Not everyone has the same time, space and money to invest in growing mushrooms, in this section of the website I will outline the different setups and equipment that I believe are best suited for growing mushrooms at home.
This is an outline of recommended equipment for growing mushrooms at home.
Equipment For Grain Spawn Preparation.
Pressure Cookers – A pressure cooker is crucial for sterilizing grain spawn. For an in-depth look, check out my comprehensive guide to the top 10 pressure cookers.
If you’re pressed for time, here are my quick picks:
- Presto 23 Qt Pressure Cooker (on Amazon).
- All American Pressure Canner (on Amazon).
- Instant Pot Duo 8Qt (on Amazon).
Whole Grains Un-hulled -To create grain spawn, you will need un-hulled whole grains such as the ones listed below:
- PopCorn Grain (on Amazon),
- Millet Grain (on Amazon).
- Rye Grain (on Amazon).
- Wheat Grain (on Amazon).
Tip: You are going to be better off getting grains from a bird feed, pet store or local supermarket than amazon.
Strainer / Colander – Aim to get as large a strainer as possible. I purchased a 3-pack and frequently find myself using two at a time. When making grain you want to make it in large batches so its better to get more than one.
Gas Exchange Lids & Jars – I have written a post about my favorite gas exchange and mushroom jar lids and how to make them.
Mason Jars – You can buy mason jars if you like however I recommend just recycling pasta and beetroot jars as they are free and the lids are interchangeable. They are also more durable than mason jars and you will need a lot of them.
Pre-made Spawn Bags – If you are an absolute beginner why not try purchasing a pre-made spawn bag which just requires injection. This takes away a lot of the hard work related to preparing spawn and you can get straight to work.
Still Air Boxes (on Amazon) – A still air box is necessary for inoculating grain spawn in a contaminant-free environment. Learn how to make one in my detailed post “how to make a still air box” or consider buying one for convenience:
Small butane Torch – This makes flame sterilizing your syringe and tips ends very easy make sure you get one.
Scalpel & scalpel tips – For working with Agar and spores. I use a No.7 scalpel as its thin and lightweight.
70% Iso-propyl Alcohol – Always use this to sanitize equipment and surfaces.
Face Mask and Gloves – Always wear gloves and facemask when working with sterilized grain.
Spray Bottle – used for creating a soapy layer on still air box pre-inoculation.
I have a full post on grain spawn jars and lids which can be viewed here.How To Make Mushroom Jar Lids.
Equipment For Bulk Substrate Preparation.
The type of mushrooms you’re cultivating will determine the bulk substrate you should select. If you’ve arrived here following a specific tutorial, I recommend starting with the substrate I have used on the page before experimenting with different ones.
Large Pot or Pressure Cooker – Anything that can submerge your substrate under the right conditions will do.
Thermometer with Alarm. – Digital thermometer with an alarm which alerts you when your substrates are within pasteurization temperatures
Brewers bag / Old pillowcase (optional).
Cereal Containers made from Polypropylene.
Digital cooking thermometer with Alarm.
Tin Foil / Elastic Bands.
Hydrated Lime (Calcium Hydroxide) – You must make sure this is the LOW in magnesium version. The version I use has “Magnesium Oxide (MgO:) <0.23%”, but anything less than 4% will probably do.
Bucket with lid – The larger the better.
Rubber gloves – hydrated lime will irritate your skin if it touches it.
Eye protection and Face Masks (a good all in one solution).
Bulk substrate (hardwood fuel pellets, oak sawdust, coco coir, etc).
Old pillowcase/Brewers bag (optional).
PH testing kit (optional).
Digital Scales – for weighing out the Hydrated Lime.
Fruiting Chambers.
Unlock the full potential of your mushroom cultivation with a well-designed monotub setup. Dive into our step-by-step guide to learn how to create an efficient monotub fruiting chamber.
Properly configured, Martha grow tents can yield an impressive harvest of mushrooms. Learn the optimal setup for a Martha tent fruiting chamber in our detailed guide.
I have a full post discussing the best type of humidifier to buy if you want to include one in your fruiting chamber.
A fruiting chamber often used with PF-tek which can also be used for some gourmet mushrooms.
Discover the efficient Shoebox Tek method for mushroom cultivation in our comprehensive guide. Learn step-by-step how to grow various mushroom strains in compact spaces with tips on substrate preparation, incubation, and fruiting. Ideal for both beginners and experienced growers seeking to maximize yield in small areas.
Sterilizers and Pasteurizers.
Pressure Cookers – A pressure cooker is crucial for sterilizing grain spawn. For an in-depth look, check out my comprehensive guide to the top 10 pressure cookers.
If you’re pressed for time, here are my quick picks:
It’s possible to use an Instant Pot for multiple applications in mushroom cultivation. Sterilizing grains, agar, and liquid cultures are all feasible. Additionally, it can be used to pasteurize bulk substrate and maintain agar at a precise temperature using the accurate temperature settings
A Sous Vide is tool which heats water to precise temperature ranges, it is a safe and simple method to pasteurize bulk substrate in hot water.
Other Equipment.
A few years ago I created a small DIY flow hood which was very cheap for doing small bits of agar work at home. It worked but I don’t really use it anymore.
I created the video 3 years and I disavow its use in favor of just making a Still Air Box.
You can read about that here How To Make A Cheap Laminar Flow Hood.
Small butane Torch – This makes flame sterilizing your syringe and tips ends very easy make sure you get one.
Mason Jars (or any other glass jar such as a recycled sauce jar).
Precision Digital Scale – You will want to get some scales which can measure to decimal places.
Tin Foil and Rubber Band.
Stir Bar (optional).
Face Mask and Gloves – Always wear gloves and face mask when working with sterilized grain.
Micropore tape
Scalpel & scalpel tips – For working with Agar and spores. I use a No.7 scalpel as its thin and lightweight.
Condiment containers or similar. – Any plastic container which can go into the pressure cooker will do, normally condiment pots are great for this. Look out for anything with the 5PP symbol on the bottom as these can go in the pressure cooker.
Food Colouring (optional). – I like to add a little blue or red food colouring to the mix as it makes it easier to see the mycelium as it grows.