Recently, there was an experiment regarding simplification of the MMGG
technique.
This method is intended to produce fully colonized mycelia cake within 6 to
10 days, while simplifying the process involved.
This method does not require that you boil the substrate inside the jars.
This method relies on the speed of the spores to colonize the entire cake
all at once. Rather than having to grow through the cake from the
inoculation points on the sides of the jars, the spores are evenly
distributed throughout the cake and hence, they colonize the cake evenly and
very quickly. It takes about 3 days before the MMGG method shows signs of
growth in one small spot on the side of the jar. With this method, the
entire cake shows signs of growth within 2 to 3 days and will have colonized
the entire cake within 6 to 10 days. It helps to keep the jars at about 85°F
during the colonization process.
The Neimad Method:
1/4 cup of brown rice flour and 2/3 cup vermiculite were measured out for
each 1/2 pint of substrate.
The substrate materials were sterilized for 45 minutes in an oven set at
300°F in a tin baking dish covered with tin foil. An additional baking tin
was filled with vermiculite only and covered with foil for use as a casing
layer.
1/4 cup distilled water for each 1/2 pint of substrate was sterilized by
boiling for 45 minutes (Boil a lot more water than you will need).
Several 1/2 pint and pint jars were sterilized in boiling water for 45
minutes. The jars were prepared with a single small hole punched in the
*center* of the lids (not on the side). Tin foil was used to cover the tops
of the jars.
The substrate was removed from the oven. *Do not remove the tin foil cover*.
The Jars were removed from the pot (with lids and tin foil in place).
The substrate water was measured (quickly after taken off the flame) and
deposited into a few of the sterilized pint jars.
All materials were allowed to cool for several hours. All materials were
kept reasonably covered.
Inoculate the *substrate water* inside the sterilized jars using the single
hole in the center of the lid. Make sure you let the water cool enough!
Shake jars to distribute spores. This method may not work as well with a PF
syringe - the more spores in the mix, the better. Make your own prints - its
easy.
As soon as the substrate water is inoculated, take the foil cover off the
cooled substrate mixture, pour the substrate water into the substrate
mixture and quickly mix ingredients together. The less time the mixture is
exposed to airborne contaminants, the better. Quickly fill the sterilized
jars with the substrate mixture, cleaning the tops of the jars and casing
them with the sterilized vermiculite. Secure the lids of the jars and place
in a sterilized chamber (Styrofoam ice chest) to colonize.
Lysol was liberally applied to all surrounding areas before and during the
process.
This method is experimental, but theoretically should be able to produce
cakes of large size in a very short period of time, with a minimum of effort
and sterility.
