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God Stamet
wannabe Stamets


Registered: 07/01/12
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bacti cinerator question
#19345744 - 12/30/13 10:31 AM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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are these things worth it for a small scale hobbyist? can you heat a scalpel with them or just inoculating loops? do they heat quicker than a alcohol flame lamp? if so how much quicker? do any of you guys use one?
-------------------- I have caught the Mycology bug! Not just here for the ride, i'm here for life. How I do my bulk substrate just another mushroom capsule TEK
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drake89
Mushroom Magnate



Registered: 06/26/11
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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: God Stamet]
#19346458 - 12/30/13 02:05 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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maybe yes yes. mostly if you have a flow hood.
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OICU812
NC Tree Farm owner


Registered: 11/06/11
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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: drake89]
#19348471 - 12/30/13 08:39 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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I use a bacti-zapper (same product, different company). According to the manual, sterilization takes 8 seconds. Yes, I sterilize my scalpels, loops, hemostats, etc.
One thing RR pointed out a while back, they do generate quite a bit of heat, so summertime operation in a small un-airconditioned closet would be difficult. You pretty much need a continuous temperature controlled air flow.
-------------------- -------------- "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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God Stamet
wannabe Stamets


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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: OICU812]
#19348691 - 12/30/13 09:23 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
OICU812 said: I use a bacti-zapper (same product, different company). According to the manual, sterilization takes 8 seconds. Yes, I sterilize my scalpels, loops, hemostats, etc.
One thing RR pointed out a while back, they do generate quite a bit of heat, so summertime operation in a small un-airconditioned closet would be difficult. You pretty much need a continuous temperature controlled air flow.

thank you that's what I needed to know. my area has AC, I turn it off before I work of course but it stays cool in there. seems worth it, I'm gonna keep an eye out for a cheap one on e bay. thanks again
-------------------- I have caught the Mycology bug! Not just here for the ride, i'm here for life. How I do my bulk substrate just another mushroom capsule TEK
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God Stamet
wannabe Stamets


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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: God Stamet]
#19348727 - 12/30/13 09:33 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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the more I think about it I start to change my mind. we wipe our scalpels off with alcohol soaked paper towels in between transfers. sticking it in that thing after probably would end bad. plus it says in the description HERE not to use scalpels in it. I probably should have looked it up and read about it first but I wanted to see if anyone was using them or not. bactizapper is way cheaper than the bacti cinerator brand. almost half price
-------------------- I have caught the Mycology bug! Not just here for the ride, i'm here for life. How I do my bulk substrate just another mushroom capsule TEK
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Jeff
Addict



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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: God Stamet]
#19350849 - 12/31/13 11:48 AM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Scalpels can damage the element if you are careless. That's why the company tells you not to in the literature. That being said, I have used one to sterilize my scalpels for two years now and have not had an issue. I also wipe scalpels clean with alcohol prior to putting it in the bacti, again not an issue. They are a handy little tool.
-------------------- Myco-tek
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SnowArcher
Hood Rat


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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: Jeff]
#19351076 - 12/31/13 12:56 PM (10 years, 30 days ago) |
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I keep one inside my vertical flowhood & would never go back to a flame (for one thing I have to go outside of the hood to flame). Works great for scalpels and loops. I don't use scalpels around the horizontal hood but it seems that it would still make a lot of sense.
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God Stamet
wannabe Stamets


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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: SnowArcher]
#19351118 - 12/31/13 01:11 PM (10 years, 30 days ago) |
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do you just have to be careful not to stab the bottom with the sharp end of the scalpel when inserting it?
-------------------- I have caught the Mycology bug! Not just here for the ride, i'm here for life. How I do my bulk substrate just another mushroom capsule TEK
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Jeff
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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: God Stamet]
#19351123 - 12/31/13 01:12 PM (10 years, 30 days ago) |
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Exactly.
-------------------- Myco-tek
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SnowArcher
Hood Rat


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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: Jeff]
#19419474 - 01/14/14 08:23 PM (10 years, 16 days ago) |
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For people searching with the same question
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fractaldill
Cultivator in Training

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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: SnowArcher]
#19419765 - 01/14/14 09:22 PM (10 years, 16 days ago) |
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whats the fire hazard like on these things?
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OICU812
NC Tree Farm owner


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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: fractaldill]
#19421253 - 01/15/14 04:41 AM (10 years, 16 days ago) |
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Aloha uses them. I bought mine two years ago after returning from Carson City. Compared to open flame they are much safer. I regularly insert alcohol-dipped scalpels into mine and at most I get a brief "poof" from the burn-off. They are made to contain brief flame-ups from material being burned during the sterilization of instruments.
Unlike an open flame, it heats all around the instrument and a length of about 40mm contemporaneously. The literature accompanying the device claims surface sterilization in 8 seconds. I like it much better and feel a lot safer than using an open flame.
Two caveats: - Do not use them inside a still air/glove box because they generate too much heat;
- Because they generate a fair amount of heat, use inside a small un-air conditioned lab (like a closet) in the summertime could be uncomfortable.
-------------------- -------------- "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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drake89
Mushroom Magnate



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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: OICU812]
#19422053 - 01/15/14 09:46 AM (10 years, 16 days ago) |
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they are a life-saver if you do a lot of agar work, cause it doesn't run out of fuel. and there is no flame to blow out in front of your hood.
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Hashbuble
Mycocentric Mutha Fucker


Registered: 08/24/11
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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: drake89]
#19422069 - 01/15/14 09:51 AM (10 years, 16 days ago) |
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I have one, and I love it!
-------------------- The mushrooms just keep following me
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SnowArcher
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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: Hashbuble]
#19423715 - 01/15/14 04:42 PM (10 years, 15 days ago) |
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Well worth the purchase!!! Scalpels take a few seconds vs ??? with a flame, which is going to be outside of your sterile environment anyway... I don't see any heat/fire issues, but am using it in my vertical hood (where I do agar & lc work). I used to switch blades between transfers because it was faster than a flame and they only cost a few cents, but these are MUCH easier.
On a side note, I typically cool the scalpel blade on the agar that the transfer is going to, at the farthest point away from the transfer. This probably isn't necessary, but will tell me if any contam in that transfer came from the scalpel and isolates the contam to that section of the dish. It also keeps me from contaminating the scalpel from an agar plate used just for cooling. That being said, I haven't seen any contam from the blade since I switched over to this thing.
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SnowArcher
Hood Rat


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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: SnowArcher]
#19423726 - 01/15/14 04:44 PM (10 years, 15 days ago) |
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Oh - and invest (lol seems like a funny word for something that costs $2) in a few scalpels that you can switch between if doing a lot of work - the handles get hot!
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Jeff
Addict



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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: SnowArcher]
#19424576 - 01/15/14 08:02 PM (10 years, 15 days ago) |
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Or cool them down on a paper towel soaked with alcohol. I try and do that every three or so transfers. Helps to get rid of the remnants too. No sense cooking a bit of agar or myc on to your scalpel.
-------------------- Myco-tek
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God Stamet
wannabe Stamets


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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: Jeff]
#19424842 - 01/15/14 08:53 PM (10 years, 15 days ago) |
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am I crazy to say it only takes 10 seconds to get a scalpel red hot with a flame?? I figure it takes at least 8 seconds with a bacti. also by the time I'm cooling it in my receiving dish it's still red hot so I'm not too worried about moving it from the flame to my work area. is there that much of a difference??
-------------------- I have caught the Mycology bug! Not just here for the ride, i'm here for life. How I do my bulk substrate just another mushroom capsule TEK
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OICU812
NC Tree Farm owner


Registered: 11/06/11
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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: God Stamet]
#19426443 - 01/16/14 06:39 AM (10 years, 15 days ago) |
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Quote:
God Stamet said: am I crazy to say it only takes 10 seconds to get a scalpel red hot with a flame?? I figure it takes at least 8 seconds with a bacti. also by the time I'm cooling it in my receiving dish it's still red hot so I'm not too worried about moving it from the flame to my work area. is there that much of a difference??
The scalpel does not get "red hot" in 10 seconds, but the entire surface area that is immersed in the heating zone of a Bacti will reach sterilization temperature in that length of time.
With a flame, you need to heat the scalpel red hot to insure all surfaces not in contact with the flame are sterilized.
The Bacti-Zapper/cinerator devices, when properly used, will give you a scalpel that is sterile without heating the handle as much. That being said, if you are busy and forget to take a scalpel out of the Bacti-Zapper/cinerator (as I often do), that sucker will get red hot too! For this reason, I generally rotate three scalpels and air cool them suspended in the flowhood airstream.
-------------------- -------------- "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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drake89
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Re: bacti cinerator question [Re: OICU812]
#19427307 - 01/16/14 10:33 AM (10 years, 15 days ago) |
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Quote:
OICU812 said:
Quote:
God Stamet said: am I crazy to say it only takes 10 seconds to get a scalpel red hot with a flame?? I figure it takes at least 8 seconds with a bacti. also by the time I'm cooling it in my receiving dish it's still red hot so I'm not too worried about moving it from the flame to my work area. is there that much of a difference??
The scalpel does not get "red hot" in 10 seconds, but the entire surface area that is immersed in the heating zone of a Bacti will reach sterilization temperature in that length of time.
With a flame, you need to heat the scalpel red hot to insure all surfaces not in contact with the flame are sterilized.
The Bacti-Zapper/cinerator devices, when properly used, will give you a scalpel that is sterile without heating the handle as much. That being said, if you are busy and forget to take a scalpel out of the Bacti-Zapper/cinerator (as I often do), that sucker will get red hot too! For this reason, I generally rotate three scalpels and air cool them suspended in the flowhood airstream.
luckily I lost burning sensation in my finger tips long ago, as a cook! I too usually leave it in there for too long, and just hold it by the very tip of the handle.
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