Trial: Lion's Mane (LC to Grain)

Progress Log

Start Date: Late May 2026

Method: Older LC syringes inoculated directly into sterilized grain jars.

Status: Success! Despite the age of the cultures, both jars have shown vigorous growth.

6-5-2026 (Update): Both jars are looking fantastic. Jar 1 is fully colonized and ready for a Grain to Grain (G2G) transfer to expand the culture. Jar 2 is just a few days behind and almost ready for its own G2G. This proves that even older LC can remain viable if stored properly.

Jar 1: Fully colonized and ready for G2G (6-05-2026).

Jar 2: Almost ready for G2G (6-05-2026).

6-10-2026 (Update): The G2G transfer from Jar 1 is already growing well and looking very healthy. The mycelium is jumping off the master grains and colonizing the new medium aggressively.

G2G transfer growing well and looking healthy (6-10-2026).

6-16-2026 (Update): The Lion's Mane grains are now fully colonized! The jars are looking great and are officially ready for either another round of G2G expansion or for spawning to bulk (S2B). We've successfully expanded our Lion's Mane culture from those older LC syringes.

Grains fully colonized and ready for the next step (6-16-2026).

Next Steps

I will be performing G2G transfers from Jar 1 today to several new sterilized grain jars. Once Jar 2 is 100% colonized, it will also be used for expansion. The goal is to build up enough spawn for a large-scale fruiting trial on hardwood sawdust and soy hulls.