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Elf_on_a_Log
Elf

Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 610
Loc: On a log
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What is the proper consistency of agar?
#20627008 - 09/27/14 05:41 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I just started working with agar using the pasty plate tek but substituting MEA powder for the mess of mixing my own. I made up 21 plates about 4 days ago. 11 of them came out looking nice - most of the bottom two stacks in the PC - and the other 10 that were stacked on top of those got tilted at an angle during the PC'ing process so all the agar in those plates ended up pooling in a corner.
So today I went to start cultures on some of the 11 good plates. I had read something RR wrote about using a red hot inoculation loop to make a sort of indention in the agar to contain a drop of liquid so it won't run all over the plate. I attempted this several times and never could get an indention to form. I could only make what looked like scratches on the surface.
Due to not being able to dent the agar I thought maybe it was too hard so I opened one of the 10 plates that were messed up and found that the agar felt kind of like hard plastic except kind of slimy. Using a fingernail I could put indention in the agar but otherwise it wouldn't smoosh, easily bend or behave in any way that I expected a gelatin substance to behave.
Did I screw up or is this typical with agar? What is the proper consistency of agar? Should it behave more like jello or should it be more like a plastic like what I've encountered? The only answer I can find in other threads is "firm jello" and I'm not quite sure what that implies. That description could fit my plastic-feeling agar to some degree.
-------------------- "I was strolling through the woods one day when I came upon an elf sitting on a log. He offered me a strange-looking mushroom to eat. As soon as I ate it, I realized that I was the elf on the log and that my human life had been but a dream."
- Elf_on_a_Log
LAGM 2.022 Grow Log
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NumeroEno
I come from the land of lizards



Registered: 07/24/14
Posts: 9,652
Loc: Gamehendge
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: Elf_on_a_Log]
#20627046 - 09/27/14 05:47 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Plasticky isn't a good sign. I mix my agar up at about 1.5 grams/200 ml of water, while it's cooking I add enough water to offset evaporation. All my plates look good so far, but admittedly I've only been working with agar for a few weeks.
--------------------
Let it grow! Let it grow! Greatly yield!
What shall we say, shall we call it by a name
As well to count the angels dancing on a pin
Water bright as the sky from which it came
And the name is on the earth that takes it in
DOG FOOD AGAR
MY ELECTRIC INOCULATION LOOP
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ant707
not a puppet


Registered: 07/26/14
Posts: 579
Loc: northeast florida
Last seen: 7 years, 11 months
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: NumeroEno]
#20627086 - 09/27/14 05:54 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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i know you said you are using pasty's tek and substituting powder, but ratio or measurement of water to powder did you use? that might help someone to help you a little better.
my agar has "jiggled" a little when i made it in pp5's and has always seemed a little jello like.
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Elf_on_a_Log
Elf

Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 610
Loc: On a log
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: ant707]
#20627125 - 09/27/14 06:00 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I used what was written on the jar of MEA but I cut the amount in half. The jar says use 20 grams per 500ml of water. I used 10 grams and 250ml of water. Looking at EnoRoxxx's ratio it looks like mine is really high.
Here's what I'm using: http://out-grow.com/culture-media-isolation-tools-c-10/dehydrated-malt-extract-agar-mea-p-75.html
Looking again I see that jar says 10 psi for 30 minutes and I did 15 psi for 45 minutes so I'm not sure if that had any effect.
-------------------- "I was strolling through the woods one day when I came upon an elf sitting on a log. He offered me a strange-looking mushroom to eat. As soon as I ate it, I realized that I was the elf on the log and that my human life had been but a dream."
- Elf_on_a_Log
LAGM 2.022 Grow Log
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LiquidGlass
Glass Blower


Registered: 07/08/12
Posts: 5,288
Loc: Pee En Double You
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: ant707]
#20627149 - 09/27/14 06:02 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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MIne are like a frim jello, I use the no pour tek by using half pint widemouth with a filter lid
I do 5 grams of agar flakes, 5 grams light malt extract, and about 3/4 cups of water, which is a slight bit drier than other recipes, but i like the consistency
-------------------- Some art I've made Glass Art Gallery
 
I was raised a christian and was a stone-faced acid head
- Ken Kesey
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LiquidGlass
Glass Blower


Registered: 07/08/12
Posts: 5,288
Loc: Pee En Double You
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: LiquidGlass]
#20627150 - 09/27/14 06:03 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I do 15 psi for 20 min
-------------------- Some art I've made Glass Art Gallery
 
I was raised a christian and was a stone-faced acid head
- Ken Kesey
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Elf_on_a_Log
Elf

Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 610
Loc: On a log
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: LiquidGlass]
#20627184 - 09/27/14 06:09 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Will cultures still grow normally on a more plastic-like consistency agar? I'll leave what I've got to do it's thing and see what happens but I'm curious to know if I can even expect anything from them.
-------------------- "I was strolling through the woods one day when I came upon an elf sitting on a log. He offered me a strange-looking mushroom to eat. As soon as I ate it, I realized that I was the elf on the log and that my human life had been but a dream."
- Elf_on_a_Log
LAGM 2.022 Grow Log
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NumeroEno
I come from the land of lizards



Registered: 07/24/14
Posts: 9,652
Loc: Gamehendge
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: Elf_on_a_Log]
#20627220 - 09/27/14 06:16 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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What else has to be taken into account is the type of agar. I've been using Eden brand agar agar flakes, and my ratio works perfectly to get a nice firm jello consistency with that particular type of agar. It's not a set in stone thing, OP are you adding any water to compensate for evaporation? I cook mine in a little metal dish and water evaporates quickly out of it.
--------------------
Let it grow! Let it grow! Greatly yield!
What shall we say, shall we call it by a name
As well to count the angels dancing on a pin
Water bright as the sky from which it came
And the name is on the earth that takes it in
DOG FOOD AGAR
MY ELECTRIC INOCULATION LOOP
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Elf_on_a_Log
Elf

Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 610
Loc: On a log
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: NumeroEno]
#20627268 - 09/27/14 06:27 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Nope I didn't add any water to compensate. I'll do that next time and lower my ratio to try to get it more jello-like. I did notice there was a lot of condensation in the plates even though I did everything recommended to cut down on condensation, so I probably lost quite a bit of moisture that way in addition to during cooking.
I just went back and felt of the agar I threw in the trash and to re-describe it I'd say it's got more the consistency of not quite fully solidified silicon sealant than hard plastic. It's pretty solid though. I was expecting to be able to poke my finger through it and that wasn't possible in the slightest.
-------------------- "I was strolling through the woods one day when I came upon an elf sitting on a log. He offered me a strange-looking mushroom to eat. As soon as I ate it, I realized that I was the elf on the log and that my human life had been but a dream."
- Elf_on_a_Log
LAGM 2.022 Grow Log
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Ghatti
Totally not a Federal Agent

Registered: 06/23/14
Posts: 1,733
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: NumeroEno]
#20627279 - 09/27/14 06:28 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Jesus. 10 g per 500ml, 5 per 250ml, etc etc.
You went overkill. Your agar should feel like a sex toy. Ya know the silicone slightly squishy ones?
Lol but really like very stiff jello.
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Sanguin3
Optimist

Registered: 10/19/13
Posts: 2,273
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? *DELETED* [Re: Ghatti]
#20627380 - 09/27/14 06:50 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Post deleted by Sanguin3
Reason for deletion: .
Edited by Sanguin3 (09/27/14 10:27 PM)
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spacechildo
proletarians rise up



Registered: 01/24/13
Posts: 19,243
Loc: Babylon
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: Sanguin3]
#20627416 - 09/27/14 06:57 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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a little less agar is adviced for germinating spores. 8-9g pr 500mL instead of the usual 10g pr 500mL.
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Elf_on_a_Log
Elf

Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 610
Loc: On a log
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: spacechildo]
#20628168 - 09/27/14 10:06 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thanks for the tips guys. I went ahead and made up another 14 plates using 4g in 250ml. I poured the plates much thicker this time since I was dividing the same amount of agar into 7 fewer plates. Only PC'd for 20-25 minutes this time at 15psi. I'll report how they turned out tomorrow when I try using some of them. Hopefully this time I'll actually be able to dent the agar with the inoculation loop.
-------------------- "I was strolling through the woods one day when I came upon an elf sitting on a log. He offered me a strange-looking mushroom to eat. As soon as I ate it, I realized that I was the elf on the log and that my human life had been but a dream."
- Elf_on_a_Log
LAGM 2.022 Grow Log
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Sanguin3
Optimist

Registered: 10/19/13
Posts: 2,273
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? *DELETED* [Re: Elf_on_a_Log] 1
#20628194 - 09/27/14 10:13 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Post deleted by Sanguin3
Reason for deletion: .
Edited by Sanguin3 (09/27/14 10:28 PM)
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Elf_on_a_Log
Elf

Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 610
Loc: On a log
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Re: What is the proper consistency of agar? [Re: Sanguin3]
#20633372 - 09/28/14 11:09 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I just worked with the plates I made up yesterday and they came out very nice. They were much more like jello this time around, maybe a bit more firm than jello. The first time I put the hot inoculation loop into the agar it cut a round circle of agar that the loop then picked up as I raised it away, so after that I just used the side of the loop to melt a trench into the agar.
Sanguin3 I just read your edit, I missed it yesterday. Hopefully the 4g will have enough nutrition in it to do the job. It was definitely able to set.
-------------------- "I was strolling through the woods one day when I came upon an elf sitting on a log. He offered me a strange-looking mushroom to eat. As soon as I ate it, I realized that I was the elf on the log and that my human life had been but a dream."
- Elf_on_a_Log
LAGM 2.022 Grow Log
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