Magic mushrooms are most often found in the wild or it can be cultivated. These magic mushrooms or also known as psilocybin mushrooms can be found in all continents but most species are found in humid woodlands or forests. Magic Mushrooms grow in natural temperature. But for most people especially those growers who are concerned in getting the best yield possible, placing these mushrooms in an incubating jar may not just be enough.
This article will give you the steps on how to make an incubator for magic mushroom. So instead of buying an expensive incubator, copy the incubation process by creating your very own magic mushroom incubator.
Magic mushrooms like any other mushrooms need moisture and warmth. Growing mushroom can be fun and interesting but these little creatures differ a lot from a regular plant. A grower may need to have an incubator intended for magic mushroom. These incubators will help maintain the best condition of this psilocybin mushroom or shrooms. As a fungus, mushrooms need warmth and moisture to grow. So they either grow freely in the wild at a specific place at a specific temperature or it can be cultured so definitely they need an incubator.
To build an incubator for magic mushrooms, you will need the following supplies and equipment:
- An adjustable aquarium heater (saltwater safe and submersible)
- A big plastic jug with a tight lid. The jug should be large enough to fit the water heater.
- A large plastic cooler. Don’t use a metallic cooler. The metallic cooler has wires and electricity.
- Two small 2V computer fans (or processor fans)
- Glue
- Digital aquarium thermometer – this can be bought at your local stores or Walmart. You may need to consider the one with the long wire so the sensor can remain inside while the display is outside.
- Water
- Duct tapes and sealers
Steps in making an incubator for magic mushrooms:
- First, you need to modify the jug’s lid. You must run the wires through it and must be able to close it tightly even if the aquarium heater is still inside. The jug must be tightly sealed with the heater inside it.
- Use a high-quality jug for easy sealing. Large plastic bottles can also be used in the absence of a jug. This may involve a lot of duct tapes and silicon.
- It is important that the jug is sealed otherwise the hot water will easily evaporate from the incubator and will drop with humidity. A watertight seal is necessary because leaving the openings for evaporation would also mean having to open the jug back up. Also and aquarium that runs partially dry will quickly burn out and may start a fire.
- This jug with the aquarium heater inside is now called a heat bomb.
- As soon as the glue on the heat bomb is dry, add 5 or 6 tablespoons of salt and then fill it with tap water.
- Check the heat bomb if there is any leaks or unsealed parts. Make sure you seal them if you find any leaks.
- The heater must be submerged one hundred percent (100%) the whole day or 24/7 to avoid burning out.
- Add salt to avoid microbes from growing in warm water inside the heat bomb. The salty environment makes it impossible for the microbes from proliferating inside the incubator.
- Place the remote temperature probe to check on the temperature of the heat bomb. Note: Place the remote temperature probe on the wall of the incubator.
- The heat bomb must be placed at the very center of the cooler.
- Then, attach the computer fans with the use of the glue and place them high on the incubator walls at an angle aiming at the bottom of the cooler.
- Make sure that the fans should not bow directly to the temperature probe.
- Wire the fans to a 12v power supply and tape it to the side of the cooler. The fans should continuously run to prevent the formation of hotspots in the incubator.
Running the incubator:
- Close the incubator and allow it to run for a few hours.
- Once the incubator is running smoothly, close it and leave it unopened for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, open the incubator. You may see some moisture and if that happens, it means that you have leaks inside. On the other hand, if the inside of your incubator remains dry, it means that you have fully sealed it and there are no leaks.
- After forty-eight hours (48) hours, the temperature inside your incubator should now be stable. Use a thermometer to test for the temperature and the accuracy of the heater’s control dial.
- Set the temperature to eighty-one or eighty-two degrees Celsius. Remember, if you can hit the given temperature, go cooler. Temperature warmer than the given temperature is not good for your mushroom.
Tips!
Now given the process mentioned above, you now know how to make an incubator for Magic Mushroom. This does it yourself magic mushroom incubator is capable of maintaining a specific temperature.
Now make sure that you have plenty of space inside. This will allow the air to flow freely inside the incubator. This process will allow the air to move inside and heat is also distributed evenly. The absence of air current and space will make the heat bomb go warmer and will put your growing mushrooms at risk.
Do not overcrowd the incubator. Overcrowding of incubator with jars or trays will cause spots to form and the results may not be very good. If you a large number of jars and trays to incubate, it would be best to create another incubator instead of sacrificing the quality of growth of your mushrooms. Depending on the size of the incubator, the heat bomb temperature would normally run from 4 to 10 degrees warmer to the temperature inside the magic mushroom incubator. To maintain the ideal temperature, you may run it from 86 degrees to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Growing your magic mushrooms proves to be not only inexpensive but also easy for as long as you have the right equipment and the passion to do it. Now that you know how to create your incubator, it’ll be much easier for you to culture and grow magic mushrooms.
