GRAIN PREP 101

[myco_jordan]

Grain Prepping TEK

My fellow mycologists!

Today, let’s dive into the art of prepping grains for inoculation. Whether you’re using Rye Berry, Millet, Wild Bird Seed, Oats, Popcorn, or Brown Rice, mastering this process is essential for successful mushroom cultivation.

Understanding the Mushroom Lifecycle:
Before we get started, let’s remember how to follow the mycelium. In nature, mushrooms colonize various substrates, breaking them down and utilizing nutrients for growth. Our goal is to mimic this natural process by providing a nutritious and sterile environment for the mycelium to thrive.

Grain Selection:
Choosing the right grain is crucial. Each type has its pros and cons. Rye Berry, Millet, and Wild Bird Seed are popular choices for their nutrient content and availability. Oats, Popcorn, and Brown Rice are also viable options. Experiment and see what works best for you! And if your unsure, remember, whatever is locally available and cheapest is likely the most suitable for your needs.

Prepping the Grain:

Rinse and Soak: Start by rinsing your grains thoroughly to remove dust and debris. Then, soak them in water overnight to hydrate, this will add moisture to the grains, essential for mushroom growth. (12-24h)

Drain and Rinse Again: The next day, drain the soaked grains and rinse them once more. This helps remove excess water and starch buildup, preventing clumping.

Boil the grains: You can skip the soak and go straight to boil. This process adds even more hydration to the grains, but be careful, you do not want to cook the grains. Before or as you see busted kernels, is a good indication that your batch of grains is optimally hydrated. Too much is no good, less is more in that sense. Drier is more successful than too wet, better to not push the limits here. Find what works for you! A combination of soaking and boiling, only boiling, or only soaking are all suitable. If you have the time a longer soak can be utilized or if you’re behind, boiling can catch you up. If you have a system in place, a combination of both isn’t unheard of.

Load into Jars or Myco Bags: Fill your sterilizable containers (jars or myco bags) with the prepped grains. Leave some headspace to allow for expansion during sterilization or pasteurization.

Sterilization vs. Pasteurization: Now comes the critical part. Sterilization involves using high heat to kill all microorganisms, including beneficial ones. Pasteurization, on the other hand, aims to reduce harmful contaminants while preserving beneficial microbes. Choose your method based on your setup and preferences. Typically you’ll always sterilize your grains intended for grain spawn, but pasteurization can be suitable for nutrient rich bulk substrates. The world is your oyster, experimenting can prove new paths to success. In nature the fungus has soo much more to overcome, we as mycologists can surely piece together a suitable substrate for the mycelium, just keep at it!

Sterilization Method:

For jars: Pressure cook at 15 PSI for 90 minutes.
For myco bags: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions

Pasteurization Method:

Maintain the jars or bags in a steam sterilization vessel (internal around 160°F) for 90 minutes.

Cooling and Inoculation: Once sterilized or pasteurized, allow the grains to cool completely before inoculating with your desired mushroom spawn. Remember, patience is key here!

Inoculation: Gently inject your mushroom spawn into the grain-filled containers using a sterile syringe or inoculation loop. Seal the containers immediately afterward to prevent contamination. For jars, that’s lids, and for bags an impulse sealer to keep things from entering. Gas exchange filters on the bag or jars is recommended for optimal growth.

Incubation: Place the inoculated containers in a warm, dark space (around 75-80°F or 24-27°C) and let the magic happen. Check for signs of mycelial growth regularly.

Consolidation: As the mycelium colonizes the grains, it will form a solid mass. This consolidation phase is crucial for ensuring a healthy and robust mycelial network. You can break up this network to help it colonize the entire substrate faster, typically when the mycelium has spread to 20-30% of the block is a good time to break and shake the grains.

And there you have it, folks! A comprehensive TEK for prepping grains inoculation. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to experiment and fine-tune your technique. Happy cultivating!

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