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Prepare Birdseed or Rye Grain using One-Quart Mason Jars.
Materials:
Pressure Cooker
Finch Birdseed or Rye Grain
(4) One-quart Wide Mouth Mason Jars - Purchase mason jars with "ml"
measurements on the side or you can use a measuring cup with "ml"
measurements.
Spring Water
Wash out your mason jars and lids in clean soapy water and allow them to dry on a clean towel. Fill three jars with water (130ml). With the fourth jar, using it as a measuring cup, measure 250ml of Finch Birdseed or Rye Grain and pour it into a awaiting jar that has the 130ml of water. Repeat this process for the other awaiting two jars. Place the ring and lid on the 130ml water/250ml Finch Birdseed or Rye Grain jars and turn the ring 'til it is firmly closed. Now, turn the lid BACK (counter clockwise) about an eighth of a turn...just enough to allow the soon to be pressurized air to escape during the sterilizing process.
Place all three jars into the canner/pressure cooker and cook at 15psi for 50 minutes.
What should happen is that all of the contaminates in the birdseed will cook and die under the intense heat & pressure. As the pressure cooker cools down the lids to each jar should form a vacuum seal...so not to allow any airborne contaminates into the jar and grain.
After 50 minutes and the pressure in the pressure cooker has gradually released on its own, open up the cooker. With a towel or hand mittens, twist the lids firmly tight. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL, it is very hot and you should not attempted to do this with your bare hands!
The
grain has to be turned so not to allow for dry or wet spots within the birdseed
or the mycelium growth may be hampered. After the grain has cooled and you
are able to handle the jars with your bare hands, gently tap the jars on a firm,
but forgiving, surface. An example could be a spare tire or a cushioned
chair arm. Get the grain to "break-up" and return back
into it's original state. Do not attempted to hit
the jar on the palm of your hand or you will cut yourself if the mason jar
breaks. I had to get 14 stitches on my left thumb and 4 stitches on my
right after FINALLY learning my lesson!
Next you will transfer the mushroom mycelium into the grain.
This will create your MASTER GRAIN SPAWN.
| Note: When it is time to actually inoculating the birdseed jars, it is very important to have plastic canning lids with 1" hole drilled in the center. This will be accompanied with a 99.97% air efficient disc. filter (90mm for wide mouth mason jars). You will see why in the following inoculation procedures. |
This is all that is needed to prepare your birdseed for inoculation of spores or mycelium.
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