Monotubs are not usually beginner friendly as these can be complicated for first timers. They are also much more likely to become contaminated if not kept in perfectly sterile conditions which can be hard for a beginner to maintain. This is due to the increase in interaction when fanning and misting your project.
In short, there are much easier kits to opt for if you're only just starting out. It can be difficult to manage a monotub as it needs a lot more attention. If you want to start off somewhere, try a Dutch Kit or Inject and Forget Bag.
We would recommend 20ml of Gourmet Health Mushroom spores to be inoculated into your rye grain bag provided in your full kit, or refill kit. This grain will provide you with 500-750g of mushrooms when wet, if not much more! When dried, this will weigh around 10-20% of the wet weight of the mushrooms.
Please note that this number depends on the conditions of your monotub. Temperature, light and humidity must be kept within range to produce a large flush. You should get more than one flush out of this kit (at least two, if not more!) as long as everything is kept sterile!
Harvesting
Once your project is moved into the light and pins are starting to rear their little heads, it’s almost ready to harvest your gourmet health mushrooms! It’s unlikely your mushrooms will mature all at the same time as this is an organic process. However, it’s incredibly important to harvest them before they fully mature and release their spores as that can cause contamination and bring an early end to your project. So, make sure to pick any mushrooms that are ready to pop their hoods whenever they pop up!
Make sure you harvest them between stage 3-4 to ensure your mushrooms don’t drop their spores!
We have three monotub listings in total, each different in their own way.
45L Monotub Kit with Tub- This kit is sturdy and stackable, perfectly suited for anyone doing multiple projects at once or wanting a permanent chamber to do multiple projects in.
45L Monotub Refill Kit- This kit is suited as a refill for the above. However, if you already have a tub at home you think may be suitable (contact us at [email protected] to be sure!) you can use this in conjunction with it!
Inflatable Monotub- Struggling for space but want to give a monotub a go? Why not go for our inflatable monotub. This kit is perfect for those of you who have little space to spare as you can pack this away when not in use!
Getting Started
- Safely store your CVG and Vermiculite in a cool, dry place. We don’t need these bits until later! Unpack the monotub, give it a wipe down with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol spray and leave it to one side. You can also disinfect the surrounding area to minimize the risk of contamination.
- Turn on your heat source and ensure it gets up to temperature. Your project should be kept between 26-27c. Wash your hands then remove your bag from its protective outer plastic bag. Be careful not to touch the air filter too much as the oils from your hands can affect its integrity.
- Pop your Gourmet Health Mushroom syringe out of its silver foil packet, keeping the end cap secured until you’re ready to use the syringe. Open your needle packet from the top, remove the end cap from your needle and insert the syringe into the needle, careful not to trigger the plunger early. Keep the protective cap on the needle until you’re ready to inoculate (we’re not there yet!).
- Take out your alcohol wipe that comes with your bag and wipe the injection port of your Rye Berry Grain bag (the small grey square sealed in plastic). You do not need to wipe or heat the needle as it’s a gamma irradiated, NHS grade needle. Therefore, sterilizing it further can cause contamination. Leave this to dry for a few seconds.
- Gently shake your syringe against your hand to shake up the spores. No spores should be left behind!
- Once you feel ready, take the protective cap off the end of the needle, and inoculate the bag. Ensure to tilt the syringe so it’s slightly angled downwards as you press the needle into the injection port, stopping halfway into the port. Push down the plunger and release your spores into the bag. If your plunger is stuck, slowly pull your syringe out (but don’t remove it from the port) and push the plunger down again.
- Pull the needle out and place your bag within your monotub set-up, directly between the floor and the temperature probe with the heat mat underneath the set-up. Place this set-up in complete darkness. At this stage you want to keep the holes within your monotub empty. It’s acting as a fruiting and incubation chamber for this rye bag, and is not yet needing the extra protection the air filters provide. Keep them to hand for the next stage!
- Once you notice a chunk of mycelium the size of a 50p coin, you need to give your rye bag a bit of a mix to encourage it to cultivate a bit quicker. In total, for full cultivation, it can take 2-4 weeks depending on the strain.
- Once the bag is fully colonized you want to remove it from the monotub. You can give the monotub another wipe down if you’d like as we’re about to get to the part where it pays to be as sterile as possible. Give your bag a mix to break up all the mycelium to prepare for this next step. Make sure to add your polyfil air filters before continuing!
- Lay down the black liner and make any necessary adjustments to ensure it fits right. You want to put down a layer of CVG on the bottom of your monotub, 1/2 an inch or so away from the walls of the monotub. This gap between the walls will prevent side-pinning and decrease the chance of contamination.
- On top of this layer of CVG, you want to add a handful of your cultivated rye grain. Again, you want to leave around 1/2 an inch from the edge of the CVG so that when you add your next layer, the CVG will encompass the entire layer of mycelium protecting it from any light or contamination.
- Repeat this CVG, rye grain lasagna until you’ve run out of either mycelium or CVG, but be sure to top with CVG as finishing with a layer of mycelium will be likely to encourage contamination. On top of this final layer, conclude with the casing layer of vermiculite to encourage your Gourmet health mushrooms to grow to the light and airy surface.
- Put your project in low, indirect light. If you’re worried about whether your project is too dark/light, pop us an email with some photos at [email protected]. We’d be more than happy to help!
- With monotubs, you must mist and fan them daily throughout this stage to ensure the mycelium has enough moisture to continue it’s biological processes. This can be a tricky process if you haven’t cultivated a project before. Never spray your lasagna directly, but rather the walls of the monotub. The fruiting process should take 10-15 days until you receive your first harvest.
Liquid Cultures or Spore Syringes? What’s the Difference?
Many people use the words “liquid culture” and “spore syringe” interchangeably, but the fact is these are two very different organisms. Both can be grown if given the right substrate and environmental conditions, but they have their differences!
Which kit is right for me?
Sometimes it can feel pretty overwhelming when starting out. There’s so many different kits, so where should you start?
Clean Shrooms: Tips to Keep Your Mushroom Kits Contamination Free
Contamination gets us all at one point or another. No matter your experience, you will run into it eventually. Arm yourself with the knowledge of how to identify, prevent and treat it where possible.
Getting into Mycology
Starting your journey into mycology can be scary and confusing. We’re here to help! Within this blog, we’ve compiled our knowledge to provide you with a beginners guide on what you’ll need to get into mycology!
