What is a gourmet mushroom liquid culture?
A liquid culture is living fungal mycelium suspended in a sterile mixture of water and nutrients. At SoFlo Fungi, our cultures are uniform genetic isolations, or “strains”/”sub-strains”.
How do you make your liquid culture at SoFlo Fungi?
There are 3 stages involved in crafting our cultures in our lab at SoFlo Fungi.
1) Liquid Media Prep
We make our own liquid media using a mixture purified water, light malt extract, dextrose, with the occasional addition of protein or vitamin sources like nutritional yeast or peptones. We use an autoclave (or stovetop pressure canner) to sterilize this mixture in a reusable glass vessel with a lid which is modified to provide the perfect amount of gas exchange and to allow for sterile fluid exchange. We also include a magnetic stir bar or glass marble to the solution for easier mixing later on.
2) Inoculation
After the sterile media cools for a while, we move the sterilized media vessels directly from the autoclave to the “business end” of our custom H14 HEPA fan filter unit (FFU). (It functions the same way as a laminar flowhood if you’re not familiar with FFUs). Using carefully observed sterile technique and safety/quality control measures, we inoculate the liquid media using the mother culture or the earliest healthy, living, tested generation of the desired SoFlo Fungi strain.
3) Testing / Quality Control (QC)
We test every culture regularly using nutrient enriched agar media plates (which is mixed, sterilized, poured, and stored in our own lab). The first test we do is to carefully collect a sample syringe full of the inoculated solution 6-10 days after inoculation, and place a small amount of fluid onto an agar plate in front of the FFU. We then observe this plate for 7-14 days until we are confident that the only thing we’ve cultured is the intended fungal species.
How should I store the cultures when I receive them?
We always recommend that customers use them as soon as possible. However, if placed in cold storage (your home refrigerator will do just fine), they can last for as long as 6-months to even 1 or more years. We only guarantee them for 3 months after delivery, but if you have any issues, please reach out.
How do we store our liquid cultures prior to order fulfillment?
Once a culture expansion has been vigorously tested and approved, we keep it in cold storage in the same vessel it grew in until we receive the first order for that strain. We typically fill only 8-10 syringes with liquid culture at a time so that we can regularly test and observe that the mechanical parts of each syringe are working properly. Afterwards cultures left go into short term cold storage. Filling and storing syringes with this method and pace keeps them as fresh and vigorous as possible for use by our customers.
When we process each order, we place each culture syringe in an appropriately sized individual package with 1 sealed sterile inoculation needle* , ready to inoculate your hydrated and sterilized grain or sawdust spawn.
*Not intended for bodily injection or any use other than described above.
I would like to buy cultures from SoFlo Fungi in bulk, is this possible?
We do not currently offer bulk discounts above and beyond those offered in our custom variety pack deals. Our cultures are intended for 2 uses: Commercial mushroom farming, and mushroom growing as a hobby.
Are these “magic” mushrooms?
No. Psilocybin is illegal in our part of the world. Even the mycelium from these mushrooms is illegal. Our cultures are all premium quality gourmet edible and functional mushrooms which are completely legal everywhere in the world. We do not carry any illegal products or psychedelics. Please do not ask.
Which cultures should I choose?
While the answer to this question is highly personal, the answer depends on a number of factors. Some information about your goals, preferences, environment, experience level, and grow-room setup is required. Here are some general recommendations based on some common factors.
If you still have questions after reading, don’t hesitate to drop us a line!
Culinary Species – Warm Temperatures (75F-100F)
Beginner Friendly
Shiitake L808
Pink Oyster
Phoenix Oyster
Popcorn Oyster
Golden Oyster
Wine Cap**
Intermediate or Experimental
Chestnut
Black Poplar
Chicken of the Woods
Fringed Sawgill (Lentinus crinitus)
Culinary Species – Cooler Temperatures (40F-70/75F)
Beginner Friendly
Lion’s Mane
Blue Oyster
Comb Tooth
Shiitake L808
Intermediate or Experimental
Nameko**
Maitake**
Enoki
King Oyster
Functional Strains – Warm Temperatures (75F-100F)
Beginner Friendly
Shiitake L808
Antler Reishi (Ganoderma multipileum)
Red Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)
Turkey Tail
Experimental or Novel Species (Not for human consumption)
Red Banded Canyon Reishi (Ganoderma zonatum)**
Ganoderma aff. neogibbosum**
**Link to variety 3-pack because an individual listing does not yet exist. Please feel free to order another culture and just put a note that you’d like this one and we can make a substitution. Don’t worry we’ll see it.
Which species will grow best in a “monotub” setup? – Transitioning to gourmets? We’re here to help!
We don’t typically recommend growing gourmet/functional species this way; however, we have seen some species succeed while some simply don’t.
Below are the species we’ve seen success with… but don’t let it limit you! Experimentation is what makes this hobby so unique, challenging and fun.
King Oyster
Antler Reishi (Ganoderma multipileum)
Red Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)
Black Poplar
Enoki
Wine Cap (We haven’t actually observed this one, but it may be possible to have success with an outdoor “raised bed” type of strategy within a monotub.)
What’s your return/refund policy? (This doesn’t come up frequently, but it’s important.)
Check out our policies page.