raises the pH enough to destroy almost all of the nasties.

 

[bracconiere]

I'm not sure about compost loving varieties. The GrowCycle guys use straw for production of a few varieites i think. They used to use coffee grounds too, before moving out of the city. Now they just dunk chopped straw into an IBC tank with water plus hydrated lime. Raises the pH enough to destroy almost all of the nasties.

huh, interesting...

 

[rhys333]

huh, interesting...

Their channel is fantastic. They essentially tell you everything they've learned running a mushroom farming operation including financial costs and how to do a full setup at different scales of development. Free online courses too.

 

[bracconiere]

Their channel is fantastic. They essentially tell you everything they've learned running a mushroom farming operation including financial costs and how to do a full setup at different scales of development. Free online courses too.

i'll have to check it out, i assume by 'channel' you mean youtube?

 

[rhys333]

i'll have to check it out, i assume by 'channel' you mean youtube?

Yep. YouTube channel GroCycle (without the "w"). I spelled it incorrectly above.

 

[Miraculix]

Just for clarification, up until now, I never autoclaved my substrate. I only sterilise with hot water (straw) or with hydrogen peroxide (my preferred method für wood pellets). Both can work well if you do not supplement your substrate too much. Up to ten percent is usually no problem.

But, and here's the BIG but (insert sir mixalot pun here), never use these techniques for making grain spawn. You want your spawn to be pure. If there's already contamination inside of the spawn you are very likely to run into major problems down the road. And nothing is more disappointing than having to dump blocks because they just won't fruit or take ages, or start to smell during fruiting or whatnot else.....

The lime pasteurisation process does not work with every type of mushroom, some cannot take the elevated ph well. Oysters don't care.

Hydrogen peroxide can only be used with substrates that don't contain peroxide degrading enzymes. That's why it's recommended only for wood pellets. Flaked oats have a bit of these enzymes, but not as much as Straw and other grains and wheat bran do. In my experience, oats work with peroxide if you overdose your spawn, meaning using about 10%-15% of the substrates weight as grain spawn. This speeds up colonisation. Mix it really well with the substrate, preferably in a large mixing bowl. Even distribution is a must. Contamination is no problem here, you can do that in an unsterile environment when using peroxide. Just use a clean big plastic bowl.

 

[Miraculix]

And to give you some ideas about my indoor black pearl king oyster box:

It has three small holes on the long side and one on each short one. The holes are covered with one layer of micropore tape. The lid does not close perfectly air tight but tight enough to keep insects out. The substrate is 2kg beechwood pellets, about 60g gypsum, 0.2kg flaked oats and for rehydration I used 3 litres of 0.5% hydrogen peroxide solution. This keeps contaminations at bay while letting the mushroom grow. I inoculated with about 500g grain spawn. The box usually stands behind the coach in my living room. In two to three days it will be fully colonised and ready to get a cold shock to initiate fruiting.

 

[jameels]

I have found a few really good mushroom growing channels on YouTube. All focus on culinary varieties as far as I know.

Boomer Shroomer
This one uses the monotub method. The videos are really concise and to the point. Here she grows oysters in monotubs:


Renegade Mushrooms
This guy uses the Martha-style tent method with traditional fruiting blocks. I like that he explains everything in detail. Here he's explaining his fruiting chamber build:


GroCycle
These guys are commercial growers in the UK. They share a wealth of info on how to grow commercially using low tek pasteurization. I have spent many hours learning about their business model. This video is just a quick one showing a super low tek method for propagating more mushrooms from stem butts:


Edit: GroCycle name correction.

This channel has really great information related to mushroom growing, Thanks for sharing

 

[rhys333]

I really like this bottle fruiting method. Maybe wide-mouth mason jars for oysters, adapted to work with pasteurized hardwood pellets?

 

[day_trippr]

My wife is making "Salisbury Steak" using a packaged blend of ground beef and ground mushrooms.
Am I gonna die tonight?

 

[rhys333]

My wife is making "Salisbury Steak" using a packaged blend of ground beef and ground mushrooms.
Am I gonna die tonight?

That depends. Is she a decent cook?

 

[day_trippr]

Fabulous cook, I've been seriously blessed since 1976.
fwiw, the commercial mushroom & beef blend didn't kill me but it just didn't do anything for us.
Flavor wasn't bad but wasn't encouraging, either, and the texture needs getting used to vs eg: ground chuck.

Cheers (and sorry for the interruption)

 

[bracconiere]

but it just didn't do anything for us.

LOL....

well you're not from texas, so cube steak is out...but i bet....

 

[day_trippr]

I remember cube steak and ways to make the most of it.
But I can't remember the last time I saw it in a grocery. Might be a specialty thing now?
Anyway...way OT. I'm out...

Cheers!

 

[bracconiere]

.way OT. I'm out...

not necessarily, just against the forum rules....

 

[Miraculix]

I've upped my game, current prefered method is directly injecting liquid mycelum into sterilised substrate bags. Works well with lions mane, oyster, chestnut and maitake. Does not work well with Piopino somehow.

Spent grains are an ideal substrate btw! Additionally some partially hydrated hardwood pellets and the fungi are happy!

 

[NickTheGreat]

I tried my second go at the Oysters in a bucket, and I got nothing. Last year it started out well and then dried up.

I think my spawn was kept too long before inoculating. I did the same hot water and same brand/kind of wood chips.

Now the bucket is full of blue fuzzy mold

 

[Miraculix]

I tried my second go at the Oysters in a bucket, and I got nothing. Last year it started out well and then dried up.

I think my spawn was kept too long before inoculating. I did the same hot water and same brand/kind of wood chips.

Now the bucket is full of blue fuzzy mold

If you wanna be succesfull with unsterilised methods, you really need to have at least 1/4 of the substrate as spawn, the spawn must be most vital, tempereatures must be right, water content must be right (err on the low side, too much attracts everything but mushrooms) and once it is fruiting time, co2 levels and humidity must be right. Cut one corner short and you will most likely grow mold.

 

[rhys333]

Anybody know what these are? I found them growing in the grass...

 

[NickTheGreat]

If you wanna be succesfull with unsterilised methods, you really need to have at least 1/4 of the substrate as spawn, the spawn must be most vital, tempereatures must be right, water content must be right (err on the low side, too much attracts everything but mushrooms) and once it is fruiting time, co2 levels and humidity must be right. Cut one corner short and you will most likely grow mold.

Last year I got everything to fruit but then died off. I took a step back this year . . .

Sounds like i got everything too wet. The bucket was sopping wet.

I don't really even like mushrooms that much, but I'm still intrigued by the process.

Thanks for the wise words.

 

[Miraculix]

Last year I got everything to fruit but then died off. I took a step back this year . . .

Sounds like i got everything too wet. The bucket was sopping wet.

I don't really even like mushrooms that much, but I'm still intrigued by the process.

Thanks for the wise words.

In a bucket it is actually really simple to get the water content right, just poke multiple holes in the bottom so taht excess water can flow off, that's it!

Today I just inocculated two all in 1 bags with piopino and I am sterilising 7 jars of grains and whatnots for spawn production . Never did all in one before but it sounds promising. Basically in one corner of the bag keep some grains and fill the rest with substrate, sterilise everything. After that, inocculate only the grains, wait till mostly colonised and then shake the bag and distribute the grains. This way, you do not have to open the bag and can stay sterile. Only opening is with a syringe to inject liquid mycelium. A drop of silicone on that spot prior to pointing it with the needle makes a self healing injection port. Very low contamination risk with this method.