Psilocybe cubensis / golden teacher

Spawn: Rye, wheat, sorgum, rice, birdseed or corn.

Substrate: coco coir and or dung. Optional vermiculite casing layer.

Cultivation Outdoors: Straw, manure & sawdust. Only in summer.

Indoors: Coco coir and/or manure.

Growth parameters

Spawn Run: Incubation Temp: 28-30C

Relative Humidity: 95-100%

Duration: 14-21 days

Carbon Dioxide: >5,000 ppm

Primordia Formation:

Initiation Temp: 22-25C

Relative Humidity: 95-100%

Duration: 5-12 days

Carbon Dioxide: <1,000 ppm

Fruitbody Development: Temp: 22-27C

Relative Humidity: 85-90%

Duration: 3-7 days

Carbon Dioxide: <1,000 ppm

Cropping Cycle: Every 10-14 days for up to 4-5 months

Spawn: Rye, wheat, sorgum, or corn for expansions; sawdust/ woodchips for the final substrate.

Substrate:

50/50 mix of hardwood sawdust coco coir Or hardwood logs.

Cultivation Outdoors:Inoculated hardwood logs laid horizontally side by side, partially buried using untreated sawdust.

Indoors: Coco coir and/or manure.

Growth parameters

Spawn Run: Incubation Temp: 18-21C

Relative Humidity: 90-95%

Duration: 10-14 days

Carbon Dioxide: <2000 ppm

Primordia Formation:

Initiation Temp: 12-18C

Relative Humidity: 90-95%

Duration: 5-7 days

Carbon Dioxide: <1000 ppm

Fruitbody Development: Temp: 10-15C

Relative Humidity: 90-95%

Duration: 5-7 days

Carbon Dioxide: <1000 ppm

Cropping Cycle: Once or twice every 4 -6 weeks

Name:

Spawn:

Cultivation Outdoors:

Substrate:

Growth parameters

Indoors: .

Spawn Run:

Primordia Formation:

Fruitbody Development:

Cropping Cycle:

Name:

Spawn:

Cultivation Outdoors: Indoors: .

Substrate:

Growth parameters

Spawn Run:

Primordia Formation:

Fruitbody Development:

Cropping Cycle:

To work with MCEL there are a couple things you need to know. Please find here all my notes - please keep them up-to-date.

I will start with everything I know to keep all samples alive and ready for quick deployment towards cultivation. With MCEL I can easily go from spores, to slants, slates and liquid culture. If someone else is reading this, please take good care of them they are very important. Also you might want to add new fungi or share your samples. This is all possible.

Each species of fungi has it’s preferred way of cultivation. To use the MCEL-fungi you need to spawn your mycelium, this can be done on grain, dowels (or into a liquid culture). With your spawn ready it’s time to start growing them in or on a substrate. Every species now becomes a little bit more picky. Some like manure, others prefer hardwood, some like nutrition rich and others not. The MCEL-assistant is not reliable on this information yet.

Finally extraction methods - how to use the fungi for survival. Depending on your needs it’s time to reach the true potential of our fungi. Werther it’s to create biofuel, light, sheet materials, textiles, rubber, paper, inks, do bio-remediation or provide emotional and spiritual well being. Trust the MCEL-assistant to help you do this.

Living library

In MCEL fungi are stored in different ways to ensure all species survive. There are upsides and downsides for each storage solution.

First there are spore prints - each print contains millions of spores. The life expectancy of these spores are 100+ years. Next there is a cold storage with slants that hold life (but slow) mycelium, these

Working in the SAB (Still Air Box)

The SAB is where you can work clean so your samples don’t get contaminated. By limiting airflow and keeping a clean surface the risk of contamination is very low. Use it indoors in a room that is also as airstill as possible. In the SAB you will find the required sprays.

1. Take out both sprays from the SAB.

2. Wipe down the entire inside with a tissue and the spray alcohol.

3. Put a clean cloth or tissue on the bottom - make it damp with the bleach spray.

3. Clean your hands with alcohol and clean everything you need with alcohol spray and put inside.

Best practices

- Only open spore prints, slants and slates in the SAB.

- Only use clean tools: cotton swabs or blade. Hold blades in flame until glowing red.

- Keep samples closed as much as possible.

- Don’t cross contaminate.

- Work clean! Wash your hands, wear clean clothes, disinfect frequently.

Workflow print to slate to slant and back

1. Use swab to remove a couple spore from the spore print and put them on slate.

2. Wait for mycelium to grow (7 -14 days in incubator).

3. Cut small .5 x.5 mm square from mycelium out of the slate and put in a slant.

4. Wait for it to grow - at 50% colonisation of the top surface put in cold storage.

5. To make new slates use a small sample (toothpick) from the slants and put them on slate.

Once you grow your first mushrooms you can create new spore prints. Put the cap of the mushroom on a piece of foil or paper and wait for the spores to drop. Carefully put the paper in a plastic bag and label it for later use.

Agar

Simple

500 ml hot water

10 gr agar

10 gr light malt extract

1 gr* nutritional yeast

Adding micro nutrients

To help your mycelium adjust to the final substrate you can add pinches of this to your agar. So experiment and add a little coco coir, manure or sawdust.

Agar recipe to make new slates and slants

1. Mix all ingredients in a empty jar.

2. Close the jar but keep the lid very loose.

3. Sterilize in autoclave (20 min) or microwave (15 min boiling)

4. Wait for the agar to cool down to roughly 40 degrees.

5. Poor it in sterile slants or slate in the SAB.

Tip 1: For slants add toothpicks in agar before sterilisation tilt let them cool down sideways.

Tip 2: For slates stack them to avoid condensation.

Cultivation

Mycelium is all we need to start growing. It’s key to have enough mycelium so other organisms won’t take over. The mycelium on the slate is not enough. There are different ways to create more mycelium from a slatethis is called spawning. When you create spawn you want to make sure there are many nutrients for the mycelium to grow. I mainly use 2 methods: liquid culture and grains. If you want to do outdoor cultivation you can also use dowels (same process as grains).

After spawning you can go to bulk, this is where the magic happens and the mushrooms grow.

There is also PF-tek which lives between spawn and bulk it’s mostly used for golden teachers when you need them quickly in a low

Spawn in grain

1. Choose your preffered grain and let it soak in water for 12 hrs.

2. Boil it untill it’s almost opening up.

3. Spread your grains and let them dry.

4. Fill up the container a little bit over half.

5. Sterilize in autoclave (20 min) or oven (90 min, 250 C).

6. Wait for it to be roomtemperature and add small samples of mycelium.

Optionally add a pinch of gypsum for

Containers can be jars, autoclave bags with filter or old microwavable boxes. Make sure to make a couple of holes in the lid or bag and close it with micropore tape.

Wait for containers to colonize 50% and shake them so the mycelium will spread. Ready for use at 100%.

Sterilize in autoclave (20 min) or microwave (15 min boiling). Wait for it to cool down to room temperature and add 2 small samples of mycelium. Attatch to sterile air flow and wait for mycelium to grow (3-5 days).

PF-tek

1. Prepare all ingredients - this recipe is measured in volume.

For golden teacher & inkcap: 2:1:1 - That means 2 parts vermiculite, 1 part brown rice flour, 1 part Water.

For wood loving species like cinnabar polypore, shiitake and fox fire : 8 parts sawdust, 8 parts hardwood shavings, 8 parts vermiculite, 1 gypsum, 4 parts brow rice flour, 8 parts water, 4 parts filter coffee.

2. Mix all ingredients and bring to field capacity (when you squeeze a full hand only with a lot of effort liquid comes out).

3. Prepare your containers, add breathing holes and cover them with micropore tape. Fill up containers 90%.

4. Sterilize in autoclave (20 min) or steam bath (90 min). Wait for it to cool down.

5. Add mycelium at room temperature in SAB.

Another way to combine spawining and bulk is to make unicorn bags. These are bags with grain in the bottom and a bulk substrate on top (coco coir or fruiting block).

Adding micro nutrients

To help your mycelium with extra nutrients you can add the following:

In volume add one or more of the following:

5% gypsum or (oyster) shell powder

1%-2% filter coffee (or 1:10 coffee:water)

10% straw sterilize with soap

Species:

Cinnabar polypore

Shiitake

Fox fire

Golden teacher

Inkcap

Substrate

Fruiting block or straw

Fruiting block or straw

Fruiting block or straw coco coir or manure coco coir or manure

Coco coir (bulk)

1. Mix coco coir - and vermiculite 2:1. And bring to field capacity.

2. Sterilize in autoclave (60 min) or microwave 3 to 5 minutes (it should be steaming hot).

3. Prepare a large box by making it cleanspray it with bleach and wipe. Spray with alcohol let it sit for 2 min and wipe dry.

4. Wait for the substrate to cool down below 30C. Put 2/3 of the substrate in and an equal volume of grain spawn - or liquid culture. Mix very well and spread evenly, pat it down.

5. Put extra grain spawn on top and make sure it’s even on the surface layer. Skip this step with liquid culture.

6. Push extra hard on the edges and corners, tuck them in. Pat the entire surface down again and fill up the edges and corners again.

7. Cover the entire surface with the last bit of coco coir.

8. Put the lid on and put in fruiting conditions in 24 hrs.

For a recipe with manure use dried horse or buffalo manure. Start with a mix of 50/50 coco coir and manure.

Fruiting blocks (bulk)

1. Prepare all ingredients - this recipe is measured in volume.

5 cups of hardwood pellets

1.4 liters water

1-1/4 cups wheat bran

2. Mix all ingredients and bring to field capacity (when you squeeze a full hand only with a lot of effort liquid comes out).

3. Put the mix in autoclave bag (with filter). 50% full.

4. Sterilize in autoclave (60 min) or steam bath (90 min). Wait for it to cool down.

5. Add at least 20% grain spawn (or 5 cc liquid culture) at room temperature in SAB. Close the bag and mix well.

Wait for the substrate to fully colonize, cut a X on the bag and introduce fruiting conditions.

Straw

1. Chop down the straw in smaller pieces.

2. Put it in a pan and keep it above 65 degrees celcius and below 85 for 120 min.

3. Drain the straw and let it cool down.

4. Mix with at leat 10% grain spawn or liquid culture (a bit goes a long way).

5.Put it in bags or buckets with small holes (every 10 cm).

Tip: If it doesn’t start growing put cold shock it in the fridge for 12 hrs.

MCEL-assisant

MCEL-assistant can give you more different techniques and instructions for extraction. Extraction are all means to make use of these mushrooms. These are not limited to the following. Here is a short overview for the current species.

Shiitake

Food Medicine

Supplements

Paper

Biofuel

Inkcap

Food

Alcohol intollerance

Ink (black)

Bio-remediation

Golden teacher

Medicine

Spirituallity

Creativity

Mental well-being

Biofuel

Cinnabar polypore

Insulating myco-panels

Leather Paper

Dye (orange/red)

Bio-remediation

Foxfire Medicine

Paper

Bio-luminescence

Labeling system

CA - inkcap SP - spore print

PC - golden teacher LQ - liquid culture

PP - foxfire S - slant

PS - cinnabar polypore P - plate

LE - shiitake

<species> - <generation> - <type>

For example: CA-1-SP for a 1st generation spore print of the ink cap mushroom.

She walked into the swamp, the mud sucking into her boots, the air thick with the scent of decay. She felt the cold silence of the place, the emptiness that stretched out before her.

She placed her hand on her temper and pulsed gently, seeking unsuccessfully the capacity to perceive. "What's wrong with the connection?" she wondered aloud, as she trudged through the dirt. She found a root to lean on, and slowly removed her boots and socks, sinking her bare skin into the cold mud. On direct contact with her body, the perceptualization device displayed soft flashes before her eyes, and she felt the extremophiles connecting, their agonies dimly perceptible. Then it went mute again, completely off.

When devices fail, we can still perceive through our bodies.

She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the swamp first, then tasting a pinch of the pungent-rich mud on her tongue. And then she closed her eyes, focusing on the flavour of aspergillus oryzae growing on degrading organic matter. Through ingestion, the connection felt integrated into her perception, opening a door of empathy to the presence and feeling of the living others, like a network of shared experience. She felt an extended sensitivity.

She walked a few steps forward, then let her body fall back into the mud, lost in a moment of living, connecting and perceiving. Laying there, she felt herself being drawn deeper into the network of shared experience that connected the surviving organisms in the swamp. She sensed the fungi, their delicate tendrils stretching out through the soil, caressing her skin, their spores wafting through the air like whispers into her lungs, germinating. She felt their pain in memories of the swamp, empathising with their struggle to survive and adapt.

Gradually as the hyphae endosymbiotized with her, she began to understand the language of the fungi, their complex system of communication and cooperation. They shared information about nutrients, water sources, and threats, working together to ensure survival. She, becoming them, marvelled at their resilience and drive to adapt and survive in the face of adversity.

They resolved to give up the human body to detritivores, dissolving away as fungal substrate, ensuring that the cycle of other lives would continue, making kin, not babies. Her molecules of water and proteins became theirs to construct tendrils without clear individuality, transcending as a seemingly endless network of hyphae.

She walked into the swamp with her high boot on, looked around and perceived a cold silence. Despite of that she focused and focused. She placed her hand on her temper and pulsed gently (because this touching of the temper is the mechanism to trigger the trans species capacity to perceive). “Is there something wrong with the connection?” She walked in a gloomy mood sinking gently in the mud. Void. She found a root to learn on, took her boot off, sock off and sunk her bare skin into the cold mud. Soft flashes appeared before her eyes. Extremophile dimly connect, agonising. She inhaled deeply, taking a blub of mud into her mouth, closed her eyes and concentrated dearly to connecting with the eaten archaea. She walked a few steps and then let her body fall down backward and sink into the mud, lost moments of living of living of connecting and perceiving.

The transpecies endosymbiosis integrated into their perception and allowed them to perceive the others, it allowed them to open a door of empathy, to the presence and feeling of the living others, like a network of shared experience. Extended sensitivity.

Hyphae becomings - by Maro Pebo

They actually thought that the worst was over after the wildfire years. The governments used the term “controlled burn”, to mask the fact that they were unable to contain the spread of the wildfires. After a while the fires slowly subsided and the world started back up again as if nothing happened. And then the dust clouds came..

Microscopic dust particles blew up into the stratosphere which blocked the sunlight. Global temperatures, which were rising for decades, suddenly plummeted. The last patches of green plants, which were not devastated by the fires, suddenly had to cope with cold temperatures and a maximum of gloomy twilight. As if the whole world were suddenly above the arctic circle. Photosynthesis proved all but impossible.

Mankind, weakened by decades of natural disasters, plagues and global social instability was woefully unprepared. Maybe also, the people also didn't care anymore. The wish to bring a new generation into this world was something of our forefathers. Population numbers dwindled. Except the few ultra-rich families who bought abandoned bunkers in the beginning of the 21nd century and turned them into luxurious self imposed prisons. The few survivors were confined in self-sustaining, small underground islands.

The ability to make- and grow-it-yourself proved to be essential.

After the catastrophic events that wiped out most of humanity, Anne found herself alone in a desolate world, except for her beloved cats Louis & cedric and her fungi collection. With her portable lab, Anne spends her days searching for new strains of fungi that could potentially be used for medicinal purposes, building materials or even as a source of food.

However, this gloomy world was not kind to Anne. She encountered many dangers, including starvation, wild animals and harsh weather conditions. Luckily, she had MCEL, her trusty AI companion, and Louis & cedric her warm-blooded feline companions.

In this hostile environment, the four rely completely on each other's skills and abilities. They rely on MCEL's intelligence and guidance to navigate the dangerous post-apocalyptic world, while MCEL provides Anne with valuable information and warnings about potential threats. Despite being an AI, MCEL also shows some level of emotional intelligence, providing comfort to Anne in difficult times and showing concern for her well-being.

Louis & cedric, the cats, stay close to her and keeps her company while she works and sleeps.In addition the cats have sharp senses and are able to detect potential dangers before Anne and MCEL, keeping them safe.

One day, while exploring a ruined city, Anne stumbled upon a hidden laboratory that had managed to survive the apocalypse. There, she found an old computer system that had been partially damaged, but with MCEL's help, she was able to reactivate it.

As they sifted through the files, they discovered that the laboratory had been conducting experiments on a fungus that Anne had been collecting. The experiments had resulted in the creation of a new strain of fungus that had the potential to reverse the damage caused by the catastrophic event.

With this newfound hope, Anne, Louis, Cedric and MCEL set out on a mission to collect as much of the new strain of fungus as possible, hoping to use it to restore the world to its former state.

Written By Kas with the help of Chatgpt.

In the midst of their discussion about the importance of mycelium, Cedric suddenly became quiet. Louis noticed the change in his friend's demeanor and asked, "What's wrong, Cedric?"

Cedric hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Louis, I have something to tell you. I know that we both play an important role in this shelter, but I'm not an incubator like you. I don't have a special talent or skill that contributes to our survival."

Louis was taken aback by Cedric's confession. He had always thought of Cedric as a strong and capable feline. "But Cedric," he said, "you keep us company and you help us stay focused. You're a great listener and you always know how to make us laugh."

Cedric smiled weakly. "I appreciate that, Louis. But sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough. I'm not contributing to our survival in the same way that you are."

Louis put a paw on Cedric's shoulder. "Cedric, you don't have to be an incubator to be important. You are a part of this team, and we need you here with us. We're all in this together."

Cedric's eyes welled up with tears. He had been carrying the weight of his perceived inadequacy for a long time, and it felt good to finally talk about it. "Thank you, Louis," he said. "You're a true friend."

As the two felines sat there, their emotional talk had brought them even closer together. Cedric may have felt like he wasn't contributing in the same way as Louis, but he was still a hero in his own right. He provided companionship and emotional support, and those things were just as important in their quest for survival.

Written by Chat GPT Image right: Dall-e

Insert image by Laurens Kamps (same prompt)