INSTRUCTIONS How to test psilocybin (magic mushrooms)?

How to test magic mushrooms?

Analysing mushrooms is confusing. Fungi contain hundreds of chemicals, some of which cause false positive results for psilocybin, the main active psychedelic ingredient. For reliable results we recommend to use a lab analysis service, but if it’s not available try the following two simple methods:

  • Bruising
  • Observation
 

The best test for psilocybin (magic mushrooms)

The most reliable simple way to check if mushrooms contain psilocybin is to pinch them when they are not fully dried and see if any blue bruising appears.

Apart from bruising, other two distinct characteristics of psilocybe mushroom species are:

  1. They have a veil around their gills when growing

  2. Purple-brown spores that leave distinct prints

Testing psychedelic mushrooms

Psilocibe mushrooms bruising

Source: shroomery.org

Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) test kit

Unfortunately contrary to popular belief (and some false advertising) Ehrlich reagent, the most popular test for “shrooms” is NOT specific to psilocybin (or psilocin). Ehrlich reacts with a pink color change to all indoles, such as psilocybin, but also other alkaloids, like tryptophan. This means that non psychoactive mushrooms can produce false positive results with Ehrlich reagent.

False positives are usually not a dead end but there are no good follow-up reagent tests for plants or fungi.

Testing mushrooms with Ehrlich reagent

White button reacting with Ehrlich

Unground white buttom mushroom reacting with Ehrlich reagent for 10 minutes

Reagents presumptively indicate PRESENCE, but not PURITY or QUANTITY. To detect all ingredients and estimate potency it’s required to use an additional purity test kitA positive or negative test result does not indicate if the substance is safe. No substance is 100% safe.