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Find us on Saturdays ALL WINTER at The Grid Farmers Market in Owens Crossroads
Italian/Phoenix Oyster Liquid Culture
Live Italian (Phoenix) oyster mycelium in sterile broth, ready to inoculate grain the day it arrives. Pleurotus pulmonarius is the warm-weather oyster: it keeps fruiting after summer heat stalls the cooler strains, which makes it a staple here in north Alabama.
What You're Getting
One 10 mL syringe of active liquid culture, prepared on a laminar flow hood and inoculated from clean agar. Liquid culture is the fastest way to start grain: the mycelium is already spread through the liquid, so colonization starts from many points at once instead of one wedge of agar. One syringe inoculates about 5–10 lb of grain.
About Our LC Broth
Every culture grows in our house broth, a lean, clear mix of dextrose, light malt extract, soy peptone, and yeast extract in distilled water at about 2%. A richer broth grows faster but makes weaker, more contamination-prone cultures. We keep ours light for vigorous, healthy mycelium. The broth also stays clear, so you can see what you have: healthy LC shows white, wispy clumps in clear liquid. Cloudy or milky broth means bacteria.
Why Italian/Phoenix Oyster?
- Made for heat: keeps producing through the warm months, when blue oysters slow down
- Tidy clusters: light tan to grey-brown caps with a mild, slightly sweet flavor
- Quick turnaround: fast colonization and a short wait to first pins
- Easy on substrate: straw, hardwood sawdust, Master's Mix, and coffee grounds all work
How to Use
Liquid culture goes into sterilized grain, not straight into pasteurized straw or bulk substrate.
- Use 1–2 mL per 1 lb of sterilized grain
- Shake the syringe well before each use to break up the mycelium
- Flame the needle until it glows red, let it cool, and wipe the injection port with alcohol before every injection
- Once the grain is fully colonized, use it as spawn for your bulk substrate
Growing Parameters
Incubation temp: 75–80°F
Fruiting temp: 64–80°F (handles summer heat)
Humidity (pinning): 90–95% RH
Humidity (fruiting): 85–90% RH
Time to first pins: 14–21 days from inoculating bulk substrate
Best substrates: straw, hardwood sawdust, Master's Mix, coffee grounds
Storage & Handling
- Refrigerate at 35–45°F. Best used within 6–12 months.
- Do not freeze.
- Let it come to room temperature before use.
- Some settling or clumping is normal. Shake it back into suspension.
About Cotaco Creek Mushroom Farm
We're a small commercial mushroom farm in Somerville, Alabama, and every culture we sell is a strain we grow ourselves. Questions about inoculation rates, grain prep, or fruiting conditions? Reach out. We're happy to help.
Italian/Phoenix Oyster Liquid Culture
Live Italian (Phoenix) oyster mycelium in sterile broth, ready to inoculate grain the day it arrives. Pleurotus pulmonarius is the warm-weather oyster: it keeps fruiting after summer heat stalls the cooler strains, which makes it a staple here in north Alabama.
What You're Getting
One 10 mL syringe of active liquid culture, prepared on a laminar flow hood and inoculated from clean agar. Liquid culture is the fastest way to start grain: the mycelium is already spread through the liquid, so colonization starts from many points at once instead of one wedge of agar. One syringe inoculates about 5–10 lb of grain.
About Our LC Broth
Every culture grows in our house broth, a lean, clear mix of dextrose, light malt extract, soy peptone, and yeast extract in distilled water at about 2%. A richer broth grows faster but makes weaker, more contamination-prone cultures. We keep ours light for vigorous, healthy mycelium. The broth also stays clear, so you can see what you have: healthy LC shows white, wispy clumps in clear liquid. Cloudy or milky broth means bacteria.
Why Italian/Phoenix Oyster?
- Made for heat: keeps producing through the warm months, when blue oysters slow down
- Tidy clusters: light tan to grey-brown caps with a mild, slightly sweet flavor
- Quick turnaround: fast colonization and a short wait to first pins
- Easy on substrate: straw, hardwood sawdust, Master's Mix, and coffee grounds all work
How to Use
Liquid culture goes into sterilized grain, not straight into pasteurized straw or bulk substrate.
- Use 1–2 mL per 1 lb of sterilized grain
- Shake the syringe well before each use to break up the mycelium
- Flame the needle until it glows red, let it cool, and wipe the injection port with alcohol before every injection
- Once the grain is fully colonized, use it as spawn for your bulk substrate
Growing Parameters
Incubation temp: 75–80°F
Fruiting temp: 64–80°F (handles summer heat)
Humidity (pinning): 90–95% RH
Humidity (fruiting): 85–90% RH
Time to first pins: 14–21 days from inoculating bulk substrate
Best substrates: straw, hardwood sawdust, Master's Mix, coffee grounds
Storage & Handling
- Refrigerate at 35–45°F. Best used within 6–12 months.
- Do not freeze.
- Let it come to room temperature before use.
- Some settling or clumping is normal. Shake it back into suspension.
About Cotaco Creek Mushroom Farm
We're a small commercial mushroom farm in Somerville, Alabama, and every culture we sell is a strain we grow ourselves. Questions about inoculation rates, grain prep, or fruiting conditions? Reach out. We're happy to help.