Getting Envious with this Turkey Day Tek
Fun fact about me. The only thing I love more than trying out new cultivation methods is the free sample day down at Costco. So you can imagine my elation when I stumbled across these tin trays during a cranberry sauce run this Thanksgiving. Long story short, I completely forgot the cranberries, but it’s cool because I ended up with something far more valuable… A simple technique to grow mushrooms using a tin container!
Introducing… The Turkey Day Tek
Assuming you are from a first-world country, you are likely familiar with these tin containers. Apparently, they are used for storage of casserole, meat, maybe a pie, pretty much anything.
And as far as I am concerned, these little boogers are perfect for mushroom cultivation; featuring a spacious, transparent, and easily modifiable lid and an opaque base to combat side pinning.
But can you really grow mushrooms using a tin container?
Absolutely! Below are the things you will need:
- 1lb of colonized grain spawn – approximately 1 quart
- Roughly 2 quarts of bulk sub – Verm/coir/gypsum – Something like this with added gypsum
- Turkey Tin
- ¼ inch drill bit
- Lighter
- Micropore tape
- Lots of love
Spawn to Bulk Steps
This process requires a degree of forethought and preparation. Although your grain spawn should be fully colonized (covered in mycelium), there is still a chance that a contaminant can creep in and ruin your whole project. That said, before starting this process, make sure to wash your hands, brush your teeth, glove up, spray air sanitizer, and wipe down all surfaces, materials, and utensils using 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Steps:
- Spawn Dump
- Get your hands in there and break up the mycelium spawn clumps – Note if the spawn has a rank smell, something has gone horribly wrong; toss it out immediately. The spawn should have a fresh mushroom stank to it.
- Toss in a hearty fistful of your pre-made bulk substrate. Mix thoroughly, making sure to get all corners of the tin.
- Continue adding sub until the tin base is roughly 3/4th of the way full.
- Gently pat down.
- Add a final thin layer of bulk substrate on top – Use just enough on top to cover all exposed grain spawn. (video cut off before demonstration)
Lid Prep for Fresh Air Exchange (FAE)
- Remove the lid from the tin and use the existing features on the lid to plot out your holes.
- We’re going to be putting 3 holes on each side of the lid.
- Grab your torch/lighter and heat up your drill bit or pen or whatever you’re going to use to melt the plastic.
- Commit
- Once all holes are drilled, place a batch of micro-pore tape over the holes.
*Spoiler alert* I ended up needing to add another 8 holes on the top of the lid about two weeks in. So I would add those at this point.
Once done, place the lid on the base and put it away in a dark warm place for incubation/colonization. This will take 7-10 days.
Day 4: First signs of colonization
Peeked in on day four to see our progress. Looking good. The mycelium is reaching through the top layer of the substrate.
Day 10-17: First sign of pins
Around day 10 the surface of the substrate was covered in mycelium reaching for air. At this time I placed the grow chamber into fruiting conditions. In this case, I simply moved the chamber to a spot where the container would receive ambient light. In addition, I reduced the temperatures a bit and began fanning and misting the inside of the lid once per day.
Pins were visible on day 15 but hadn’t made much progress by day 17. It seemed like the tub was beginning to stall and I had a feeling that it was a gas exchange/hot air issue. So I went ahead and added an additional 8 holes on top. That did the trick.
Day 23: Harvest Baby!
The mycelium really ramped up pin production after making alterations to the top of the lid. By day 23 I had some very large fruits ready for harvest. Generally speaking, you will want to harvest just before, or just after the veils separate from the cap. This is to preserve potency and avoid spore deposits on the substrate surface.
To harvest, grab the mushroom at its base, push it down slightly and twist.
Dry and Store
In the final step, you will prep your mushrooms for long-term storage. This is easily accomplished by throwing them in a household dehydrator. Toss a layer of fresh mushrooms into your dehydrator with some tasty mango (waste not want not). A few hours later you will have cracker dry booms and a guilt-free sweet treat.
Final Thoughts:
This little casserole case is actually a pretty darn good grow chamber! However, there are a few things that I want to mention.
- Value – These things do seem a bit flimsy and I really doubt I will get a second use out of them. That said, considering Walmart sells 6qt storage bins (shoeboxes) for just a little higher cost per unit, as far as value is concerned, a shoebox or standard monotub will certainly last longer than this tin.
- Durability – Shortly after day 20 I noticed a few weird splotches on the tin base. Rubbing them with my finger I discovered that the tin was actually degrading in some areas, exposing the substrate through these very small holes. Yep, these will be single-use.
- Yield – I was very pleased with the yield of these things. Considering using only 1lb of spawn, this was one of the highest-yielding (small box) first flushes I’ve had in a while. I am excited to see how many flushes it will produce!
- Conditions – These tins seemed to hold humidity very well and provided excellent gas exchange.
- Ease of use – Yeah, pretty darn easy.
I sincerely hope you enjoyed this write-up. Excited to say that we’ve got some great content coming up in 2021, including a product feature from one of the mycology industry’s most innovative companies.
Hint: it rhymes with fax mealed grins.
Until next time
