Sarah Brown
Mushroom spawn jars are used to grow mushrooms at home. The process involves preparing and sterilizing grain with the right moisture content to encourage mycelial expansion. Various grains can be used, including wheat, rye, brown rice, and white rice, but rye is the most common due to its water-absorbing qualities and nutrient makeup. The grains are soaked, cooked, and placed in jars, which are then sterilized to prevent contamination. After sterilization, the jars are inoculated with mushroom culture, and the mycelium begins to colonize the grains. Once the jars are fully colonized, they can be used to expand the culture onto a bulk substrate, producing a high yield of mushrooms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Production of grain spawn and liquid culture |
| Type of jar | Mason jars |
| Jar preparation | Sterilise media, seal the jar, and modify the lid to allow fresh air exchange |
| Grain preparation | Rinse and clean grains, soak in water for 12-24 hours, cook grains for 15-20 minutes |
| Grain type | Wheat, rye, brown rice, white rice, wild bird seed, popcorn |
| Grain quantity | 2/3–3/4 full in each jar |
| Sterilisation | Pressure cooker or pressure canner |
| Sterilisation time | About 90 minutes at 15 PSI |
| Sterilisation temperature | 24 degrees C or less |
| Mycelium colonisation time | 2–3 weeks |
| Mycelium colonisation indication | Uniformly white strands |
| Mycelium expansion | Inoculate bulk substrate to maximise yield |
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Preparing the grains
Firstly, select the type of grain you want to use. While various options are available, such as wheat, brown rice, white rice, wild bird seed, and even popcorn, rye is the most commonly used grain for mushroom cultivation. This preference for rye is due to its water-absorbing qualities, nutrient composition, and the fact that mushrooms thrive on it.
Once you've chosen your grain, it's time to clean and rinse it thoroughly. Remove any dust, wood chips, or other contaminants by rinsing the grain multiple times in cold water. Continue rinsing until the water runs clear. This step is important to create a sterile environment for your mushroom culture.
Next, you'll want to soak the grains. Place the rinsed grains in a bucket or large bowl and fill it with water. You can also add a little coffee and gypsum at this stage. Coffee helps increase the yield by altering the pH, while gypsum prevents the grains from sticking together. Soak the grains for 12 to 24 hours. Over-soaking can cause the grains to sprout, so be mindful of the timing.
After soaking, it's time to cook the grains. Bring a large pan of water to a boil and add your chosen grain. For rye grain, boil for around 15 to 20 minutes to ensure adequate water absorption. Add a teaspoon of gypsum to prevent the grains from clumping together. Then, strain the water and spread the cooked grains on a drying rack or window screen to cool.
Finally, measure out the desired amount of grain, keeping in mind that the grain will expand when moistened. As a rule of thumb, fill your mason jars to about 70% capacity or 2/3 full. This allows for the expansion of the grain during the hydration process.
By following these steps, you will have properly prepared grains that are ready for the next stages of creating mushroom spawn jars. Remember to work in a clean environment and ensure your tools and workspace are sterilized to minimize the risk of contamination.
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Sterilising the jars
Next, you'll need to sterilise the jars themselves. You can use a pressure canner or pressure cooker, which can hold up to ten jars and can also be used to sterilise fruiting blocks and agar. Cover the lids in tinfoil to prevent water from dripping in, then pressure sterilise the jars for about 90 minutes at 15 PSI. Alternatively, you can boil your grains in a large pan of water for around 20 minutes, adding a teaspoon of gypsum to prevent them from sticking together.
After sterilisation, leave the jars to cool for several hours before handling. Once cool, inspect the jars in a clean environment. Check for broken grains and make sure the grains aren't globbed together. Now you're ready for inoculation with mushroom culture!
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Inoculating the jars
After preparing your jars, you need to inoculate them with mushroom culture. Before doing so, ensure your work environment is clean, closed off, and sterile. It's best to wear gloves and a mask and wipe down your workstation and tools with isopropyl alcohol.
The grain should be cooled to around 75°F (24°C) or less before inoculation to avoid killing the culture. Once inoculated, place the jar on a shaded shelf at 20–24°C. The jars should be fully colonised with white strands of mycelium within a week. If you see bluish mould, discard the contents.
If you want to expand your spawn, you can use the contents to inoculate more jars. It's recommended to limit multiplication of spawn to three times as the strain will start to lose vigour.
Some growers like to shake their jars when they are a third of the way colonised. This breaks up the mycelium and spreads it throughout the grain, speeding up colonisation. When the grain is completely covered with mycelium and uniformly white, your jar is fully colonised, and your grain spawn is ready to use.
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Colonisation
To initiate colonisation, the jars must be filled with grain and sterilised to eliminate any contaminants that may hinder the growth of the desired mushroom culture. This is typically done using a pressure canner or cooker, which kills off unwanted bacteria and spores. After sterilisation, it is essential to allow the grain to cool to around 75°F (24°C) before introducing the mycelium culture, as higher temperatures can harm the culture.
The colonisation process can take anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks, depending on the mushroom species, choice of grain, and growing conditions. During this time, the mycelium will grow and spread throughout the grain, turning it a uniform white colour. Some growers accelerate colonisation by shaking the jars when they are about a third of the way colonised, breaking up the mycelium and encouraging its spread.
Once the jars are fully colonised, they can be used to inoculate a bulk substrate, maximising yield and producing an abundance of mushrooms. This process can be repeated multiple times, expanding the culture and enabling the growth of larger quantities of mushrooms. However, it is important to maintain a clean environment and sterile techniques during colonisation and expansion to minimise the risk of contamination.
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Harvesting
Once your spawn has been created, you can use it to inoculate a bulk substrate. This is also referred to as spawning and involves mixing your colonized grain spawn with your prepared substrate. The mixture is then left to incubate so that the mycelium can colonize the new substrate.
The substrate you use will depend on where you want to grow your mushrooms. For example, if you want to grow mushrooms outdoors, you can use your grain spawn to inoculate a bulk substrate of logs or garden beds. If you want to grow mushrooms indoors, you can use your grain spawn to inoculate a bulk substrate in bags, buckets, bottles, or monotubs.
After your substrate has been inoculated, it will need to be incubated in the right conditions for your mushrooms to grow. This may involve providing the right temperature, humidity, and ventilation for your mushrooms.
Once your mushrooms have grown to the desired size, you can harvest them by cutting or snapping them off at the base. It is important to only harvest the mushrooms that are ready and to leave any that are still growing.
Finally, you will need to cure your mushrooms to preserve them. This involves hanging them up in a dry, well-ventilated area for several days to remove any excess moisture.
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Frequently asked questions
Mushroom spawn is used to expand cultures of mycelium and grow large quantities of edible and psychoactive mushrooms.
Although any grain will do, rye is the most common grain used for mushroom cultivation. This is because of its water-absorbing qualities, nutrient makeup, and the fact that mushrooms seem to like it.
First, measure out your grain, bearing in mind that the grain will expand when moistened. Rinse the grain 4-5 times in cold water or until the water is reasonably clear, then soak the grain in water for 12-24 hours. Next, boil the grain for 15-20 minutes, then strain the water and spread the grain across a drying rack or window screen.
You will need a pressure cooker to sterilise your spawn substrate. Cover the lids of your jars in tin foil, then pressure sterilise them for about 90 minutes at 15 PSI.
When the grain is completely covered with mycelium and uniformly white, your jar is fully colonised and your grain spawn is ready to use.
