Mushroom Spore Liquid Culture Honey Tek

Last Updated on Mon, 11 Dec 2023 | Mushroom Growers Guide
Spores The Air Mushroom Farm

Substrate preparation:

Prepare substrate jars normally. Sterilize them and allow to cool. To break the mycelium up while in the syringe, Draw air through the needle while flaming it. Then give the syringe a shake for 2 minutes. Then inoculate the jars with the syringe that was made.

There you have it. Colonization should complete in about one to two weeks.

My thoughts:

Now the jar you injected the Karo into doesn't ever need to be birthed. It could be taped and put into the refrigerator to be re-used. You'll never need another spore print in your life. When the cake gets old. Use another colonized cake you have made, But I suggest you do this if it's a isolated strain or clone. If its not, there is no need to keep them around.

This Tek was first done by Magash. Then told to me. The secret has been unleashed! Enjoy! Grow Simple, Be Safe. *

by ~LiL KuSsH~

Mycotopia.net

Quoting Lichen on his three day old Honey Tek jar: "as of what--three days, now? it is developing a yellowish sort of stuff in the bottom looks like sediment. I shake it up and it swirls around like a snowstorm paperweight, then settles again."

"See this is the problem with honey. Honey contains "hidden" impurities: wax and protein. When you cook honey the protein denatures, just like cooking the whites of an egg. The protein is not visible in fresh honey, cook it and the protein denatures and coagulates... Hence sediment. The wax, which is emulsified in fresh honey, separates out upon heating and forms scum... Some of it binds to the coagulated protein, some of it floats to the top. Then there is the color, which varies from honey to honey. It all makes it difficult for people new to liquid culture to determine off colors and contams. I am rapidly becoming motivated to do some experimental research with clear Karo syrup, which is available right on the shelf of any decent grocer... "

And so I did. Here is the proven Tek:

Use 1 Level Teaspoon of Light Corn Syrup (Karo Syrup or the "no-name" store brand of Light Corn Syrup) per 100 ml of purified water. Mix it well to distribute the heavy syrup into the water.

You can use an empty syringe to measure out lOOcc, many jars are graduated

The Karo jar is made up and Sterilized with a solid dome lid, inverted so that the seal side is up (we don't want to can it) and the band screwed on loosely. Foil Cover of course. PC time is 20 minutes.

To shoot the jar I place it in the Glovebox, remove foil, band, and lid, and shoot directly into the liquid. Inoculate at the rate of 1 cc spores per 100 cc Karo Solution. I pre-sterilize some extra jar lids wrapped in foil and I open one in the glove box and place the clean dry lid on the jar mouth with the seal side _down_. Screw the band on tight and replace the foil cap.

To Clone you open the jar and drop in (or shoot with 9er Tek) a sample of macerated tissue. I use the same basic tek when working with spore prints: open the jar, tip the print over give it a flick or a scrape... Plenty of spores drop, rehydrate, and germinate... Incubate, in a 7-10 days you are ready to shoot dozens of jars... Bulk Grain... Store the excess in the fridge, it keeps for a good long time.

Karo jars prepared in this fashion can be shaken vigorously without leaking or contam problems. Everytime I open a jar in the glovebox I always replace the dome lid with a clean sterilized one, seal side down.

It's a super Tek that gets around the problems with honey. Karo is cheap, easy, and to the point. The speed blows the doors off of Agar Culture.

I will give up some liquid culture pointers... You only need 100cc or so (I mean that's enough to shoot 100 jars already). And don't let it get thick, it reduces the refrigerated storage life (because all nutrients are consumed). All you need to grow out and shoot is a mass of mycelium about the size of a quarter in 100cc of liquid.

My reply is:

What you are looking for is wispy, puffy, sometimes ropy white stuff that clumps and hangs on the bottom. You should shake and/or swirl the jar on occasion to try to keep the mass broken up. Before drawing up syringes to shoot jars thrash the mycelium with the needle and break it up (it fragments very easily at this stage). The solution in the syringe need not be dense... But you should see plenty of tiny little "floaties" in there... It's all you need.

Shooting Dextrose/Karo Tek early helps in a few ways: it saves time; it prevents heavy clumping which can clog standard spore gauge needles; the residual sugar, freshly macerated tissue, and change of media gives a "hot" inoculation, showing growth in 24 hours under incubation; and the cultures appear to store better when fridged. The longer you hold them the greater the chance of Contam.

This is a good place to drop another tek tip: Make sure the jars and everything are crystal clean... Not that a bit of filth hurts the tek (because it is pc sterilized) but flecks of dirt in the clear liquid culture _look_ like contams... and you never seem to notice them until after the mycelium has started to take off... You will be swirling in front of a good light and all of the sudden there is a flake of verm or a small grain of rice flour that somehow got in there and then it seems to make all the difference, it's very noticeable... Always difficult to identify.

I was embarrased to find a hair and another fleck of filth floating in one of my Karo jars the other day. Of course they are sterile, I forgot to wipe the jars out before filling... You would be surprised at the dust and crap that gets in the jars at filling time if you are not clean... It does not hurt the tek, but motes of dust and stuff look like contams. In fact motes of cotton dust floating look very much like spores germinating at 24-36 hours. As long as the specks are not growing the culture is fine, but with an eye after a jar or two, you will see fine detail under good light.

You can also add some small chunks of clean broken glass to the jar before sterilizing, shaking the jar with the glass in it fragments the mycelia nicely and speeds up the growth.. But it makes it harder to eyeball.

Another good way to break up the mycelium is simply to draw in a syringe and squirt it back out intot the liquid. This usually disperses the myc very well and helps to break up the larger clumps. As for volume. I use 200-250cc (a pint jar about halfway). I shake every day for aeration and to prevent clumping and matting. When its done in about 12-14 days or so, at rest, the mycelium reaches about 3/4 of the way up from the bottom of the jar. This ensures that all 20-25 syringes have ample mycelium. Since the mycelium is actually cultured in the liquid, any syringe will grow out even if there are no visible mycelium clumps (as opposed to say 9ers cloning tek where if you disperse the tissue fragment in too much water, some syringes may have no mycelium fragments and will not grow anything) but the clear syringes usually don't blast off the same way as the relatively cloudy ones.

Continue reading here: What are common contaminants of the mushroom culture

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Readers' Questions

  • KASEY
    How to make liquid culture for mushrooms?
    1 year ago
    1. Gather the supplies you will need to make a liquid culture for mushrooms, including a sterile container, a supply of mushroom spawn, nutrient agar and a pressure cooker.
    2. Prepare the nutrient agar mixture according to the directions on its packaging. Pour the mixture into the sterile container and seal the container.
    3. Place the container in a pressure cooker and add enough water to cover the bottom of the cooker. Set the pressure cooker to 15 psi and cook the container for 30 minutes.
    4. Open the cooker and carefully remove the container. Allow the contents to cool until they are at room temperature.
    5. Add the mushroom spawn to the container, stirring to make sure it is evenly distributed. Place the container in an area with minimal light and an even temperature — between 70°F and 80°F.
    6. Shake the container every day for three weeks or until the liquid culture is white and milky in appearance.
    7. Sterilize the container and use your liquid culture for mushrooms.
    • Richard
      How to make liquid culture mycelium?
      1 year ago
      1. Gather your supplies. You will need a sterile jar with a lid, sterile rye grain, a weighing scale, and sterile liquid culture medium.
      2. Clean the jar and lid with a 10% bleach solution and rinse it thoroughly with de-chlorinated water.
      3. Weigh out the rye grain and place it in the jar.
      4. Fill the jar with de-chlorinated water until it is about halfway full. Cover the jar and shake it for about one minute to make sure all of the grain is evenly saturated.
      5. Drain the excess water from the jar, then fill it with sterile liquid culture medium.
      6. Place the lid on the jar and shake it gently.
      7. Place the jar in a warm, dark place and allow it to incubate for 3-5 days.
      8. Check the jar daily and look for signs of mycelium growth. Once you see mycelium, it is ready to be transferred to another location.
      • Caradoc
        How long does liquid culture take to colonize grain?
        1 year ago
        • Liquid cultures typically take between 5-15 days to colonize grain, depending on the strain.
        • TUOMAS JANSSON
          How to sterilize spore syringe?
          1 year ago
          • To sterilize a spore syringe, you can follow the steps below:
          1. Clean your workspace: Start by cleaning your work area thoroughly. Make sure all surfaces and tools are free of any contaminants. Use disinfectant wipes or a cleaning solution to sanitize the area.
          2. Prepare a pressure cooker or autoclave: Fill a pressure cooker or autoclave with water and place it on a heat source. Ensure that the pressure cooker is in good working condition and has a functioning pressure relief valve.
          3. Assemble the syringe: Prepare the spore syringe by attaching the needle to the syringe body. Make sure the syringe and needle are clean and free of any debris.
          4. Load the spore solution: Fill the syringe with the spore solution or suspension you want to sterilize. Make sure to draw up enough solution to ensure adequate distribution of spores.
          5. Wrap the syringe: Once the spore solution is loaded, wrap the syringe with a sterilization pouch or aluminum foil. This will protect the syringe and its contents during the sterilization process.
          6. Sterilize in the pressure cooker or autoclave: Place the wrapped spore syringe in the pressure cooker or autoclave. Ensure that the water level in the pressure cooker is appropriate, as per the manufacturer's instructions. Follow the instructions provided with the pressure cooker or autoclave to achieve the desired sterilization temperature and pressure. Typically, a temperature of around 121-134°C (250-273°F) at 15 PSI is recommended for sterilization.
          7. Sterilize for the recommended time: Maintain the sterilization temperature and pressure for the recommended duration. This could vary depending on the type of spores you are sterilizing and the specific instructions provided by the spore vendor.
          8. Remove the syringe: After the sterilization process is complete, carefully remove the syringe from the pressure cooker or autoclave. Allow it to cool before handling.
          9. Store the sterilized syringe: Once the syringe has cooled down, store it in a clean, dry, and cool place until ready for use. Make sure the syringe is properly labeled for easy identification.
            10. Remember to follow all recommended safety precautions when using any sterilization equipment or techniques. It is also important to note that sterilization methods may differ depending on the specific requirements of the spores you are working with.
          • gebre
            Does mycelium float in liquid culture?
            1 year ago
            • No, mycelium does not float in liquid culture.
            • rosamunda
              How to test liquid culture if a float develops?
              1 year ago
              • The first step in testing a liquid culture if a float develops is to obtain a sample. Collect a small sample of the liquid culture and place it on a microscope slide. If the sample contains a float, you should be able to see it under the microscope. Observe the float to determine if it is a solid, liquid, or gas. If it is a solid, it could be a bacterial cell or an air bubble. If it is a liquid, it could be an oil droplet or some other microscopic liquid. Once the nature of the float is identified, the next step is to perform a culture test. This involves taking a sample of the liquid culture and adding it to agar on a petri dish. This will allow bacteria to grow and be identified if present. If any bacteria are present, they will be visible under the microscope as colonies. The type of bacteria can then be identified with the help of a microscope or further testing.
              • tanta
                What to do with mycellium from honey,culturey?
                1 year ago
                • You can use your mycelium from a honey culture to grow more mushrooms. You can do this either by transferring the mycelium to an appropriate substrate and creating your own mushroom fruiting chamber, or by transferring it to a kit that comes with a ready-to-fruit substrate and fruiting chamber.
                • Asfaha
                  How can i use spore print on honey liquid culture?
                  1 year ago
                  1. Start by preparing a spore syringe. To do this, use the spore print to collect some spores on the end of a sterile needle.
                  2. Next, prepare a honey-based nutrient solution in a sterile container. This should contain about 70% distilled water and 30% honey.
                  3. Sterilize a syringe with alcohol or boiling water and draw up the nutrient solution.
                  4. Gently inject the spore solution into the nutrient solution.
                  5. Mix the nutrient solution with the spores and transfer it to a glass jar or other sterile vessel.
                  6. Seal the container and incubate it in a warm, dark place for a few days.
                  7. Once the liquid culture is fully colonized, it can be used to inoculate substrates or create master cultures.
                  • billy
                    How to make honey liquid culture using mushroom cap?
                    1 year ago
                    1. Begin by gathering fresh mushroom caps or slices of dried mushrooms. If using dried mushrooms, rehydrate them in water for an hour before continuing.
                    2. Measure out one teaspoon of honey and add it to one cup of boiled water.
                    3. Place the mushroom caps or slices into the honey-water mixture and allow them to steep for 24 hours.
                    4. Place a lid on the mixture and shake the container to mix all the ingredients together.
                    5. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth and discard the solids.
                    6. Pour the liquid culture into a glass jar, cover it with a cloth, and store it at room temperature for up to one month. To extend the life of the culture, store it in a cool, dry place and replenish the liquid every two weeks.
                    • Monika K
                      What to do with mycelium from liquid culture?
                      1 year ago
                      • Once you have harvested the mycelium from liquid culture, you can use it to inoculate grain spawn, sawdust spawn, or even directly into the substrate you are growing mushrooms on. You can also store the mycelium in a refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
                      • Ernest Hall
                        How long does liquid culture take to colonize?
                        1 year ago
                        • Liquid cultures generally take 1-2 weeks to fully colonize. However, the exact timing can vary depending on the species of fungi, the type of substrate used, and the environmental conditions.
                        • Ahmed
                          Can you inject sugar into mushroom cakes?
                          1 year ago
                          • No, you should not inject sugar into mushroom cakes. Sugar can make the cake overly sweet, which could ruin its taste. Additionally, sugar can cause the cake to become soggy.
                          • Berylla
                            Does brand of honey nake a difference for liquid culture?
                            1 year ago
                            • Yes, the brand of honey can make a difference for liquid culture, as some brands of honey may contain different amounts of sugar and other additives, which can affect the growth rate of the culture. It is important to use the correct amount of honey for a liquid culture and to make sure that it is of good quality.
                            • bellisima
                              Are old jars ok for mycelium?
                              1 year ago
                              • No, old jars are not suitable for growing mycelium. Mycelium needs a sterile and oxygen-rich environment in order to thrive, and old jars often contain mold or bacteria that can contaminate the mycelium. Furthermore, old jars may also not provide enough air flow for the mycelium to grow. It is best to use new, airtight jars or other containers that are specifically designed for mycelium culture.