|
Some of these posts are very old and might contain outdated information. You may wish to search for newer posts instead.
|
mushhiehunter
Trichodermatologist


Registered: 10/11/16
Posts: 837
Loc: Česká republika
Last seen: 3 years, 2 months
|
What do you use as agar bottle?
#23754979 - 10/20/16 01:58 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
What are suitable "agar bottles" for pouring mind you I'm in europe so "get it in walmart" is not a viable option And is the polyfill the best option or should I make a special tyvek bottle cap?
|
numnum59
Pro-Am Mycologist


Registered: 12/07/11
Posts: 1,189
Last seen: 5 months, 22 days
|
|
I just started agar yesterday, i used a 750mL vodka bottle and it worked perfectly. I also used polyfil with aluminum foil wrapped over it, this way i can keep the cap to help agitate the agar when i first mix it.

Edited by numnum59 (10/20/16 02:11 PM)
|
mushhiehunter
Trichodermatologist


Registered: 10/11/16
Posts: 837
Loc: Česká republika
Last seen: 3 years, 2 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: numnum59]
#23755051 - 10/20/16 02:23 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Wine bottle it is...
|
numnum59
Pro-Am Mycologist


Registered: 12/07/11
Posts: 1,189
Last seen: 5 months, 22 days
|
|
i would recommend a vodka or gin bottle...
... purely because they are better to drink! :P
|
mushhiehunter
Trichodermatologist


Registered: 10/11/16
Posts: 837
Loc: Česká republika
Last seen: 3 years, 2 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: numnum59]
#23755096 - 10/20/16 02:36 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
numnum59 said: i would recommend a vodka or gin bottle...
Too bad I don't drink hard liquor...
... purely because they are better to drink! :P
|
mushhiehunter
Trichodermatologist


Registered: 10/11/16
Posts: 837
Loc: Česká republika
Last seen: 3 years, 2 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: numnum59]
#23755117 - 10/20/16 02:44 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
numnum59 said: I just started agar yesterday, i used a 750mL vodka bottle and it worked perfectly. I also used polyfil with aluminum foil wrapped over it, this way i can keep the cap to help agitate the agar when i first mix it.


Huh, i read your advice once more and I realised one thing, why would you want to agitate the agar to mix it? I like to first boil it stirring it well in a pot and then transfer it into the bottle, is it just to skip this step or is there another purpose to it? And also, when do you pour the agar? Just when the bottle is cool enough to touch or you wait till the agar just starts solidifying?
|
numnum59
Pro-Am Mycologist


Registered: 12/07/11
Posts: 1,189
Last seen: 5 months, 22 days
|
|
Quote:
mushhiehunter said:
Huh, i read your advice once more and I realised one thing, why would you want to agitate the agar to mix it? I like to first boil it stirring it well in a pot and then transfer it into the bottle, is it just to skip this step or is there another purpose to it? And also, when do you pour the agar? Just when the bottle is cool enough to touch or you wait till the agar just starts solidifying?
so i follow RR's agar video, except the cap and the recipe. i like mixing it in the bottle because its less messy.
and when i poured the agar yesterday i fucked up because it was cool but it condensed a bunch on my lids. next time i will be following this tek... https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/22085395#22085395
his way of cooling it down is brilliant, i wish i would have read that yesterday.
|
bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: numnum59]
#23755166 - 10/20/16 03:01 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
I use a bottle made for agar for agar. Agar link in signatur first link you find there
|
Mycolorado
Hobbyist


Registered: 07/23/16
Posts: 8,529
Loc: Interdimensional Bootcamp
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: bodhisatta]
#23755171 - 10/20/16 03:02 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Mason jar.
|
bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: Mycolorado]
#23755186 - 10/20/16 03:07 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Mason jar sucks dick for agar
|
Chilean6
Stranger



Registered: 05/04/18
Posts: 17
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: bodhisatta]
#25268280 - 06/14/18 04:26 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
bodhisatta said: Mason jar sucks dick for agar
Other than spending $$$ on a media bottle (not cheap where I come from) and the wide mouth for pouring, why's that?
|
Chilean6
Stranger



Registered: 05/04/18
Posts: 17
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: Chilean6]
#25268284 - 06/14/18 04:27 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Oops wasn't paying attention to time of last post... is there a suggestion for timeframe of it still being acceptable to reply to an old thread?
I guess its still a valid question.
|
bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: Chilean6]
#25268293 - 06/14/18 04:33 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Mason jars don't pour well, dribbles down the side. Wide openings too.
|
rockpup
Old skater punk



Registered: 03/02/18
Posts: 312
Loc: Everywhere or anywhere
Last seen: 4 years, 3 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: bodhisatta]
#25268374 - 06/14/18 05:10 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
I am going to try this bottle? I think it should work well. My first try.
-------------------- SKATE OR DIE! RIP 1989-2001-The best of time's I miss molly.
|
bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: rockpup]
#25268376 - 06/14/18 05:11 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Yes, its made for pouring agar..
|
Nighted
Ghost


Registered: 11/09/01
Posts: 698
Loc: Funkytown
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: rockpup]
#25268382 - 06/14/18 05:14 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
rockpup said: I am going to try this bottle? I think it should work well. My first try.

Oooh, that is a very nice jar. Different agar concoctions can vary in expansion when being sterilized. Be careful and don't fill more than a quarter of the way to be safe and avoid overflow.
--------------------
 Freedom defined is freedom denied. Nighted is better than Google. Please take time to rate 5/5. Thanks!
Edited by Nighted (06/14/18 05:14 PM)
|
bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: Nighted]
#25268418 - 06/14/18 05:29 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
a quarter of the way 
you can fill that up to 450mL no problem.
|
elasticaltiger
Like Tigers in Coitus




Registered: 06/24/13
Posts: 8,070
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: bodhisatta]
#25268453 - 06/14/18 05:50 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Fungi perfecti recommended filling media flasks to the 50% mark.
-------------------- First time growing cakes? DON'T make a Shotgun Fruiting Chamber The Shmuvbox. - The Old TC's Like it Afraid to Start Growing From Your Own Prints? Drop it Like a Tiger! No Pouring. No Syringes. No Cutting. No flaming. No Contamination. No Bullshit. "The best thing to do while your waiting is to start more stuff. I usually got so much happening that I have tossed projects simply because I didn't have time for them. -Pastywhite QFT Pastywhite's Easy Agar Tek (PastyPlates) Tiger Drop Video Demos By munchauzen Van Gogh would’ve sold more than one painting if he’d put tigers in them.―Bill Watterson EZEKIEL 23:20
|
the.raven
it learns


Registered: 11/01/17
Posts: 62
Last seen: 2 years, 2 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: rockpup]
#25268461 - 06/14/18 05:57 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
rockpup said: I am going to try this bottle? I think it should work well. My first try.

Get this. A borosilicate media bottle, they're are made for pouring agar. The rim is designed to reduce drips, the glass is strong, and the cap (GL45) is designed for autoclaving. Several other GL45 caps can be purchased for specific applications (thermocouples, etc). At $10-20 (US), they are less fun than drinking using a bottle of wine but the cost is worth the convenience.
I have two and I am considering more. I like to prepare agar (mix and PC) ahead of time, refrigerate, and reheat when needed. I typically make 500mL (10g Agar, 7.5g malt extract, 1g yeast if at all, I haven't noticed a difference in my cultures with/without using yeast), fill the PC to match the level of the agar, slightly loosen the foil wrapped caps, and cycle on at 15psi for 20-25min. If I go longer my agar usually darkens, carmelizes. 500mL is good for 20 plates, 25-28 if I'm really efficient with my pours.
|
rockpup
Old skater punk



Registered: 03/02/18
Posts: 312
Loc: Everywhere or anywhere
Last seen: 4 years, 3 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: the.raven]
#25268487 - 06/14/18 06:12 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Yeah kinda excited but nervous to do my first pour-I have agar down no problem's there-It grows lot's of stuff haha-just my fucking no pour containers are useless. Mold creeps in under the seal.I bought sterile plates just waiting on some parafilm. I hate not being able to sterilize myself-I am buying glass petrie dish's-there wort it.Don't know if they work better but I can sterilize them myself.
-------------------- SKATE OR DIE! RIP 1989-2001-The best of time's I miss molly.
|
Nighted
Ghost


Registered: 11/09/01
Posts: 698
Loc: Funkytown
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: bodhisatta]
#25268497 - 06/14/18 06:18 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
bodhisatta said: a quarter of the way 
you can fill that up to 450mL no problem.
Nice GIF...
Read what I said. You can and you can't. It depends on the viscosity of the medium. This ain't rocket science man.
--------------------
 Freedom defined is freedom denied. Nighted is better than Google. Please take time to rate 5/5. Thanks!
|
Chilean6
Stranger



Registered: 05/04/18
Posts: 17
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: the.raven]
#25271103 - 06/15/18 10:03 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
the.raven said:
... I like to prepare agar (mix and PC) ahead of time, refrigerate, and reheat when needed. I typically make 500mL (10g Agar, 7.5g malt extract, 1g yeast if at all, ...
I didn't think it was okay to do this, I thought you *must pour* your plates at the exact moment your agar cools to the perfect temperature and then you can store the *plates for later use (okay I'm exaggerating a little).
Can you explain how long you store the prepared agar for and what your process is for pouring it once you take it out of the refrigerator?
|
verum subsequentis
seeker of truth



Registered: 03/22/16
Posts: 8,732
Last seen: 1 year, 7 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: Chilean6]
#25271125 - 06/15/18 10:21 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
i use a captain morgan handle with the lid drilled out and a sfd rtv'ed in. i almost always pour the whole liter at once and use the plates as i need them. but, you can reheat, whether by water bath or microwave, iso the bottle well and pour as normal. it'll actually stay viable for a very long time if you can keep it clean.
|
the.raven
it learns


Registered: 11/01/17
Posts: 62
Last seen: 2 years, 2 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: Chilean6]
#25271429 - 06/16/18 03:45 AM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
If I intend to pour that night...
I wash my hands and place my stack of petris in the SAB while I wait for the PC to come to pressure/temp. After the PC cools, I remove the bottles and immediately tighten the lids down. I wipe the bottle down with iso, place it in my SAB, turn the HEPA filters on high, and take a shower while I wait for the agar to reach pouring temp.
If I intend to store...
After the PC cools, I remove the bottles and immediately tighten the lids down. Place bottles on a wire cooling rack until room temp, wipe bottles down with iso, place in culture refrigerator.
My culture fridge usually hovers around 4C (40F), 70%RH. I'm unsure on maximum cold storage time without contamination. I pour plates fairly often, I've stored prepared bottles for about 2-3 months (without issue).
To reheat, I remove the foil, LOOSEN THE CAP (enough to relieve pressure as the agar heats, the penalty is blowing a cap off and cleaning a microwave), and set it in a clean microwave. This is the boring part, babysit the bottle as it reheats. Watch closely, it will boil over. Reheat until agar mix is fully liquid state.
I have tried waterbath and microwave reheating. In my experience, microwaving is tedious (a lot of watching and waiting) but less time consuming overall.
My agar is usually liquid at about 87C+, I pour a 20 plate stack around 47-50C. If I pour a large stack around that temp range I tend to see less condensation on the lids. I use an IR thermometer to measure bottle temp. I would like to buy or make some GL45 caps that will fit a thermocouple (more accurate measurements) but it's kinda unnecessary and only seeks to satisfy my nerdiness.
In the past, when planning to store, I have recorded cooling rates for the agar bottles. (You can use Newton's Law of Cooling to estimate cooling rates but expect some error in the model) I measured temps immediately after removing from the PC, every 5 minutes after, and graphed the results in Excel. When I plan to pour, I measure the bottle temp and reference the spreadsheet data to estimate when the agar will be at pouring temp. I set an alarm so I can walk away and work on other tasks while I wait.
|
soto5

Registered: 01/28/18
Posts: 10
Last seen: 5 years, 6 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: the.raven]
#25272253 - 06/16/18 01:17 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
If you're cheap like me, look for these 24cm tall (9.5 lengths of 3 barleycorns) Buchsteiner shaker bottles. They can be available in pretty much any store that sells protein powder. Both the body and the one piece lid are PP5 and it has a nice long spout for pouring. The nominal capacity is 700ml and it also has markings for every 50ml. It should cost you anywhere from 0-5€ (unless you're getting ripped off).
 (ignore the label, almost every supplier has their own logo printed on these) Avoid these newer ones that have a different top, the detachable hinged stopper isn't PP5, I learned the hard way.
|
Ama420
Thickems



Registered: 04/12/17
Posts: 1,159
Last seen: 2 years, 2 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: soto5]
#25272560 - 06/16/18 03:49 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
 500ml pyrex media bottle is the best hands down. I fill mine to 500ml everytime. MEA and never have boil over. Follow bods tek it works perfect
|
bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
|
|
Quote:
elasticaltiger said: Fungi perfecti recommended filling media flasks to the 50% mark.
Paul
|
NarkedAt90ft
Deep in the Blue Abyss


Registered: 12/04/13
Posts: 149
Loc: Marianas Trench
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: bodhisatta]
#25273107 - 06/16/18 08:04 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
AliExpress (alibaba app i think?) anyway Aliexpress has quite a few cheap media bottle sellers..
Trick is to find sellers that sell the bottle really cheap and charge a little more for shipping and order a couple. Sometimes the shipping inflates, sometimes it doesn't, key is to find a seller that doesnt inflate the shipping until you have 3 or 4 in your cart. I picked up 2 500ml shipped for what would equate to maybe $10 American probably less.
Where I am 1 Pyrex 500ml media bottle shipped was going to run me $20+ American, so this was a great deal for me. Maybe it'll work out for others.
They list as reagent bottles, and the ones with the blue caps have the perfect no drip pour rings. I love the no drip rings. The are awesome.
-------------------- ni·tro·gen nar·co·sis noun - a drowsy state induced by breathing air under higher than atmospheric pressure, for example, in deep-sea diving. Also known as Rapture of The Deep. Let's Trade!
|
rockpup
Old skater punk



Registered: 03/02/18
Posts: 312
Loc: Everywhere or anywhere
Last seen: 4 years, 3 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: NarkedAt90ft]
#25273387 - 06/16/18 10:44 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Yeah dude mine was cheap on ebay. I looked for ever because I am fucking cheap. $11.95 canuck shipped-They are $13.95 now I just checked "Reagent Glass Bottle 500ml - Borosilicate - Blue Screw Cap" not sure if i can list shit form ebay or not-but search that line in ebay sure you will find it.Shipped fast I must say for chinaland.
-------------------- SKATE OR DIE! RIP 1989-2001-The best of time's I miss molly.
|
k5hd2y
Depersonalized & Complete


Registered: 04/13/17
Posts: 675
Last seen: 4 years, 2 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: rockpup]
#25273447 - 06/16/18 11:21 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
1.5 pint mason jar and a small glass milk bottle.
|
Kizzle
Misanthrope


Registered: 08/30/11
Posts: 9,855
Last seen: 23 hours, 30 minutes
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: k5hd2y]
#25273604 - 06/17/18 02:03 AM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Soy sauce bottle is good for a small batch and fits in the microwave.
--------------------
|
Chilean6
Stranger



Registered: 05/04/18
Posts: 17
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: Kizzle]
#25274422 - 06/17/18 12:12 PM (5 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Kizzle said: Soy sauce bottle is good for a small batch and fits in the microwave.

how do you do your cap?
|
numnum59
Pro-Am Mycologist


Registered: 12/07/11
Posts: 1,189
Last seen: 5 months, 22 days
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: Nighted]
#25398587 - 08/19/18 01:32 PM (5 years, 5 months ago) |
|
|
i used a 750ml gin bottle lol worked fine for me. just propped it up sideways with a jar in my pressure cooker. Fuck agar is alot of work though would rather roll the dice on 5 tubs of MS lol
Edited by numnum59 (08/19/18 01:33 PM)
|
mushhiehunter
Trichodermatologist



Registered: 10/11/16
Posts: 837
Loc: Česká republika
Last seen: 3 years, 2 months
|
Re: What do you use as agar bottle? [Re: numnum59]
#25399647 - 08/19/18 10:26 PM (5 years, 5 months ago) |
|
|
Wine bottle all the way, never had problems, never had contams. I mean never had contams b/c of the pouring vessel.
|
|