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How Long and How you can store Mushroom ...

How Long and How you can store Mushroom Grain Spawn

Sep 19, 2021

Hi Shroomok, please help! Let me describe the situation.
Spawn jars are fully colonized with healthy mushroom mycelium, everything is okay. But I need to keep them and postpone further mycological manipulations for a week or maybe two.

❓Can Mushroom Spawn Jars be stored at room temperature (about 27°C or 80°F) in the dark place for 1-2 weeks?

❓Is it better to store Spawn Jars in the refrigerator or even fridge till it's time for Spawn to Bulk and Casing?

❓How long can Grain Spawn be stored?

❓How can I "reanimate" Mushroom Mycelium for casing and further fruiting period?
Thank you 🙏

☝️Answer from Shroomok

Spawn Jars with mycelium can be stored in the refrigerator at +2°...+12°C (or 36-54°F). Optimal temperatures are +5°...+8°C (or 41-46°F). Too low temperatures, lower than 0°C or 32 °F can destroy or even kill mycelium.

Actually, we know a real case when mycelium stored in -40°C and it its viability was fully retained. Anyway, no need to put at such risk.

Shroomok can admit from own experience that you can store colonized grain spawn in the refrigerator for 1–2 months and everything will be fine for sure!

This will be, a kind of prolonged cold shocking and in such a way you can slow down the mycelium activity and its growth.

Such option allows you to plan your growing process and postpone further manipulations if your life circumstances require it.

Or if you plan Grain to Grain Transfer (G2G), so that you can easily propagate a single colonized quart spawn jar for about 5-10 jars via G2G transfers. Check out how to do it in Grain to Grain Transfer (G2G) section.

There are examples of longer storage of grain spawn from our subscribers — 3-4 months. As a result fruiting and harvesting were successful. But there were a slightly slowed down processes of casing layer colonization after spawn to bulk. Also start of fruiting was delayed for a few days.

Before Spawn to Bulk and Casing just leave Spawn Jars for 1–2 days at room temperature to let mycelium some time to wake up. Then you can continue with further cultivation manipulations.

Details about incubation period as well as problems during the colonization phase you can check in the section DIY Incubator. Grain Colonization. Problems during the colonization period.

Have a Happy growing!
Peace 🙏

Original article: How to store Mushroom Spawn for a long time and postpone Spawn to Bulk

© Shroomok - Mushroom Cultivation Guide

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