ei2o Mushroom Growing Guide

Version 1.5 - 5/16/2023
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ei2o Grow Guide - 2022 Mycelerator: View here

Introducing the ei2o Mushroom Growing System - the ultimate solution for anyone interested in growing their own mushrooms for food or supplements. Our kit provides a simple, step-by-step approach to growing high-quality mushrooms in the comfort of your own home.

Whether you're looking to add a fresh and sustainable ingredient to your meals or incorporate mushrooms into your supplement routine, the ei2o Mushroom Growing System has got you covered. Our user-friendly approach makes it easy for anyone to grow their own mushrooms at home and experience the joy of harvesting their own crop.

Please note that your growing system comes with a live culture of Oyster mushrooms, and the instructions in this document are specific to Oyster mushrooms. Stay tuned for documentation on other kinds of mushrooms!  Included Oyster syringe is provided by millywyco.com and we recommend their shop if you would like to experiment with other types of live culture. Be aware other types of mushrooms may require different conditions during colonization and fruiting. 

Support

Start with our website.  ei2o.com has the latest documentation and news for our products.

We recommend that you sign up for our newsletter so that you can receive the latest updates for your growing system. Sign up here:  https://www.ei2o.com/news

Finally, we welcome you to join our Discord community.  We have a regular meeting on Fridays and you’re invited!
If you have questions, you can always reach us via email at support@ei2o.com

Please ping me directly if you have any concerns or suggestions.

Let’s grow!

Cart Reed - cart@ei2o.com

Before You Start

You’ll need these items to begin growing

• 7 cup (or larger) bowl with lid
• Water (non-chlorinated water is preferred)
• Implement for stirring (a fork works best)
• Measuring cup
• A bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol

Preparing your Mycelerator

Before every grow, disassemble your Myclerator and wipe it with a towelette or paper towel moistened with isopropyl alcohol. Do not put it in your dishwasher.

Turn your sensor on if it is off and choose Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Stage 1: Colonizing the rice bowl

Supplies

• Rice bowl
• Liquid culture syringe 
• Alcohol wipe
• Hot punch
• Candle
• Microfilter
  

Prepare a clean area to work in and avoid strong air currents. We recommend the kitchen (cleaned to food preparation standards) without open windows or operating fans. Contamination is introduced easily when airborne particles get into the bowl.

• Familiarize yourself with the look and feel of the plain rice bowl. Later, the changes in the look and feel will help to confirm colonization.
• Look at the plain rice in the window.
• Give it a few squeezes.
• Shake the bowl.
• Place the rice bowl in front of you. With the transparent window to one side, use an alcohol wipe to clean off the opposite side of the bowl (Fig.1). Leave the alcohol wipe on top of the bowl over the area that has been wiped.
• Heat your hot punch by holding it in the flame for about 20 seconds (Fig. 2).
• Slide the alcohol wipe aside.  Apply the hot punch to the rice bowl lid to stamp a hole on the cleaned area (Fig. 3). Slide the alcohol wipe back over the hole to keep it covered.
• Shake the syringe then remove the stopper and place the tip into the hole made in the lid of the rice bowl (Fig. 4). Inject 1-2 mL of the live culture into the rice. Place the alcohol wipe back over the hole.
• Remove one synthetic filter, place it over the hole and wipe it with the alcohol wipe (Fig. 5).
• It's a good idea to label the bowl with the date.
• Store any remaining culture in the refrigerator.

Place your infused bowl in a warm dark area of your home.  Some typical areas are the kitchen, utility room, or a south facing room. Putting it inside a cabinet or closet will keep it out of the light. Do not place it directly on a heat source. Ideal temperature for colonization is 75°F, but should work within a range of 65-80°F.

During colonization 

In the first week, there is not much to do. Just leave the bowl in a warm dark area. Make sure there is some airflow, don’t place anything on top of the bowl. After 7 days, take a look at your bowl. You might see some white forming around the grains of rice, a gentle squeeze should indicate that the rice is firming up and you may hear some rice moving if you gently shake it. Keep checking on the progress of the colonization over the next week or two. Be patient, full colonization typically takes two to three weeks.

Signs there is something wrong:

• Sour odor.
• No white appearing in the window.
• A wet or loose watery look and a squishy feel to the bowl.
• Green or black color.

When you see solid white in the window, and the bowl feels very firm when squeezed you are ready for the next step.

Stage 2: Combine colonized rice with substrate

‍Prepare the Bulk Substrate

Supplies

• Bag of substrate mix
• 7 cup (or larger) bowl w/ lid
• Water (non-chlorinated water is preferred)
• Implement for stirring (a fork works best)
• Measuring cup

Instructions

• Bring water to a boil.
• Empty the substrate bag into the container.
• Add 1 ¼ cups (10 oz.) of boiling water.
• Secure the lid and let sit for 5-10 minutes while the coir rehydrates.
• Mix thoroughly.  
• Let it cool completely with the lid on (approximately 2 to 4 hours). Combine with the colonized rice within 24 hours.

Combining Bulk Substrate and Colonized Rice

Supplies

• Colonized rice bowl
• Cooled substrate
• Fork
• Mycelerator
  

Instructions 

• Remove the lid of the rice bowl and examine.  The rice and mycelium should be a solid block of white. Break it in half, mycelium should be throughout the rice.
• Set aside a half cup of substrate.
• Using your hands or fork, gently break apart the colonized rice into small pieces (Fig. 6). If you find clumps that are slimy or have a foul/sour odor, remove them.
• Thoroughly mix the rice and substrate.
• Put the mixture into the substrate jar (Fig. 7).
• Add some reserved substrate so it is level with the top of the jar, lightly pack if necessary.
• Screw on the substrate ring.
• Snap in the humidifier ring (Fig. 8).
• Insert the adapter ring (Fig. 8).
• Lay the casing layer on top, flush against the humidifier ring (Fig. 8).
• Screw on the fruiting chamber (Fig. 9).
• Close the vents (Fig. 9).

Continue Colonization

Now you need to return the unit to colonization conditions for the next two weeks.  There is no need to open the unit up, you can observe the mycelial growth through the sides of the substrate container. 

If, after a week, you observe no progress or there is a rapid change to solid white this could indicate some contamination. 

Stage 3: Fruiting Oysters

‍Fruiting on Bulk Substrate

After 14 days of colonizing the bulk substrate, begin the pinning phase. 

• Remove the fruiting chamber.
• Remove the casing layer (Fig. 10). Save for future grows.
• Soak the wick in a bowl of  water, then lay it in the humidifier ring (Fig. 11).
• Spray a mist of water over the mycelium (Fig. 12). You want a mist of water to gently rain down over the bowl. Avoid spraying directly into the bowl, there should be no standing water on the mycelium.
• Screw the fruiting jar on top and open the vent (Fig. 13).

Move the Mycelerator to a cooler place in your home that will receive some indirect light. Try to find an area that is 10-15° cooler than the area used during colonization. This may be outside (depending on the time of year), in a garage or basement, even near a slightly open window avoiding direct sunlight.  It's the change in environment that signals the Oysters to begin fruiting. Ideal pinning conditions are 50-60°F with 95% humidity.

During the Pinning Phase

Over the next week observe your Mycelerator daily.

• Twice a day, remove the fruiting jar and spray a mist of water over the bowl.  
• Every other day, remove the wick, soak it in a bowl of water and put it back into the ring. 
• Examine the surface for the formation of pins. These are small bumps or clusters of growth, sometimes resembling pinheads.  Move to the fruiting phase once the pins have formed.

If a week has passed and there are no signs of pinning, try putting the unit on the top shelf of the refrigerator overnight. During the day put it back in its pinning location, making sure that it has some indirect light, the wick stays wet and mist several times a day. Repeat this over three nights then return to the pinning process .

If you observe a rapid growth on the surface that is white and cloud-like, turning green or gray, this could indicate some contamination.

Fruiting phase

Once you have pinning, it is time to fruit the mushrooms.

• You can now move the unit to a place with normal room temperatures, like the kitchen counter.
• Provide indirect light.
• The vents should remain open on the top of the jar.
• Continue to mist the mushrooms twice a day. 
• Soak the wick every 2 days. If the mushrooms grow in such a way that you can’t remove the wick, we suggest slowly pouring water over the wick (maximum 1 oz or 2 Tbs). Observe carefully, stop adding water once it pools underneath the wick.
• As the fruits get larger you can remove the jar. In this case, make sure to mist the mushrooms heavily 3-4 times a day.

Ideal fruiting conditions are 60-70°F with 85-90% humidity.

Harvesting your mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms are typically ready for harvest 3 to 5 days after the mushrooms first appear. You should notice the rate of growth slowing down and the caps will flatten out or curl upward. Gently twist and pull the cluster of mushrooms at the base, or cut them with a knife.