What is Mushroom Liquid Culture?
Mushroom Liquid Culture is a sterile mixture of water and one of a few specific sugars. (we will tell you how to make liquid culture below). The purpose of this nutritious mixture is to develop mycelium growth, once it has been inoculated with mushroom spores.
You could think of liquid culture asmycelium floating in a nutrient broth. Liquid culture makes inoculating substrates easier. Once the mycelium has established itself in the nutritious, sugary broth, the mycelium-rich mixture can be inoculated onto a substrate of your choice or stored as a living mushroom culture.
Advantages of using Mushroom Liquid Culture
- The risk of contamination is lower
- According toLiquid Culture Shroomery, using liquid culture reduces incubation time
- Limitless mycelium growth – once mycelium starts developing, it doesn’t stop
What are the disadvantages of using Mushroom Liquid Culture?
- A sterile working environment is essential
- Better suited for advanced mushroom cultivation
- You can’t see contamination in liquid culture. You will only know your mixture is contaminated when you use it.
What you will need:
- Grain spawn jar, also known as an airport jar
- Pressure cooker
- 10ml syringes
- Needles (Note: the bigger the number, the smaller the needle. We recommend 18 gauge)
- One of the following sugars, to mix with water: organic honey, corn syrup, corn sugar, light malt extract, dextrose (glucose).
Sucrose (household sugar) shouldnotbe used. For this guide, we chose honey.
What is the best sugar to water ratio?
A ratio of 4% is best.
This equates to 4cc, 4ml, or 1 teaspoon of honey per 100ml of water.
A 3% to 5% ratio is fine, but be aware, too much sugar (10% and more) is harmful to mycelium.
A step-by-step guide to making your own mushroom liquid culture:
- Carefully measure and mix the sugar you choose with water in the jar. Warm water will help the sugar dissolve quickly, but it is optional.
- Put the lid on the jar.
- Cover the top of the jar with aluminum foil and put it in a pressure cooker.
- Cook at 15 psi for no longer than 15-20 minutes. Over-cooking the sugar will lead to caramelization, which will result in poor to no mycelium growth.
- Allow the pressure cooker to cool off naturally before removing the jar. Be careful. The jar will be very hot.
- Allow the jar and contents to reach room temperature.
- Add some mother culture to your liquid culture. (more on where you can buy your mother culture below).
Important Note:
If you are not using an airport jar, don’t remove the lid until you are ready to inoculate your substrate and replace the lid as soon as you are done. This will prevent airborne contaminants from entering the jar and ruining your mycelium.
How to add mother culture to your liquid culture
Once your jars have cooled after being in the pressure cooker, you can add a few ccs of mother culture. Shake the mother culture briskly to break up the mycelium.
If you are using a syringe needle for the first time, it should be sterile. If not, use a lighter or candle to sterilize the needle by holding it in the flame until it is red hot.Careful now!Use an alcohol wipe to cool the needle down.
Insert the needle through the self-healing injection hole in your airport jar lid and inject 1 to 2ml of liquid culture into the jar. Repeat if you have more than one jar.
What to do with a jar of mushroom liquid culture
Simply leave it on the shelf and wait for it to grow. Most mushroom cultures grow best at around 77°F (25 °C). Any variation in this temperature will cause them to grow more slowly.
Do not disturb the jars for 4 to 5 days. During this time, the mycelium enters its growth stage, and you will see it grow as it consumes the sugar. After the initial resting period, you should swirl the culture every couple of days to break up the mycelium and introduce oxygen into the culture.
When the mycelium has grown and almost fills the jar, vigorously agitate the liquid culture to break the mycelium up as much as possible. When you are ready to inoculate your substrate, transfer the culture to agar, or share some with your friends, tilt the jar so that the liquid reaches the injection port and, with a sterile syringe and needle, suck the culture into the syringe until it’s full.
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FAQs
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.
Should I buy liquid culture or spores? ›
Liquid Culture vs.
spores revolves around speed and diversity. Liquid culture accelerates mycelium growth, boasts higher success rates, and lowers contamination risks—ideal for beginners and seasoned growers. Spores, however, embrace genetic diversity, paving the way for a more organic cultivation process.
How long does mushroom liquid culture last? ›
Usage and Shelf Life
While liquid cultures can be stored for many months, we recommend using them within six months for the best results. In our experience, liquid cultures of nearly any variety can grow even after a year of storage in the refrigerator.
How much LME for liquid culture? ›
Here are some popular liquid culture recipes: Light malt extract (LME) recipe: Add 20g of Light Malt Extract (LME) and 2g of yeast extract to 500ml of water and stir until dissolved. This is one of the most commonly used recipes.
How much liquid culture per jar? ›
Usually about 1 – 2 CC's of liquid culture is sufficient per quart sized grain jar. You can also inoculate the grain jar without even opening the lid, by simply injecting the liquid culture right though the filter on the top of the jar.
How fast does mycelium grow in liquid culture? ›
Within 7 – 14 days you'll see the mycelium has 'clouded' the culture and expanded throughout; this is aided with semi-regular mixing/shaking. This can be achieved by use of a magnetic stirrer, a bolt in the bottom or just swirling by hand. Things you'll need: AirPort Jar – Here is my guide on how to make them.
Can you inject too much liquid culture? ›
You should inject 5cc (or mL) of your MYYCO syringe into your research substrate. Too much can cause too damp of an environment and create mold or rot and too little will not allow for proper microscopic research.
Can you put mushroom spores in liquid culture? ›
Liquid culture is the cornerstone of successful mushroom cultivation. It involves nurturing a mixture of nutrients and water, inoculated with mushroom spores or mycelium, to create a rich, living broth.
Should mushroom liquid culture be refrigerated? ›
Liquid culture jars should also be stored properly sealed in the fridge at 35 – 46°F, aiming for use within six months to maintain potency.
Where to store mushroom liquid culture? ›
Storing liquid culture
Liquid culture is best stored in the fridge at 2-4 ° C once the syringes arrive. The syringes can be stored unopened in the fridge for up to 3 months. Liquid culture syringes that contain Pink Oyster mycelium should not be stored in the fridge.
A commonly held belief among growers is that mycelium will grow faster in total darkness. There is no data to support this premise; however, significant exposure to direct UV light from the sun can be detrimental. Light is a secondary trigger for initiating fruiting bodies.
How often should I stir liquid culture? ›
Everyday I put the jar on a magnetic stirrer until it whirlpools (for about 10-30 seconds), and there is a metal bolt in the jar which helps it stir.
How do you know if liquid culture is good? ›
A good liquid culture will often be a tiny bit cloudy and then clear up. This is because the bacteria starts to grow a tiny bit but the mycelium is so far ahead that it scours the liquid culture of bacteria and particulates and then dominates it (mycelium has been fighting bacteria like this for millions of years).
How do you start a mushroom culture? ›
- STEP 1: Growing out a chosen mushroom culture on an agar filled petri dish. ...
- STEP 2: Transferring the mushroom culture (known as mycelium) onto sterilized grain. ...
- STEP 3: Expanding the grain jar exponentially to create grain spawn. ...
- STEP 4: Spawning the grain into a suitable substrate and fruiting container.
Unlike a spore syringe that contains dormant spores, a liquid culture contains living, active mycelium. The liquid culture solution is a nutrient-rich liquid that provides the mycelium with the sustenance it needs for faster colonization.
How to make mushroom spore solution? ›
Making a Mycelium Liquid Culture
In a Mason jar, mix a 25-to-1 ratio of distilled water and light corn syrup. For instance, mix 100 ml of warm, distilled water, with 4 ml of light corn syrup.
Does mycelium grow in liquid culture? ›
This refers to the production of mycelium in a tank of sterilized liquid nutrient media. The media formula for fungi generally has a carbon nitrogen ratio of 7:3 with added minerals.
