How to Grow Reishi "Mushroom of Immortality"

Summary

This Sporenspro video offers a comprehensive guide on cultivating the medicinal rishi mushroom, known for its beneficial polysaccharides and beta glucans. It begins with preparing sterilized rye berries, followed by inoculating them with a liquid culture syringe. After colonization, a substrate of hardwood pellets and wheat bran is prepared and sterilized. The video then demonstrates the process of mixing the spawn with the substrate, sealing it, and allowing the mycelium to colonize. It concludes with tips on fruiting block maturation and the formation of rishi mushrooms, providing viewers with a detailed and engaging tutorial on mushroom cultivation.

Takeaways

• 🍄 Rishi mushrooms are prized for their medicinal properties, containing polysaccharides and beta glucans.
• 🌾 Sterilized rye berries are used as the grain spawn, which can be purchased at a local feed store or grain elevator.
• 💧 Rye grains should be rinsed and soaked overnight before being sterilized.
• 🔥 The grains are sterilized by boiling them for 10 minutes and then drying them on a flat surface.
• 🍶 Self-healing injection port jars are used to load the sterilized rye grains and are pressure cooked at 15 psi for two and a half hours.
• 🧪 Inoculation is done with a rishi liquid culture syringe, which can be found through a link provided in the video description.
• 🧴 Sterile technique is crucial during inoculation, preferably done in a laminar flow hood or a still air box.
• 💉 Two milliliters of liquid culture per jar are injected for inoculation.
• 🌡 The inoculated jars are placed in a warm area to colonize for one to two weeks, with the substrate turning fully white indicating readiness.
• 🌳 Rishi prefers hardwood, so hardwood fuel pellets are used as the substrate base, supplemented with wheat bran.
• 📏 The substrate preparation involves mixing pellets with water until expanded, then adding wheat bran.
• 🛍 The substrate-filled filter patch bags are pressure cooked at 15 psi for two and a half hours.
• 🔄 After cooling, the substrate is mixed with rishi spawn in a sterile environment before sealing the bags.
• 📈 Rishi mycelium colonizes the substrate block quickly, usually within two weeks.
• 🍄 Discoloration on the fruiting block and the formation of pins are normal signs of maturation.
• 🌱 Pins will form antlers in a high CO2 environment, seeking oxygen, or form brackets on the walls if no air is left inside the bag.

Q & A

What are the health benefits of growing rishi mushrooms mentioned in the video?

Rishi mushrooms contain polysaccharides and beta glucans, which make them prized for their medicinal properties.

What type of grain is used for the rishi mushroom cultivation in the video?

Rye berries are used as the sterilized grain spawn for growing rishi mushrooms.

How much does a 50-pound bag of rye berries cost according to the video?

The video mentions that a 50-pound bag of rye berries costs about 40 dollars.

What is the process of preparing the rye grain for sterilization?

The rye grain should be rinsed, soaked overnight, boiled for about 10 minutes, drained, and then laid out to dry on a flat surface for about 30 minutes.

At what pressure and for how long should the rye grain be pressure cooked?

The rye grain should be pressure cooked at 15 psi for two and a half hours.

What is used to inoculate the sterilized rye grain with rishi mushroom culture?

A rishi liquid culture syringe is used to inoculate the sterilized rye grain.

How much liquid culture should be injected into each jar of grain spawn?

Two milliliters of liquid culture should be injected per jar of grain spawn.

What is the expected time frame for the grain spawn to fully colonize?

The grain spawn should be allowed one to two weeks to fully colonize.

What type of substrate is recommended for rishi mushroom cultivation in the video?

Hardwood fuel pellets are used as the substrate, with wheat bran as a supplement for rishi mushroom cultivation.

How are the substrate bags prepared and sterilized for mushroom growth?

The substrate is mixed, added to filter patch bags, and then pressure cooked at 15 psi for two and a half hours.

What is the process for adding rishi spawn to the cooled substrate?

The spawn is mixed with the substrate in front of a laminar flow hood or inside a still air box, and then the bag is sealed using a heat sealer, bag clamps, or zip ties.

How long does it typically take for the rishi mycelium to colonize a fruiting block?

Rishi mycelium is fast and aggressive, so it should take about two weeks to fully colonize a block.

What happens if the rishi mushroom pins are kept in a high CO2 environment?

If kept in a high CO2 environment, the pins will form antlers that grow upwards in search of oxygen.

What occurs if there is no air left inside the fruiting bag after spawning?

If there is no air left inside the fruiting bag, the mycelium will grow up the walls and form a bracket outside of the filter patch.