So…would you say a pressure cooker is “necessary” or just something that will just make life easier?
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I used a big lobster pot with a lid and put some ankle weights on top of the lid, but I still had the odd jar of grain not get sterilized properly, so you can do it without one but it takes a lot longer time if you want to try without investing in one. You can pick up second hand ones very cheap on Facebook marketplace or your local free adds or Craig’s list.
You just need a clear tote box and cut some holes in the side to get your arms in for the still air box.
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Thanks for the tips!..i think i’m starting to see fungi in my future
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Really it’s pretty cheap to set up compared to growing weed, and once you get one flush up you can make spore prints easily to keep yourself going without paying money for more, a lot easier than making cannabis seeds for sure.
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Yea it seems intimidating at first, but as @Shadey said, make a still air box, and grab a pressure canner that can go to 15psi, you can find them cheap on FB market, or at thrift stores. (Got mine brand new, for 20 bucks from some lady on FB market) and you’re options are endless. Tons of great places to find information down to a T for how to do pretty much everything. Also, most of us here that dabble in it are more than happy to help you along. Its fun… the beginning is slow waiting for stuff to colonize, but once fruiting starts, I usually go from pins (baby mushies forming) to harvesting them in about 4 to 5 days. And after the flush (all the mushies growing/maturing) they usually start producing again after a week, give or take a few days.
You get to a point where you can make your own spore prints/swabs/syringes so you no longer have to put out much money other than for the substrate and grains. Usually the amount of mushrooms you’ll get just from 1 or 2 flushes pays for itself tenfold and then some.
We’re here to help if you decide to give it a shot!
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thanks a lot guys,i’ll definitely be hanging around in this thread more often 
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If you scroll up, post 3365 was from my harvest this past week. A bit over 2 zips from 3 shoeboxes. And very very low amount of food/grain spawn used. I mention that because I just started myself a few months back. My only regret is not starting sooner lol
Its definitely really fun to watch them grow, you’ll literally see them change throughout the day lol.
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100% necessary will not be successful without it. You might get lucky a couple of times but not successful. Happy growing!
P.s. unless you want to buy presterilized substrate but that can get costly. Check goodwills I scored 2 for less than $20 each.
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A pressure canner is needed if you want to use various grains. Otherwise, as shadey does, you can do a steam bath for 2hrs using brown rice, brown rice flower, popcorn, liquids like LC and agar solution. Look up broke boi tek. Other grains are too dense.
All mushrooms are started on grains first to make the spawn, that then acts as jump off point and nutrient source for when you mix with bulk substrate, like coco, manure, or wood.
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You can use steam bath agreed but that can still leave contamination vectors. I’ve steamed brf cakes with some success but not consistently successful. Although different teks work for different people. The only wrong way is the way that doesn’t work for you personally.
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For us beginners just starting
Pressure cooker ? Kiss applies ?
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A pressure canner is what you want. The pressure canner and pressure cooker are similar, but you want the pressure canner. And that it gets to 15psi
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I didn’t know there was a difference what advantages are there with the canner 
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Newb here. Was looking at a substrate record of 500g vermiculite, 500g coco coir, and 100g gypsum. Add 1gal (a she says 16 cups, same thing, do the math) boiling water. Seal and insulate to pasturize.
Should I add more boiling water because the coco is fresh off the compressed block? I don’t want to over saturate.
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Canners reach the 15psi wich increases the boiling temp of water a bit more, bringing it to sterilization temps of a autoclave
The biggest problem that newbies run into is dirty spores, it’s not recommended to go directly from spores to grains, but it’s a numbers game in that case.
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@joheimgrohen It ultimately depends of how much you’re trying to make, a brick (mine are 650g) of coir will make a lot of substrate. I used around half a brick, and about quarter as much vermiculite to do 3 6qt shoeboxes. Never used gypsum.
As for pastuerizing, I add everything to a 5 gallon bucket, boil water about a gallon for a full brick, (a bit high though) then add that to the bucket and use a clean spoon or fork [I spray my spoon with 70% iso alcohol just to be safe] to mix it all up evenly. Put lid on, and let’s it cool on it’s own. For a few hours.
The even if you use too much water, it’s good to give the substrate a good squeeze for each handful you grab to add to your shoebox or monotub. You want it hydrated not wet. So when you squeeze, allow the water to run out until only a couple droplets are seen.
That’s “field capacity” and the proper moisture to be at.
As a side note, people do things things differently, so you may read or hear different ways to do things, but that’s how I learned to do it. Half the time, I’ll just boil water in my pressure canner, turn off heat, then add the brick. Stir/mix well then Put the lid on.
Pastuerizing is what we want. Too hot sterilizing and it will do more harm than good.
If you or anybody need any more info, shroomery.org has tons of guides/info. The search function makes it fairly easy to find answers. Although some stuff on there is old/outdated. As always, I’m not a pro, but I dont mind helping anybody if they have questions.
Edit. Currently on the come up of a trip so hard to focus lol. Hope it makes sense! 
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I too skip on adding gypsum to my coco coir/vermiculite mix. Instead, I use just a pinch of Wyeast Beer Nutrient Blend (have it onhand since I culture yeasts for brewing beer).
When using grains, soak 12-24 hrs to germinate the bacterial endospores so they die in PC. Otherwise, bacterial endospores can survive PC, germinate and ruin all your hard work.
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OK thanks for this info, that’s what happened when I went from brown rice flour cakes to corn kernels, after about 3 weeks all but one was contaminated. I am going to find a cheap canner now 
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