Ethnobotanicals Do DIY mushroom incubators need to have ventilation holes in them/any holes at all?

[Daddydopedick]

Thinking of making a mushroom incubator using simple tools like a thermometer to keep track of temperature, a heating mat and a normal plastic storage box or even one of those cooler bags you use for food as they keep the heat in better.

I was wondering, do incubators for mushrooms need any sort of ventilation? If I made one using a box, would the box need to have holes in it to allow for fresh air to get inside the box?

It's just because there's a mushroom incubator you can buy online that has holes in it and has instructions on how to make your own that involve putting holes in the box.

However, that makes me think that the heat would easily escape and the temperature wouldn't be able to be maintained? I thought of possibly making larges holes and plugging them with a piece of sponge. I figured air would be able to travel theought the sponge but it'd keep the heat in.

That's of course if holes are needed in the first place. On all the videos on YouTube I've seen of DIY incubators, there's no mentioning of putting holes into the boxes/incubators.

Anybody know whether the holes are necessary? Thanks!

I also made an account on The Shroomery and wanted to post this there but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to post on that website. I'm a tech savvy guy too, it's like the interface was created by somebody tripping on 8 grams of Penis Envy

 

[Cream Gravy?]

Yes, holes are necessary. Ventilation is necessary. The holes help keep temp and humidity proper and allow oxygen in. If you're doing a shotgun terrarium style box, you need lots of holes and you need to fan it a few times a day to give it as much oxygen as possible. Keep moisture in the 90%+ range and keep it warm like upper 70s/lower 80s.

 

[Xorkoth]

Yeah ventilation is extremely important. They'll grow mold faster than you can blink without it.

 

[Daddydopedick]

Yes, holes are necessary. Ventilation is necessary. The holes help keep temp and humidity proper and allow oxygen in. If you're doing a shotgun terrarium style box, you need lots of holes and you need to fan it a few times a day to give it as much oxygen as possible. Keep moisture in the 90%+ range and keep it warm like upper 70s/lower 80s.

Thanks for the info, appreciate it! I tried The Shroomery, and no offence to them but they're not welcoming at all. They didn't answer my questions and weren't helpful.

But yeah, I aren't growing them in the typical sense. I'm using these "inject and forget bags." You essentially inject the bag with spores and when the mycelium grows on the substrate, you mix/mush it together then leave the bag to do its thing. It all enclosed in a bag and has a moisture release mechanism so you don't need to worry about anything really, it does everything on its own.

The only thing you need to do is keep it at the right temperature but I was just wondering, if I made an incubator for one of these bags, would I need holes. The answer is obviously yes. However, in just worried that if I made holes, that the heat would escape. I guess if I made them small and low down that could work? Or would then need to be big? Do you think I could make a large hole and place a fliter or a sponge there so air can get in through it but it also keeps the heat in?

I've found this old electrical box that's empty. Probaly going to clean it/disinfect it and pad it out with that shiny insulation and then drill some holes into it....I think that should work?

Here's the product in question: https://mushbuddies.com/inject-forget-30/07/2020

 

[Daddydopedick]

Yeah ventilation is extremely important. They'll grow mold faster than you can blink without it.

Thanks for the info. I'm actually using these "inject and forget" bags that you can get on the surface web. They pretty much do all of the work themselves and are very beginner friendly. All you need to do is keep them at the right temp hence why I'm making an incubator as I don't live in the right climate for them to grow. I found an old electrical box that I think will work. Planning on cleaning/disinfecting it then padding it out with that shiny insulation stuff. Then I'll drill holes near the bottom of it so the heat doesn't escape and keep the holes small but make enough of them. I have a 20W heat mat, wondering if that'll be enough? I know not to keep the bag directly in contact with the mat. I'd put it on its side but if it's too wide, but towels over it.

I may even document the whole process of making an incubator with pics etc and post it here if it goes well

 

[Cream Gravy?]

I have no experience with “inject and forget” bags, I used PFTek cakes. Just put the jars in a warm cabinet above my fridge till the mycellium grew thick enough, then plopped out into cold water for a night, then grew them in the shotgun terrarium.

So I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking anymore.

 

[Xorkoth]

Thanks for the info. I'm actually using these "inject and forget" bags that you can get on the surface web. They pretty much do all of the work themselves and are very beginner friendly. All you need to do is keep them at the right temp hence why I'm making an incubator as I don't live in the right climate for them to grow. I found an old electrical box that I think will work. Planning on cleaning/disinfecting it then padding it out with that shiny insulation stuff. Then I'll drill holes near the bottom of it so the heat doesn't escape and keep the holes small but make enough of them. I have a 20W heat mat, wondering if that'll be enough? I know not to keep the bag directly in contact with the mat. I'd put it on its side but if it's too wide, but towels over it.

I may even document the whole process of making an incubator with pics etc and post it here if it goes well

Well come to think of it, actually... I did one of those the first time I grew mushrooms. I guess if everything is PERFECTLY sterile (they sterilize those bags before sealing them up), it works without holes. But if you're colonizing them yourself under a still air box, it is virtually impossible to get them so sterile that you can afford to grow them in a box without holes. That's been my experience, anyway. Sucks, because when you have a box with holes, you have to mist them with water a few times a day, it's not a lot of work but it does mean you have to not spend too much time away from home.

 

[Cream Gravy?]

Sucks, because when you have a box with holes, you have to mist them with water a few times a day, it's not a lot of work but it does mean you have to not spend too much time away from home.

Emphasis on this; I was only able to grow them when I was in college because I'd be out of the house maybe 4 hours tops. If I was gone longer I'd ask my roommate to check up on them. It's very labor intensive until you get the process down and automated.