Troubleshooting FAQ
This page is designed to answer FAQs for current grow bag owners. If you don’t already own a grow bag and have questions before purchasing, click here.
What's with the microwaving? Do I need to do that?
Your bag comes to you completed sterilized and vacuum sealed, which means it’s ready to go as soon as you take it out of the vacuum sealed packaging. However, we have a (patent pending) process to be even more careful and maximize performance.
You can microwave your grow bag!
No – you don’t have to. You can skip this step. But we find that the extra step can improve our already high success rate, and maximize the environment for the mycelium!
You take your bag out of the vacuum seal bag first. Microwave for ninety seconds. Don’t go longer – it could pop! Wait for it to cool down (it can be warm but not hot when you inoculate. We recommend waiting an hour to be sure).
Then inoculate your genetics just like normal!
Don’t have a microwave? Skip it!
Do you replace failed bags?
We replace any bag that appears contaminated (or has an unpleasant odor) before inoculation. This includes if the vacuum sealed bag is swollen or loose. Email us at support@advancedmyco.com if that is your situation so we can replace it.
We will not ask you to ship it back, but we may ask for a photo.
If your bag has been inoculated and fails to perform, we can replace it under certain circumstances.
If your bag fails to produce any mushrooms in a reasonable amount of time using our grow bag and our preferred liquid culture, following all of our directions and troubleshooting for obvious issues that did not originate with us, we will replace both products.
If your bag fails using another company’s genetics, we will troubleshoot for issues and provide what support we can, which may include replacement (with our preferred genetics) depending on our existing knowledge of the other brands. We can offer significant discounts to try again with our grow bag and our culture if we can’t replace it.
We cannot replace a bag which you have opened. Do not add water, do not inoculate a second syringe, do not open the bag before harvesting for any reason, as it voids our ability to replace it.
I inoculated a week ago but I don’t see any growth?
After inoculation, culture can take several days to develop into mycelium. Make sure your grow bag is kept above 70 degrees during the colonization process – mid 70s would be ideal.
The first white spots of mycelium are usually:
- Our Shrüm V3 mini bag: 2-7 days, average 5.
- Our MIKEADELICS and former Shrüm V2 grow bag: 5-20 days, average 12.
These can vary. If you’re concerned about the timing (or it’s beyond the usual) you can email us at support@advancedmyco.com
(If you used another company’s liquid culture or a spore syringe, this can impact timeline and consistency – spores will generally take 2 weeks longer for the whole process. We are happy to troubleshoot no matter the source of your genetics, but replacements are limited to factors we have control over.)
It’s been two weeks, should I mix my bag?
You should mix your bag when the mycelium has colonized at least one third of the visible substrate.
Mixing the grow bag usual timeline:
- Our Shrüm V3 mini bag: 8-20 days, average 12.
- Our MIKEADELICS and former Shrüm V2 grow bag: 18-30 days, average 22.
These can vary. If you’re concerned about the timing (or it’s significantly beyond the usual) you can email us at support@advancedmyco.com
(If you used another company’s liquid culture or a spore syringe, this can impact timeline and consistency – spores will generally take 2 weeks longer for the whole process. We are happy to troubleshoot no matter the source of your genetics, but replacements are limited to factors we have control over.)
My bag entirely turned white, but I don’t see any fruit!
After your bag colonizes, it goes through a stage called consolidation where the mycelium digests all the nutrients before switching into the reproductive stage where it pins and then fruits. It may take a week or two after entirely turning white. Make sure that for this stage your mushrooms are warm enough (73-75 degrees is ideal, low 70s can work), and that they’re getting airflow! If you’ve been growing in a closet, you need to make sure it’s getting fresh air and movement of air regularly so the C02 can move out of the bag and oxygen can move in and feed the mushrooms.
Usual timeline for fruiting:
- Our Shrüm V3 mini bag: 4-6 weeks, average 4.5 weeks.
- Our Shrüm V2 grow bag: 6-9 weeks, average 7 weeks.
If your grow bag is past two weeks from that usual timeline, contact us to troubleshoot: support@advancedmyco.com
(If you used another company’s liquid culture or a spore syringe, this can impact timeline and consistency – spores will generally take 2 weeks longer for the whole process. We are happy to troubleshoot no matter the source of your genetics, but replacements are limited to factors we have control over.)
Can I inoculate with a second syringe?
No! If your bag has already been inoculated, do not inoculate it a second time! You risk contamination, and if there are competing genetics in the bag, they may actually just compete with one another and fail completely. Do not inoculate with a second syringe, even of the same varietal. Reach out to us atsupport@advancedmyco.comif your bag isn’t performing, and check the timelines in the other questions.
Is it okay that there’s condensation in my bag?
Yes! Mycelium produces heat when it colonizes – condensation is perfectly normal.
The liquid culture says to keep refrigerated but it wasn’t refrigerated when I got it?
Liquid culture can survive outside of refrigeration for a few months, but refrigeration is ideal to keep it healthy and lasting (culture can last a year in the fridge). If you get liquid culture and you aren’t using it right away, do stick it in the fridge. During warm weather months we generally ship liquid culture with cold packs to keep the temperature reasonable. The cold packs last 24-48 hours, but they provide insulation for the culture after they thaw.
DO NOT FREEZE liquid culture.
If your liquid culture gets excessively warm for long periods of time, it can also cause issues (don’t leave it in a hot car for several days please). Reach out if you think there’s a problem with your liquid culture: support@advancedmyco.com
I think my liquid culture may have gone bad, how do I tell?
Liquid culture should be a liquid that is not quite clear – it should have a mild “honey tone” to it. Suspended in that liquid should be a slightly different light-color-toned substance of “clouds” of mycelium. Over time, clouds can congregate to one area of the syringe. You can swirl and shake the syringe, even vigorously, to separate the clouds to get a better look at them.
If there’s an obvious green or pink color that is mold. If it’s our preferred genetics – contact us at support@advancedmyco.com for replacement.
If the clouds look particularly “stringy” and dark, the mycelium may be degrading. If there aren’t any distinguishable clouds and it just looks “foggy”, the mycelium may not be viable. If it’s our preferred genetics – contact us at support@advancedmyco.com for replacement.
If you see a piece of solid white – that’s actually very active mycelium that got a little bit of air exposure (this often happens over time if there’s an air bubble in the syringe) and started to grow in the culture! There’s nothing actually wrong here, except that it can get stuck in the needle.
If a spot of mycelium is in the syringe and starts to get stuck when you’re inoculating, gently alternate pushing out and pulling back the syringe plunger to dislodge the stuck piece and allow the rest of the culture to enter the bag. The harder you push the more likely the piece will get more stuck or you’ll break the syringe or needle. Be gentle.
We recommend not trying to remove the piece by hand unless you are able to do so in a sterile way. Contact us at support@advancedmyco.com if anything gets stuck.
If you’re unsure about your syringe, please contact us at support@advancedmyco.com – including batch number and photos can assist us in tracking issues.
I see an odd kind of orangey oil or watery substance in my bag?
We’ll want you to send photos to our team atsupport@advancedmyco.comjust to be sure, but we call that metabolites. It sometimes indicates that the mycelium may have encountered some bacteria or other foreign substance which it is fighting – that’s an indication of it digesting it! This may not impact the growth of your mushrooms, but you’ll want to keep an eye on it just in case!
My cat/dog/parrot/hamster bit my bag! What do I do!?
First – make sure your pet is safe and did not ingest any plastic!
Second – clean off the spot with an alcohol wipe, hydrogen peroxide, or whatever you have, and immediately tape any holes!
Here’s the deal: we can’t guarantee your mushrooms will survive this. Animals have bacteria in their mouths and the fortress of protection has been compromised. But depending on how far along the grow bag is in colonization, your chances may be good. The more colonized (white) your grow bag is, the higher likelihood of saving it!
We can’t replace a grow bag that doesn’t perform due to this kind of an issue, however if you email the team at support@advancedmyco.com and explain what happened, we can issue you a 50% off coupon for another bag and culture to try again.
Bonus points if you send us an adorable photo of your pet.
I think my bag is too dry, can I add water?
Please do not open your bag before harvest. Not even to add water. You can and likely will contaminate your bag, and we do not replace bags that were opened.
If you are concerned your bag is too dry, please email us at support@advancedmyco.com. Including photos is helpful as well!
Our bags are hydrated to field capacity, which doesn’t actively look wet, but contains enough moisture for growth. If you live in a particularly dry climate and are concerned that the dryness in the air may be impacting growth consider a humidifier.
I only grew a few mushrooms - is that normal, what do I do?
Yield can vary based on genetics, environment, and other minor factors. You can get a second harvest by following our Harvest & Replenish Guide, sometimes second harvests are bigger (that depends – we often find fewer but bigger fruits in a second harvest).
To set your expectations accordingly:
Our Shrüm V3 mini bag yields an average of 5-10 grams of dry fruit. We have seen as much as 18 grams from a single bag (multiple harvests).
Our MIKEADELICS or former Shrüm V2 grow bag yields an average of 10-20 grams of dry fruit. We have seen as much as 35 grams from a single bag (multiple harvests).
I don’t have a dehydrator and I need to harvest!
Harvest your mushrooms when the caps of the largest and most mature is fully open.
If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can rinse your mushrooms in cold water, dry them and keep them in the fridge. Mushrooms in the fridge will last as long as any kind of mushroom does in the fridge – probably a week or so.
We recommend dehydrating, and there are some inexpensive dehydrators on Amazon. If you have an airfryer, a multifunction toaster oven, or other kitchen appliances you can see if they have a drying or dehydrating function – you’ll want to dehydrate at about 160°F (don’t go over 180°F) for as many hours as can make them cracker dry (depends on the size of the fruits).
How do I get a second harvest?
We have a useful guide for this!
If you follow our directions carefully, you can easily get multiple harvests from a bag.
- Our Shrüm V3 mini bag: up to 3 harvests!
- Our Shrüm V2 grow bag: up to 5 harvests!