Let's Grow #2 - Inoculation

Let's inoculate the grain bag! The goal is to inoculate in the cleanest, stillest area available so nothing gets into that bag except what you intend to put in there. Spores and contamination are all around you - in the air, in your hair, on your clothes - just everywhere - so do your absolute best to be as clean as possible.

There's a ton of debate on which inoculation method is the most effective but I don't have a laminar flow hood (where are you going to store that thing?) and I don't want to make a still air box (see previous post), so I did oven tek, and it worked fine. I close all the doors to the kitchen (the kitchen is closed), turn off the vents, take a shower and put on clean clothes, don my shower cap, gloves, and mask, use a lot of alcohol, and so far so good. I've also inoculated in a small, sealed up bathroom, and that worked fine as well.

<<Tip>> You really can't use too much alcohol.

Also - spray something to kill airborne contaminants (I use 7th Generation's disinfectant spray). If you are doing oven tek, make sure to spray the disinfectant way in advance of using the oven. Don't make poor choices.

Some hints - shake the syringe before inoculation so the spores get distributed well.  If the syringe gets clogged while injecting, shake a little more. It will generally get loosened up. Remember - if you take the needle out of the bag, sterilize it again before you put it back in the bag.

Use 5ml to your 3lb grain bag (probably half a syringe). Shoot it in and down, or around.

Once you're done, put your pregnant bag(s) some where quiet and cool  (75-80 F) - and wait. If the temp is higher, you risk contamination. If it's lower, growth will be slower. I usually see some action around 8 days in.

Cheers to you. Next up, we'll talk about when to break up the bag, and where to get some advice while you wait for that bag to colonize.