From Bag to Box (or Bag!): How to Use Our Refill Kits for Monotubs, Shoeboxes, and In-Bag Fruiting

Once you’ve done a grow or two, you start to realize: it’s not about one-and-done. It’s about staying stocked, staying sterile, and keeping things rolling. That’s where our Refill Kits come in.

Whether you're fruiting in shoeboxes, monotubs, or right inside the bag itself — our kits are packed with everything you need: sterile grain, nutrient-rich substrate, and even agar plates if you're cloning or cleaning up genetics. No boiling grain. No prepping tubs late at night. Just clean, reliable supplies you can count on.

Let’s walk through exactly how to use your refill kit from start to flush.

What’s in the Box (or Bag)?

• 🟤 Sterile Grain Bags (Milo or Corn) — hydrated, sealed, and autoclaved
• 🧱 Substrate Bricks or Bags — CVG+
• 🍮 Agar Plates (optional purchase) — for culture transfers, clones, or cleanups

Step 1: Inoculate Your Grain

There are two clean and effective ways to inoculate your sterile grain bag:

1. With a Liquid Culture or Spore Syringe

Wipe the injection port with alcohol, flame-sterilize your needle, and inject directly through the port. Reseal with tape if needed.

2. With Colonized Agar

Cut a clean plate into wedges, open the bag in front of a laminar flow hood or inside a still-air box, and drop it in. Reseal immediately.

📌 Tip: Colonized agar gives you a clean, strong head start and is ideal if you're cloning or cleaning genetics.

Step 2: Let the Grain Colonize

Place your inoculated grain bag in a clean, room-temperature space. Over 10–21 days, you’ll see white mycelium spreading. Once the grain is fully colonized and healthy-looking, you’re ready to move on to spawning.

 

 

Option 1: Fruiting in a Shoebox or Monotub or shoebox.

1. Clean Your Tub or Shoebox: Wipe it down with isopropyl or bleach solution. Add a liner if you use them.
2. Break Up the Grain: Massage the bag gently to break up the colonized grain.
3. Mix with Substrate: Combine with substrate at a 1:1, 1:2, or 1:3 grain-to-substrate ratio. Mix evenly and level the surface.
4. Let It Colonize: Cover the tub and let it sit for 5–10 days until the surface is fully white.
5. Fruiting Time: Introduce airflow by cracking the lid or flipping it upside down, or utilizing the filter holes. Provide indirect light and mist the surface as needed. Pins will appear in about a week.

Option 2: Fruiting in the Bag

This method is super efficient and great for people working with limited space or who just want to skip the tubs.

1. Let Grain Fully Colonize: Start by fully colonizing your grain bag using spores, liquid culture, or agar.
2. Mix with Substrate in a New Bag: Once colonized, open a fresh substrate bag and add the broken-up grain. If your kit already includes substrate in a bag, just open it, drop in the grain, and mix well by kneading the outside of the bag.
3. Pack Down & Seal: After mixing evenly, flatten the substrate to the bottom of the bag to create a level "cake." Seal the top with an impulse sealer or secure with a clip after folding top dover 1-2 times.
4. Colonize Again: Set the bag somewhere warm (around 70–75°F) and let the mycelium spread through the new substrate. This usually takes 7–10 days.
5. Introduce Fruiting Conditions: Once fully colonized you can set and forget or make small a slit just below the filter (cover with micropore tape) to allow more airflow. 

Why Use Our Kits?

• ✅ No prep required – Just open and grow
• ✅ Sterile & consistent – Made with pro-grade tools and techniques
• ✅ Family-Owned – Supporting us means supporting a small, dedicated team

One Last Tip: Label Everything

Whether you're working with agar, grain bags, or shoeboxes — label them with strain info and inoculation dates. Future you will thank you.

Have questions? Want advice? Reach out anytime — we’re always down to help good grows get even better.