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Fischer
Teonanacatalyst


Registered: 06/03/10
Posts: 565
Loc: Downunder
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What type of commercial agar is most suitable?
#17424279 - 12/20/12 08:16 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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I'm starting to really get stuck into agar work and would like to get some pre-made powdered medium rather than messing around with potatoes/dextrose/yeast/whatever.
Unfortunately, my lab supply place says they can get anything I want, but don't keep a catalogue and won't tell me everything they can get because there are just too many varieties.
What is the most suitable commercial agar medium for mycology? Basic nutrient agar, LB agar or perhaps there is a selective agar that is well suited to mushroom mycelium?
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36fuckin5
Alchemycologist


Registered: 08/11/03
Posts: 12,091
Loc: Diving into Mystical Territori...
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: Fischer]
#17425460 - 12/21/12 12:00 AM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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MEA.
-------------------- Pat The Bunny said: A punk rock song won't ever change the world, but I can tell you about a couple that changed me. bodhisatta said: i recommend common sense and figuring it out. These are the TEKs I use. They're all as cheap and easy as possible, just like your mom.
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OICU812
NC Tree Farm owner



Registered: 11/06/11
Posts: 1,064
Loc: Foothills of NC
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: 36fuckin5]
#17425909 - 12/21/12 03:24 AM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Stamets has a good agar mix, follow directions on the bottle and just add water.
-------------------- -------------- "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" --Benjamin Franklin "Those who give up liberty for security won't have, or deserve, either.". . . Benjamin Franklin ----> Read: The Fight of our Lives - Defeating the Ideological War Against the West - by Victor Davis Hanson
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Fischer
Teonanacatalyst


Registered: 06/03/10
Posts: 565
Loc: Downunder
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: OICU812]
#17426167 - 12/21/12 05:12 AM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Cheers guys, MEA it is.
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stevoblue

Registered: 08/01/12
Posts: 80
Loc: CASCADIA
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: Fischer]
#17429478 - 12/21/12 07:50 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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I second Stamets MEA. You can buy it with or without antibiotics. google fungiperfecti
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Fischer
Teonanacatalyst


Registered: 06/03/10
Posts: 565
Loc: Downunder
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: stevoblue]
#17429627 - 12/21/12 08:19 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Are the antibiotics worth it? Any downsides (besides cost, I imagine?)
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OICU812
NC Tree Farm owner



Registered: 11/06/11
Posts: 1,064
Loc: Foothills of NC
Last seen: 3 years, 7 months
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: Fischer]
#17429748 - 12/21/12 08:39 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Fischer said: Are the antibiotics worth it? Any downsides (besides cost, I imagine?)
Don't use antibiotics unless you have bacterial contamination. They will not work on fungal contaminates. I keep a small amount on hand for hot pours over infected plates only.
-------------------- -------------- "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" --Benjamin Franklin "Those who give up liberty for security won't have, or deserve, either.". . . Benjamin Franklin ----> Read: The Fight of our Lives - Defeating the Ideological War Against the West - by Victor Davis Hanson
Edited by OICU812 (12/21/12 08:39 PM)
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Amanita virosa
botanist by day



Registered: 12/04/11
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: Fischer]
#17449968 - 12/26/12 10:26 AM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Keep in mind that you should switch up your agar substrate over time to keep your strains on their toes. I switch up about every two months. Also very easy to make ur own once you get addicted to messing with it. My fav right now is DFA. Simple 20 grams agar 20grams lassie dog food pulverized in a coffee grinder. Works crazy good
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Fischer
Teonanacatalyst


Registered: 06/03/10
Posts: 565
Loc: Downunder
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: Amanita virosa]
#17450960 - 12/26/12 02:58 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Cheers.
Last batch I made up was 1tsp Marmite, 1tsp Agar powder, 250ml water. Works alright I think, but I'm wondering whether it's selectively growing a contaminant =/
If anyone can be bothered looking, I've got a thread up here:
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/17450954/vc/1#17450954
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OICU812
NC Tree Farm owner



Registered: 11/06/11
Posts: 1,064
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Last seen: 3 years, 7 months
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: Fischer]
#17451225 - 12/26/12 04:13 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Bookmark FastFred's Media Cookbook, it's an oldie but a goodie!
One of the agar mixtures I'm having good success with is:
MEPBA - Malt Extract soy Protein Brown rice flour Agar
20g Extra light malt extract 2g Soy protein powder 5g Brown rice flour 20g Agar 500 ml H2O
I make a different agar almost every time I pour a sleeve (20 plates) and then put them in a gallon ziplock. When I am working a new strain, I will select one or two plates from four or five different formulations. I can then watch the progress of the mycelium as it grows on multiple agar formulas at the same time. This method allows me to select the best agar substrate for production of a particular strain.
-------------------- -------------- "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" --Benjamin Franklin "Those who give up liberty for security won't have, or deserve, either.". . . Benjamin Franklin ----> Read: The Fight of our Lives - Defeating the Ideological War Against the West - by Victor Davis Hanson
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Tmethyl
Smear in the shale


Registered: 07/16/12
Posts: 16,431
Loc: Florida
Last seen: 1 year, 7 months
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: OICU812]
#17456647 - 12/27/12 05:15 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
OICU812 said: Stamets has a good agar mix, follow directions on the bottle and just add water.
This stuff works very well, and the price is fair.
-------------------- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Sillyputty67

Registered: 10/06/12
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Loc: Netherlands
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: Tmethyl]
#17460247 - 12/28/12 10:08 AM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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I just got into agar. I like to do small batches at a time. 250ml water. 5 grams light dry malt extract. 5 grams agar. This is enough to pour 7 standard petri's. I do it in a standard widemouth jar with an SFD.
This works flawlessly for me. Its easy breezy. The longest part is the pressure cook. I do mine for 30 min, where others do less.
Ive been using "molecule R" agar. Its designated for food chemistry, but it works great for plates. 35$ per pound on ebay.
Edited by Sillyputty67 (12/28/12 10:10 AM)
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ProfessorPinHead
Trapped in the Archives....




Registered: 07/09/10
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: Sillyputty67]
#17482028 - 01/01/13 05:10 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Tic gums offers the highest grade agar around. John holiday referred me to them a year ago and I would never switch after trying their product. The only problem is they only sell in bulk. Fifty pound bag minimums.
They do have a shopping page where they sell restaurant supply volume. I believe it is 25 bucks for a half pound..
The one they sell in the small volume is a no boil agar meaning you don't need to boil it when mixing before loading. You just keep an eye in it and when the thermometer reads 180 degrees your good to load it in the pc.
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Tmethyl
Smear in the shale


Registered: 07/16/12
Posts: 16,431
Loc: Florida
Last seen: 1 year, 7 months
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: ProfessorPinHead]
#17482066 - 01/01/13 05:18 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
ProfessorPinHead said: Fifty pound bag minimums.
Holy... what?
-------------------- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Fischer
Teonanacatalyst


Registered: 06/03/10
Posts: 565
Loc: Downunder
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: ProfessorPinHead]
#17482162 - 01/01/13 05:41 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
ProfessorPinHead said: Tic gums offers the highest grade agar around. John holiday referred me to them a year ago and I would never switch after trying their product. The only problem is they only sell in bulk. Fifty pound bag minimums.
They do have a shopping page where they sell restaurant supply volume. I believe it is 25 bucks for a half pound..
The one they sell in the small volume is a no boil agar meaning you don't need to boil it when mixing before loading. You just keep an eye in it and when the thermometer reads 180 degrees your good to load it in the pc.
Cheers Professor, can you clarify which particular product?
They list the following:
TIC Pretested® Agar Agar 100 FCC/NF Powder TIC Pretested® Agar Agar 100-44 HG TIC Pretested® Agar Agar 150 FCC/NF Powder TIC Pretested® Agar RS-100 Powder
Agaroid® RS-30 Powder Agaroid® RS-500 Powder Agaroid® RS-507 Powder Agaroid® RS-520 Powder Agaroid® RS-575 Powder
I'm assuming that this is just the agar itself and still requires a nutrient base? (The vegemite agar is proving to be awesome; I opened a plate and waved it around the room for twenty seconds and have only gotten one small satellite colony of contam, but it grows P. Galindoi myc just fine)
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ProfessorPinHead
Trapped in the Archives....




Registered: 07/09/10
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: Fischer]
#17482218 - 01/01/13 05:54 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Yea. That still requires an addition if nutrients which is good because you might want to want to switch them up like previously mentioned up thread.
You want the 'pretested agar RS-100' powder if you want the no boil. It is a bit more expensive.
The alternative is the 'pretested agar agar 100 FCC/NF powder.'
It is just as good and a bit cheaper but requires 212f to melt...
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Fischer
Teonanacatalyst


Registered: 06/03/10
Posts: 565
Loc: Downunder
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: ProfessorPinHead]
#17482345 - 01/01/13 06:28 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Cheers Prof.
There's a local agent, so I'll hit them up and see how much I need to buy -eek-
Thanks so much for the assistance.
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ProfessorPinHead
Trapped in the Archives....




Registered: 07/09/10
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: Fischer]
#17482383 - 01/01/13 06:34 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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Not a problem brother. Anytime
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Jeff
Addict



Registered: 10/06/12
Posts: 1,488
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: ProfessorPinHead]
#17482410 - 01/01/13 06:41 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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It's good stuff.
-------------------- Myco-tek
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Terry M
Stranger in a Strange Land



Registered: 06/18/10
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Re: What type of commercial agar is most suitable? [Re: Jeff]
#17482853 - 01/01/13 08:02 PM (11 years, 4 months ago) |
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What's the practical difference in agar grade for growing mycelium on a petri dish? Is grade simply purity of the agar?
-------------------- Liberté, égalité, humidité.
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