Shiitake Rye Grain Spawn – 3 lb Mason Jar

Description

Shiitake Rye Grain Spawn Jar – Grain spawn: whole rye berries grain, hydrated, sterilised and running with shiitake mycelium – 3 lb jar per bag Shipped cold in a filter-patch bag, ready to mix into your substrate.

Shiitake Rye Grain Spawn Jar: what you get

Shiitake Rye Grain Spawn Jar arrives as 3 lb, as the listing states it. Variations are sold as sealed or packed so it survives a courier, not just a shelf.

• 3 lb, as the listing states it
• sealed or packed so it survives a courier, not just a shelf
• the same photograph as the listing, so you know what arrives

How to use shiitake rye grain spawn jar

Nothing about shiitake rye grain spawn jar is difficult, and almost every failed grow we hear about breaks at one of four points: moisture, temperature swings, still air being taken for clean air, and opening things too early. These four steps cover shiitake rye grain spawn jar in any shop-bought setup.

1. Store at 2-4 C and use within two weeks; grain keeps colonising in the fridge and turns old-fast if it is left warm.
2. Let the spawn come to room temperature before you open the bag, so condensation does not land on the grain.
3. Break up the colonised grain with a sterile tool and mix at roughly 1 part spawn to 10 parts moistened substrate by weight.
4. Anything that smells sour or shows pink or green before it is used goes in the bin, not into your substrate.

Storage and handling

If a pack has been wet, warm or sitting for an unexpected length of time, do not compound the loss by running it: use it on the next clean setup, or ask us before you inoculate.

Common questions

Why a jar instead of a bag for shiitake?

Shiitake grain takes four to six weeks to finish. A jar holds moisture better and can be re-used for your own grain work afterwards – sterilise, refill, cap, run.

Can I use this for log inoculation?

Not directly – use sawdust spawn or hardwood plugs for logs. Grain spawn is for bags and bottles of supplemented sawdust.

The grain has formed one solid white cake – is that bad?

No, that is what well-colonised rye looks like. Break it up with a sterile spoon or knead gently before pitching, and do not force it apart while it is cold.

Usually ordered with Shiitake Hardwood Log Plug Spawn – 100 Plugs and Supplemented Hardwood Sawdust Spawn – 5 lb. The spawn archive covers grain types, run rates and cold storage. Mushroom Spawn. For the technique side we keep FreshCap on grain spawn open while writing these pages, and the sanitation notes for the consumables follow the FDA Food Code.

Shiitake grain spawn in a wide-mouth jar with a lid gasket and filter disc, because shiitake colonises slowly and a jar keeps it from drying out or consolidating in transit the way a bag will.

What is in the box

• whole rye berries grain, hydrated, sterilised and running with shiitake mycelium – 3 lb jar per bag
• Shipped in a filter-patch bag with the grain broken loose at the right stage, so it distributes evenly the moment you open it
• Enough for roughly 25-35 lb of wet substrate of prepared substrate at a normal 5-10% inoculation rate
• Cold-weather friendly: if it arrives warm and starting to consolidate, refrigerate it and use it within two weeks

How it works

1. Flambé or wipe your port and hands, work in still air and break up the colonised grain before pitching it into your substrate.
2. Aim for even distribution rather than a heavy layer at the top – spawn that sits in one clump colonises unevenly.
3. Store unopened at 34-40°F and let it take the chill off for a few hours before you inoculate.

About Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)

Shiitake is the patient one. It colonises slowly, asks for a cold shock to trigger pins and then gives you the most reliable umami in the shop – plus a block that can keep producing for months. On a hardwood log outdoors it is a two-year project; indoors on a supplemented sawdust block it is a few weeks.

Conditions shiitake grows best in

• Fruiting temperature: 55-70°F (13-21°C), with a 10-15°F drop to trigger pinning
• Humidity: 80-90% with moderate fresh air
• Colonisation is slow: 4-10 weeks on sawdust, months on log
• A 12-24 hour cold-water soak often starts a flush on a tired block
• Brown cracks on the cap come from dry air and are cosmetic, not a fault

When to pick: Pick while the cap margin is still curled under the gills and the stem snaps rather than bends. Over-mature shiitake turn leathery and stain the gills dark.

In the kitchen: Dry them for a stronger flavour than fresh, then rehydrate slowly and keep the soaking liquid for stock. Stems are tough; use them for broth.

What to expect from this grow

Grain spawn is a living culture, so we sell it to be used, not stored. Order what you can inoculate within a week or two of delivery. Contaminated or badly delayed shipments are replaced – email a photo of the bag, unopened if possible.

Specification

Product type	Grain spawn
Stage	Grain spawn
Size	3 lb jar
Species	Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)
Substrate it grows on	Supplemented oak or hardwood sawdust; outdoors on logs
Fruiting range	55-70°F (13-21°C), with a 10-15°F drop to trigger pinning
Difficulty	Intermediate
Shipped weight	4.2 lb
Package size	6.5 × 4.5 inches
SKU	MGS-0027

Part of our Mushroom Spawn range. Questions about shiitake? Email [email protected] or call +1 970-909-8532.

Other formats for Shiitake: Ready-to-fruit grow kit, All-in-one grow bag, Shiitake Hardwood Log Plug Spawn – 100 Plugs. Start with a guide if you are not sure which one fits your space.