GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

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GROWING GOURMET MUSHROOMS ON ENRICHED SAWDUST
servation. If the leak is due to a puncture, the
hole is covered with plastic packaging tape. If
the seal is imperfect, the bag is returned to the
First Assistant for a second try at heat sealing.
Once each bag has been properly sealed and assured
of proper labelling, thorough shaking is
in order. Using a combination of agitation and
rotation, the sawdust spawn is mixed through
the supplemented sawdust. The sawdust spawn
has a lighter color than the supplemented sawdust
and hence it is easy to see when the spawn
has been evenly dispersed.
The Second Assistant gently slams the
sealed, domed bag on a tabletop to close any
open spaces, and increase the density of the
mass. (In shaking, the mixture becomes quite
loose.) The bag is positioned on a wire shelf
where daily observations are made for the next
few weeks. The bags are kept at least a fingerbreadth
apart These newly inoculated,
incubating bags must not touch one another
Now that the duties of the three laboratory
personnel are clearly defined, working in concert
becomes the foremost priority. A wellorganized
laboratory team achieves a furious
pace. Conversation is kept to a minimum. (The
person doing the inoculations can't talk anyhow,
except between sets of inoculations, lest
his breath spread bacteria. Wearing a filter
mask reduces this risk.) However, times arise
when one or more of the three-person production
flows is interrupted. During these
down-times, counter-tops should be vacuumed
and wiped clean with alcohol. Garbage can be
consolidated. Finally, one's hands are washed
prior to any more inoculation activity. The pace
during the inoculation process should be both
rhythmic and fast. Inoculations are purposely
interrupted after every 50 or so bags so periodic
cleaning can occur. Depending on the
equipment, design of the facility, and experi-
ence of the laboratory personnel, better ways of
organizing the labor during inoculations will
naturally evolve. However, this method works
well. Hundreds of bags can be inoculated during
a single shift. Greater efficiency is realized
if two or more sealers are employed simulta-
neously.
After inoculation, each bag can be shaken by
hand. Larger farms place the bags onto a gravity
conveyor leading to a multiple bag,
automatic shaking machine. As the crew's performance
improves with experience, block
production soars into the thousands per shift. With
each bag yielding $ 10-50 + U.S., every doubling
of production over a baseline level, realizes proportionally
profits for the owners.
Once shaken the inoculated bags are placed
on open wire shelves and spaced about 1 inch
apart for incubation. Bags contacting one another
are likely to contaminate with black pin
or other thermophilic molds.
Incubation of the
Production Blocks
The first two weeks of incubation after inoculation
are the most critical. If the
supplemented sawdust is not fully colonized
during that time period, contamination usually
arises soon thereafter. Within several days of
inoculation, out-gassing of volatile by-products
causes a distinctly noticeable fragrance.
As soon as the laboratory is entered, the atmosphere
imparts a unique "odor signature?' The
smell is generally described as sweet, pleasant,
and refreshing.
The incubation room should be maintained
at 750 F. (24° C.) and have an ambient humidity
between 30-50%. Since the internal temperatures
of the incubating blocks are often 20° F.
higher than ambient air temperatures, keeping
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