Growing Oyster Mushrooms Indoors

[dragnlaw]

Cool Larry, keep them going!
ditto

Dragnlaw, I think you might have nightmares with those mushrooms in the next room. Not pod people yet, but you never know. Just don't sleep.

I won't

 

[larry_stewart]

The third variety of Oyster mushrooms that I thought was a failures, starting to kick in.
They look like they're going to be yellow.
( The other two were brown, and a blueish-gray)

 

[dragnlaw]

Toilet paper question

I went back to the beginning of this thread,

did they supply you with the toilet paper?

Was wondering if it was treated or special "untreated" paper as in not-bleached or what ever they do in the manufacturing process. I know that some paper towels are 'cleaner' than others.. ??

 

[larry_stewart]

I went back to the beginning of this thread,

did they supply you with the toilet paper?

Was wondering if it was treated or special "untreated" paper as in not-bleached or what ever they do in the manufacturing process. I know that some paper towels are 'cleaner' than others.. ??

They do not supply the TP.
Just the Inoculated grain, the mushroom bags, rubber bands , instructions.

Large TeePee™ kit contains 4 lb. bag of Oyster spawn (you may choose from Grey Dove™, PoHu™, or Italian, or we'll choose for you), 15 breathable filter patch bags, rubber bands, and instructions (you provide the toilet paper).

They recommend plain TP. No color, scents or prints.

 

[larry_stewart]

Final update on the oyster mushrooms.
The bucket finally kicked in.
I basically used all the left over inoculated grains from each of the 3 varieties and mixed them up. Usually your not supposed to mix different mushroom strains, but I figured they were all oyster mushroom varieties ,and they were all left overs, and not enough of any one variety to do anything with, so what the heck. Anyway, it worked out. At first I was nervous cause they had the sea creature look to them. Today, they are almost matured and if you look, you can see at least 2 different varieties ( the yellow and the tannish ones).

The Final TP is doing well. The yellow variety. Maybe a day or two away from harvesting.

Once the TP mushrooms have been harvest, you spray them, close he bag with a rubber band, and repeat the process. Let them sit in the dark in the bag for 2 weeks at room temp, place in the fridge for a few days, then out of the fridge in a room with indirect light , open bag, and mist every day.

I've found the second time around not to be as productive as the first, but still worth the effort.

The bucket will do its thing and then after the harvest, it is done.

sill have 12 more TP rolls in the fridge. they can sit there for 6 months. I will take 1 or 2 rolls out every week or two to give me fresh mushrooms throughout the winter.

 

[dragnlaw]

Larry, it's been a fascinating thread, well done and thanks so much!

 

[larry_stewart]

Larry, it's been a fascinating thread, well done and thanks so much!

Last week I put together a Morel bed and a Wine Cap mushroom bed outside. The wine caps theoretically will produce anywhere from next spring to next fall. The morels could be anything from next spring to a few years down the road. Should they be successful, Ill post the progress. Should they fail miserably, it will be a very short thread

 

[larry_stewart]

Taking my mushroom growing to the next level. I started with ready prepared kits ( White Button, Cremini, Oyster, Shiitake). I then started growing some outside ( Shiitake on logs, Almond in compost, and wine cap on straw and wood chips. I now just got a kit where you actually mix and make the substrate, inoculate its and ultimately harvest it. It's for Lion's Mushrooms. I ve grown them from a ready made kit in the past, but this time, Im starting mostly from scratch. A clean, relatively sterile environment is important to avoid any contaminants. The substrate is a mix of hard wood pellets and bran. These are added to a mushroom bag ( that is heat tolerant and also has a filter to allow air exchange. The bag is shaken to mix the two, and boiling water is added to the above which will hydrate the material , and the heat will also kill off any unwanted microbes. This is allowed to cool for 8 - 12 hours, then the Inoculated millet ( with Lion's Mane Spawn) is added , mixed up, and the bag is closed. It is then kept for 10 - 20 days at a constant temperature ( about 70 F) ***This is where I am now***

The spawn will hopefully take over the substrate ( it will look white and thready). At that point, the bag its tightly closed , a few slits are cut into the bag. It is kept at a constant temperature and a certain humidity. Once the spawn is in contact with the air, mushrooms will grow out of the slits . Takes an additional few weeks.

Hopefully it works out. If it does, I may invest in a " Mushroom Tent". with more high tech gear. If it doesnt, then I'll consider it a been there done that bucket lists thing . Although , knowing me, I wont stop until I figure out what I did wrong and how to correct it.

 

[larry_stewart]

After about 3 weeks of incubating and letting the mycelium colonize the substrate, I am now ready to let them fruit. Under the right conditions ( temp and humidity), once the mycelium is exposed to oxygen they will start developing into mushrooms. The air is squeezed out of the fruiting bags and secured tightly to the fruiting block inside ( I used clear tape to secure the bag as a tightly wrapped package). Then a few 'X' shaped slits are cut into the back, deep enough to penetrate the bag and substrate. This allows certain areas to be exposed to the Oxygen and conditions out side the bag. The few slits that are made, usually the large the mushrooms will be that come out of them. It was recommended to cut 1 to 2 on each side. it could take another 2 or 3 weeks for the mushrooms to produce. The waiting game begins ( again). I had 8 blocks. I dont need 8 blocks of mushrooms at once, so I contacted the company, and they said I could refrigerate the blocks for a month if needed. Below is a picture of a few of the bags tightly wrapped with clear tape and slits cut into them. ***Although the mycelium often colonize in the dark, Mushrooms do need some indirect light t grow***

 

[larry_stewart]

Here are a few updates. harvested my first lions mane mushrooms Yesterday. Pressed and fried in a Cast iron pan flipping occasionally. Seasons with a BBQ rub on both sides, then coated with a BBQ sauce and finished off in the oven.

The tasted is of mild mushroom. From what I've read, it has a slight seafood taste ( I didnt notice that , probably overpowered by the spices and sauce. Id say the most noticeable quality is the texture. Due to its shaggy appearance, when pressed and fried , it develops a flakiness. Again, it's said to be crab - like in texture, I never had crab so have nothing to compare it to, but definitely flakey . There are recipes to make ' crab - like' cakes which I may attempt tomorrow .

 

[blissful]

Awesome! I have seen a chef press and season/fry mushrooms to mimic a steak on some video a few years ago. It's magical to turn mushrooms into crab cakes or steaks.

 

[larry_stewart]

Awesome! I have seen a chef press and season/fry mushrooms to mimic a steak on some video a few years ago. It's magical to turn mushrooms into crab cakes or steaks.

Portobello's definitively have a "Meatier' Texture , but also a more intense mushroom flavor than the Lions Mane. The Lions Mane, not being as dense, and having more of a ' pom pom' texture, when pressed adds to its flakiness. I think the cast iron pan added to the texture. Not sure if I would have gotten the same results , or at least as good of a result if I used another pan. I still have a lot more to experiment with. The more positive my cooking experiments are with them will determine if I continue to grow them, or just a been there don that type of thing.

 

[dragnlaw]

YUM!!! Good for you Larry!

Wrote the above yesterday about 2 minutes after you posted Larry... LOL and lo and behold! it's still here.

Yes, I found portobella' very intense and must have a strong accompaniment or a calming one to go along with.
Lions head, which I had grown from a kit was great soft flavour. We had just pan fried to go along with a patio meal and was goo. But I really like your pictures, I might even try again should I find another kit at a reasonable price. They're terribly expensive considering the quantify of the "reward" that you get from them.

 

[larry_stewart]

YUM!!! Good for you Larry!

Wrote the above yesterday about 2 minutes after you posted Larry... LOL and lo and behold! it's still here.

Yes, I found portobella' very intense and must have a strong accompaniment or a calming one to go along with.
Lions head, which I had grown from a kit was great soft flavour. We had just pan fried to go along with a patio meal and was goo. But I really like your pictures, I might even try again should I find another kit at a reasonable price. They're terribly expensive considering the quantify of the "reward" that you get from them.

I agree, most mushroom kits aren't cost effective. Some one on a mushroom group I belong to saw some lions mane selling in a store about $20/lb. Instead of a ready to go kit, I kinda got the put it all together yourself kit, which was around $80, but I got 8 blocks out of it ( so about $10 a piece). I figure, as long as I get 4lbs out of all of them, I break even. Im up to 1lb ( still 3 to go). this time around, I did It more for the experience of putting everything together , than anything else. I wouldn't spend $20/lb on them in the store, but Im glad Im having the experience to cook with them and try out a few recipes. If the produce well, I'd consider doing it this way again ( pending the recipes I try are good and worth repeating). I know the regular kits are like $30, and that usually doesn't even include shipping (unless you find them in a store somewhere). For something like that, Im %100 in agreement as far as fun to try and experience, but not worth the $$ as far as Cost / reward.

 

[dragnlaw]

Yes, Kits here are 45$ Cdn. I had gotten one as a gift so when I saw these on sale for $5 - it was worth it. Only one produced with about $5 worth of mushrooms. LOL

I'm afraid I'm not as dedicated as some of you are. I'm always spending more than something is worth to try and do it myself, but I have no space to let experiments get their due worth.

 

[Roll_Bones]

I am surprised at myself for not following this thread. And I am very late. Thanks @larry_stewart for all this very interesting information.
I want to grow mushrooms as I love them. So does my wife. The last time I was in Costco they had a large container of fresh Chanterelle . They were very expensive and I was concerned about using them up before they were no longer fresh. One reason I asked about dehydrating them on another thread. That would be my best bet for growing and long term storage.
So I plan to follow this thread and to give it a go. Checking out the link provided I saw logs being used. Seems this could be a way to get more mushrooms?
So my first question. Can I grow them in my basement? Its dark and only has light when my wife is doing laundry or the occasional trip down there to the freezer.
Its cool in the winter (no colder than 50°) and very comfortable in the summer. Maybe 70°. Its not a heated space but the humidity seems very low.
I have the room/space as well. We have organized and cleaned up down there.
Thanks again @larry_stewart for my next project. Any and all suggestions or ideas great appreciated.

 

[larry_stewart]

I am surprised at myself for not following this thread. And I am very late. Thanks @larry_stewart for all this very interesting information.
I want to grow mushrooms as I love them. So does my wife. The last time I was in Costco they had a large container of fresh Chanterelle . They were very expensive and I was concerned about using them up before they were no longer fresh. One reason I asked about dehydrating them on another thread. That would be my best bet for growing and long term storage.
So I plan to follow this thread and to give it a go. Checking out the link provided I saw logs being used. Seems this could be a way to get more mushrooms?
So my first question. Can I grow them in my basement? Its dark and only has light when my wife is doing laundry or the occasional trip down there to the freezer.
Its cool in the winter (no colder than 50°) and very comfortable in the summer. Maybe 70°. Its not a heated space but the humidity seems very low.
I have the room/space as well. We have organized and cleaned up down there.
Thanks again @larry_stewart for my next project. Any and all suggestions or ideas great appreciated.

The short answer is yes, you can grow them in the basement. Each type of mushroom requires their own 'Ideal conditions' to maximize production.

***Just want to put out there that by no means am I an expert, just blabbing on about what I've read, and the few years of experience with a few different types of mushrooms , that I have***

The basic things to consider when growing mushrooms inside are Temperature ( many of them between 55 - 70 F), Humidity ( Most, if not all, prefer high humidity) and Light (Although they dont need light to colonize the substrate they grow on ( Straw, hard wood ...), Once they are ready to Fruit, man will require some light ( most instructions say no direct light, but enough light to be able to read) and Oxygen. Like my lions mane pics, once I exposed them to light and put slits in the plastic ( exposing them to oxygen) , within a week they were visible and 1 1/2 -2 weeks harvestable.

Light can be from an artificial source ( I have grow lights for my other plants in the same room which give off enough light). They also keep the room at a constant 68 - 70F ( by luck) so they serve dual purpose.

For humidity, I used a clear plastic storage container, with holes drilled in, wet perlite on the bottom to provide the humidity. Some used humidifiers, others use humidifiers used for people who have pet reptiles. This is the first time I used this kind of humidity box. Prior to this, they just sat on the counter or in the dining room ( which is really a billiards room, as I dont have a dining room table, and I never invite anyone over, therefore dont need one).

You dont need professional stuff, but the closer you get it to the specific mushrooms ideal climate, the better results you will have. I am considering getting a mushroom tent in the fall which is kinda taking it to the next level.

Mushrooms Ive grown Inside :
- White common button mushrooms. Grew them as a kit years ago. Simple, with fair results.
- Oyster Mushrooms: Ive grown them from kits, in buckets with sterilized straw ( just boiled it for a bit, then inoculated it by crumbling and mixing the contents of a kit into the straw). This actually worked pretty good. I put a clear garbage bag over it to keep humidity in. At that time I didn't realize they needed oxygen and a little air flow, so ID probably do it a little differently now.
- I also did oysters by pouring grain inside toilet paper rolls. They did well too.
- Lions Mane: This is the first time Im doing it, still work in progress, but definitely took it to a new level. I mixed and inoculated my own substrate bags ( hard wood pellets + Bran), and as mentioned above, made my own plastic mushroom fruiting chamber to keep the humidity up.
- Shiitake Kits: Ive tried Shiitake kits with not much luck. I have since moved to inoculating logs ( outside) which have been much more productive.

Mushrooms Ive grown outside;
- Shiitake Logs: This has by far, been the most rewarding, most productive and biggest bang for the buck. Basically you need to find the right kind of wood for the right kind of mushrooms ( shiitake like Oak, so anytime there is a hurricane and people are chopping trees down, I'm on the prowl for logs). I think fall is the best time to get them ( many sites have a list of which wood is best for which mushroom and which season is the best to get it ). Basically, you order inoculated wood dowels, drill holes every 6 inches or so in the log, tap the dowels in, coat each dowel with wax , and the cut ends, to keep moisture in and put them in the shade somewhere. I have it within reach of a sprinkler, so it keeps it damp throughout the hot months. Takes about 6 months +/- to inoculate and start producing, but they can last several years and produce several flushes each year ( usually in spring and fall, depending on temp and rain). Unpredictable, have to check every few days, cause one day there may be nothing , 2 days later may have 20 mushrooms full size ( it's amazing how quick they grow).
- Wine Cap: Very easy, make a bed ( in the Shade)of straw and wood chips, mix the inoculated grain in and wait . Kinds like the Shiitake ( or any outside mushroom) , you dont know exactly when they will produce, so need to check often.
- Almond Mushrooms : These have an almond scent and flavor to them. Due to their unique smell and taste, limited use ( at least for me). They actually like the summer. You break the spawn block up, bury it in compost ( they suggest burying it in compost under a plant, to keep shaded . I grew them under my tomato plants). Grows during the summer months.
- Chestnut ,Maitake, king oyster, Grey oyster: The company sold all of these as a package deal n the fall. Bury them under wood chips ( kinda like the wine cap) and they produce within a few months . The oyster and chestnut did very well, The other two did not.

***Definitely have more control over the indoor shrooms, as you control the conditions and therefore , have a good idea of when they will produce ( not real mystery ).***

***Other than Shiitake, the outdoor mushrooms could get dirt, sand, bugs in their gils. Difficult clean, and a real treat to bite into s grain of sand unexpectedly. Slugs like them as well. I could up some chestnut mushrooms, and I cleaned all the bugs and slugs off of them. after cooking, they just seemed so slimy. Im hoping it was just the texture of the mushroom, or my mind screwing with me, but Im guessing a slug made it into the dish. Psychologically, I have difficulty eating them anymore.***

***Outdoor Shiitake logs are the exception. They dont get dirty or buggy***

I recommend starting with a simple kit, just to see how things work, and to test the conditions of where you are growing them. The kits are pricey, and you likely wont get tthe value of mushrooms to pay for the kit, but its a good starting point to learn.
- Indoors I recommend: Oyster , and so far Lions Mane. They seem to be easy and productive
- Outdoors, definitely the Shiitake Logs. these are my favorite. I love the way they taste , they're easy, productive and dry well.

These are the two sites I buy ( and learn) from.

Field & Forest Products - Grow your own mushrooms!

Grow your own mushrooms! Field & Forest has superior, certified organic spawn, ready-to-fruit indoor mushroom grow kits, tools, technical info & advice.

www.fieldforest.net

North Spore | Premium Mushroom Growing Supplies

North Spore is your mushroom growing source! Located in Maine, USA, we produce premium mushroom grow kits, sterile substrates, organic grain spawn, sawdust spawn, mushroom plugs, and more for home & commercial growers. We also carry grow chambers, cultivation supplies, mycology lab supplies...

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