Module 1: Preparing Grain Spawn

Service Description

Module 1: Preparing and Sterilizing Grain Spawn (The Mycelial Food) This foundational module focuses on preparing the "food" (grain spawn) for the mycelium. This course module will include: 1) A review of appropriate grain foods for mushrooms; Rye, Rice, and Corn in particular 2) A hands-on demo how to prepare those grains for fungal cultures (using an instant pot or pressure cooker) and applying the 'Drippy Corn' technique 3) Loading jars with injection ports and filter patches with those grains bound for the sterilizer. If you complete this module, you will learn to identify and select at least three common grains suitable for mushroom spawn, master the pre-cook and hydration steps to achieve optimal grain moisture, and learn how to properly sterilize your grains for mycoculture. Your Instructors: Mario Gabiati is a professional horticulturist with over a decade of experience teaching mycology and laboratory sciences. He runs the training programs at Circuit Launch BioLabs, teaching vocational skills to hopeful future biotech entrepreneurs and scientists. When he isn't helping the next generation of bionerds get jobs in the bay area, he teaches mushroom identification and cultivation with Mycelial Mass Mushroom Science Club and inspires people with microscope art with the San Francisco Microscopical Society. Course co-instructor Misha Frankly’s journey with fungi began with a long line of Soviet foragers and a very crowded home closet. Today, Misha has traded the closet for the commercial field, working professionally in mushroom cultivation. A true lover of the outdoors, Misha spends their downtime hiking the SF Bay trails or supporting the West Coast music festival scene. He's here to help you bridge the gap between "hobbyist" and "harvest."