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This high-quality agar agar from Jacob Hooy is an essential ingredient for anyone seriously interested in cultivating mushrooms such as Psilocybe cubensis. The 100% natural powder provides a perfect, stable nutrient base for developing strong and healthy mycelium colonies. Ideal for use in sterile environments and cultivation techniques such as the popular PF-TEK method. Thanks to its excellent gel formation and purity, this product is particularly suitable for both beginners and experienced growers.
PF-TEK Method?
The PF-TEK method is named after a mushroom cultivation technique developed by Robert McPherson (also known as Psilocybe Fanaticus) in 1991. It is still a popular and simple technique for growing magic mushrooms such as Psilocybe cubensis. This method uses a substrate consisting of vermiculite, brown rice, and water. The mixture is steamed and stored in sterile jars. Then, liquid culture is added using a syringe and placed into incubation. The technique is favored for its accessibility, affordability, and relatively low risk of contamination. PF-TEK is ideal for beginners and hobbyists in mushroom cultivation who want to go a step beyond a ready-made grow kit.
What is Agar Agar?
Agar agar is a gelling agent extracted from red seaweed. It is used in food and microbiological laboratories as a growth medium. This powder from Jacob Hooy consists of 100% agar agar and is known for its excellent gel formation and stability, making it perfect for fungal cultivation, for example Psilocybe cubensis (mushrooms).
Features
- 100% agar agar
- Contains no animal products (vegan)
- Suitable for growing mycelium from spores
Nutritional values per 100 grams:
- Energy: 774 kJ / 193 kcal
- Fat: 0.3 g
- Of which saturated: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Of which sugars: 0 g
- Protein: 0.4 g
- Salt: 0.1 g
How to Grow Psilocybe cubensis Mycelium with Agar Agar
Prepare Your Materials:
Make sure you have a sterile workspace, a sterile spore print, a petri dish, a scalpel or blade, and distilled water. Work in sterile conditions. Wear gloves and a face mask and thoroughly clean your environment.
Prepare the Agar Agar Mixture:
- Determine how much you need. It’s better to prepare a bit too much than too little. A petri dish only requires a layer of 1 to 5 millimeters. Ensure the entire bottom is covered. We recommend filling multiple petri dishes. Even professionals frequently encounter contamination, so this increases your chances of success.
- Mix 1 gram of agar agar powder with 50 ml of distilled water. You can make more at once, but the ratio is 1 gram of powder to 50 ml of water.
- You can also add half a gram of rye flour to the mixture in advance—these mushrooms love it.
- Bring the mixture to a boil until the agar is fully dissolved.
Sterilization:
- Place your petri dishes or another heat-resistant container in a pot with a lid, pressure cooker, or autoclave and add a layer of distilled water to the pot.
- Regular pot: Make sure the pot never boils dry. Add enough water. Place the dishes individually on a cloth or rack in the pot. Boiling time: 60 to 90 minutes.
- Pressure cooker or autoclave: Start the timer only once the desired pressure is reached. After the sterilization time, allow the pressure to release gradually before opening the pot to prevent the dishes from cracking due to sudden pressure changes. Boiling time: 20 to 30 minutes at 15 PSI (approximately 1.03 bar).
Pouring the Agar:
Pour the sterile, warm agar into sterile petri dishes or cultivation containers. Ensure the mixture doesn't cool too quickly. Close the dishes immediately after pouring to avoid contamination. Seal the edges with parafilm or similar tape that doesn’t leave residue.
Inoculating with Spores:
- Heat the tip of a scalpel or knife with a gas stove or a lighter with a blue flame. Let it cool down to room temperature.
- Only then open the spore print. Do this quickly and with purpose. Scoop a tiny amount of spores from the print and distribute them evenly in the petri dish.
After a few days, white mycelium threads should become visible, provided all steps were carried out in a sterile and careful manner. Regularly check for contamination and discard any infected dishes. Contamination can be recognized by any color other than white. Successfully grown mycelium can then be transferred to a jar containing rye flour, brown rice, or other grains of your choice. Again, work in sterile conditions. Soak the grain in water and sterilize the jars containing the soaked grain before adding the mycelium. Ensure air exchange is possible but avoid contamination by, for example, placing a Teflon sticker over a hole in the lid or using microporous tape with holes smaller than 0.3 microns.