How To Make Liquid Culture For Mushroom Growing - Archer's Mushrooms (2024)

FAQs

How do you make liquid culture for mushrooms? ›

To make liquid culture, mix a sugar source (like light malt extract or honey) with water, sterilize the solution, and then introduce mushroom mycelium. Use a canning jar with an airport lid for the culture and a pressure cooker for sterilization.

Honey liquid culture recipe: Add 16g of honey (4 teaspoons) to 400ml of water and stir until the honey dissolves. Karo and LME recipe: Add 16g of Karo light corn syrup and 4g of Light Malt Extract (LME) to 500ml of water.

You can use distilled water—better for sterility's sake—or tap water, which is fine. Measure the number of nutrients you'll use, add it to the jar, and then mix it. Put two strips of micropore tape over the hole in the lid. Then, screw the lid onto the jar.

Add 12g of light corn syrup to the water and stir to form a solution. This is equivalent to 4% corn syrup:water ratio. The corn syrup provides the nutrients needed for the mycelium to grow in the liquid culture.

For optimal longevity and health of your liquid culture, it's best to store it in a refrigerator, ideally at temperatures between 2-8°C (35-46°F). Never freeze a liquid culture (or spores), as this will kill the living culture inside.

Mushroom liquid cultures need to be mixed periodically so the mycelium does not clump together. I like using magnetic stir plates and a delay timer. A few seconds on and a few hours off.

When there is a good chunk of cloud like mycelium in the liquid (another 10-14 days), your liquid culture is ready. Shake well to separate the mycelium as much as possible and you can now inject the liquid culture into your grain substrate, such as rye berries.

The ratio ranges from 1 lb. honey per gallon of water for a very light "soft-drink" to 5 lbs. per gallon for a sweet dessert wine. The less honey, the lighter the mead, and the quicker it can be made.

Store in a cool, dark place: The liquid culture should be stored in a cool, dark place such as a refrigerator or a cool basem*nt. This will help to slow down the growth of the mycelium and extend the shelf life of the culture. Preventing UV light will also keep the mycelium viable for longer.

How to tell if your liquid culture is contaminated? ›

Bacterial Contamination, the Liquid Culture is cloudy and after few days nothing grows. If your liquid culture gets taken over by bacteria you'll notice that the Mason Jar will be slightly pressurized. If you have a filter patch, you'll be able to smell that it's gone bad.

Nutrient Broth: The backbone of your liquid culture, this broth provides the essential nutrients for mycelium growth. A simple and effective recipe includes distilled water with a small percentage of light malt extract or honey. The exact concentration can vary, but a 4% solution is a good starting point.

Sterilize the jars for 15-20 minutes at 15 psi. Try to minimize the amount of steam being released to the minimal required to maintain your desired pressure. Allow the pressure cooker to cool: After sterilization, turn off the heat and let the pressure cooker cool down.

Liquid cultures

One method of microbiological culture is liquid culture, in which the desired organisms are suspended in a liquid nutrient medium, such as Luria broth, in an upright flask. This allows a scientist to grow up large amounts of bacteria or other microorganisms for a variety of downstream applications.

1) Combine white vinegar, water and salt in a saucepan and heat to dissolve salt. Add mushrooms and bring to a boil. 2) Reduce heat and simmer mushrooms in brine for 10-12 minutes. 3) Pack mushrooms into sterilized half-pint jars.

Initial mycelium growth is visible within 1-3 weeks of inoculating your pod with spores or liquid culture. Full colonization usually occurs within 4-5 weeks, though it can sometimes take longer.