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kotter


Registered: 01/15/11
Posts: 210
Last seen: 4 years, 9 months
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Storing master slants
#14551407 - 06/02/11 03:31 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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I'm a little puzzled over what I've heard and read so was hoping for clarification. RR suggested avoiding refrigerators due to cycling of the compressor and to store at 34F/1C. Piracetam made a similar comment on refrigerators and small freezer units being a better choice. Elsewhere here someone commented on use of a chest deep freezer for culture storage and another person made comment on someone using liquid nitrogen for long term storage. I'm assuming I need a freezer dedicated for the sole purpose of preserving master slants, that much seems clear to me. It sounds like I want to keep the device near but not below freezing. I'm assuming I can set a small chest deep freeze for not quite freezing but where I want to be sure I am drawing the right conclusions is that I should I avoid actually freezing the slants?
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RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure



Registered: 03/26/03
Posts: 42,214
Loc: Seattle
Last seen: 1 year, 12 days
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Re: Storing master slants [Re: kotter]
#14552019 - 06/02/11 05:50 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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Don't freeze them. I've said to use a mini-fridge, but to place the cultures inside an insulated lunch box to ameliorate the temperature swings. If you can afford a lab refrigerator, so much the better, but most of us have to do with $99 mini-fridges. RR
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
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loucal
Focused on Fungus



Registered: 04/11/11
Posts: 96
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Coincidentally I was just at the store before struggling with the same question. Obviously from previous threads we know that condensation can be an issue due to temperature swings, which RR has kindly given us a solution to a number of times but I would personally like to eliminate those swings if possible. To that end, although far from perfect, you might want to look into 'wine coolers' or chillers. Most of the ones I saw in the store only got down to 46F at best, but a friend of mine has one that we turned on as high as it goes about 4 hours ago and stuck a thermometer in there and he just informed me it's in the 30s and still falling. These things are meant to keep a steady temp, but can get pricey. The ones that only got down to 46F were reasonable, as low as $100 and there was even a cool one with 2 zones (one did 46-56 and the other 56-66) which could have possibly been useful for keeping normal temp strains and warm weather strains separately if the lower one got a little cooler but like I said some do get colder just have to look around. As for the chest freezers that have been mentioned, I actually own one, but ironically the same friend I was referring to before has it and it is filled with frozen fish. Even if I could turn the temp all the way down the frozen stuff inside would surely keep it below freezing, but this particular friend is a refrigeration tech and he couldn't seem to imagine the freezer getting above 32 even on the lowest setting. (maybe he just doesn't want to have to buy me a new one ) Looks like we will be trading chest freezer for wine cooler, so I will try to remember to post in here with an update and let you know the details on the model he has that gets to freezing as well as if cultures can be left in without added insulation in these. I will probably stick with RRs method anyway just to be safe, but it would be good to know how effective these things really are.
Edited by loucal (06/03/11 08:38 PM)
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kotter


Registered: 01/15/11
Posts: 210
Last seen: 4 years, 9 months
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Re: Storing master slants [Re: loucal]
#14555555 - 06/03/11 12:59 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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Thanks for all of that information. They went into an insulated lunch box when first reading that suggestion in another thread. I also located a small chest freezer for $182 delivered that appears to be able hold a consistent temperature without actually freezing them. http://www.amazon.com/Danby-DCF401W-CHEST-FREEZER/dp/B000UVWVR4 I greatly appreciate all of the advice.
Edited by kotter (06/04/11 07:47 AM)
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vvitchdoctor
El Duderino


Registered: 05/16/11
Posts: 104
Last seen: 11 years, 10 days
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Re: Storing master slants [Re: kotter]
#14555603 - 06/03/11 01:12 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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dunno about mycelium, but it works great for brewery yeast master slants - been keeping mine that way for 3 years now... no problems.
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