How to Grow Mushrooms on Grain

Gather all the materials in one place. You should work as quickly as possible because the less time you have the lids off the culture or growing jars the less chance there is of exposure to airborne contaminants.

Light the alcohol burner and pass the end of the inoculation loop through the flame several times to sterilize it. Remove the lid of the live culture test tube or Petri dish and pick up a tiny piece of the agar or growing medium on the loop. Replace the lid.

Remove the lid from a jar of sterile grain growing medium. Touch the inoculation loop to the medium to transfer the piece of culture to it. Immediately remove the loop and replace the lid.

Repeat the process for any other jars of grain you want to inoculate. A tube or dish of culture will inoculate several jars of grain. Remember to sterilize the loop between each inoculation. If the piece of culture is stuck to the lid or glass, tap the jar of grain against your palm to dislodge it until it lies on the surface of the grain. Attach a label to each jar with the date and type of mushroom.

Place the jars on a shelf or in a cupboard where they will not be disturbed. The temperature you should maintain depends on the type of mushroom you are growing. Shake each jar periodically to help the mycelium grow throughout the grain. This also keeps the grain from forming clumps.

Transfer a piece of the mature grain colony to the fruiting substrate. A jar has a full colony when you can see the mycelium is obviously growing thickly throughout the grain. Refrigerate grain jars with full colonies if you cannot plant them immediately.