Before you start your microdosing adventure, it's a good idea to first buy all the supplies you need to be self-sufficient.

• Open the growkit and follow the growing instructions included.
• With the right temperature (20-25 °C) the first mushrooms will start growing after about two weeks.
• Put on rubber gloves.
• Open the growkit and follow the growing instructions. 

When you have finished the preparations you can place the grow box on a heating mat. This heating mat is useful for keeping a constant minimum temperature between 20 and 25 °C. When the temperature is lower or higher, it is better to place the grow box on a heating mat. If the temperature is lower or higher, the harvest time can be up to three, sometimes even four weeks.

Tip: For the first two days, place the grow kit with two pencils on the heating mat or put a magazine or thin book between the grow kit and the heating mat. This way the heat is distributed better and gradually can escape. You then avoid boiling the mycelium dry. Don't put the heating mat on the fullest setting. Then after 2 days turn it down again to cause a shock to the mycelium. If there is no moisture on the inside of the bag, water it a little with the sprinkler. Supply the bag with fresh air every day.

The mushrooms come up in groups. This is called a flush. Usually, the mushrooms in a flush are not all ready for picking at the same time. You can get about three flushes from the growkit. The number of flushes depends on how hygienic you work. 

The moment of harvesting is very important, so pay attention! It is better to harvest too early than too late.

• The mushrooms are ripe when the membrane under the cap starts to tear.
• If one mushroom has opened, it is best to harvest everything immediately.
• You can also pick only the mushrooms that are ripe and leave the smallest ones for a while. But the more often you put your hand in the bag, the higher the risk of bacteria in the grow bag.

When you leave the mushrooms for too long, they will drop their spores from the underside of the cap. This can cause spores to appear in your container, the inside of the scalding bag and/or the mushrooms. These spores are not harmful, so there is no need to remove or wash them.

• Wash your hands and arms thoroughly with disinfecting soap and rinse them well with water before picking.
• Always wear rubber gloves.
• Do not breathe into the bag.

Pick the mushrooms by grasping them at the base of the mushroom with two fingers (index finger and thumb) and slowly turning them clockwise until the mushroom comes loose. Never pull a mushroom straight up! This way you damage the mycelium with the risk that you won't be able to grow mushrooms anymore.

• When you've picked the last mushrooms from your flight, you can do the steps to start the process again.
• Fill the container with water, put the lid on and put it in the fridge for 12 hours.
• Through this cold shock you activate the mycelium to produce another flush.
• Keep repeating these steps until there are no more mushrooms growing. 3 to 5 flushes is feasible.
• When for instance the temperature is not right the next flushes will be less.

• Tear the stems and caps of the mushrooms in half. This way you speed up the drying process and prevent mould.
• Lay the mushrooms on a kitchen paper or newspaper. Turn on a ventilator for +/- 2 days, aimed at the mushrooms.

Attention! Preferably don't use any heat sources like heating or microwave for the drying process. The chance that it gets too hot is present. This could destroy the active ingredient psilocybin. The melting point of psilocybin is around 220-228° C, so it will not destroy it too much. You can use an accurate oven to dry the mushrooms. You need to be able to set it to a maximum of 50 degrees. The oven needs to be on for about 48 hours at that temperature before the mushrooms are bone dry. 

The pre-dried mushrooms can be dried further:

• For further drying, use a moisture absorber or oven (Max 50 degrees).
• Put them in a cardboard box and put them on a gauze, colander or sieve above the moisture absorber (not included).
• Close the box.
• Wait until the mushrooms are bone-dry (+/- 3 days).
• Store them in an airtight jar, Tupperware drum or bag, together with all the mushrooms that have been harvested and dried.

Attention! Make sure the mushrooms are bone dry. This prevents mould. When you can 'crack' the mushroom, they are bone dry.

Preferably wait until the last flight has taken place and then grind all the mushrooms into powder with a coffee grinder. It is an important step to grind all the mushrooms together and mix them. The mushrooms and even the different parts of the mushroom can differ in strength. This way you get constant strength.

This way you won't get any surprises while finding your correct microdose. This will lie between 0.10 gr. and 0.40 gr.

Using the scale, take 3 capsules of different quantities: 0.1 gram, 0.2 gram and 0.3 gram. This is done manually.

Important: subtract the weight of the empty capsule from your total weight. With most scales, you put an empty capsule on the scale and press 'Tare'. The scale will then not count the weight of the capsule.

Is this your first time microdosing? Read all about the microdosing routine in the MD notebook or on the website www.microdosinginstitute.com

Capsulate: 

Once you've determined the amount you want to experiment with, make a larger number of capsules. Don't feel like fiddling for long? There is also a handy tool for this, the capsule machine. See microdosing.nl for an instructional film.

It is essential to always weigh the dosage carefully.  If you want to ensure you get the right dose, start with the smallest amount. If you feel that this dose is too low, then take a higher dose on the next microdosing day to feel the difference. This is the only way to get to know your sweet spot!