Growing Mushrooms on Popcorn: A Beginner's Guide to popcorn Tek
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- Опубликовано: 20 фев 2023
- Hello everyone, and welcome back to our channel, where we explore mushroom cultivation. Today, we will be discussing a topic that many of you have asked about: growing mushrooms on popcorn. This method is perfect for beginners and requires very little investment. So, let's get started.
The first step is to prepare the popcorn. Any popcorn can be used, including redinbaucher “mushroom popcorn,” white, yellow, blue, or whatever is available to you. We need to rehydrate it, and it's going to take hours. But before we do that, it's helpful to do one thing first.
Weigh ten kernels in grams, then divide that number by ten. That’s the average weight of each kernel. Write that down because we’re going to use it later.
Next, pour your dry grain into an Instant Pot or stock pot and pour water so that the waterline is three inches above the grain.
Pasteurize the grain by heating the water to 170°F. If you're using an Instant Pot, select sauté and high, and wait a few minutes. Once the temperature is reached, remove from heat and let the temperature slowly fall to 100°F or body temperature, then increase the heat to 120-140°F and repeat. Remember, we are not cooking the grain; we're just rehydrating it.
If you're using an Instant Pot, select the "yogurt" setting and low and set the timer to 12-16 hours.
Check on your kernels every twelve hours. We are looking for the right moisture content. Can you split one in half with your thumbnail? If no, skip to the next step. If you can, calculate the average weight of each kernel. We are looking for an 80-100% increase in weight. Some kernels, and I mean very few kernels, may have split on their own; that is normal but is not our goal. We don't want them to split. That’s too wet.
If they are not ready, re-pasteurize and repeat the warm water bath for an additional eight hours. It's best to check every few hours at this point. Bacteria can build up very quickly at this temperature, so don't skip the pasteurization step. If bacteria does build up on you, you'll smell it. They will also start to form a biofilm at the top of your water. This isn't ideal, but you'll be fine. Pasteurize again.
Drain the water. We are looking for wet on the inside and dry on the outside. Increasing the temperature so that the kernels are hot will help a bit here, but you don't have to. Let the water drain for a few minutes.
Increase surface area. Lay the kernels out on trays so that they form a single layer and wait. A fan helps, or if you are really impatient, you can ball them up in a bath towel, mix it around a bit, then lay them out to finish.
Next, we are going to add magnesium carbonate and lime. Lime is going to increase the pH, and chalk is going to keep the kernels from sticking together. Add them at these ratios.
Next, we need to sterilize the jars and bags using a pressure cooker. We want to ensure that there is no life in these walls. These contaminants will compete with your mycelium and may even be dangerous to your health. 
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Never thought I'd see the day when Ron Livingston teaches us how to popcorn tek
You know what I'd do with popcorn tech? 2 mushrooms at the same time, man.
Did you see the memo about this ?
Better than Limburgh
Heck, Limburgh inoculated her
This is the most complicated and time consuming popcorn tek I have seen
it seems pretty simp[le, soak grains to hydrate( heat not required just takes longer) pack in jars and sterilize. where is the complicated part?
"Who has time?" is all I'm thinking.
@@WhiteBeardHashtag1205 I did, and i agree with you 100%. I just did not phrase my comment well. Soak grains in 5gal bucket 16-24 hr until fully hydrated, drain, rinse, let dry, laod jars, load in PC. Seems to me you can do a batch in maybe an hour or two tops, excluding the wait times. This is like the SNL sketch "Cooking with the Anal Retentive Chef". even if you did all the weighing and math, you should only have to do that the first time.
@@WhiteBeardHashtag1205 I was but in my mind i was already eliminating all the wasted effort. Basically, hydrate, dry, put in jars and sterilize. done.
Great video dude. Very thorough
I love using popcorn kernels for growing mushrooms. I’ve been successful growing more than 20 different types on it. It’s a wonderful material the way I’ve always done it is I put my popcorn in my pressure cooker (no pre soak) with three times the amount of water set it at 15l For one hour then I do a quick release and rinse it immediately otherwise it can turn into a massive block of starch, then I add it to my jars or bags 15 psi for another hour and I’ve never had a problem with contamination in the best part yet my local stores I can generally get 3lb bags for $1
give deer corn a go, it's WAY CHEAPER, just make sure to take your time drying it (more busted/cracked kernels)
I was curious about that myself. I don't see why it wouldn't work
Loved you in Office Space
if he whips out a red stapler Im going to loose it!
Great video bro.your a natural.
Thanks! I appreciate the kind words. Glad you enjoyed the video!
Gracias, es la guía más precisa y confiable, la que más me sirvió.
¡Gracias! Me alegra que hayas encontrado el video preciso y útil. Si tienes más preguntas, no dudes en preguntar. ¡Buena suerte con tu proyecto de cultivo de hongos!
Yeeeeah, gonna need you to come in on Sunday, as well.
😂
Hell yea nice video
I can tell you’re very intelligent and definitely a college grad! I can also tell you are really stoned or you’re coming off a bender or both lol! This is actually a really good video. It’s one of the best ones I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you all for your comments, I'm thoroughly enjoying them and truly appreciate your kind words! Haha I'm not one for getting stoned or going on benders, just my personal preference. What you're noticing may be my Bostonian traits shining through.
I am trying it with sweet corn, cattle food. Cheap 50 lb bags. are you using this as you spawn or are you just growing the mushrooms form the popcorn?
great video!!!
I prefer popcorn to other grains iv had great success with this tek 😊
Didn’t know I was watching Office Space 😂
Thanks for watching
So i have an instant pot but it doesn't have the pressure cooker button or a yogurt either any suggestions? I have an instant pot IP-LUX the pre-setting options that it has is rice, multigrain, porridge, stem, slow cook, sauté, egg, cake, Meat/Stew, and Soup/Broth.
Thank you
You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks for showing appreciation
Hi, I found a substrate recipe! What do you think: Rye grain, bird seed mix (including flax seed), brown rice flour, a few spoons of vermiculite. Would this work? I think it's good food for the hungry mycelium. Please give me your opinions, thanks in advance
Is there another video that will show me how and when to add the spores from the syringe and how much to use?
If your filter is a little loose or wont stay in, I put a couple layers of micropore tape on the lid over the hole. When I push the filter back through the hole its nice and snug and won't pop out.
That's a great idea and thanks for sharing!
You should add the lime and gypsum while it is soaking. That will help later on in providing the ph you want and the calcium needed to form the fruits.
He makes this soooo much more difficult than needed, pc corn for 20 min , perfect hydration,
I’ll try this out.
Is that high pressure on the IP?
What about field corn is it the same?
With this method. How long would you sterilize?
i have popcorn that became moldy can i use this
"Say Hello To Lumbergh For Me!"
Pressure cooking at 5psi for 25 minutes after a 24 hour soak gets em about as hydrated as I can get without bursting
Need help asap is gypsum viable to use ( I know nothing about calcium sulfate )
Yes gypsum works great.
I don't have an instapot with a "yogurt" setting but I do have a SOUS VIDE (immersion cooker) that can keep a pot of water at 130 deg F for 16 hours. Do you see any reason this wouldn't work the same way?
Will work no problem
Hydrating corn is such a crucial step, and it takes way longer than other grains which is I think why so many people report bad results with it. Corn, when hydrated and sterilised properly, is excellent.
Excellently said, I think that's why people give up on it too.
Takes me 5 hours to hydrate and sterilize. Pressure cook at 5 psi for 30 mins to hydrate.
@@skilledelectrician573 that's a great tip. I'm gonna try it out next round and thanks for sharing
Just use rye!! Corn nope…
@@skilledelectrician573you need 15 psi…
have you ever used normal corn or cracked corn? There is nothing special about popcorn varieties other than, I believe, a thicker skin on the kernel. Have you ever used cracked corn or a mixture of whole kernel and cracked?
I heard somewhere that the drained water contains nutes from the corn and can be used as the water when making liquid culture.... your thoughts?
yes you can as i have tried it , and it works.
What if you just took corn right off the cob, put it in a jar, sterilized in the pressure cooker, and inoculated? I'm only guessing here, but it seems like that corn would already be adequately hydrated. What about organic canned corn even? Cans are only about $2 a pound.
What did you do to the jar lids? You said you made them on your own ans that I may want to make my own. Make my own what? What did you do to the lids? (RIP pressure cooker).
I doctored the lids to have a self-healing injection port and a filter to allow for gas exchange.
I never use trays, instant pot it and shake a few times while the jars cool down to let the kernals absorb any excess moisture. Any moister that's in excess leaves the jar all together
No hate, just poking fun. Good video
I don’t like busted grains, I always got em but I don’t like it. It’s always not quite there. Needs just a bit more. Still a little too dry Damn it!
Hahaha it happens quickly
Is it okay if some of the popcorn kernels split while in the pressure cooker, or is it best to start over now?
Best to throw away any split kernels from the batch
@Chris Gribbin I definitely would have but they didn't split until the sterilization process in the PC, unfortunately. Guess I'll just hope for the best this time around and simmer them for less time in the future. Thank you for your reply!
I always have some split, maybe 1 in 100 kernals but I always leave them and never have any problems.
@@LowEffortGardening excellent, thank you so much!
All i use is popcorn,coco coir and vermiculite!
This is far more complex than the last hot pot popcorn Tek video I watched.
Indeed, this method may seem more complex than the previous popcorn tek video you watched. However, it's designed to be more comprehensive, covering more details and nuances for a better understanding.
lol weighing individual kernels and shit this is nuts. makin it way too complicated
Think either 90s Mycology or PGT did a test and brown rice still supreme.
This guy makes a mountain out of a molehill. It's not that complicated
What’s the purpose of pasteurizing before sterilizing later?
The water bath is at the ideal temperature for bacteria growth. If you skip pasteurization, there's a risk that bacteria could thrive before your kernels fully hydrate.
But won't they be killed when you strilize it?@@LowEffortGardening
@paulhierholzer7278, maybe, but keep in mind that corn left to incubate for more than a day can go bad quickly. It emits a sour odor that permeates the entire house and develops a thick skin on top. Also, consider the hundreds of trillions of organisms you need to eradicate now during sterilization instead of a thousands. Remember, some bacteria are highly deadly pathogenic, and you definitely wouldn't want them splattering around your kitchen. I strongly advise against skipping this step.
Where did you get them giant trays ? Thanks
You can find these at webstaurantstore
@@LowEffortGardening thanks , i got on right down the street .
" . .then divide that by ten.." (No boss, just move the decimal over . .duh) =)
How about field corn?
Give it a shot!
Hi Andrew! I keep hearing the phrase 'Tek' what does that mean?
Short for "technique"
Hey! TEK" stands for "Technique" in the context of mushroom cultivation. It refers to a specific method or set of instructions used to grow mushrooms.
Thanks!!
Not the best. If you *prefer* it, fine.
Philly golden teacher did a video testing what *grain* was the best & brown rice was the clear winner. BUT, Yes.. popcorn was the second place winner. So, still a great choice.
I'll be sticking with brown rice myself
Is unpopped popcorn not just (small grain) CORN?
Canned, frozen, and fresh corn have too much water.
Brown rice boiled for 5 mins then strained for 20 mins. Then just bag/jar and PC. Idk why anyone would do all the extra steps.
Popcorn is spawn, not substrate
Wouldn't it be more beneficial to use calcium acitate instead of calcium carbonate? After all they breathe oxygen like us.
It's an interesting thought. While mushrooms do indeed respire oxygen like us, the choice of calcium compound in cultivation isn't primarily about O2 but more about pH levels and substrate pasteurization. But, it's worth experimenting and gathering data. Innovation often starts with questioning the norm.
...next time I take my LC in the shop and let IT chose its meal. I assume I will buy lots of pizza, protein powder and 209 snickers. And a cucumber for me.
Haha, sounds like a balanced meal plan for you and your LC! Just be sure to keep the cucumber away from your LC. Also... maybe a fun experiment.
@@LowEffortGardening I surely will keep food far away from ANY mycelium, esp. LC. Otherwise they are all glued to one side of the glass, looking at me, at the food, at me again and will ask: "Do you still eat that??? If not..." Like a donkey with a carrot in front :)
OK so popcorn is bit the best the substrate it's the easiest cheepest and less likely to contam
Office space
Lol
Can you use Corn ? Instead of popcorn?
Unfortunately not, corn is to wet
I live next to a corn field, why is popcorn special?😮
It's special to me because it's is cheaper, more available, and less likely to clump up once colonized.
Why are spending so much time = 16 hrs with all this. I put it in the Instapot for 30 min pressure cooking and about an hour drying. I have no problems with any contamination. And I am ready to mix in substrate in 5 days. Why so much time cooking popcorn.
Cooking grains for mushroom cultivation can destroy or alter the beneficial nutrients and structures within the grains that mushrooms need for healthy growth. Uncooked grains provide a suitable substrate for mycelium colonization and mushroom development. Cooking can break down complex carbohydrates, denature proteins, and alter the starch content, potentially making the grains less suitable for the mycelium to thrive. Additionally, cooking can introduce contaminants that may hinder mushroom growth. Therefore, avoiding cooking grains is important to provide the optimal environment for successful mushroom cultivation.
Hi I can't remember why you said corn is a little better than brown rice? Why is it again?
Hey Tim, thanks for your comment. Corn, especially popcorn, has become a popular choice for mushroom cultivation over brown rice for several reasons. Firstly, corn kernels offer a more extensive and airy structure, allowing for better mycelial colonization and gas exchange. This airiness reduces the risk of anaerobic bacterial growth. Secondly, corn provides a balanced nutrient profile, making it a robust food source for many mushroom species. While brown rice offers good nutrients, its consistency, especially when ground, can become compacted, potentially hindering mycelial growth. Additionally, the larger grain size of corn can be more easily sterilized, reducing contamination risks. Overall, while both substrates have their place in mushroom cultivation, corn often offers more advantages
@@LowEffortGardening thankyou that makes sense appreciate the info, I've purchased some sorghum, I'll use that before I try corn.
Regards Tim
@@LowEffortGardeningYou should pin this comment. I'm glad I found it by accident.
I like your shirt
How about…pinto beans
Too much starch
All you need to do is boil the kernels for 90 minutes and then put in jars and pressure cook. This is so tedious and complicated! Good grief!
I was thinking the same thing. No hate. Just my ADHD. Lol. Think I'm gonna save this for future reference and otherwise try the boil for 90 minutes, bite down..does it bust? Method.. 😅
Also, I appreciate the effort for this and no doubt it works great! It's just too much for my capacity ATM. Mush love!
Actually popcorn is the worst thing to use…
Tell us more. The whole mushroom community would appreciate a thorough answer since it's widely used for many good reasons.
I use popcorn but i hydrate it at 5psi for 30 mins. With coffee and corn syrup. Then pasteurized for 2hrs at 15psi.
Is it okay if some of the popcorn kernels split while in the pressure cooker, or is it best to start over now?
@@darladawn1111 some will split and i havent noticed any hindrance to growth. Actually they colonized in 14 days
@Skilled Electrician just seeing this, 14 days is great! Mine ended up fully colonizing nicely, though not quite as quickly.
How much coffee n corn syrup do you use
GRAIN NOT SUBSTRATE
I was wondering wth was going on and only one person said something?
The term "substrate" in mushroom cultivation broadly refers to any substance or medium that the mycelium consumes and grows on. So, technically, the grain itself can be considered a substrate from the outset since it's a food source for the mycelium.
grain spawn is still a substrate, just not a bulk substrate
It’s a substrate But I get that it might be confusing if you just started For the target audience the host could be a bit more clear. But it is about grain hydration He has to assume some level of prior knowledge. lol. Waste of time check!
The grain becomes substrate when it is mushroom food