Hi Joe,

Thank you so much for your question. It’s understandable you’d be concerned about bacteria.

I’m working on an in-depth article about bacteria in mushroom cultivation. In the meantime, do a little reading on the subject.

The quick answer: Yes, you can brew a mushroom tea.

The long answer: TYpcally, the inoculation stage is where bacteria is the most concern. It’s one of the reasons I use pre-filled jars with an injection port.

So, if you follow the steps of phase one, you should have bacteria free jars.

But, when your mycelium begins to grow, if you see any color other than white, pitch it out. Because that’s a guarantee you have mold spores or some other bacteria that’s going to compete with your mushroom spores.

If you want to keep the jar, wear gloves and a mask when you dispose of the contents. Otherwise, just throw out the entire jar.

If your jars are all white, it doesn’t mean your bacteria free, because bacteria come in all colors and shapes, including white. But, it’s a good sign. So, keep your jars and let the mycelium grow.

Remember, we’re bombarded with bacteria constantly. Once you remove the mycelium cakes from the jars, your cakes will also get bombarded. Don’t stress. Just wear a mask and gloves whenever you add water or check on your babies as a precaution.

If your mycelium cakes sprout beautiful, healthy looking mushrooms, wear gloves and a mask when you harvest them if you’re concerned about harmful bacteria.

If your mushrooms look sick, like a plant that’s not doing so well, I’d throw them out.

Under no circumstances will your psilocybin mushrooms turn poisonous, but they could have harmful bacteria on them, just like a mushroom you get from the store.

After you harvest, dry your mushrooms, store them in a cool, dark place. Then use them to make tea.

I hope this helps. I’ll link my bacteria article to this one as soon as it’s complete.