🧪 How to Use Your Living Inoculant (LI)

Your Spawn Kit has been designed to make mushroom cultivation as simple and contamination-resistant as possible. The included Living Inoculant (LI) contains an actively growing mushroom mono-culture, while the Sterilized Sorghum Grain Spawn provides the ideal medium for expanding that culture into vigorous grain spawn.

🧼 Step 1 – Sanitize

Before inoculation, wipe both the Culture Bottle septum and the SHIP (Self-Healing Injection Port) on the Spawn Bag with 70% rubbing alcohol.

Allow both surfaces to air dry before proceeding.

💉 Step 2 – Withdraw the Living Inoculant

Using the supplied sterile syringe and needle:

• Insert the needle through the bottle septum.
• Withdraw approximately 5 ml (5 cc) of Living Inoculant.
• Remove any excess air from the syringe.

The Culture Bottle is reusable and can be accessed multiple times using sterile technique, via a 3mm thick silicone septum.

📦 Step 3 – Inoculate the Spawn Bag

Insert the needle through the SHIP on the Spawn Bag and slowly inject the 5 ml of Living Inoculant into the sterilized sorghum grain.

Remove the needle and gently massage the inoculation site if necessary.

The SHIP will reseal automatically after the needle is removed.

🌙 Step 4 – Incubate

Place the Spawn Bag in a clean, dark location at approximately 23–27°C.

Do not expose the bag to direct sunlight.

During incubation, the white mycelium will gradually spread throughout the grain.

🔄 Step 5 – Mix the Grain

Once approximately 30–40% of the grain has colonized with healthy white mycelium, gently break apart the colonized grain and mix it evenly throughout the bag.

This redistributes the growing mycelium and significantly accelerates complete colonization.

🍄 Step 6 – Use as Grain Spawn

Once the grain is fully colonized (completely white), it is ready to inoculate your preferred mushroom substrate.

Suitable substrates include pasteurized straw, hardwood sawdust, Master’s Mix, and other compatible materials depending on the mushroom species.

For best results, use the colonized grain spawn within 3 months.

💡 Tips for Success

• Work as cleanly as possible during inoculation.
• Always sanitize the bottle septum and SHIP before each use.
• Do not remove or damage the filter patch.
• Healthy mycelium should appear bright white and vigorous.
• If contamination develops, dispose of the bag without opening it indoors.

♻️ Expanding Your Culture

One of the advantages of the Living Inoculant system is that the Culture Bottle contains enough inoculant to prepare multiple Spawn Bags.

When you’re ready to expand your production, simply order additional Sterilized Sorghum Grain Spawn and repeat the inoculation process using the remaining Living Inoculant.