How to Grow Cordyceps Militaris Full Tutorial

Summary

This video from Sporn Sprout offers two methods for cultivating the highly valuable Cordyceps militaris mushrooms, renowned for their medicinal properties. The first method involves creating a liquid culture using honey dissolved in warm water, which is then pressure sterilized and inoculated with spores. The substrate and broth are prepared with specific ingredients and cooked in a rice cooker. The mixture is cooled under a laminar flow hood and transferred to a sterilized bin, inoculated, and incubated in darkness. The second method uses jars with a similar substrate but different measurements, followed by pressure sterilization and inoculation. Both methods require careful incubation and lighting to initiate fruiting, with the mushrooms maturing between the 50th and 60th day.

Takeaways

• 🍄 CPS militaris is a highly valuable mushroom due to its medicinal compounds.
• 📊 The process begins with creating a liquid culture using honey dissolved in warm water.
• 🔬 A magnetic stir bar is recommended for mixing the honey water to speed up the process.
• 🔄 The honey water mixture is pressure sterilized at 15 psi for 30 minutes.
• 🌡 After cooling, the sterilized honey water is inoculated with CPS militaris liquid culture.
• 🧪 Liquid culture should be sourced from a reputable supplier like Ryan Paul Gates at Terrestrial Fungi.
• 🌱 The substrate and broth are made by blending water, malt extract, yeast extract, and brown rice.
• 🍚 The brown rice and broth mixture is cooked in an instant rice cooker and then cooled in a laminar flow hood.
• 🧴 The sterilite container is prepared with air holes and wiped down with bleach water and isopropyl alcohol.
• 💉 Liquid culture is added to the cooled rice, and the container is sealed with micropore tape for incubation.
• 💡 After incubation, the mycelium is exposed to light for fruiting, using an LED light strip or under cabinet lights.
• 🕒 The fruiting process takes approximately 14 days to start pinning, with full maturity between the 50th and 60th day.

Q & A

What are the two methods mentioned in the video for growing Cordyceps militaris?

The two methods mentioned in the video for growing Cordyceps militaris are the bulk bin method and the individual jar method.

Why is Cordyceps militaris considered one of the most expensive mushrooms in the world?

Cordyceps militaris is considered one of the most expensive mushrooms in the world due to the medicinal compounds it contains, such as nucleotides, polysaccharides, sterols, proteins, amino acids, and polypeptides.

What is the first step in growing Cordyceps militaris according to the video?

The first step is to create a large amount of liquid culture using honey dissolved in warm water, which is then pressure sterilized.

What is recommended to speed up the process of dissolving honey in water?

Using a magnetic stir bar is recommended to speed up the process of dissolving honey in water.

At what pressure and duration should the honey water be pressure sterilized?

The honey water should be pressure sterilized at 15 psi for 30 minutes.

Who is recommended to purchase the liquid culture from for growing Cordyceps militaris?

The video recommends purchasing the liquid culture from Ryan Paul Gates at Terrestrial Fungi.

What should be done with the master syringe received from Ryan Paul Gates?

The master syringe received from Ryan Paul Gates should be immediately stored inside the refrigerator until use.

What is the purpose of using a laminar flow hood when handling the substrate and broth?

The laminar flow hood is used to maintain a sterile environment while handling the substrate and broth, preventing contamination.

How long should the inoculated rice in the bin be incubated in complete darkness?

The inoculated rice in the bin should be incubated in complete darkness for 3 days at no higher than 70° F.

What is the potential issue that can occur if the substrate is not exposed to lighting after 3 to 4 days of incubation?

If the substrate is not exposed to lighting after 3 to 4 days of incubation, a problem called 'overlay' can occur, where the mycelium becomes very thick on top of the substrate and prevents any further growth.

What is the recommended temperature range for fruiting Cordyceps militaris?

The recommended temperature range for fruiting Cordyceps militaris is between 65 and 68° F.

How long does it typically take for the Cordyceps militaris cups to fully mature?

The Cordyceps militaris cups will be fully mature between the 50th and 60th day after initiating fruiting.