Methods for Cleaning Straw With Water

Use Cereal Straw

• Straw, not ordinary hay, from oats or wheat is used to grow mushrooms because of the natural presence of mycelium, a microscopic nutrient essential for the growth of fungi, or mushrooms. To reduce the number of competing micro-organisms, insects and bacteria, on the straw, it must be pasteurized in hot water.

Preparation

• Straw should be cut into small segments, 1 to 3 inches in length, before cleaning. Use a lawn mower mulcher, weed chopper, machete or blender to cut up straw or purchase it from a landscape store. Use caution when using cutting tools to chop straw.

Pasteurization

• Heat a large pot or a clean 55 gallon drum half filled with water. Bring to a boil and allow the temperature to cool to about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the straw in a metal mesh container or in a nylon mesh bag and submerge it in the water. A brick or other weight may be necessary to hold the straw under the water.

Heat, Drain and Cool

• Keep the straw submerged in the 160-to-170-degree water for about an hour. Carefully lift it out and spread it on a clean surface to cool to room temperature. When cool, the straw can be inoculated with grain spawn obtained from a vendor or fellow mushroom grower.

Pack in Plastic Bags

• The inoculated straw can be packed tightly in plastic bags to hang from rafters or other support in a dark basement or garage. The bags must be ventilated by punching V-shape or X-shape holes about 4 to 6 inches apart. Additional moisture, ventilation and cultivation time will depend on the variety of mushrooms desired, their size and the success of the process.