Blazed and Infused

 One of the most important steps in cultivating mushrooms is the inoculation process. If you are not extra mindful in your sterilization process; you will set yourself up for failure straight from the beginning. You will need several things. Make sure you have plenty of 70% isopropyl alcohol. You may think that using 90% would be better but it will evaporate too quick and not allow for a proper sterilization. Also, avoid using the green kind. This type contains extra artificial fragrances and other synthetic ingredients you will want to keep away from when growing organically. You will also need the following items

1. Spore syringe

2. Still air box

3.Sterilized substrate jars

4.Spray bottle for alcohol

5.gloves

6. Alcohol lamp or torch (do not use a regular lighter) 

There are several sources of contamination you need to be aware of.

1. Your environment

2. Your tools

3.YOURSELF

You will want to set your still air box (SAB from now on) in an area that can be easily sanitized, away from high traffic areas and free from moving air. A great location oddly is......a bathroom. A well cleaned bathroom using bleach and a spray sanitizer will provide you a great place for doing your inoculation. If your SAB is too large for your bathroom you will want to pick an area that meets the prior criteria and try to avoid carpeted areas. 

Your tools and your body are the primary source of contamination (assuming you properly sterilized your jars). Before you begin inoculation make sure you are freshly showered with an anti-bacterial soap and dressed in freshly washed clothes. Also, turn off your air conditioning to keep the air as still as possible.  

Once you are ready and in your sterile environment place all your tools inside your SAB and spray with alcohol along with the inside and lid. Place your gloved hands inside and spray both of your hands. Allow some time for the alcohol to evaporate. Begin by opening your spore syringe and remove the needle cap. Use your torch or lamp to flame sterilize the needle and hold at red hot for around 3 seconds. Then, take a pre opened alcohol wipe and swipe the needle to remove any carbon that may have built up. Position your needle tip so you can see the slanted opening and insert following the wall of your jar. This practice will help keep your needle from becoming clogged. Once fully inside lightly tap the plunger of your syringe and aim for 1/4 of a cc per hole. You will see the contents of the syringe disperse against the jar and be absorbed into the substrate. Once you are done place your syringe down, replace the foil top and set aside in another container. If done properly the jar can be exposed to the environment for a short period. Follow the same steps as before with each jar and with a little luck you will have contamination free jars. 

Now that you have jars rich with spores they now need to be incubated. A great way to get them started is to place them in your cabinet above your refrigerator. The heat from the back will provide a nice dark and warm place for your mycelium to thrive. If that is not possible you can use another plastic container placed on top of a heating pad set to low (make sure it does not have an auto-off feature) with a folded towel in between them. Cover with a thick towel or bedsheet to create a dark environment. After around 5-7 days you should see mycelium begin to grow. In the next post we will discuss How spores germinate, what mycelium is and different contaminations that may occur.