What's the best way to sterilise your grain spawn jars? (2024)

FAQs

What's the best way to sterilise your grain spawn jars? ›

Boiling: This is a common method used for sterilizing small batches of grain spawn jars. Simply fill a large pot with water, place the jars inside, and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat and let the jars simmer for about 60-90 minutes.

Once the jars are filled, cover the lids in tinfoil (to prevent water dripping into the lid) and then just pressure sterilize them for about 90 minutes at 15 psi.

Sterilizing mushroom substrate takes about 2 hours at 121° C and 21 psi. That's just a rule of thumb. Temperature, pressure, substrate amount, packing density, and the equipment itself all make a difference. Higher pressure enables higher heat, therefore faster sterilization.

Points to remember. Wash your jars and the lids in hot soapy water, but do not dry them. Instead, leave them to stand upside down on a roasting tray while they're still wet. Pop the tray of clean, wet jars and lids in to a preheated oven at 160-180ºC for about 15 mins.

Bring the water to a boil and let the grain cook for about 30 minutes, or until it's soft. This will help to kill any surface-level contaminants and prepare the grain for sterilization. The grains will expand and absorb water during the cooking process.

Grain Spawn should arrive double bagged. Remove the outer bag upon receiving. Keep spawn at room temperature if you will be using it in the next few days. For longer storage, refrigerate the spawn for up to 3 months.

During the colonization phase, the mycelium needs oxygen to grow and develop. The mycelium uses O2 to break down nutrients and convert them into energy that is needed for growth. Furthermore, O2 is also necessary for the fruiting phase of mushroom cultivation.

To eliminate this problem, sterilize your mushroom grain spawn before using it. Subjecting your substrate to high pressure and temperatures for an extended period also helps. Unfortunately, you are also a source of contamination.

Colonization occurs after inoculation. This is when the mycelium will start to take over the grain that was inoculated with spores. This period usually lasts between 3 to 6 weeks depending on strain and environmental conditions. Ideal conditions for this phase are in a dark place and temperature between 72 F – 80 F.

How do you prevent mold in grain spawn? ›

Maintaining Clean Growing Conditions: Regular cleaning and sanitization of the growing area reduce the risk of mold spores settling. Sterilizing Equipment: All tools and equipment should be thoroughly sterilized to minimize contamination risks.

To sterilize empty jars, put them right side up on the rack in a boiling-water canner. Fill the canner and jars with hot (not boiling) water to 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Boil 10 minutes at elevations of less than 1,000 ft. At higher elevations, boil 1 additional minute for each additional 1,000 ft.

Using Vinegar

Distilled white vinegar can be more effective in killing bacteria compared to sanitizing solutions available commercially. Fill ⅓ of your glass jar with distilled white vinegar. Add hot water until the bottle is filled up to the top.

It's so quick and easy to do. One of the most fabulous things about an air fryer is that you can sterilise your jam jars so easily. It's great to use the air fryer for sterilising jars when you are doing small batches of jam and only need a few jars.

Yes, you can reuse grain spawn for multiple mushroom grows. However, it's important to note that the effectiveness of the reused spawn will decrease with each use. This is because each time the spawn is used, it loses some of its nutrients and becomes less potent.