Colorado psychedelic convergence 2022 - Zen & the art of mushroom cultivation by Jesse Noller

1. ZEN & THE ART OF MUSHROOM
CULTIVATION
Colorado Psychedelic Convergence, Jan 29 2022
Jesse Noller, Founder & Scientist, The Humble Fungus

2. Founder, Scientist @ The Humble Fungus
Ex programmer, distributed systems engineer, open
source advocate.
Founded Humble in Feb 2020
Now at 4 full time employees
5000 sqft facility - full lab, part machine shop, farm
We are a science-based, data-driven company
INTRODUCTIONS

4. WHY ZEN

5. THE CORE OF ZEN
1
2
3
Beginners Mind
Non Duality
Impermanence
Practice life and all things with a beginners mind - drop your
expectations and preconceived ideas about something, and
seeing things with an open mind, fresh eyes, just like a beginner.
Things are rarely binary, or "not one not two" - everything is not
intertwined, and they are also not disconnected. Things may be
interconnected while not being separate or the same.
Anitya, the concept that all phenomena (all things and
experiences) arise due to causes and conditions and are subject
to change, decline and cessation.

6. KINGDOM FUNGI

7. THE AMOUNT OF DNA SHARED BETWEEN
HUMANS AND FUNGI
We're more closely related to Fungi than plants, and the same contaminates an
pathogens that kill them kill us. Example: Fungicides.
Over 50%

8. NEW FUNGI ARE DISCOVERED EVERY YEAR
Only with modern advances in genetic sequencing, microscopy and other areas
have we been able to "rediscover" kingdom fungi and their bacterial partners.
Over 2000

9. WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT FUNGI
Fungi (and bacteria) are why we have soil, plants, aren't buried in organic waste,
animals, humans and basically all life on Earth
Organic Life

10. IS A FUNGI
The Humongous Fungus is estimated to be 8000 years old and spans over 2000
acres - and we know there are bigger, older ones under our feet and forests
Largest living organism?

11. WE BARELY KNOW WHAT WE KNOW
1866
Protista added to
Kingdoms of life.
1969
Kingdom Fungi added
1970
Bacteria, Archaea and
Eukarya
1998
6 Kingdoms are
(re)defined - Bacteria,
Protozoa, Chromista,
Plantae, Fungi, Animalia
1863
The term "Mycology"
is coined by M.J.
Berkley
2015
The 7 kingdom model is defined:
Bacteria, Archaea, Protozoa, Chromista, Plantae, Fungi, Animalia.
Bacteria is broken into Bacteria (Eubacteria) and Archaea (=Archaebacteria)

12. THE ZEN OF FUNGI

13. The world and nature are filled with magic and wonder, and
science is the way we observe that magic.

14. Fungi are intelligent and want to live
Nature abhors monocultures & stasis
Fungi are (organic) chemistry all the way down
Soil Science is Fungal Science
Carbon & Nitrogen are mass
Moisture & Oxygen are life
Water without oxygen is death
Fungi reject binary states

20. CONTAMINATION
The Zen of

21. CLEANERS MUST DRY TO CLEAN
Bleach, isopropyl, soapy water, hydrogen peroxide need time to work and should
be allowed to dry. Isopropyl works by evaporating the moisture within cells, the
faster it dries (eg, over 90%) the less effective it is!

22. USE BLEACH FIRST
Bleach (1 cup to 5 gallons of water) is probably the best cleaner available to us.
It attacks and destroys the protein structure of organisms such as viruses,
bacteria and fungi.
But it has to dry / sit for a minimum of 10 minutes.

23. USE ISOPROPYL SECOND
Isopropyl evaporates the moisture inside the cells of bacteria, fungi and viruses,
but in order for it to work it must be allowed to dry; and isopropyl over 70%
evaporate too quickly to be effective.

24. AIR IS THE ENEMY, LONG LIVE AIR
The air in your space is your number one enemy, bacterial & fungal spores and
contaminates are microscopic and every breath we breath contains potentially
thousands of different spores.
Filter (HEPA) all air, change furnace filters, block vents, add home HEPA filters.
But never, ever, ever leave the space without intake and exhaust.

25. STERILE IS STERILE
If you sterilize your tools, grains, agar, liquid cultures, etc - they should remain
sterile. Always take one or more of an item and set in a warm, dark place and
wait.
If it goes bad on the shelf without inoculation? Its your technique (unless your
space is filthy, then good luck)

26. LESS IS MORE
Contaminates love extra "stuff" in environments - extra nutrition/supplements,
extra moisture, high temperatures, high CO2, low oxygen.
Always err on the low side.
Lots of substrate contamination? Drop supplementation and moisture levels.

27. GENES & CULTURES
The Zen of

28. FUNGI ARE INTELLIGENT, AND HAVE
MEMORY
Fungi memorize the shape of molecules they encounter and consume, and if they
encounter something new, they will learn how to consume the new material given
time - and that genetic memory persists.

29. CULTURES ARE TRAINING YOUR FUNGI
The media you use directly influences the enzyme stomach of the Fungi, if you
use a source that is the same as say, your main substrate amendment in your
agar or liquid cultures the fungi remembers that.

31. GROWTH IS ACCESS OPTIMIZATION
A 360 degree sphere is the most efficient way for a fungi to discover the
molecules it needs. As it progresses further out from the start of growth it will
specialize to transfer water, oxygen and nutrition more effectively.
Once hyphae specialize, they've adapted (or remembered) the nutrient mix and
will start early optimization.

33. FUNGI EXPAND EXPONENTIALLY
A single mated spore pair has the genetic potential to rebuild the entire species
- one colonized agar plate can make hundreds more. A quart of liquid culture
can inoculate 95 grain bags.
95 grain bags can make 285+ fruiting blocks
Use this to your advantage.

34. MYCELIAL GROWTH DOES NOT INDICATE
FRUIT
Sectoring, isolations, etc should look at adaptive traits and specialization - for
example a freshly germinated spore colony producing rhizomorphic growth day
one. Or speed of growth, or sectors that generate primordia or pins early
But none of this indicates yield, disease resistance, etc.

36. NATURE ABHORS A MONOCULTURE
A fungus' natural state is one of genetic flux - a single tissue sample from a
mushroom stem can present multiple distinct genetic lines, and thats a clone!
In fact, as you move "up" a mushroom, the diversity lessens - the base of a
cluster contains the lines of that entire cluster.

38. OVER AND OVER AGAIN
Generations are key - straight tissue clones/etc omit sexual
reproduction!
Fruiting bodies show you growth, yield,
etc and collecting their spores "re-
concentrates" those traits
Fruit
This is the identification of a "mostly
isolated" sector of desireable or distinct
growth. Once selected you fruit to see if
it's worthwhile.
Phenotype isolation
Spores determine sex, but they have a
sex, so like humans and animals, sexual
reproduction is critical.
Spore
Germinating / mating the spores presents
a new fungus with many possible genetic
lines, and the memory of the nutrients etc
are retained.
Germinate/Colony

39. AGAR/MEDIA
The Zen of

40. LESS IS MORE
Contaminates love extra "stuff" in environments - extra nutrition/supplements,
extra moisture, high temperatures, high CO2, low oxygen.
Always err on the low side.
Fungi can grow on pure agar and water! Plate and LC contamination? Check
your sterilization technique, and then start reducing amendments.

41. CARBON & NITROGEN ARE MASS
Fungi exist to decay organic matter, which just so happens to be carbon based -
pure carbon (even oil) is what the fungi use to grow their hyphae and fruit
bodies - Carbon mass is hyphal mass.
Nitrogen provides the fungi with the energy needed to consume the carbon.

42. ANTIBIOTICS ARE ALMOST NEVER THE WAY
Antibiotic overuse and misuse is one of the reasons we have antibiotic resistant
bacteria, using this in your lab and grow is an easy way to build your own little
powerful strain of death.
Use H202, Carbon, remove nutrients.

43. FUNGI GET BORED
Fungi exposed to the same nutrition sources over and over (through transfers,
grain to grain, etc) will get bored and slow down and even die.
Limit the number of transfers you do from the original fungi or regularly change
the nutrition in the media (agar, lc or grain for example)

44. RECIPES
All recipes are for 1 liter of agar, sterilize 30 minutes @ 15psi
15g agar-agar
20g Light Malt Extract
1 Liter water
Malt Extract
15g agar-agar
20g Potato Dextrose
1 Liter water
Potato-Dextrose
15g agar-agar
20g Sorghum Syrup
1 Liter water
Sorghum
2% by volume H202
1g peptones
4g activated carbon
1g yeast
Glitter
Mixins
2% by volume H202
1g peptones
4g activated carbon
1g yeast
Glitter
Mixins
2% by volume H202
1g peptones
4g activated carbon
1g yeast
Glitter
Mixins

45. RECIPES
All recipes are for 1 quart of Liquid Culture, sterilize 30 minutes @
15psi
20g Light Malt Extract
1 Quart water
Malt Extract
20g Potato Dextrose
1 Liter water
Potato-Dextrose
20g Sorghum Syrup
1 Liter water
Sorghum
Honey
Karo
Molasses
Or use...

46. GRAIN SPAWN
The Zen of

47. ALL GRAINS ARE GOOD GRAINS
Fungi don't care what you're growing them on as long as the basic building
blocks of life are there. Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Moisture - that's it. Some
grains are better in terms of labor, cost and surface are but they all work.

48. CHEMICALS!
Ash
Fat
Proteins
Starch
Dietary Fiber
Arabinoxylans
B-Glucan
Cellulose
Lignin
Fructan
Rye composition
Ash
Fat
Proteins
Starch
Fiber
Cellulose
Lignin
Hemicellulose
Silica
Millet
Composition Ash
Fat
Proteins
Starch
Fiber
Cellulose
Lignin
Hemicellulose
Whole Oats

49. AVAILABILITY & COST
These are your primary factors - able to get bulk oats for $1 for 500lbs? Use
oats!
You will use tons of grain, and the perfect grain is the one that works for you, it
has to be cheap and easy to get.

50. LABOR WILL KILL YOU
If you can get 500lbs of oats for $1, but it requires soak, simmer and dry-time
while the millet next door is $10 for 500lbs and doesn't.
Labor is your primary cost, period.

51. YOU DON'T NEED A SOAK, SIMMER OR DRY
Many common grains used in cultivation can all be done with no-soak, no-
simmer approaches. There is zero need to soak, rinse, etc as contaminates are a
result of your sterilization and inoculation technique.
Extend your sterilization time.
Fungi will happily consume garbage and crude oil. They don't care about millet
chaff or lint.

52. RECIPES
3lbs bag ratios, sterilize 2.5 hours at 15psi (16@elevation)
1000g Millet
500g Water
Whole Millet
1000g Whole Oats
400g Water
Whole Oats
1000g Rye Berries
650-700g Water
Rye Berry
40% Hydration 65-70%
Hydration
50% Hydration

55. STERILIZATION IS TIME, NOT TEMP.
You can sterilize grains in a moist oven, you can do it in an instant pot, a
microwave. You can build a pasteurizer that runs for 36 hours or get a pressure
cooker.

56. SPEED
Grain surface area directly correlates to the speed of substrate colonization.
Compact grains such as millet or milo have the most surface area by weight.
Agar to grain < LC to grain < grain to grain.
Break and shake your spawn bags at 10-15% and again at 50% colonization.

57. SUBSTRATES
The Zen of

58. CARBON IS MASS
Lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose are what trees and plants are made from -
only fungi consume lignin and convert it into hyphal (and therefore fruiting)
mass.
Coco coir - lignin, cellulose & hemicellulose
Sawdust - lignin, cellulose & hemicellulose
Millet, Rye, Oats - lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose

59. NITROGEN IS FUEL
Nitrogen provides the energy required to break down the carbon. Cellulose is
primarily sugars which is why fungi can consume pure sawdust as well.
Nitrogen can be soy hulls, cow manure, coffee grounds, etc

60. OXYGEN IS LIFE
Substrates must be airy - Fungi do not enjoy anaerobic conditions, and forest
soil has air pockets, different sizes, shapes, pockets - the denser and more moist
your substrate the higher your contamination and failure rate.

61. WATER IS CONSUMED FROM THE
SUBSTRATE
Not the air/space or misting. The fungus pulls the moisture directly from the
substrate, when misting you are keeping the fruit body and fungus comfortable.
As the moisture is consumed, the growth slows.
Want more growth? Inject moisture into the substrate.

62. SOIL SCIENCE IS FUNGAL SCIENCE
Soil science is clear - the chemical and mineral makeup of soil and soil horizons
are well known, these are the natural habitats of fungi.
Soil acidity directly impacts fungal growth (and contaminates).
Soil is 50-80% mineral by volume - which is why fungi love azomite, gypsum, etc
Flooded soil goes anaerobic and will kill all obligate anaerobes

63. SUBSTRATES ARE A HUGE FACTOR IN
FRUITING
Outside of the genetics of the fungi and adaptive traits it may have, substrates
are one of the largest factors in cultivation - it will influence harvest, pinset,
weight, potency, etc.
You can grow on plain coco/vermiculite for example, but the difference is "can
grow" and "grows fast and hardy".

64. FUNGI FARM BACTERIAL POPULATIONS
Fungi and bacteria are constant companions - many fungi cultivate thier own
bacterial populations, and fungi will bring the bacteria they require to thrive.
The key is to add in an amendment (example, straw, manure) that acts like a
bacterial "hook" and adds more nitrogen to the substrate.
Manure is partially composted; Straw immediately begins decomposing, Worm
castings, etc.

65. STERILIZATION IS THE WAY
Substrate sterilization results in faster colonization, higher bio efficiency (yield) -
less competition means more available mass to consume and the fungi are
already going to farm the bacteria they want.
As Fungi are operating at the molecular level, the minor breakdown of elements
during sterilization does not impact them.

66. RECIPE - BY VOLUME
Sterilize 2.5 hours at 15psi (16@elevation)
50% Partially hydrated
(loose) coco-coir
40% Vermiculite
10% Gypsum
Base
Hydrated Lime for PH
Azomite
Crushed/Powdered
shells
Chalk Dust
Minerals
Straw
Soy Hulls
Wheat Bran
Manure
Worm Castings
Coffee grounds
Corn husks
Amendments
50-60% Hydration - Field Capacity

67. FRUITING
The Zen of

68. ANYTHING THAT HOLDS MOISTURE AND
ALLOWS LIGHT AND AIR IS A FRUITING
CHAMBER
Even clear garbage bags - you want to maintain a 75-80% RH and a temp
range of 65-78/80
Air (oxygen) must be able to pass through.

69. SIMPLE IS BETTER
Overly complex fruiting chambers / systems and those with a lot of moving parts
tend to fail often, hide contamination (or bring new ones) and make it harder to
debug what's going on.

70. ENVIRONMENTAL ISOLATION
Isolating your environment correctly - and what you grow in is key.
2 smaller tubs is better than 1 big one
4 bags fit in the space of one tub
2 tents are better than one
Contaminates generate spores too. Cross Contamination bad.
Filter all air, clean weekly, humidifier bleach / dry weekly.

71. STASIS BAD
A fungi's natural home has humidity, temp and other fluctuations, they are not
in a static environment. Fluctuate your levels/use a range.
Make sure you have filtered intake going into the space - fungi exhale CO2 and
contamination loves dead, stale air and CO2.
Too much ambient water pooling? Contamination.

72. FRUITING IS A SET OF TRIGGERS
Light
O2 vs CO2
Bacterial population(s)
Temp
Soil Acidity
Time
Soil Nutrients
Plant/other pairings

73. THE SETUP
Tent
LED String Lights in 6500k range
Low speed 6" fan, 6" ducting
6" inline filter
Digital Light Timer
RH monitor/controller
Humidifier (Ultrasonic)

74. HOODIE TEK

78. THANK YOU!
@humblefungus - insta
@jessenoller - insta
humblefungus.com
youtube.com/c/TheHumbleFungus