Mastering the Art of Mushroom Grain Spawn: A Step-by-Step Guide — A Funguy Company (2024)

FAQs

How to use mushroom grain spawn? ›

Drain off excess moisture and when cool enough to handle mix grain spawn throughout at a ratio of 1:5 up to 1:10 and load into your chosen fruiting vessel (e.g a bucket with holes, mycobag or plastic bag). A Pressure Cooker, or large vessel to steam the bags in, such as 200L drum.

The first step to making grain spawn is to soak some cereal grain. Soak the grain by simply placing it in a bucket or bowl, covering in water, and leaving it for 12 -24 hours. If you leave the grain for too long, it will eventually sprout- so try not to soak it for more than 24 hours or so.

You could make over $60,000 a year growing gourmet mushrooms for profit. If you have a few hours a week to spare and a growing area where you can control the temperature, humidity, and light, then you can be a successful grower.

When making grain spawn, the gold standard has always been rye grain. And that makes sense. Rye is widely available, hydrates well- and is universally loved by almost any mushroom species.

For ten jars, I like to use about a tablespoon of gypsum and a cup of coffee. Let the grains soak for 12 -24 hours. This will allow the grains to absorb water, and will cause many contaminants to sprout, making them more susceptible to being killed through sterilization.

In the spawn-production process, mycelium from a mushroom culture is placed onto steam-sterilized grain, and in time the mycelium completely grows through the grain. This grain/mycelium mixture is called spawn, and spawn is used to "seed" mushroom compost.

The ideal temperature for a spawn run depends on the type of mushroom, but it is generally between 23 and 28 Celsius (73 and 82 Fahrenheit).

Grain Spawn should arrive double bagged. Remove the outer bag upon receiving. Keep spawn at room temperature if you will be using it in the next few days. For longer storage, refrigerate the spawn for up to 3 months.

If your grains are overhydrated, the vermiculite will assist by soaking up excess moisture instead of pooling at the bottom of the jar smothering the grain. Excess water pooling at the bottom of the jar or bag is a breeding ground for bacterial endospores. So it's best to dump jars like this out and start over.

The higher the inoculation rate or amount of spawn added to the substrate, the faster the mycelium will grow through the substrate. The substrate likely will not produce a larger amount of mushrooms, so a high inoculation rate means more money spent on spawn per pound of mushrooms.

How do you sterilize grains for mushroom spawn? ›

Sterilize the grain: Rinse the grains and soak them in water overnight. Drain the water and fill the grains into jars or bags. Sterilize the grains in a pressure cooker or autoclave for at least 60 minutes at 15 PSI. We sell Small Autoclaves for Pressure Sterilizing grain spawn.

Worldwide, button mushrooms or Agaricus bisporus is the most widely cultivated and consumed mushroom in the world.

French Black Truffles

French Black Truffles are one of the most expensive mushrooms, and grow in various regions of France. However, you can also find French Black Truffles growing in southern areas of Europe. Currently, these mushrooms are sold in United States retail markets and go for $1,000 to $2,000 per pound.

Yartsa Gunbu. The Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau are home to Yartsa Gunbu, also referred to as caterpillars infected by fungus, which possess highly medicinal properties making sure it becomes the most expensive mushroom in the whole world.

Remove the stem from a fresh mushroom, then put the cap gill side down onto a piece of paper or sterilized tin foil. Put a drop of water on the cap, then cover it with a bowl and let it sit for 24 hours. Remove the bowl and cap to reveal your spores.

Some mushrooms, like the Pink Oyster, can grow in as little as 4 or 5 days from when the mushroom pins start to form, or around 14 days from when you first inoculate the substrate with mushroom spawn.