Stovetop pressure canner (16–23 qt)
Sterilizes grain and supplemented sawdust. The one non-negotiable tool.
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Check price on AmazonSTARTER LIST · ABOUT $150
OYSTER MUSHROOM STARTER SHOPPING LIST
Everything for a first oyster grow, in the order you'll use it, and why you need each piece.
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Oysters are the easiest gourmet mushroom to start with: fast, forgiving and happy at room temperature. You'll also need spawn or a culture from a gourmet supplier, plus grain and a substrate (see substrates). Read the grow guide for the steps.
1 · Prepare grain spawn
Grain is what you inoculate first; it becomes the spawn that colonizes your fruiting blocks.
Wide-mouth mason jars (quart)
Reusable grain-spawn jars that survive the pressure canner again and again.
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Check price on AmazonDigital scale (0.1 g)
Repeatable substrate and supplement ratios.
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Check price on Amazon2 · Work clean
Most first grows fail from contamination, so this cheap kit matters most.
Clear storage tubs (54–66 qt)
Cheap fruiting chamber or still-air box. Drill hand holes in one and you have a clean work area.
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Check price on Amazon70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol
Wipe surfaces, tools, gloves and bag ports. 70% sanitizes better than 91–99%, because the water helps it penetrate and it evaporates more slowly.
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Check price on AmazonFine-mist spray bottle for 70% IPA
Keep a labeled bottle of 70% alcohol at the bench for quick wipe-downs.
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Check price on AmazonNitrile gloves
Hands are the biggest contamination source.
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Check price on AmazonFace masks
Keeps breath off open work and protects you from spores at harvest.
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Cotton swabs
Clean and sanitize tight spots on tools, jar lids and injection ports.
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Check price on AmazonMicropore tape
Seals and filters injection points and bag folds.
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Check price on Amazon3 · Make fruiting blocks
Filter-patch bags breathe while keeping contaminants out.
Filter-patch grow bags
Let gas exchange happen while keeping contaminants out. The easiest way to make spawn and fruiting blocks.
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Oysters fruit at room temperature with humidity and fresh air.
Continuous-mist spray bottle
Fine, even misting without soaking the blocks.
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Check price on AmazonHygrometer/thermometer
Cheap way to know your actual conditions.
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Bag anything that turns green right away.
Small trash bags (10 qt / 2.6 gal)
Bag contaminated substrate and spent blocks right away so spores don't spread.
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Check price on AmazonReady to scale up? See the starter kits by budget or the AC Infinity grow-tent gear.