Soaking comes first. The farmer folder keeps chaffed straw in gunny bags under clean water for at least 6 hours; the 2011 manual gives 8 to 16 hours. The straw must be wet through, not wet outside.
Then kill the competitors. The folder method is hot water: the filled bag goes into boiling water for 40 minutes, and the water must keep boiling the whole time. The manual states the same 40 minutes at 80 to 90 C. On a larger unit, steam raises the substrate to 65 C for 5 to 6 hours.