How to Automate a DIY Monotub | Adding Fan, Humidifier, & More | Monotub Tek | (Part 2)

Since the mid-2000s, the monotub tech  has continued to be one of the most popular and effective methods  for growing mushrooms indoors. Designed to be both an incubation  space and a fruiting chamber, no transfers and no special equipment  is needed from inoculation to first flush. Because the classic monotub design uses  passive air exchange through filtered holes, CO2 can build up inside the tub and limit the  grower to species that can tolerate higher CO2 concentrations.

This makes it nearly  impossible to grow a number of of delicious edible species that are very sensitive and need  abundant fresh air in order to grow properly. There's a way that you can modify  your monotub to accommodate species previously excluded from the monotub  tech. In this video, I'm going to show you how to modify your homemade tub so you  can grow even more species of mushrooms.

If you're experimenting with new species or  just want to grow edible mushrooms like the Blue Oyster, Black King (Black Pearl), or Lion's  Mane, you'll want to consider adding a fresh air exchange fan and humidifier to your tub.  Even if you're only working with CO2 tolerant species like the medicinal mushrooms most often  associated with monotub cultivation, you'll want to consider modifying your tub with some of these  automated systems as a way to be more hands-off. All of this comes down to what mushroom  species you want to grow and what environmental conditions they require to reach  maturity.

These environmental conditions include fresh air exchange, humidity, light, and  temperature. When it comes to monotubs, humidity and fresh air can be managed  by installing a fan and humidifier. If you don't have either you can also introduce  more fresh air by removing filter patches, but this can lead to increased moisture  loss so you'll need to mist to compensate.

Temperature is a very important  variable that should be monitored closely. It can greatly affect how a  mushroom species grows or if it will grow at all. Light informs the direction  of fruiting and color of fruiting bodies, it can also help mushrooms produce certain  chemical compounds such as vitamin D.

Each of these variables is critical, but keep  in mind that genetics and substrate play an important role too. Clean substrate with the  right nutrients and vibrant genetics will make a huge difference no matter what you're  growing. The modifications I'm going to show you are specific to fruiting mushrooms  as opposed to incubating substrate and should only be used once your substrate  has fully colonized.

I'll say that again, only modify your tub's conditions when your  substrate is ready to fruit. You'll know your monotub is colonized and ready to fruit when  it's fully covered with dense mycelium, so make sure that if you plan on using automated systems  keep them off while your monotubs are colonizing. Today I'm using North Spore's FAE min fan  which comes with its own speed controller.

It's meant to fit over 2 inch, holes but  you could potentially make it work with other monotub designs too. As you can see, it  has four screw holes on each corner which I'll use to mount to the side of this monotub. For  this, you'll want to use a 9/64 inch drill bit.

I also have a repeat cycle timer which will  allow me to control when the fan turns on and for how long. Certain species don't need as much  air flow and you can dial in their exact needs using a cycle timer. This cycle timer is optional  but it can be useful for anyone who wants to be more conservative with fresh air flow.

Pumping  less air into your tub means that you won't need to have your humidifier running as frequently  and it also lengthens the lifespan of your fan. This plugs into the wall and can be controlled by  these dials here once you've connected your fan. Before installing your fan, double check that the North Spore logo is facing out.

This  will push air into the tub, not out, to create a positive pressure system.  The reason I'm using a positive system, rather than a negative which would be pumping  air outside of the tub, is to reduce the amount of spores entering my living space. I'm going to  remove the top filter patch and use painters tape to secure the fan over the hole.

From here I'm  going to use my drill bit to mark each corner. I can now remove the fan and puncture these  holes using a drill. Lastly, I can secure my fan to my monotub.

Make sure to place the screen  on the back side of the fan before installing. I'm also going to plug my fan into the cycle  timer and test my system to make sure everything is functioning properly. Alternatively, if  you don't want a fan you could remove the filter patches to introduce more fresh  oxygen-rich air to circulate within the tub.

Which filters you remove and how many will  depend on the environmental conditions and what you're growing. By doing this you'll just want  to make sure that your substrate doesn't dry out. More TLC is required since you may have  to spray it with water several times a day.

If you decide to use a fan for fresh  air exchange you'll also want to add a humidifier. That's because as you pump fresh  air into the tub, you're reducing those ambient humidity levels with drier outside air and  this will quickly dry out your substrate. This MycoMister mini humidifier comes  with a hose and hose connector which you can attach to the side of your monotub  by removing one of these filter patches.

Humidity tends to build up  in this area of the hose, to the point where it can create a water  plug. If your humidity is running frequently, you can use some tape or one of these  suction cups to secure the hose to the top. Another option is to place the humidifier below your tub so excess moisture will  drain back into the humidifier.

Now that my humidifier is attached to my  monotub, I'm going to set up my humidity controller. This humidity controller also comes  with a sensor which monitors the ambient humidity inside the tub and signals the humidifier  when to turn on and off. I found that the best way to place the humidity sensor inside  a monotub is to cut a small slit in one of the filter patches on the short ends of the tub  and fit it through the hole to the other side.

Once it's all set up and your humidifier  is full of water, you want your humidity controller to read around 80 - 90%. This is  the ideal humidity for mushroom formation. During pinning, humidity levels should be  higher but please be careful about excess condensation as it can cause pooling and stress  your equipment.

Also remember that temperature affects how condensation occurs. The air can  hold more moisture at higher temperatures and less at lower temperatures. If your growing  space is too cold, your MycoMister won't be able to humidify your tub to the parameters set on  your humidity controller.

It will be impossible. If you see excessive pooling or  condensation, it may signal that you either need need to increase the  ambient temperature inside your tub or you should lower your humidity parameters  to account for the cooler temperatures. Mushrooms don't photosynthesize but they are  photosensitive and certain species require ambient light in order to fruit properly.

Full  spectrum light encourages vegetative growth, primordial formation, the production of vitamin D, and pigmentation. Light also provides a clear  direction for the mushroom to grow towards. If you're growing mushrooms in a dark area such  as a closet, you can add artificial lighting.

There are studies that suggest photosensitive  fungi are stimulated by certain wavelengths of light. Consider purchasing an LED that  allows you to change the color temperature so you have more control over the lighting  spectrum. With that being said, lighting needs including light intensity, spectrum, and  duration will vary from species to species.

Beyond bulk substrate, you can use monotubs to  grow fruiting blocks for fruiting species that require higher levels of fresh air exchange  such as oyster mushrooms. Just cut an X in the block and place it inside the bin. Make sure  your systems are on, and you're ready to grow!

If you're not using the automated system,  you can still grow species like shiitake. You want to remove the block from the bag, remove  a couple filters, and mist with water regularly. Thank you for watching this video! 

Feel free to let us know what you think about the monotub tech in the comments.  We appreciate your feedback and look forward to creating more video content surrounding  mushroom cultivation and education. So stay tuned and don't forget to hit that  subscribe button to support our channel.