How to Inoculate Brown Rice Flour (BRF) Jars

You should be doing the injection in a glovebox, or at the very least, a still-air environment. If you are going to work in open air, we suggest turning your AC/heater off an hour prior to inoculating your brown rice flour jars (this reduces the amount of airborne contaminants in the area). It is also recommended to work in a clean, small room with the door closed to prevent airflow. Step 1: The first step of inoculating a brown rice flour jar is to prepare it for injection with spores or mycelial culture. Carefully pull the aluminum foil off the top of the jar. This foil should not be removed until you are ready to inoculate the jar. This foil protects the jar from airborne contaminants landing on it until it is ready to be used. Step 2: Put on a pair of gloves and sanitize with hand sanitizer. Wipe down the orange self-healing injection port with a sterile alcohol swab. Step 3: Flame the needle of your syringe for 15 seconds. After flaming the needle, press the plunger of the syringe down slightly and squirt a small amount of solution out of the needle to cool it down. This step is best performed with the assistance of an alcohol burner because it will not leave any soot on your needle. If a lighter is used instead, wipe off any lighter soot that is left behind on the needle with a sterile alcohol swab immediately after flame sterilization. Step 4: Carefully inoculate the brown rice flour jar through the self-healing injection port with 1.5-2 ccs of spore or culture solution. Step 5: Place your jar in a clean dark area that is subject to minimal disturbances and will maintain a temperature between 75 and 81°F. Inside of a kitchen cupboard works well for this purpose. You should see signs of growth 3-10 days after inoculation. Try your best to disturb the jar as little as possible during this time period. Step 6: After approximately 3-5 weeks, the mycelium will have colonized 100% of the jar. 100% colonization has been reached when the jar has turned completely white with mycelium. Your jar should look similar to the photo above. You are now ready to fruit the jar in a monotub.