Grow kits
The Makilla Gorilla grow kit is a pre-colonised, ready-to-fruit cultivation bag that produces one of the most visually striking and potent Psilocybe cubensis strains available. A cross between Melmac Penis Envy and Albino Penis Envy genetics, Makilla Gorilla delivers dense, heavy fruits with above-average psilocybin concentration — and you don't need a single piece of extra equipment to get started. Open the bag, place it somewhere warm, and your first pins should appear within 7–10 days.
Most potent strains are fussy. They want precise humidity, sterile grain transfers, and a grower who's already lost a batch or two to contamination. The Makilla Gorilla grow kit sidesteps all of that. The substrate arrives 100% colonised — mycelium has already done its work — so you skip the inoculation stage entirely. No syringes, no pressure cookers, no glove boxes. You're essentially picking up the process at the finish line.
What makes this strain worth the effort (or in this case, the lack of effort) is the genetics. Melmac Penis Envy is already known for above-average potency and unusual, bulbous fruit shapes. Cross that with Albino Penis Envy — one of the strongest cubensis varieties around — and you get Makilla Gorilla: thick-stemmed, often wavy-capped mushrooms that look like they belong in a nature documentary. The fruits tend to be shorter and denser than your standard Golden Teacher, with a slightly rubbery texture when fresh. They bruise a deep blue almost instantly when handled, which tells you something about the psilocybin content.
Compared to a standard Golden Teacher grow kit, expect fewer but heavier individual fruits. Where a GT kit might give you a forest of thin stems, Makilla Gorilla produces a smaller cluster of absolute units. If you're after sheer visual drama and intensity per gram, this is the one we'd pick over a beginner-friendly strain every time.
The bag contains everything you need. No accessories to buy separately, no substrate to mix.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Species | Psilocybe cubensis |
| Genetics | Melmac Penis Envy x Albino Penis Envy |
| Substrate | 100% pre-colonised, nutrient-rich |
| Ambient Temperature | 21–25°C |
| Lighting | 18–20 hours indirect light daily |
| Time to First Pins | 7–10 days |
| First Full Harvest | 2–4 weeks |
| Expected Flushes | 2–3 per bag |
| Prep Required | 0 steps — open and place |
| SKU | SH0245 |
We've watched a lot of first-time growers come through the shop over the past 25 years. The number one reason people fail with mushroom cultivation isn't contamination — it's impatience. They open the lid too often, mist too aggressively, or try to "help" the mycelium along. This grow bag is specifically designed to resist that impulse. The bag itself maintains humidity. You don't open it to check. You don't spray inside. You wait.
The second thing we notice: temperature matters more than people think. At 21°C, you'll see pins in about 10 days. Drop below 18°C and the mycelium stalls — it won't die, but it'll sit there doing nothing for weeks. We've had customers email us saying "nothing's happening" and the answer is almost always a cold room. A simple thermometer next to the bag saves a lot of worry. If your flat runs cold, a seedling heat mat underneath (set to 23°C, not higher) sorts it out.
One honest limitation: the first flush from Makilla Gorilla tends to be the strongest in terms of both weight and potency. The second flush is still worthwhile, and some growers get a decent third. But don't expect flush three to match flush one — that's normal for any PE-derived strain, not a fault with the kit.
If you're deciding between this and a Golden Teacher kit, here's the honest comparison.
| Feature | Makilla Gorilla | Golden Teacher |
|---|---|---|
| Genetics | Melmac PE x Albino PE | Classic cubensis |
| Potency | High (PE lineage) | Moderate |
| Fruit Appearance | Dense, thick, often wavy caps | Tall, slender, golden caps |
| Yield Per Flush | Fewer, heavier fruits | More numerous, lighter fruits |
| Beginner Suitability | Easy to grow, strong results | Easy to grow, milder results |
| Flushes | 2–3 | 3–4 |
Golden Teacher is the safe bet — reliable, forgiving, and mild enough for a first-timer who wants to ease in. Makilla Gorilla is for the grower who already knows they want intensity. The cultivation difficulty is the same (both are pre-colonised, both need the same temperature range), but the end product is a different animal entirely. Gram for gram, Makilla Gorilla hits considerably harder.
Complete your setup with a seedling heat mat if your room sits below 21°C — consistent temperature is the single biggest factor in a successful flush. A digital thermometer/hygrometer combo is also worth grabbing so you can monitor conditions without opening the bag.
This is genuinely one of the simplest cultivation processes you'll encounter. The entire method takes about 3 minutes of active work.
The Makilla Gorilla grow kit needs 21–25°C ambient temperature and 18–20 hours of indirect light per day. That's it. No humidity tent, no fanning schedule, no misting routine during colonisation. The bag's built-in filter patch handles fresh air exchange, and the sealed environment maintains humidity around the substrate.
If you're growing in winter or in a particularly draughty flat, a heat mat set to 22–23°C underneath the bag makes a measurable difference. We've seen growers go from "nothing after 3 weeks" to pins within 8 days just by adding consistent bottom heat. Don't use a radiator — the heat is too uneven and dries the air around the bag.
For lighting, a standard desk lamp on a timer works fine. You're not powering photosynthesis here — the light is a directional cue that tells the mycelium which way is "up." LED, fluorescent, whatever you've got. Just not direct sunlight, which overheats the bag.
Your first full harvest from this Makilla Gorilla grow kit should arrive within 2–4 weeks of setup. The fruits are ready when the caps are still convex — slightly domed, not yet flattened. If you see dark spore deposits on the caps below, you've waited a touch too long. Not a disaster, but the mushrooms are at peak potency just before the veil beneath the cap tears.
After your first harvest, expect 2–3 total flushes from the bag. The first flush is almost always the largest. We typically see the second flush produce about 60–70% of the first flush's weight, and a third flush (if it comes) around 30–40%. Each flush takes 1–2 weeks to develop after the previous harvest.
Between flushes, a light misting of the substrate surface with clean water helps rehydrate the cake. Don't soak it — a few sprays from a clean mister bottle is enough. Fold the bag back up and wait.
Makilla Gorilla is a Psilocybe cubensis strain created by crossing Melmac Penis Envy with Albino Penis Envy. It produces dense, thick-stemmed mushrooms with notably high psilocybin content. The fruits often have wavy, irregular caps and bruise deep blue when handled.
No. The bag arrives fully colonised and self-contained. The only things that genuinely help are a thermometer (to confirm you're in the 21–25°C range) and optionally a heat mat if your room runs cold. No misting inside the bag, no extra tubs, no perlite.
First pins typically appear within 7–10 days. Full-sized mushrooms ready for harvest arrive within 2–4 weeks of placing the bag. Temperature is the biggest variable — colder rooms slow things down considerably.
Expect 2–3 flushes per bag. The first flush produces the most weight. Subsequent flushes are smaller but still worthwhile. Lightly mist the substrate between flushes to rehydrate.
A light meal 2–3 hours beforehand is generally better than a full stomach or an empty one. A full stomach delays onset and can increase nausea. Completely empty can make the onset feel abrupt. Something light — toast, a banana — gives you a baseline without slowing absorption too much.
Significantly more potent. Makilla Gorilla carries double Penis Envy lineage (Melmac PE x Albino PE), which places it well above Golden Teacher in psilocybin concentration. If your usual dose with Golden Teacher is 2g dried, start with roughly half that amount for Makilla Gorilla and adjust from there.
The bag contains a fully colonised substrate block with a built-in filter patch for gas exchange. No additional components are needed. You don't receive a separate tub, perlite, or paperclip — the bag is the entire kit.
Keep the bag at 21–25°C. Below 18°C and the mycelium stalls. Above 28°C and you risk contamination from competing organisms that thrive in warmth. A stable 22–23°C is the sweet spot we see the best results at.
Last updated: April 2026
Medical disclaimer. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before use of any substance.
