Heres a post for anyone interested in mushroom growing. This document is my personal notes on making brown rice flour (BRF) cakes and using the Pf Tek procedure to fruit. The video series the notes are taken from can be viewed here:

Lets Grow Mushrooms! BRF/PF Tek Series

BRF Cake mix (5 Cakes)

Brown Rice Flour (BRF) cakes are highly nutritious mixes of nutrients and soil for mycillium to feed on/grow in to. A simple mixture of vermiculite, brown rice flour, and water.

5 1/2 pint mason jars (1 cup)

A roll of medical micropore tape to cover holes

A drill to make holes in jar lid

A Big mixing bowl & stirring spoon

1 cup brown rice flour (240ml)

1 cup water (240ml)

2 cups vermiculite (480ml)

In the mixing bowl, add 2 cups vermiculite (480ml) and 1 cup water (240ml)

Mix the water and verm together well. Really need to mix well so rice flour coats verm.

Once the water and verm are mixed, add 1 cup brown rice flour & mix (240ml) and mix well.

Mason Jars With BRF Mix

Drill or punch 4 small holes in each jar lid for innoculation and gas exchange. Put micropore tape over lid holes.

Begin filling jars with BRF mix *** DO NOT PACK, make sure its fluffy with plenty of air *** DO NOT FILL, make sure top 1/2 inch (1cm) of jar is clear.

lightly use fingers to push down BRF mix off inner wall of jar.

Clean inside rim above substrate by using a dry paper towel to wipe inside lip all around. Do this to help reduce moisture which helps keep contamination out.

Fill the rest of jar with DRY vermiculite (NOT BRF mix!) REMEMBER NOT TO PACK!

Seal the jar with lid facing rubber side up (upside down) this makes it easier to take off later.

Finally, Place aluminum foil over lids.

Sterilize Jars

Steam sterilization of the jars and BRF mix is an important step to prevent contamination. Experienced mycologist often use pressure cookers. Fortunately for beginners who don't have one, similar effects can be achieved with the humble stove, pot, and boiling water.

Large boiling pot with lid

A hand full of Mason jar rings for spacers

Some Aluminum foil

a cooking stove

Place a layer of jar rings on bottom of pot snuggly to act as spacers

place aluminum sheets on top of the layer of rings

Put another layer of rings on top of foil

Pour enough water in to just come up to the top jar ring *** JARS NEED TO BE COMLETELY OUT OF THE WATER!!!! Leave space between jars and water. This prevents water from splashing up under the foil into the jar lid holes.

Steam sterilize by bringing pot to a boil and letting the jars steam for 90 mins. Turn stovetop to high. Once water boils, reduce stove to a lower setting to a minimum point where the water will still boil. Make sure water continues to boil and make steams. Dont let water boil dry!

Only start the 90 minute countdown after boiling/steam production starts.

Innoculation is the act of putting spores in our substrate. Its important to build a glovebox when innoculating to reduce the possibility of contamination with other undesireable spores floating in the air.

Equipment

Innoculating glovebox (clear plastic tub with glove holes)

Latex gloves

Tyvec wrist sleves

Butane/alcohol lighter for clean flame sterilization

Medical alcohol

Spore syringe

USA: Sporeworks

To Make Innoculation Glovebox

Get clear plastic tub with lid from dollar store

Use drill with circular hole saw attachment to make two glove holes. Scissors and a file will probably work too if you don't have a drill or hole saw laying around, just make sure there are no sharp edges around hole to cut gloves

Sanitize gloves with alcohol

Shake the syringe

flame sterilize the syringe needle until red hot

Let needle cool two seconds

Hold jar at an angle, shoot syringe towards outer glass walls

Flame sterilize syringe needle between jars

Allow jars to sit on a shelf at room temp (75-81F) for three weeks or until fully colonized. WAIT UNTIL FULL COLONIZATION! jar should be solid white with mycillium.

If green forest mold shows up, that jar is a lost cause. If you want to save the jar then boil the contaminated jars in water for an hour BEFORE you open up the jars and and dump em out. DO NOT OPEN CONTAMINATED JARS INDOORS!!!

BIRTHING!

Smell cakes for mushroom smell

Remove cakes from jar. Tapping the jar on a hard surface helps to pop the cake out

Gently scrape loose verm crud off cakes with hands

Rinse cakes well under water

Place cakes in pot of cold water

Place weight to hold them down and soak for 24 hours. Heavy plates should work.

& Roll, Fruiting Time!

How To Make Fruiting Chamber/ Terrarium

Get bag of pearlite

Get clear plastic tub with lid from dollar store

Drill lots of holes into tub on all sides, including bottom and lid.

Rinse pearlite out with water. Allow it to drain well

Fill bottom with pearlite about 2-3 inches

Dunk & Roll Procedure

Rinse birthed cakes well after their 24HR soak

After rinse, roll cakes in dry vermiculute. Make sure cake is coated really well!

Place birthed cakes in fruiting chamber

Finally, Let the magic happen!