[drspore]

Hi,

Are there any easily available bags to use for shiitake on sawdust/bran substrate? MycoBag seem real expensive at $15 for a plastic bag.
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Change is the only constant...

[peterthinks]

Well almost any polypropolene bag will do,I found some at the dollar store 20 for $2.
I fill them up with seed and put a wadd of cotton batt in the mouth of the bag and wrap it shut with cotton string.then I sterilize it in a pressure cooker.
I later inject the bag and cover the needle hole with tape.

look for the "PP" symbol on the bag or package or just find something cheap and try it in the autoclave in a bowl in case it melts.or Google around for "Polypropolene bag"

Glass is an alternative too but hard to work with in my opinion...but hey it's easy to find.you can get canning jars everywhere and cheap.

Glad and Ziplock make a whole line of Polypropolene containers and some are rather large...they're clear with a blue lid.or opaque white.
Test one in the heat first...I use the blue lid ones
after the mycelum have run thru it they make nice brick shapes when you pop them out to fruit them.
punch a couple pencil sized holes in the lid and tuck cotton balls in the holes to let them breathe.you can inject thru the holes too...just jab the STERILE needle thru the cotton ball.
or slip in a wedge of agar by poping up the lid for a second.
injections are cleaner and less risky but work with what you got.
I'll be firing up the lab soon...all my stuff is sleeping till I get some house repairs done but feel free to call on me if you need advice

If it's Shitakie why not just infect a small branch?it takes a little longer but it's exactly what the mushroom wants.I saw some branches in pots covered in shitakie..looked like the guy just put dirt around them to make them stand up and watered them like houseplants.

Good luck

Peterthinks