Preparing and using whole grains for mycelium running, such as rye grain, wild bird seed, and grass seed.
- What's the difference between grains and PF - tek substrate?
Colonization Time: The main difference between whole grain and PF style jars is that whole grain remains loose, and can be shaken, thus spreading the mycelium points and colonizing faster.
- PSiLO187's Simple Bulk Spawn Production Tek
Another bulk spawn method aimed for beginners.
- Doc's Wild Bird Seed Tek
A pictorial on preparing wild bird seed by simmering.
- Do I need a pressure cooker if I want to prepare grains?
Grains usually contain higher loads of bacterial endospores which are very hardy and which survive the temperature of boiling water, therefore a normal cooking process can't kill them.
- Fool Proof Birdseed Method
A illustrated guide for preparation of grain spawn using birdseed
- How can I tell if a grain jar is fully colonized?
Once all the grains are visibly covered with white mycelium, then the jar can be considered done.
- 6T WBS Tek (Wild Bird Seed) Bulk Spawn Preparation Method
A document describing the preparation of bird seed for use as spawn or substrate.
- Why does my grain look "greasy" and overly wet after sterilization?
You used too much water.
- Popcorn Grain Spawn
An easy spawn or substrate preparation utilising corn
- Should I let the grain sit and soak overnight, or pressure cook right away?
Grain(particularly rye and wheat) carry high loads of bacterial endospores.
- Cracked Corn Preparation Technique
A fast colonizing substrate utilizing cracked corn.
- How to inoculate a jar with a poly-fill filter lid with a syringe?
Make a separate hole in the lid, put tape over it before sterilizing and inoculate through that site and re-tape after you inoculate.
- Popcorn Tek w/pics
A nice writeup on preparing popcorn as substrate with many pictures.
- What's the best way to prepare grain for mushroom cultivation?
The 3 most important aspects of grain preparation are to achieve an uniform, correct water content, to kill all contaminants and to get a shakeable substrate.
- Alien Substrate Formula
This is a unique substrate which has the most highly and balanced nutritional content ever composed in a spawn substrate.
- What are some good grain recipes for different species?
A summary of recipes for the creation of spawn or substrate using whole grains.
- Truskool's Popcorn Playa Tek
Easy peasy popcorn tek with pictures
- Which kinds of grain can I use?
You can use almost any grain as long as it's in it's whole form.
- Is one recipe for grains better than another?
Usually some recipes will work better for one and the others for another.
- Can I use marijuana seeds as a substrate?
Hemp seed are very high in fats, something not generally desirable in the mushroom cultivation, but you will most likely get some growth.
- How do I inoculate sterilized grain in pint or quart jars?
If you want to inoculate the jars using a spore syringe, and you're using a polyfill lid filter, punch a small second hole into the lid and inoculate through it.
- When should I shake whole grain jars?
When you prepare whole grain jars, it´s good to shake them after the pressure cooking while they are still hot to redistribute the wetter and drier kernels.
- How long should colonization of grain jars take?
It depends on the species or strain, grain type, the water content, the inoculum type and the incubating temperature.
- Cybers WBS myco-bag Tek
Bulk Growing with Bags
- What can and can't I do with colonized grain jars?
You can case grain directly You can inoculate more grain jars You can spawn bulk substrates like straw, cow or horse dung or compost You can make mycelium syringes You can't.
