Laura Smith
Birthing mushroom cakes is a process of growing mushrooms from a mycelium cake. The technique, known as PF Tek, involves preparing a substrate of brown rice flour, vermiculite, and water, which the mushrooms will feed off of. The process typically takes 4-6 weeks, from spore inoculation to fruiting. After birthing, it is recommended to soak the cake in water for about 24 hours, and then the mushrooms can be harvested when they are young. The growing time and conditions depend on the mushroom species, and it is important to monitor the moisture, temperature, and potential contamination to ensure successful mushroom growth.
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What You'll Learn
- Prepare jars with holes in the lid and fill with vermiculite, brown rice flour and water
- Ensure the jars are fully colonised and consolidated before birthing
- Remove cakes from the jars and soak in water for 12-24 hours
- Roll the cakes in dry vermiculite and place them in a fruiting chamber
- Maintain optimal temperature, moisture, and light conditions to encourage fruiting
Prepare jars with holes in the lid and fill with vermiculite, brown rice flour and water
To prepare jars with holes in the lid and fill them with vermiculite, brown rice flour, and water, you'll need a few specific materials and equipment. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Prepare the Jars:
- Gather your canning jars, which can be half-pint, 8oz, or 250mL sizes.
- Remove the lid of each jar and lay it flat, with the rubber side facing up, on a table or stable surface.
- Using a hammer and nail, create 2-4 holes evenly spaced around the edge of the lid. Ensure the holes are not too close to the edge, as this can tear the foil in later steps.
Mix the Substrate:
- The substrate is the food for the fungus and is composed of brown rice flour, vermiculite, and water.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 9 cups of vermiculite, 3 cups of organic brown rice flour, and 3 cups of water for every 12 jars (250mL each). You can adjust the amounts proportionally based on the number of jars you have.
- Mix the dry ingredients well before adding the water to ensure a consistent mixture.
Fill the Jars:
- Once your substrate is mixed, carefully fill each jar with the mixture.
- Place the lids with the holes you created earlier back onto the jars.
- Store the jars in a suitable location, such as a tub or incubation chamber, maintaining proper temperature and humidity conditions.
After filling the jars, you will need to wait for the mycelium to colonize the jars. This process can take around 2-4 weeks or more, depending on various factors. Once the jars are fully colonized, you can proceed with the next steps of birthing mushroom cakes, such as dunking the cakes in water and transferring them to a fruiting chamber.
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Ensure the jars are fully colonised and consolidated before birthing
It is important to ensure that your jars are fully colonised before birthing your mushroom cakes. This process can take several weeks, so be patient. You will know that the cakes are fully colonised when they are completely white. If there are any other colours, such as green or red, or a bad smell, this indicates that the cake is contaminated with mould and should be discarded.
Once the cakes are fully colonised, you should let them consolidate for a week or longer. This will give a better flush as it allows the mycelium time to digest more of the substrate before entering fruiting conditions. During this time, you can prepare your growth area. This should be an enclosed space with high humidity (90% to 100%) and optimal light.
To check if your cakes are fully colonised, remove them from the jar one by one. After checking, you can birth the cakes by taking off the foil and lid, flipping the jar upside down, and giving it a few smacks downward to dislodge the cake. It is a good idea to then soak the cake in water for about 24 hours to rehydrate it and encourage sprouting.
If you are growing multiple strains of mushrooms, be aware that they may colonise at different rates. It is recommended to wait until all the cakes are fully colonised before birthing, as mixing strains can lead to poor fruiting.
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Remove cakes from the jars and soak in water for 12-24 hours
Once the cakes are fully colonized, it's time to remove them from the jars. To do this, lightly slam the jar down on a table cushioned with a magazine or a similar soft item. The fungus cake should slide out onto the old jar cap. Alternatively, you can hold the jar without the lid and carefully whack the bottom of the jar with a rubber mallet. When handling the fungus cake, be careful not to squeeze and bruise it, as this will result in a bluish mark.
After removing the cakes from the jars, it is a good idea to soak them in water for 12 to 24 hours. This process is known as "dunking" and helps to rehydrate the cakes. Temperature shocking the fungus by soaking it in the refrigerator causes the fruits to appear quicker than a room temperature soak. After soaking, some growers roll the cakes in dry vermiculite, perlite, or moist vermiculite.
It's important to note that the cakes should be placed in a fairly clean room during the birthing process. The aroma of the fungus cake is distinctly mushroomy and pleasant. Once all the cakes have been transferred, you can induce fruiting.
The dunking process is also used between flushes to rehydrate the cakes. The cakes should last for about 3 to 4 flushes, with each flush taking about 2 weeks to complete, depending on the species.
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Roll the cakes in dry vermiculite and place them in a fruiting chamber
Rolling birthing cakes in dry vermiculite and placing them in a fruiting chamber is an important step in the mushroom cultivation process. Here is a detailed guide on how to do this:
Preparing the Cakes
Before rolling the cakes in dry vermiculite, they must be properly prepared. This involves birthing the cakes, which means allowing them to reach full maturity and become covered in white mycelium. This process can take around 7-10 days. After birthing, the cakes should be soaked in water for about 24 hours. This step is known as the "dunk" in the "dunk and roll" procedure. The dunk helps rehydrate the cakes and can be done in a refrigerator to temperature shock the fungus, causing the fruits to appear quicker.
Rolling in Dry Vermiculite
Now it's time to roll the cakes in dry vermiculite. Prepare a bowl of dry vermiculite and take each cake individually, rolling them until they are well covered. The vermiculite acts as a moisture reservoir, helping to retain water when the cakes are misted. This ensures that the cakes have enough moisture to support mushroom growth.
Placing in the Fruiting Chamber
After rolling, it's important to gently mist the cakes to moisten the dry vermiculite covering. Once moistened, the cakes can be placed in the fruiting chamber. The chamber should be set up with proper lighting, such as 6500K fluorescent lights or indirect sunlight, to initiate pinning and fruit development. The lighting should be on a cycle of 12 hours on and 12 hours off, and it should be positioned a few feet away from the chamber.
Continuing the Cultivation Process
Once the cakes are in the fruiting chamber, continue with your regular misting and fanning routine. After the first flush, you will need to dunk the cakes again for 18-24 hours to replenish their water content and initiate the second flush. The cakes can typically last for about 3-4 flushes before being spent. However, it's important to monitor for contamination, as the mycelium ages and becomes weaker, it may struggle to fight off contaminants.
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Maintain optimal temperature, moisture, and light conditions to encourage fruiting
Maintaining optimal temperature, moisture, and light conditions is crucial for encouraging the fruiting of mushroom cakes. Here are some detailed guidelines for each of these factors:
Temperature:
- The ideal temperature range for most mushrooms during the fruiting stage is between 50-60°F (10-16°C). However, this may vary slightly depending on the mushroom species. For example, Oyster mushrooms thrive in a cooler range of 55-65°F (13-18°C), while the optimum temperature for Psilocybe Cubensis is 70-74°F (21-23°C).
- Temperature shocking the fungus by soaking it in the refrigerator can accelerate the fruiting process.
Moisture:
- Mushrooms are composed of 80 to 90% water, so maintaining adequate moisture levels is critical. The substrate should be kept evenly moist but not soaked.
- Misting or adding water to the substrate as needed is essential for ideal conditions. Regularly check moisture levels to ensure the substrate doesn't dry out, as this can hinder mushroom growth.
- During the fruiting stage, aim for a relative humidity of 90-95% to help mushrooms retain moisture, which is vital for cap opening and the health of the fruiting bodies.
Light:
- Most mushrooms require indirect light to encourage consistent cap development and prevent the harsh effects of direct sunlight, such as drying and uneven growth.
- However, brief periods of direct light may benefit certain species. For example, Shiitake mushrooms require slightly more light than Oyster mushrooms.
- Mushrooms only require 4 to 6 hours of indirect light per day. If using artificial lighting, a low-wattage light source will suffice.
- Some mushrooms are photosensitive and require light to form pins, but light is generally not necessary for the induction of fruiting in fungi.
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Frequently asked questions
The PF Tek is one of the most basic grow techniques for birthing mushroom cakes. You will need a pressure cooker, organic brown rice flour, vermiculite, perlite, and canning jars. Spore syringes are the easiest way to get started.
It takes about 2 to 4 weeks for the complete colonization of the cake. However, it is important to wait until the cakes are fully colonized before birthing them to avoid contamination.
Insufficient moisture, inadequate temperature range, or a lack of necessary nutrients could be the reasons why your mushroom cakes are not producing. Too much light, overcrowding, and contamination can also prevent mushrooms from growing.
It is recommended to soak the cakes in water for about 24 hours after birthing them. Temperature shocking the fungus by soaking it in the refrigerator causes the fruits to appear quicker.
The fruiting time of mushrooms depends on the species and growing conditions. Typically, it takes about 3 to 7 weeks for mushrooms to fruit after birthing the cakes.
