DEFINITIONS & INSTRUCTions

Preparation:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly: Sterility is crucial, so start by scrubbing your hands and forearms with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
2. Gather your supplies: You'll need your kit with the mason jar, substrate, liquid culture syringe, alcohol wipes, gloves (optional), and a clean work surface.
3. Prepare the mono tub: (when ready for spawn to bulk) Use rubbing alcohol to wipe down the inside and outside of your mono tub. Install the colonization plugs in the 1-inch holes.

Inoculation: (If you purchased Pre-Inoculated or Colonized Grain you can skip this step)

1. Prepare your syringe and needle: Remove the sterile needle from the packaging, remove the syringe cap, and attach the needle to the syringe.
2. Wipe the injection port: With an alcohol wipe, clean the injection port on the mason jar lid.
3. Inject the liquid culture or spore solution: Gently shake the syringe to evenly distribute the mycelium or spores. Push the needle through the injection port and inject 2-3 cc of liquid culture for the micro kit and 3-4 cc of liquid culture into each quart jar for the large monotub. Avoid touching the needle to the inside of the jar after injecting.
4. Shake the jar: Lightly shake the mason jar for 10-15 seconds to distribute the mycelium or spores evenly throughout the grain.
5. Store the jar for colonization: Place the mason jar in a dark, warm location (75-78°F) with good air circulation. Avoid direct sunlight.

Colonization:  (If you purchased Fully Colonized Grain you can skip this step)

1. Monitor the jar: Check the jar daily for signs of colonization. Mycelium will begin to appear as white threads growing throughout the grain, gradually filling the jar. This can take 7-14 days.
2. Break and Shake:  Once the grain is 40-50% colonized perform this method to speed up colonization and check for contamination. Hold the jar near the base, firmly but gently. Strike the bottom 3-5 times against your padded surface with moderate force. Turn the jar 90 degrees, and repeat shaking 3-5 times. Continue until mycelium is evenly distributed and broken up.

Spawn to Bulk:

1. Prepare the substrate: Once the grain is fully colonized with white mycelium, it's time to introduce the substrate. Break up the colonized grain into individual pieces by doing a break and shake before opening the jar. 
2. Fill the mono tub: Combine the colonized grain with 2/3 of the substrate in the mono tub, taking time to spread the grain evenly and lightly pressing it down. When satisfied with your mixture use the rest of your substrate to cover the top of your mixture, you want to be sure there is no exposed grain.
3. Cover and mist: Lightly mist the surface of the substrate with distilled or RO water, make sure the red plugs are in the holes, and latch the lid on.
4. Switch to fruiting mode: After 7-14 days, once you see mycelium growth protruding through the top of the substrate, replace the colonization plugs with the filter plugs in the 1-inch holes. This allows for proper air exchange during fruiting.
5. Maintain fruiting conditions: Keep the temperature around 70-75°F and maintain high humidity (80-90%). Mist the walls and lid of the tub daily, when condensation has evaporated. Fan your mycelium/substrate 2-3 times per day.  Provide indirect sunlight or dim fluorescent lighting for 12-16 hours per day.
6. Harvest and enjoy! Within a  2 weeks you should see tiny mushroom pins forming on the surface of the substrate. As they grow, gently harvest them when the caps are mature but before they open fully. Twist and pull at the base to avoid damaging the substrate.
7. Subsequent flushes: After the first harvest, you might get additional flushes from the same substrate. Soak the cake in water for 15-20 hours, drain, and return to fruiting conditions.  Keep misting and maintain proper fruiting conditions, and you should see new mushrooms popping up within a week.

Tips:

• Maintain cleanliness throughout the process to prevent contamination.
• Use distilled or RO water for misting to avoid introducing minerals that can harm the mushrooms.
• Patience is key! Mushroom growth takes time, so be patient and observe the process.
• Don't overcrowd the mono tub with substrate. Leave enough space for proper air circulation.
• For detailed instructions and troubleshooting tips, refer to the specific instructions provided with your kit.

1. Prepare your workspace:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
• Clean your workspace with rubbing alcohol to prevent contamination.
• Gather your supplies: grow bag, liquid culture syringe (if not pre-inoculated), alcohol wipes, gloves (optional), scissors, paper clip, and a spray bottle for misting.

2. Inoculate the bag (if necessary):

• If the bag is not pre-inoculated, remove the needle from the packaging, remove the syringe cap, and put the needle onto the syringe.
• Wipe the injection port with your alcohol wipe and Inject approximately 4 cc of liquid culture or spores into the bag
• Seal the injection port with a piece of tape.

3. Colonization:

• Place the bag in a dark, warm (75-78°F) location with good air circulation.
• Monitor the bag daily for signs of colonization. You'll see white mycelium growth spreading through the grain or substrate.
• This process can take 1-4 weeks, depending on the mushroom species, growing conditions, and if you used spores or liquid culture (spores add 2 weeks of wait time on average).

4. Break and shake:

• When the mycelium has colonized approximately 80-90% of the grain, perform a break and shake to speed things up
• Gently break up the mycelium through the bag, the mycelium will be hard and some force required to break it up.
• Thoroughly mix the contents as best as possible, evenly distributing the grain throughout the substrate.
• Put the bag back into your colonization area and wait until mycelium takes over the entire mixture, typically within 7 days.

5. Fruiting:

• Once the bag is fully colonized (white mycelium covering all visible grain/substrate), it's time to initiate fruiting.
• Carefully cut off the top of the bag 1-2 inches from the seal,  avoiding any direct contact with the filter patch.
• Fold down the top of the bag to hold in the humidity and clip it in place with a paper clip, or similar, this helps maintain humidity.
• Place the bag in a well-lit area with indirect sunlight or fluorescent lighting.
• Mist the inside of the bag and the exposed mycelium regularly to maintain high humidity (80-90%).
• Fan the bag 2-3 times a day to provide fresh air exchange.

6. Harvest:

• Within 2 weeks, you should see tiny mushroom pins forming.
• Harvest the mushrooms when the caps are fully formed but before they begin to release spores.
• Twist and pull the mushrooms gently to remove them from the substrate.
• You can get multiple flushes (harvests) from a single grow bag by continuing to mist and fan until the mycelium stops producing new mushrooms.

Additional tips:

• Maintain cleanliness throughout the process to prevent contamination.
• Use distilled or filtered water for misting to avoid introducing minerals that can harm the mushrooms.
• Patience is key! Mushroom growth takes time, so don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results.
• If you notice any signs of contamination (green, blue, or black mold), discard the bag immediately to prevent it from spreading.
• Consult the specific instructions provided with your grow bag for any additional tips or troubleshooting advice.

 Liquid Culture -  refers to a suspension of fungal mycelium in a nutrient-rich liquid solution. This is past the germination stage, the mycelium is fully alive and growing.

Spore Syringe - sterilized syringe containing a suspension of mushroom spores in sterile water. The spores have not yet germinated.

Spore Print – The mushroom cap is placed on foil to drop its spores. Spores can be used to create a spore syringe or applied directly to agar to germinate. 

Cake– When the mycelium has fully colonized the grain and substrate mixture, it becomes a solid mass referred to as a cake.

Sterilized – We pressure sterilize with our autoclave, and all microbial life is destroyed stopping any contamination. 

Fully Colonized – Mycelium is alive, grain substrate has become completely overtaken by the desired fungal mycelium.

Inoculate – Introducing spores or culture to nutrients for mycelium growth. Injecting spores or liquid Culture to grain, agar, or nutrient solution are examples of Inoculating.

Pre-inoculated – We do the hard work for you by injecting approximately 3-4 ccs, depending on the product, the day before or day of shipment. This saves you the time and hassle of inoculating yourself, and you should see some growth when your order arrives (depending on shipping times)

Spawn to Bulk – Combining grain spawn with bulk substrate, typically in a monotub 

Fresh Air Exchange – FAE allows fresh air to the mycelium. This typically refers to either cutting open your All-in-One bag or switching to filter plugs with a monotube.

Fanning – Using the lid, or similar object, to fan your mycelium cake to complete a full air exchange. This should be done 2-3 times per day for 30-second intervals. 

Misting – Misting the walls of your All-in-One bag OR walls and lid of your monotub. This ensures proper humidity in the microclimate and should you only use distilled or RO water.