Why This LC Recipe Works So Well

• Clarity: Unlike some nutrient-rich LC recipes that turn amber or opaque, this blend stays translucent, letting you visually track mycelium development and detect cloudiness, sediment, or discoloration from contamination.
• Balanced Nutrition:
  • LME – Provides carbohydrates, amino acids, and vitamins.
  • Corn Syrup – Adds simple sugars for quick initial energy uptake.
  • Soy Peptone – Supplies amino acids and peptides that promote robust, healthy mycelium growth.
• Beginner Friendly: The clarity and balanced nutrition make it easy to use, forgiving to prepare, and highly effective across a range of mushroom species.

Supplies You’ll Need

Ingredients

• Distilled or RO water
• Light Malt Extract (LME)
• Corn syrup (clear, unflavored)
• Soy peptone powder

Equipment

• LC vessel – Mason jar, media bottle, or glass container with lid:
  • Self-healing injection port
  • Breathable filter (0.2 micron)
• Magnetic stir bar (optional but recommended)
• Magnetic Stirrer
• Pressure cooker (15 PSI capable)
• Digital scale
  
• Funnel for pouring

For Inoculation

• Still air box (SAB) or laminar flow hood
• Sterile syringes & needles
• Alcohol wipes & spray

Exact Recipe Ratios & Batch Sizes

This clear LC formula uses 0.8% LME, 0.2% corn syrup, and 0.1% soy peptone by weight in water.

Tip: Ensure your pressure cooker supports the batch size, I.e. media bottle. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1) Prepare the Nutrient Solution

1. Measure water into a clean container — leave headspace for boiling expansion.
2. Weigh and add LME, corn syrup, and soy peptone according to your batch size.
3. Stir until fully dissolved. Some cloudiness is normal before sterilization.
4. Place magnetic stir bar into vessel if using.
5. Cover with foil to protect filter from excess steam moisture.

3) Sterilize

1. Place vessel on rack/trivet in pressure cooker with 1–2 inches of water.
2. Turn heat source on high, vent steam until safety valve closes (Presto) or steam vents for 10 minutes
3. Place 15psi pressure regulator on lid (Presto) 
4. Sterilize at 15 PSI for 20–25 minutes — do not exceed 30 minutes to avoid nutrient caramelization.

Post-Sterilization Handling for Sterility

As the pressure cooker cools, the contents can experience negative pressure, which can draw in unfiltered air if the seals aren’t perfect. To minimize contamination risk:

1. If possible, move the pressure cooker into or directly in front of your laminar flow hood before it begins depressurizing.
2. Allow it to cool and naturally depressurize in this sterile airflow.
3. Once pressure is at zero, open the lid slightly to vent in clean, filtered air from the flow hood rather than room air.
4. Remove LC vessels in front of the hood, then impulse seal (if using sealable bags) or leave capped jars sealed.

If you do not have a flow hood, cool in a clean, draft-free room and avoid opening the cooker until immediately before inoculation.

Inoculation

1. In Still Air Box (SAB) or under flow hood, sanitize injection port with alcohol.
2. Inject with clean agar wedge or another LC.

Incubation & Observation

• Store at 70–75 °F (21–24 °C).
• With clear LC, you’ll see wispy white mycelium strands forming within 4–7 days.
• Contamination is easy to spot — look for cloudiness, sediment, or discoloration.

Storage & Shelf Life

• Before inoculation: store sealed LC up to 6 months at room temperature.
• After inoculation: refrigerate if storing more than 4 weeks to slow metabolism.
• Always inspect before use — discard or test on agar plate if anything looks off.

Troubleshooting

• Yellowing or darkening liquid: May be nutrient caramelization — lower sterilization time or heat.
• Cloudiness with no mycelium strands: Likely bacterial contamination — discard.
• Floating colored growth: Mold contamination — discard.

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