wood chips pre-wetting and fermentation

For factory production , pay attention to wood chips pre-wetting and fermentation

In factory shiitake log-making with constant-temperature cultivation, pre-wetting and fermentation treatments are necessary, as they result in shiitake log with uniform fruiting, higher yield, and better quality. Compared with fresh wood chips, under the same formula, cultivation conditions, and mushroom variety, fermented wood chips is more conducive to the decomposition, absorption, and transformation of nutrients by shiitake mycelium. This accelerates the growth rate of shiitake mycelium, shortens the mycelium cultivation time, and thereby increases mushroom yield.

 There are many advantages of wood chips pre-wetting and fermentation:

1.During the fermentation process , complex organic substances contained in the wood chips, such as macromolecular substances like cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, are gradually decomposed into small-molecule simple organic substances by microorganisms and their enzymes. These small molecules can be more easily directly absorbed and utilized by shiitake mycelium, allowing the mycelium to obtain more nutrients, accelerating its growth, and shortening the cultivation time.

2. Substances that inhibit the growth of shiitake mycelium are also decomposed during fermentation, reducing the impact of these harmful substances on the mycelium.

3.The fermentation process of wood chips generates high temperatures above 60°C, which can kill most miscellaneous bacteria and insect eggs, reducing the probability of contamination by miscellaneous bacteria.

4.After fermentation, the texture of wood chips becomes loose, and its air permeability and water retention are improved, making it more suitable for the growth of shiitake mycelium.

The specific method for pre-wetting and fermentation of sawdust is quite simple:

• First, pre-wet the fresh sawdust to ensure that each piece of sawdust fully absorbs water.
• Then, pile up the sawdust to allow it to heat up naturally. The size of the pile can be adjusted according to the site size, as long as it is neatly piled to facilitate air circulation.
• In winter, the pile will start to heat up in one week. and in summer, it will heat up in 3 days. After heating, turn the pile every 3-5 days, repeating this 3 times. Fermentation is completed when the wood chips color change from its original red color to blackish gray, actinomycetes appear, and the pile no longer generates heat.

Generally ,The fermentation time is about 13 days in winter and 7 days in summer.

After fermentation, the sterilization time and mycelium cultivation time are correspondingly shortened, which further reduces the cost of shiitake log cultivation.

For factory shiitake log-making with constant-temperature cultivation, wood chips must undergo pre-wetting and fermentation—this is the crucial first step in producing high-quality shiitake logs.

For summer and autumn-planted shiitake logs made by farmers, fermentation is also recommended due to the limited mycelium cultivation time.

However, spring-planted shiitake logs, which need to survive summer and have a longer cultivation period (with no need for rapid mycelium decomposition), can be directly bagged with fresh wood chips without fermentation.