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Newbie
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Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question.
#26499250 - 02/22/20 11:15 PM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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I have everything I need now to build my SAB and get going with agar. My only question is what to with the SAB holes after I sanitize the inside of it. Do I put my empty plates, agar bottle, etc inside then cover the holes with a clean towel or saran wrap? What do you guys to to keep anything from getting in after it's sprayed down with soapy or bleached water?
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Mr.Wizard
Harbinger of Hallucination



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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: Newbie]
#26499252 - 02/22/20 11:20 PM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Newbie said: I have everything I need now to build my SAB and get going with agar. My only question is what to with the SAB holes after I sanitize the inside of it. Not sure what you're getting at here.
Do I put my empty plates, agar bottle, etc inside then cover the holes with a clean towel or saran wrap? The arm holes? I don't really understand what your asking here. I'd just watch some videos of folks doing work in an SAB.
What do you guys to to keep anything from getting in after it's sprayed down with soapy or bleached water? You make the air in the room you're in as still as possible prior to starting your work. Turn off fans, AC/Heat, anything that moves air. I risk it and leave my computer on.
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Newbie
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: Mr.Wizard]
#26499262 - 02/22/20 11:39 PM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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From my understanding I spray down the inside with soapy or bleached water, put my materials inside, then let sit while I shower and clean up, then get to work. While it's sitting, prior to working, do I leave the holes (that I put my hands into) exposed during that time or do I cover them with something? And if so, what do you guys prefer to cover it with?
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Eclipse3130
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: Newbie]
#26499265 - 02/22/20 11:48 PM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Just be ready to work in the box so you don't have to leave the holes exposed. You don't need to shower or anything before hand, as only your hands will be exposed to the inside of the box, and you should be wearing gloves anyway. Can use a 70% isopropyl spray and to clean everything thoroughly inside of the box before working.
If you're referring to letting your agar cool down and form solid, it should only take 20 minutes to do that, in that time you can cover the box with a trash bag if you want, but you will re-sterilize anyway before you start working again
-------------------- "In The Material World One seeks retirement and grows Old In The Magical World One seeks Enlightenment and grows Wiser In The Miraculous World One seeks nothing and grows Lighter As we all tread the Homeward Path we will explore many Realms And one day... we will all Realize that all experiences are Simply Different ways in which The All-That Is Perceives Itself"
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Mr.Wizard
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: Newbie]
#26499271 - 02/22/20 11:58 PM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Ok, so I use a solution of 1 part bleach 10 parts water, one drop of dish soap.
Here's my process to starting SAB work:
I remove the lid of the SAB, wipe it out, clean the inside portion of the lid with 70% alcohol, put the lid back on but hold it up at an angle, then spray the sides and bottom as I lower the lid on (don't spray the lid.
I get everything i want to put in on the table my SAB is on, spray a paper towel with alcohol until it is pretty well soaked, then one by one wipe the entirety of the item then put them in the SAB.
I spray my hands with alcohol every time before inserting them in the SAB.
Depending on what I'm working with I may place something on the bottom of the SAB to set stuff on. IE foil, or plastic wrap.
Most folks do not put anything in front of the holes to keep stuff from getting in. I have a very large beard, and did tape a folded piece of plastic over the holes to keep my beard out... I decided to take a pic:
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mushroom_mode
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: Mr.Wizard]
#26499332 - 02/23/20 01:52 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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clean the box with iso, place and spray well with soapy water, clean your arms and hands, wipe down any items and place them inside
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Mr.Wizard
Harbinger of Hallucination



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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: mushroom_mode]
#26499340 - 02/23/20 02:04 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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ISO is not recommended for the inside because of the close proximity to the flame we use often. Improper use could make a small explosion.
The bleach/water/dishsoap acts not only to clean, but the soap makes it slightly sticky. This helps our arm movements not stir up anything that is in the SAB that we don't want on plates.
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vinnie boombotz
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: Mr.Wizard]
#26499345 - 02/23/20 02:13 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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I used a piece of Gorilla Tape and made a sort of door
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woofwoof
such mushrooms!



Registered: 01/04/19
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: vinnie boombotz]
#26499357 - 02/23/20 02:40 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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No need to cover the holes! Just make sure your not in a drafty or air flowing/moving
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Newbie
User of semicolons.



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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: woofwoof]
#26499447 - 02/23/20 05:59 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Thank you for your replies; you've been very helpful. I'm excited to get this going!
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RhYzo
D1g1t@l Dw3ll3r



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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: Newbie]
#26499526 - 02/23/20 08:06 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Call me crazy but all I do to set up my SAB is next to nothing other than basic cleanly maintenance.
1.) Wipe the surface area that the box sits on and over. I use a false bottom/cookie sheet that gets carelessly wiped down. I use this to give me enough lift from the table surface for my materials. I act as if the ground is lava and full of nasties.
2.) Wipe down all materials going inside the sab and onto false bottom with iso. (Including three folded paper towels soaked in iso. So I can wipe down materials again before I begin unwrapping and opening supplies) (sometimes I forget this part)
3.) Wipe down the inside with iso. Alc. (I do this sloppily and very lightly) (sometimes I forget this part entirely too lololol)
4.) Place sab over materials. (Sometimes I place materials in through the arm holes first then wipe the insides of the box down)
5.) Wash my hands and arms down thoroughly. Start my flame up.
6.)Glove up. Lightly Spray my gloved up hands down with iso (far, FAR away from flame, close to floor)
7.) Get to work. (This is where I wipe materials down with soaked towels if I remembered to soak them in the first place)
Over the past several months I have started to exclude certain things like turning off my thermostat (winter time here so it's always cycling on and off plus my vent is right behind my chair), spraying walls of SAB (soap + water), never even bothered with a towel and other stuff I was doing that I eventually deemed unworthy of my time.
This made my work time significantly tolerant and has had no change in results! Results will vary From person to person of course. It's all about cleanliness and technique in my experience thus far. I'm pretty careless to be honest. Just clean 
Definitely play it safe for awhile and be overly cautious. Practice, practice, practice! Work on sterile practices and hopefully overtime you can utilize what works better for you and experimenting on different ways of doing things 
By adding any covers over the arm holes and then removing said cover to begin work will create a draft from a push/pull affect (science!). This will more than likely result in a current being stirred within the box making it an un-still air box which is opposite of what we want to achieve here. None the less if it works, it works? And if it makes you have a piece of mind then go for it! I just find covers redundant.
You got this! Good luck
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RhYzo
D1g1t@l Dw3ll3r



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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: RhYzo]
#26499555 - 02/23/20 08:30 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Also when it comes to anything touching the floor of my SAB, my agar media bottle and slip covers for my plates are the only thing that touches the floor when I do work, everything else is placed on false bottom.
I try to keep movements at a minimum by using my wrists rather than my arms but pulling out the sterile plates from the plastic sleeve tends to flail the plastic around In the box like the wacky inflatable arm man (I'm a mess).
So I give the air a minute to settle back down after stirring it up. Also try not to touch any part of the box with anything. Think if it as the game of operation and contaminates are on everything
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Newbie
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: RhYzo]
#26499620 - 02/23/20 09:22 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Plates are poured. Just letting them cool then it's go time!
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RhYzo
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: Newbie] 1
#26499764 - 02/23/20 11:00 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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I love that height. I wish mine was more higher.
Looks good!
Does the butane spit at ya from being on it's side? I also was worried about it rolling over on me so I've always just kept mine upright and off to the side.
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mushboy
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: RhYzo]
#26499777 - 02/23/20 11:07 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Ditch the bleach.
Still air bix. Not clean air box. Cleaning out the box is futile anyway.
Just make still air.
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Newbie
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: RhYzo]
#26499798 - 02/23/20 11:19 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Sigh4.fg said: Does the butane spit at ya from being on it's side?
Not at all, almost singed my arm hairs a few times though. I feel like I could've been a little more swift and graceful with my movements, but my main concern is that I don't feel like the loop picked up any spores. Am I supposed to see any clusters on it? I realize they're microscopic so I hope I'm just being a worry wart, but I guess we'll find out.
All wrapped up and ready to go. Bodhi's tek is awesome and the videos are super helpful. The cling wrap works amazing.
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RhYzo
D1g1t@l Dw3ll3r



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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: Newbie]
#26500217 - 02/23/20 05:18 PM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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I love bod, mushboy, RR, shaper dreaming, the search function, and many more. All so helpful in my journey.
So there has been times where I didn't see it on the loop and it still germinated. Sometimes I did see it. Spores are microscopic of course.
Time will tell!
If you don't get anything at all on the agar after about a week or two, then consider your technique good at the very least Lol
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Newbie
User of semicolons.



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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: RhYzo]
#26500619 - 02/23/20 09:58 PM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Sigh4.fg said: If you don't get anything at all on the agar after about a week or two, then consider your technique good at the very least Lol
Yeah I'm having fun with it either way. This hobby is so interesting. Even if I didn't even eat shrooms I'd still wanna do this just because I enjoy it. It's fucking fascinating and I totally geek out over it. I'm gonna try some gourmet as well, but I'm so happy to be back into it.
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c10h12n2o
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: Newbie]
#26500776 - 02/24/20 01:09 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Before I built my hood I had a couple of tricked out SABs.
I took small plastic pails, cut the ends off, and silicones them into the arm holes, and covered them with shower caps while I wasnt using it
The thing that helped my success rate with a SAB the most (by far) was placing a damp hand towel on the bottom surface then putting an alcohol cleaned cookie rack about 3" above it to serve as my work area.
This served to trap contams and prevent me from stirring up contams off the surface with the air currents caused by my movements
Does that make sense? I might not have explained it well
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  C10's Agar Guide + Tips and Tricks | c10's Flow Hood Build Guide "Partial knowledge is more triumphant than complete knowledge; it takes things to be simpler than they are, and so makes its theory more popular and convincing." "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies" ― Friedrich Nietzsche
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RhYzo
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Re: Pouring my first agar plates tomorrow! Have a question. [Re: c10h12n2o]
#26501018 - 02/24/20 07:33 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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I thought you explained it very well personally 
Yeah this hobby is very entertaining honestly, I just have a hard time throwing stuff away lol
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