Do you ship Internationally?
Biosecurity laws have become stricter, because of this we can only ship to a select few countries outside of the United States. Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda, Iceland, Israel, Norway are all able to accept shipments from us.
Are your products guaranteed?
Customer service is a priority for us. We hold ourselves and our lab to the highest standards, and as we might not be perfect, we try our best to be humble and kind. We offer a full replacement or refund guarantee on all products we sell. If you have any problem with our products, we will replace them at no cost to you, or we will refund your full purchase price. Our liquid cultures, grain spawn, plug spawn, and spore syringes, are guaranteed to have 100% viability, and they are 100% contamination free.
Tell me more about shipping, how long till I get my order?
We ship Monday, Wednesday, and Friday barring any holidays or national celebrations that close down government services. We ask if you don't recieve your package within 7-10 business days that you reach out to us so we can help you locate your package.
It is summer, will my culture die in transit due to heat?
When placing an order, you will have the option to include a heat or cold pack for a small cost. All heat/cold packs are packaged in food grade thermal foil envelopes.
What is the difference between liquid culture and spores?
I will start off by saying, other mycologists will be upset at me for explaining it this way. But, this is the easiest way for others to understand. Spores are like seeds and liquid culture is like sprouts/cuttings. Spores are dormant, waiting for the right environment to "wake up". Liquid culture is a living colony of mycelium, which is already hatched, and beyond the spore phase.
Are your syringes made in a sterile environment?
All our cultures and spores are prepared under strict lab conditions in a sterile environment (under a negative pressure laminar flow hood).
Are your cultures tested for contamination?
All cultures and spores are tested under microscope on intake and throughout their lifespan. Mother cultures are maintained in petri dishes or slant at 39 degrees F. Mother cultures are rotated out every 3 months for fresh aggressive culture.
Are the same amount of spores in every syringe?
Yes. All spore suspensions are diluted to the same ratio using a hemocytometer. This tool allows us to count and calculate the number of spores in a specific volume of liquid. This provides predictable results and a consistent product.
This jar is leaking, what do I do?
When creating LC we don’t always get a proper seal, if this occurs sample/ jar and anything you have drawn from it is considered contaminated and gets discarded.
What is an isolated sub-strain, and how does that effect things?
Liquid cultures are live mycelium suspended in a nutrient-rich broth. High-quality liquid cultures are prepared from an isolated sub-strain. This is because when multiple individuals (even from the same strain) are present on the same substrate they become competitive. The problem with this is that competing mycelium will not overgrow one another, but rather, marginalize and section itself off. This can give you varying results and effect yield in your flushes later on. If you want consistency, you must isolate a small colony with the traits you desire to prevent competition. Once isolated, a colony can take over an entire substrate unchallenged, and utilize every aspect of it. An isolated sub-strain will give you higher yields and more predictable results. All liquid culture sold at liquidfungi.com come from high-yielding isolated sub-strains, which we ourselves have isolated. Isolation is typically done in a petri dish on agar.
What happens if the grain gets over cooked?
If grain gets overcooked, it begins to caramelize. This starts to process the sugars and keeps the grain more wet then normal. Leaving less food for the mycelium and no room for it to travel around the grain and colonize.
What do long stems and tiny caps mean?
It’s ALWAYS a problem with fresh air exchange. There could be a cO2 build up in the room.
How do the mushrooms usually get the exotic colors?
When you have mushrooms with exotic features like colors, or glowing; its usually a product of growing environment, not genetics. Blue oyster is blue in the baby phase but when you have just the right cO2 you can keep them blue longer. Bitter oyster is bioluminescent when exposed to the proper sun, true morel holds a symbiotic relationship with its substrate.
What is the general temperature range for mushrooms/ mycelium to live?
To be very vague and push no boundaries 40-78 is a very comfortable range for the
Why do we use scotch tape when we inoculate a substrate bag?
Microfilter tape is not spore proof or autoclavable rendering it unusable for usage during inoculation or processes needing sealing. Always remember to throw away any exposed tape from a tape dispenser before pulling any tape you're going to use.
Can you see things moving/ living under our microscope?
In order to stain a sample, it kills it. If you simply put it in a water suspension any movement you see could be/ probably is waves from the water.
Do we have trippy shroomz/ magic mushrooms?
It is illegal to sell LIVING MYCELLIUM of psychedelic mushrooms. LiquidFungi doesn’t sell or have any mycelium or SPORES (which are legal for RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.) We do recommend exoticfungi.com to further obtain any research materials.
Why do we roll the grain bags?
We roll them to make sure that there aren’t large air pockets that will dry out the grain and cause the mycelium to grow poorly, or not at all in the air pockets.
Why does it matter that the bag is rolled and taped loosely?
As the mycelium grows it needs space to move between the rye berries and expand, When it is forced against the bag it causes premature metabolites to form and bruising of the mycelium.
What if water comes out of the hydro port?
The lid needs to be rebuilt. There shouldn’t be any water coming out of a liquid lid.
Can I grow mushrooms on the dead tree in my yard?
Logs should be inoculated within 4 weeks of harvesting. Waiting longer (using a dead tree) your mycelium will have to outcompete the other fungi that have already started colonizing the log. Never cut dead, dying, or diseased trees for mushroom growing. You can't use either pasteurization or sterilization for your substrate.
Can I use the microwave to sterilize?
You very much can use it to pasteurize! This is the least effective way with the most unpredictable results to try to "sterilize." In order to sterilize a substrate, you need temperatures higher than 250°F (121°C) (varies by altitude) for a minimum of 2 hours. Increasing the heat does not increase the temperature of boiling water (212° F) any further. You’ll need to add pressure to raise the temperature to 250°F (121°C) or above to kill off bacteria and fungal spores. Most mushroom growers will need 15 PSI of pressure to increase the temperature of the steam to 250°F (121°C). An autoclave or pressure cooker are commonly used to achieve sterilization.
What kind of mushroom do you think I should grow?
You need to look at your surroundings, decide what you want for what you have. Is this a food source, a lab project, part of a class you're teaching? What does this mushroom require? How long does it take to grow? What kind of fruiting conditions does it need? There are too many variables to recommend blindly. I will recommend under mild conditions with some light research try starting with Feild: Wine cap Compost: Portobello Hardwood: Italian oyster
How diluted/ far from the petri are your liquid cultures?
We create each jar of liquid culture directly from a living sample on petri plate. The reason we do this is because it allows us to see visible viability of the biological sample. constant monitoring for any contamination, and thriving fungi being transferred into each jar of nutrient broth.
Can I just inject this in the ground?
It isn't quite that simple. If you're looking to try outdoor "lazy" growing there are other methods. If you put your syringe in the ground and push you're only giving it a chance in that spot. When done properly some people have found the "seeding" method to be successful over time.