DON’T OPEN YOUR SPORES BEFORE YOU ARE READY. THEY’RE IN THE FOIL.

IF
YOU OPEN THE FOIL BEFORE YOU ARE READY, THEN THE SPORES COULD BE
CONTAMINATED. DO ALL OF THIS IN A ROOM WITHOUT MOVING AIR.

1. (This is an optional step for those working with spores. No need to do this if you are only
working with living liquid cultures.) Build still air box.
https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/23990888#23990888​ I
personally use a box that was for sandblasting. It
has doors that open on the side, a window to look
in, and to ports for your arms. I removed the gloves
from my box, and I would not recommend building
your still air box with attached gloves. I cut squares
from bandanas and screwed them into place. I cut
an opening in them to create a curtain that allows
me to stick my hands through. I never did clean my
still air box thoroughly. I mostly covered a piece of
cardboard with aluminum foil to create a place to
set my equipment that is easy to clean.
2. (This is an optional step for those working with
spores. No need to do this if you are only working with
living liquid cultures.) I take a small flask (mines
around 50ml ) or small glass jar and fill it with about
50 ml of water. Take a piece of aluminum foil and seal
the flask with it. I usually lay it over the flask, fold the
sides of the foil down the flask, then scrunch up the
foil to create a lid. I would recommend preparing
multiple flasks this way incase you have a fairly large
print. There are lots of prints that could easily make
multiple flasks worth of spores. It’s also good to do at least
two flasks with your first spore print, just in case one of the
flasks is contaminated. Cook the flasks in your pressure
cooker for approximately 20 minutes. I use the timer on my
electric pressure cooker, which I set to high. Let these
flasks complete cool before putting spores in them. I like to
let them cool down in my still air box to help keep them
clean.
3. For live cultures i prepare pint jars with 200ml water, 5.3g
dextrose, 2.7g marmite yeast extract, a magnetic spinner
and these live culture autoclavable lids of amazon. 6 Pack
Liquid Culture...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074MB7L5Y?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share​. I put these in

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 my pressure cooker on high for about 30 minutes. Make sure the lids aren’t screwed on
tight. As soon as I take these out, I put a piece of tape on the little hole that’s open.
4. Buy 12 ml syringes that have tips that are not poky. It’s horrible dealing with syringe tips
meant to pierce the skin. I bought a hundred pack of syringes that come with tips and
screw caps, and sterilization pouches so I can reuse the syringes. I usually prepare
about twelve syringes at once. This is because that’s what fits best in my pressure
cooker. Place one syringe with one screw cap into the sanitization pouch and seal. I put
four of these filled pouches into a pint wide mouth ball
jar. I fill three jars in my pressure cooker. I set the
timer for 20 minutes. It’s best not to leave these guys
in the pressure cooker too long. Once they are done, it
is best to move them to a box that allows them to
continue to stand up right. If you let them dry lying
down on a surface, then it’s possible for contaminates
to soak through the wet paper. I have a bunch of
syringes sterilized ahead of time, waiting to be used.
As for the tips, I store those in a small glass jar full of
70% rubbing alcohol.
5. (This is an optional step for those working with spores.
No need to do this if you are only working with living
liquid cultures.) Prepare your still air box for transferring
the spores from your foil to your flasks. You will need a
small glass container of rubbing alcohol (the one full of
syringe tips), a small spray bottle of rubbing alcohol
(only meant for still air box), metal scalpel (I prefer full
metal one with tips that are exchangeable), a candle or
small hand held torch, your sterilized flasks and
syringes and gloves. I reuse my gloves until they fall
apart. I get nitrile gloves that are non-sterile. I am constantly washing my gloved hands
with 70% alcohol and wiping them clean with a clean bandana. I keep a small bottle of
70% rubbing alcohol just for washing my hands. I also always where a face mask, which
I also reuse. Clean everything in your still air box that you will touch during this process,
except the syringes still in their pouches, with 70% rubbing alcohol and wipe it clean. I
keep the pointed part of the scalpel in the rubbing alcohol until I’m ready to scrape the
spores. Then I take the scalpel out and run the pointy part through the candle or blast it
with the torch.
6. (This is an optional step for those working with spores. No need to do this if you are only
working with living liquid cultures.) Inside the still air box, take the foil off of the flask(s).
Unfold the foil containing your spores. Fold back one side of the foil so that the edge of
the foil is as close to the spores as possible. Reducing the distance which the spores
must travel over will decrease the chances of contamination. I taco the foil and begin
scraping spores into the flask of sterilized water. Depending on the size of the spores
you can do multiple flasks. The spores are microscopic. The water doesn’t need to

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 become dark with spores, nor do you really need to see any evidence of spores in the
water. Once all the spores have been scraped, open a fresh syringe, attach one of the
tips that’s sitting in the rubbing alcohol, and run the tip through a flame to completely
sterilize. Give a little stir of the water if you would like with your freshly sterilized tip. Then
suck up some water. Remove the tip, placing the tip back in the rubbing alcohol, and
closing the syringe with the screw cap. Get a new tip for each new syringe and run it
through the flame before sucking up more water. You ought to get about 4 syringes
worth from each flask. Label the syringes. You could also take a swab for later use at
this time as well. See last page on how to prepare swabs.
7. This next part does not require gloves or a face mask. Prepare the growing medium. I
take 2 quarts of oak wood pellets for stoves and ovens, and I mix it with ¼ cup of
gypsum, ¼ cup calcium carbonate and a quart of water. I let this sit overnight. I cover it
with plastic wrap. I mix it once more real good before bed. Then take 2 parts of this wood
mixture, 1 part organic brown rice flower and enough water to make it moist. Mix these
all together in a bowl. The mixture should be moist and wet. The mixture shouldn’t pool
water. Then scoop this into wide mouth pint ball jars. There are two different ways to fill
the jars. It all depends on how you want to fruit. If you want to fruit in the jars (perhaps
because of temperature), then fill the jars about up
with a knuckles worth of medium. Think about
making a little patty in the jar. You’ll want it thin
enough that you will be able to turn it on it’s side with
room to grow fruit on both long sides without being
too cramped by the jar. Make sure to wipe of any
medium sticking to the sides or top of the jar by
itself. These random pieces become prime territory
for contaminants. If you are going to fruit outside the
jar, then fill the jar almost completely, leaving a little
bit of room at the top (this is how I do it for lion’s
mane). Cover the top of your jars with a piece of aluminum foil
like we did with the flasks. This time take a second square of
foil and place it on top of the jar and fold the sides down over
the jar. This leaves you with a solid lid that won’t come off
easily and a second lid that is easily removable and
replaceable. This also provides us with a surface that remains
sterile. If you filled up your syringes to 12ml, then I would
prepare 12 jars of medium. Place your jars with patties in the
pressure cooker for 30 minutes on high. Place your almost full
jars in the pressure cooker for 45-60 minutes on high.
Remove and let cool.
8. Gloves and a face mask back on, but no need for the still air
box, unless you are in a room that has moving air, such as
A/C or heating. Have your jar of syringe tips and torch ready.
Remove the twist cap from the syringe, and attach a syringe tip. Run this tip through a

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 flame to sterilize. Gently remove the top piece of foil from one of the jars, so that you can
reuse it. Insert the syringe tip through the remaining piece of foil and inject 1ml of water.
Replace the piece of foil that you had removed. Run the needle tip through the flame
and repeat the process for all jars. If you have a syringe that contains liquid culture, then
you can use this opportunity to inoculate the jars for live cultures that we had prepared
earlier. You don’t need to squirt much in from the syringe. You could also use this time to
create agar plates and or slants.
9. Build a home for your inoculated jars. I use a fish tank that I lined and topped with
styrofoam for insulation. You want this space to remain dark. I place a seed starting mat
in the tank to warm the tank to about 86 degrees Fahrenheit. I use the heating mat with
the thermometer. It’s ok to pack this tank with jars. Not all the jars need to be on the mat.
The jars will be ready when all the substrate has turned white or mostly white. My lion’s
mane will start to grow out from underneath the foil if left
long enough.
10. Build a fruiting chamber for your jars. Once again I use a
fish tank. I use 5 or so pvc pipes that have been cut to
about 4” to hold up the tray that comes with an
underground filtration system. These trays fit your tank
perfectly and are permeable. If you need to heat your
mushrooms, then I use the jars with patties, and I place
a fish tank heater set to 86 degrees and a fish tank
aerator under the tray. Before I fill the tank, I clean it,
and everything going into it except the jars. You want to
wear your gloves, which you wash all the time with
alcohol, and mask during this time. I rinse them off with
water. I spray them down with white vinegar, and I leave
them to sit for five minutes. Wipe or rinse clean. Then I
spray again with hydrogen peroxide. Leave for five
minutes and wipe or
rinse. I put a dash of hot tub chlorine in the tank before
filling it up to about an inch above the tray. Once you
place all your jars in the tank, the water should come up
the side of the jar by an inch. This contact with the
water helps create a warm environment inside the jar.
Cover most of the tank with plastic wrap. I leave a gap
on one side of the tank for air to come out. I cover this
gap with a bandana so that no germs can fall in. I cover
the entire tank with a styrofoam top. If you do not need
to heat your mycelium, then you can use the jars that
are almost completely full. These tanks don’t require
the fish tank heater, or added water. I still like to put a
dash of chlorine powder in there to help prevent growth
at the bottom of the fish tank of various things. These

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 tanks end up looking like the
following.
11. While the jars are being colonized,
you can prepare sterilized water for
them. I take four quart jars, because
that’s what fits in my pressure
cooker, and I fill them with water. I
cover them with the two lids of
aluminum foil just like the other jars.
One foil lid that prevents leaking and
another to cover the first to keep
things sterile. I sterilize these four
jars and their water for about 20
minutes in the pressure cooker.
12. Once the substrate in the jars is white, then it’s
time for the fruiting chamber. Get one jar ready at a
time to prevent contamination. Where your gloves
and use your alcohol to wash your hands and a
clean bandana to dry them off. Be sure to wear
your face mask too. Remove the foil from a jar.
Pour the sterilized water into the jar, enough to
cover the mycelium. It may float, that’s ok. Cover
the jar with a 2x2 inch sterilized gauze pad. Use a
rubber band to secure the top. This prevents
infections from spreading like wildfire throughout
your colonies. Very cool. Very swag. Place the jar
in the heated water of the fish tank. Come back the next day with your mask and gloves.
One at a time, remove the water from the jars. I keep the scalpel tip in the rubbing
alcohol jar with the syringe tips during this time. When I go to pour out the water, I use
the sterile scalpel tip to hold back the mycelium. I then arrange the mycelium so that the
disk is on its side standing up in the jar. This allows for maximum surface area for the
fruit to grow. Secure the gauze pad back on top.
Wait for mushrooms to appear! If it looks like the
gauze will mess with your fruit, then I pop the
rubber band off the jar.
13. I find the mushrooms I deal with take about two
weeks to appear and another week to finish
fruiting. When it’s time to harvest, I use my gloves
and mask. For jars with patties, I pick the fruit, then
cover the mycelium with sterilized water again. The
fruit is dried. The mycelium is left overnight to soak
up water. I use the scalpel to hold back the
mycelium when I pour the water out the next day. For mycelium that fruited on the trays,

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 I pick the fruit, and then lay the mycelium on it’s side, and pour sterilized water on them. I
let them hang out overnight. Then in the morning I tilt the trays so the water pours into
the bottom of the tank. I set the mycelium backup right, and wait for more fruit or for the
cake to die.
14. Prepare your still air box for making prints. Inside the box you will need two squares of
tin foil, a tiny little dropper of sterilized water, 2 glass jars and some forceps. Clean the
dropper and the jars with at least the rubbing alcohol and wipe clean with a clean
bandana. I use a little alcohol wipe to clean the pieces of foil.
15. Once you see a nice cap that has opened all the way, then you can pick it. Use your
gloves and mask. I have the scalpel ready, but this time I don’t let it sit in the alcohol. I
dip it in alcohol and then run it through the flame to sterilize it. I have a needle handy. I
would clean or sterilize the needle, but it’s not super important. Stick the needle through
the cap and into the stem. This gives you a handle. Now cut the stem off of the cap using
the sterilized scalpel. Hold onto your cap using the needle so that the gilled side is facing
down. Using your hand as a shield from the bandana of your still air box port, bring the
cap into the still air box and place it gilled side down on the foil. Remove the needle.
Drop a drop of sterilized water on the cap. You can place multiple caps on the same
piece of foil so long as there is room. Cover your cap with one of the jars. This will
prevent your cap from drying out and not producing spores. Leave the cap until the next
day. The next day you will remove the jar and use the forceps to remove the caps from
the foil. Fold the foil over your print. Dry the cap. You can now repeat this entire process
for more spores and mushrooms.
16. For mushrooms like lion’s mane, where it’s super difficult to catch spores, I use live
culture cloning. Before you pick your mushrooms, pick or cut off a small piece of the
mushroom. Use clean gloves and a sterile scalpel, or use a syringe to stab a piece of the
mushroom. At this piece of mushroom to your pre sterilized liquid culture jar. I like to add
the piece through the little hole plugged by the rubber stopper. I have a magnetic stirring
and heating unit. I have found this makes the best live liquid culture. I set the jar on heat,
give it a whirl and a little heat, about 80 degrees fahrenheit. I do this a couple times a
day for a couple days until I see the mixture begin to get cloudy. Then I set up my sterile
syringes and and needle tips in the alcohol. I attach the
needle to the syringe, fire it with my torch, and then suck up
as much culture as I can through the hole for the rubber
stoppers. I replaced the needle with the cap, and wala!
Done. You can repeat the process. I keep these syringes in
my fridge.
17. The stem and any other mushrooms picked can be dried for
later use. To do so, place on a dehydrator on the lowest
setting. Wait until it’s fairly dry and then place in a container
containing silica beads. I use three containers. One big oxo
pop top container and two quart jars. I fill them halfway with
silica beads, the kind that change color from blue to pink as
they collect water. They are reusable. I place paper towels

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 over the beads to protect the mushrooms. I use the oxo container for the freshest
mushrooms. The next day when I have picked more, I love the mushrooms from the big
container to one of the jars. The following day I will move the mushrooms from the big
container to the empty jar. On the following day I’ll empty the first jar I filled and use it for
the mushrooms coming from the big container.
18. I love making tea with my wood loving friends. Soak for thirty minutes in enough cold
water to cover the following herbs; 9g jujube date, 9g fresh ginger, 2 g lion’s mane, 2g
wood ear, 2g red reishi, 2g black reishi, 2g maitake, 2g shiitake and 12-24g Syberian
ginseng, if you can find it. Bring to boil, and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain the herbs from
the liquid. If you were only able to find concentrated powder for herbs such as the
Siberian ginseng, then now would be the time to dissolve that powder into the hot liquid.
Divide the liquid into 2 parts (one for each day), and then divide those two parts into two
or three parts (one for morning, one for evening, and a third one can be for midday if you
like). Drink tea warm. Reheat, or add hot water to it. I like to add my mushroom tea
serving to my thermos, and then top off with hot water. I sip on this throughout the
morning. I like the three doses. It’s recommended to take between meals. This tea helps
strengthen your immune system, prevent diseases, give you energy (if you have
Siberian ginseng), and balance your nutritive energy with your protective energy. If you
are a really warm person, then go light on the ginger. If you are a sticky, phlegmy
person, then go light on the jujube date.

If you come across a real beauty of a fruit, then you can clone it using the liquid culture, or
better yet, using agar tech.

If you have difficult mushrooms to collect spores from and want to collect spores or if you want
to share part of a spore print then use swabs!
all you need to do for swabs is : 1 take your DRY swabs and wrap them tightly in foil : take the
foil wrapped swabs and place them into a jar with a lid(Fitted lid or foil lid(You dont want them
getting wet at all) : place that jar in the Pressure Cooker for 30 to 45 min :
When ready to start your swabbing have your tools ready in this case the swabs and
Glovebox...take your PE mushroom head and get an end up inside the cap and give it a slight
twiist back and forth till the swab end looks black(Full of spores)...NOTE : Try not to touch the
stipe (stem) of the mushroom with the swab at all...I usually cut the cap in half, makes it a little
easier...so once you have your spore ridden swab just wrap it back up in the foil for later use
Swabs can be used to inoculate agar plates or other sterile mediums.

Agar tech
https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/21922023

https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/22721954/vc/1#22721954

https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/18182209

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500ml distilled h2o 9-10g Agar 6-8g Extra Light Malt Extract

Bring the water to a boil shut off the heat, add dry ingredients, stir until fully dissolved, load
media bottle, sterilize 15-20 minutes @ 15-17psi. Pour once cooled to 110-108F. Let plates cool
and dry unwrapped infront of flow hood or in still air box. Wrap plates with Saran or Parafilm.
Store away from heat sources that will drive water from agar and create condensation. There's a
million ways to prepare agar. That's my preferred and creates crystal clear plates.

For wood lovers add sawdust to agar plate

For cubes and pans add poo

For cubes
I use half pint mason jars and I use 500 ml water 10g agar 7 gs dry dog food
I bring agar and dry dog food powdered to a boil then bring down to simmer for 3 mins then i
pour 60 or so ml per jar i let cool aside so it doesn't build condensation then I tighten my lids add
to pc and pc for 60 mins then let agar kool overnight then ur good to go

For slants
https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/18182209

You can find the most up to date version of these instructions on the library generator using the
download books instructions.

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