Farm‑Grown Mushrooms, Spawn and Cultures, Grow Kits, & Functional Mushroom Products

Commercial-grade Blue Oyster grain spawn — the same industry-proven Amycel 3015 strain we run on our own production farm. Fast colonizer. Heavy yielder. Fruiting temps of 50–75°F. Works on straw, hardwood sawdust, Master's Mix, and more.

What You're Getting

This is Amycel 3015, a full-season Pleurotus ostreatus hybrid developed for commercial mushroom production and trusted by professional growers worldwide. We grow this strain ourselves at Cotaco Creek Mushroom Farm — you're buying the same genetics we put in our own blocks every week.

The spawn ships as fully colonized grain, ready to transfer directly to your bulk substrate. Each bag is produced using proper aseptic technique and undergoes visual inspection before it ships.

Why Amycel 3015?

Not all Blue Oyster strains are the same. Amycel 3015 earns its place in commercial grows because of a few key traits:

• Heavy, plump fruiting bodies — silver-grey to blue-grey clusters with large caps (3–8 inches diameter), dense flesh, and tight margins

• Aggressive mycelial growth — fully colonizes substrate in 12–18 days at optimal temps

• Wide fruiting temperature range — fruits reliably from 50°F to 75°F, suitable for uncontrolled environments, seasonal outdoor beds, and year-round indoor grows

• Adaptable substrate compatibility — performs well on wheat straw, hardwood sawdust, Master's Mix (HWFP + soy hulls), supplemented sawdust blocks, and coffee grounds

• Full-season production — designed to fruit reliably across spring, summer, fall, and winter without requiring an extreme cold trigger

Best Uses

• Inoculating sterilized hardwood or Master's Mix fruiting blocks

• Pasteurized straw bags, buckets, or columns

• Outdoor straw or wood chip beds (best spring and fall)

• Grain-to-grain (G2G) expansion for larger production runs

Growing Parameters

Parameter Range:

Incubation Temp: 75–82°F
Fruiting Temp: 50–75°F (optimal 55–68°F)
Humidity (pinning): 90–95% RH
Humidity (fruiting): 85–90% RH
Time to First Pins: 15–25 days from inoculation

Cooler fruiting temps (55–65°F) and adequate light will produce the characteristic deep blue-grey coloring. Warmer temps shift caps toward light grey-white.

Storage & Handling

• Use within 2–4 weeks of receipt for best results

• Refrigerate at 35–45°F if not using immediately — viable up to 3 months when properly stored

• Do not freeze

• Allow spawn to reach room temperature before use

• Break up grain mass thoroughly before inoculating substrate

• Always use clean tools and aseptic technique when transferring

About Cotaco Creek Mushroom Farm

We're a small commercial mushroom farm in Somerville, Alabama. We grow, eat, and sell what we produce — and we only offer spawn from strains we trust in our own facility. Every bag leaves here because we'd put it in our own blocks.

Have questions about inoculation rates, substrate formulas, or fruiting conditions? Reach out — we're happy to help.

FAQ

Can I use this to make more grain spawn?
Yes. Grain-to-grain (G2G) transfers work well with this strain if you have a flow hood or still air box and proper aseptic technique.

What's the inoculation rate?
For sterilized hardwood blocks, use 10–20% spawn by weight. For pasteurized straw, 15–25% works well. Higher rates speed colonization and reduce contamination risk.

Do I need a pressure cooker or autoclave?
For sterilized hardwood or Master's Mix substrates, yes — pressure cook at 15 PSI for 2.5 hours minimum, or use an autoclave. For straw, lime pasteurization or a hot water bath (160–185°F for 1–2 hrs) is sufficient.

How is this different from a mushroom grow kit?
Grain spawn is not a ready-to-fruit product. You combine it with a prepared substrate (straw, sawdust, etc.) before fruiting. It's the right product for anyone setting up their own production workflow.

Will this work outdoors in Alabama?
Yes — Blue Oyster 3015 fruits well in fall and spring in North Alabama. Target outdoor temps of 50–70°F. Straw beds and wood chip piles are the most common outdoor substrates.