Contamination. It is arguably the most infuriating aspect when it comes to growing mushrooms. Mushroom growing is an extremely delicate process because it is so easy to fail in the early stages, and not know about the failure until the later stages. Just a small amount of contamination can completely ruin the grow process. This is where flow hoods, and still air boxes, also known as SABs, are useful. While both very different, they are attempting to fulfill the same goal. That goal is to keep the chance of contamination as low as possible.

Sterile Technique

Sterilization is absolutely crucial when you are preparing to grow mushrooms. Examples include spraying your workplace and your hands (use gloves!) with alcohol, to using a fire source to heat sterilize injection needles. There are many countermeasures one can make to prevent contamination. In the next section, we will discuss tools you can use for better sterile technique.

3. Flow Hoods

First up, flow hoods. There are a few variations, such as laminar flow hoods. However, laminar flow hoods are generally very expensive so hobbyists often make do with simple HEPA filters that honestly get the job done well (often times they are DIY projects.) Flow hoods are great because the flow of constant, clean air ensures that your workspace is as clean as possible. Frankly, flow hoods are the most reliable and best choice if you have a high budget, but generally not recommended for casual hobbyists because of their high price tag. Our lab utilizes several flow hoods for our products, ranging from our mushroom products to our agar petri dishes. Ultimately, if you have the funds for a flow hood then it would be our #1 recommendation. However, this blog is a more general recommendation list.

2. HEPA Filters

Utilizing HEPA filters are a popular choice because they are affordable and fairly easy to implement into a DIY project. HEPA filters are simple but ingenious, they are filled with fibers that particles hit on their way through the filter, this makes it difficult for the particles to reach the end of the filter. Imagine you are baking and sieving flour, the same concept applies to HEPA filters, except they remove nearly all particles. They may not be perfect, and there is room for error, but they do a very good job.   

1. Still Air Box

The Still Air Box, our top recommendation for most casual mycologists. While it is true that the two previously mentioned recommendations are more effective, they are much more expensive, and this list is more towards the casual hobbyist. The concept of the still air box seems weird since we have been talking about airflow being of upmost importance. However, still air boxes want zero airflow. The goal is the keep the clean air inside the SAB for as long as possible. Before using a SAB it is crucial to sterilize the area within the SAB, as well as sterilizing your hands (make sure to use gloves!) SABs are great because they are inexpensive and portable. Similar to many fruiting chambers, they are generally DIY projects that utilize simple, easily obtainable objects such as plastic bins. There are many tutorials that show the process of creating one, but often times simply purchasing a premade SAB is recommended for those without the tools for a DIY project.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, there are a number of options mycologists have when deciding on a choice for what kind of sanitary air boxes they wish to use. It all really depends on one’s budget. If you are a grower and are not utilizing a SAB, we highly encourage you to use one. It is basically guaranteed that you will experience less contamination and more consistent growth. This also leads to more beautiful and healthy mushrooms! Thank you for reading this far, if you are interested in some of our mushroom products please check out the following products! Our All in One Mushroom Grow Bag, Coco Coir Substrate, and Grain Bags are our most popular mushroom-related products and are sure to be helpful in your mushroom growing adventure!