Simplified Production of Therapeutic
Psilocybian Mushrooms
Part II: Sclerotia Forming Species
Overview:
This paper describes a simple method of producing
psilocybin containing mushroom sclerotia using commercially available products.
The basic procedure is to introduce mushroom spores into a ready-made kit and
simply wait until sclerotia forms.
This method uses only two essential
components.
Growing sclerotia in this manner requires no prior knowledge of mushroom cultivation, biology or mycology.
The Sclerotium:
"Sclerotia" is an unfamiliar term to most people and is
somewhat difficult to describe. Certain specific types of psilocybin (magic)
mushrooms produce food storing underground "tubers" just like certain plants
(i.e. potatoes). These "tubers", or sclerotia, are dense masses of compressed
mushroom tissue. A fresh sclerotium is an irregular blob of white to dark-brown
colored mushroom flesh with the texture and appearance of walnut meats. Freshly
cleaned sclerotia will often stain blue from bruising. The size can vary from
pea-sized to as large as a fist but the average is around 1-2 inches. Dried
sclerotia is nearly black, almost stone-like and very difficult to chew unless
soaked in water to soften. Supposedly the dried tissue is not dead but merely
dormant. Sclerotia forming species can be induced into forming actual mushrooms
but this is difficult and the mushrooms are small and low yielding.
Surprisingly, sclerotia are easier to grow and can be more productive
than growing actual mushrooms. They grow continuously and can harvested at any
size depending on immediate needs. Their indistinct appearance makes them very
discrete to grow and store. Sclerotia forming species are available as spores
(microscopic mushroom seeds) but are relatively expensive and often difficult
to find. The spores are sometimes marketed as "Philosopher's Stones", "Cosmic
Camote" and "Truffles" which shouldn't be confused with the true truffle of the
gourmet. The unfamiliar appearance of sclerotia and the rarity of the spores to
produce them have probably inhibited popularization of this unique form of
psilocybin production.
Sclerotia potency is commonly held to be
consistent with that of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms. Dosage should be
considered using normal Psilocybe cubensis weights as a baseline, as
variations will be minor. Some find equal weight of dried or fresh sclerotia
slightly less potent than that of equal weight dried or fresh Psilocybe
cubensis mushrooms, so slightly more sclerotia by weight may need to be
consumed to reach desired effects
The Spores:
Psilocybe mexicana and Psilocybe tampanensis are the primary sclerotia producing species available. The spores of both can be found for sale on the Internet and in the back of drug culture magazines. They are usually sold either as prints (dry spores) or in hypodermic syringes with water (spore syringes). A spore syringe is needed for this method but with experience, prints could also be used. It is important to purchase from a reputable source since the spores need to be absolutely clean and alive in order to work. Dead or contaminated spores will ruin the kit and produce no sclerotia.
A further problem to be aware of is misleading labels on common Psilocybe cubensis spores. Avoid spores described as "P.C. Mexicana", "Mexican Cubensis" or similar names. These will invariably be Psilocybe cubensis and will not produce sclerotia in culture. Psilocybe mexicana and Psilocybe tampanensis spores are difficult to produce in mass and disreputable sources may substitute cheaper Psilocybe cubensis spores.
Due to increased popularity in the study of sclerotia forming mushrooms you may encounter several "strain" varieties of Psilocybe mexicana spores. Common varieties include the following: A-strain (or Strain A), B-strain (or Strain B), and Jalisco. Of these varieties we have found the A-strain to be the most abundant, productive, and aggressive sclerotia producing variety. Psilocybe tampanensis spores are usually only available in a single strain variety: Pollock.
To avoid legal liability spores are usually marketed "for microscopy use only", but if purchased from a reputable vendor they should be viable and produce sclerotia. We have found that http://www.sporeworks.com has consistently clean spore syringes and excellent customer support. Unfortunately they cannot discuss growing Psilocybe mushrooms using their products. A reasonable price for a single 10cc spore syringe of Psilocybe mexicana or Psilocybe tampanensis ranges from $20-40US.
The Mycobag:
This is the key to almost foolproof sclerotia production. It is basically a plastic bag partially filled with sterilized mushroom foods. All that is needed is the introduction of some viable mushroom spores, warmth and time. Currently, the only place that we are aware of that sells mycobags is www.mycofactory.com. There are several types of mycobags sold on this site, but the one of interest is the Sclerotia Formula Mycobag. The sclerotia mycobag will produce sclerotia completely contained inside the sealed bag. This eliminates the common problems of molds and humidity control that plague new mushroom/sclerotia growers. The rye spawn mycobag (Rye-Z-Morph) will also work somewhat and the corn-based (Corn-E-Morph) bag produces sclerotia poorly.
The mycobag has a small plastic injection site with a self-healing foam disc on the side of the bag. After cleaning the exterior of the plastic covering the disk with rubbing alcohol or a spray disinfectant, the spore syringe needle is simply pushed through the disk and a small volume of the spore liquid (usually 2-5cc) is injected into the bag. In a few weeks the contents of the bag will become white with moldy looking mushroom mycelium. Small sclerotia are usually noticed in about 3 weeks as small white blobs pressed against the plastic of the bag. The sclerotia will continue to grow and darken for 3-6 months but can be harvested earlier with a sacrifice in the final yield. The sclerotia can be harvested by cutting open the bag and plucking off the sclerotia from the substrate. Rapidly growing sclerotia are white and when they mature and stop growing they becomes brown. Brown mature sclerotia can periodically restart growth by adding more white material. Once most of the visible sclerotia is brown, production is about over and harvesting can begin. Sclerotia mycobags typically produce 30-60 grams of dried sclerotia in 3-6 months.
The descriptive page for sclerotia mycobags on www.mycofactory.com gives a good detailed overview of the procedure with pictures. Since the instructions at mycobag.com are nearly complete we will not repeat them here. To help make the mycobag instructions more specific to the cultivation of Psilocybe mexicana and Psilocybe tampanensis sclerotia we have provided the following information.
Missing Details:
The nutrient material inside a sclerotia mycobag is a similar to modeling clay in texture and appearance. Since the sclerotia will be forming primarily on the outside of this clay-like block, it is recommended that the block be flattened somewhat to increase the surface area of the block. Unlike most of the other styles of mycobags, a sclerotia bag doesn't need to be mixed and it is difficult to do so anyway. Injection of spore liquid should be between the bag and the block of nutrient.
Psilocybe mexicana and Psilocybe tampanensis reportedly form sclerotia best at 70-75F in darkness. Fortunately, this falls within normal room temperatures. If your house tends to be cooler, try placing the mycobags near the ceiling where it tends to be warmer. If you must heat your mycobag try to avoid temperatures over 86F. High temperatures cause the overproduction of metabolites, which accumulates as a yellow fluid in the bag. The metabolites will inhibit sclerotia production and increases the chance of contamination. Lowering the temperature will correct this problem. Don't place a mycobag directly on a heating pad or the bottom will dry out. Although darkness is reportedly necessary for optimal sclerotia formation, we haven't noticed any inhibiting effects from normal room lighting.
Depending on temperature, syringe quality, and other factors, small sclerotia can appear in as little as 3 weeks after inoculation to as long as several months. To help insure the production of sclerotia in a timely manner, several mycobags should be started and placed in different locations to find what works best for you. Psilocybe tampanensis tends to produce about half the sclerotia in twice the time as Psilocybe mexicana. Typically, Psilocybe mexicana is ready in about 3 months and Psilocybe tampanensis is ready to harvest in about 6 months.
Harvestable amounts of sclerotia can form as early as one month after spore inoculation if properly incubated. Small sclerotia can be can be harvested early in the growing cycle with minimal effects to the final harvest weight. There is a small risk of losing future production but if you find it necessary to harvest small amounts early you can try the following procedure. Without opening the bag, detach the sclerotia you wish to harvest from the nutrient block with freshly washed hands. Allow the sclerotia to fall freely in the bag. Next, slice open the bag at the very top and dump the detached free sclerotia out. Reseal the bag quickly with packing tape or other adhesive. Sclerotia growth will resume on the substrate block within weeks. Periodic harvests can be made via this method during the entire growth cycle. The addition of 10-15ml of distilled water to the bag after a second "picking" will help recharge the substrate block to allow continued development.
Recommended Sites for Materials:
Spore Works: (http://www.sporeworks.com) Reliable and high quality spore products. Problems with your microscopy spore samples are quickly resolved with material replacement. They will not answer questions regarding the cultivation of hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Mycobag: (www.mycofactory.com) Will replace faulty or nonproductive mycobags.
See Also: http://www.clusterbusters.com/mycobag.htm For the simplified production of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms.
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