In this thread I will show step by step an Agar work tek that uses: No Flow Hood No SAB No Scalpel No Petri Dishes No Pouring
Take note of what you will need >Your regular Agar Mix (I will tell you mine) >Aluminum foil >Plastic film >Scotch tape >Electrical tape (optional) >Micropore tape >Drinking Straws >Pressure cooker Before we start, please allow me to introduce myself, I’m a man of wealth and taste, I started growing about mid 2018 and decided from the start I wouldn’t own a SAB nor anything... I don’t like working in tight space and ever since I’ve beem developing my tek... I’ve tried everything, inoculation under blaze/hot air flow, alcohol everywhere, you name it, started with 50% success rate and developed my way to 100%, and this is what this tek is about... Every mushroom species is legal in my Country, this tutorial doesn’t endorse any illegal action, check your local laws, furthermore this tutorial works for every agar use.
Chapter 1 – Agar Mixture. If you have an agar misture that you know that works you can skip this whole chapter... but since I am talking about agar, I must say how a tru poor boii do it: I have no access to bacteriological agar, only food grade agar, wich costs a fraction of the price but has brownish contaminants that makes my agar look kinda ugly (don’t let him know, I don’t want it to be sad). because of this, I must use double the agar amount if I want it to not leak water after it’s set... other than that I use regular PDA but with honey, so technically I use PHUA, Potato Honey Ugly Agar, and this is my mix: >100 g peeled potato >500 g (+) spring water >15g (3%) Honey >20g (4%) Food Grade Agar Powder -dice the potato and boil it in low set for 20 min -take the potato out and complete the water back to 500ml -add the honey and agar -use a mixer or blender to blitz it together, don’t use those upside down smooth makers because they are known to explode with hot mixtures... 3 minutes is enough.
Chapter 2 – The Cups Like I said, I don’t use petri dishes, instead I take watever small cups I can find, and it’s just my luck I can buy these 150ml cups for as cheap as 0,25 U$ each in local currency, but small mason jars would work too, jelly pot, you name it...
 Pour 25 to 30 grams of your agar mix in each cup (more if your cup’s base is larger than mine) Cover each cup individually with PVC film making it tight, then cover twice more making it 3 layers (I like taking extra care to the first layer because it will be the sealing.) make this step as tight as you can, but bubbles won’t hurt and most probably won’t pass the PC.

 Take scotch tape and around the cup’s ring (better under it) make a tight ring (2x) of tape, holding the tip of the tape to make it tighter, you miss this step and the cup could open inside PC...
 Using a hot rod/screw/needle pierce a small hole on the edge of the cup and cover it with a small square of micropore tape, this filter will allow air to get in the cup as the PC cools down.
in the middle of the cup, cut a small 1cm² hole using scissors:
Cut rectangles of aluminum foil (about 4x8 cm, roughly) and fold it in half, cut the excess to make it one piece.
Cover the middle hole in the cup with this foil and fix it in place using electric tape (if you don’t have it, micropore will work too but it’s a waste...)(why electric tape? Unlike scotch tape it doesn’t lose any adhesive in PC). Pull a piece of scotch tape covering the electric tape crossing side to side of the cup.
 On the other side of you little foil lid you must leave a piece of scotch tape with a folded piece as handler, this will avoid opening the lid before it’s time.
 Cut a foil square wider than the cup and cover it, also make a ring with scotch tape, tightly just like you did earlier
finally the cup is ready to handle PC and work without SAB... I know this process alone must’ve spent your whole carbon footprint for this week, but don’t worry it will get worse cuz we playing with straw next, think about all the petri dishes you won’t be throwing out...
CHAPTER 3 – The Straws. We may be broke boiis but that doesn’t give us the right to kill turtles... that’s why for this project I will be using those 5mm biodegradable drinking straws that instead of turtle husks uses porcupine spines in the production.
 cut the straw in half with a angle to make it sharp roll each half individually in a piece of foil (make as many as you have cups) cover all the rods in 3 folds of film and then again in one layer of foil, making a little pack that will go with the cups into your PC
CHAPTER 4 – Sterilization. No secrets here, just assort the cups inside PC in a way they won’t tip over and don’t forget the straw pack, cover with enough water (halfway to the first layer of cups) and count 30min after it starts boiling... but just like agar pour, you must not wait until it’s cooled of, but just until it’s barely toucheable.
using heat gloves take off the cups and lay them over with an angle inside a box to rest. >you should not move it around as it cools down... >the angle will make for more surface area and easier spread of myc >also the angle will make sure any extra water will not be over your agar >how much should you angle? Just enough making sure the bottom of the cup is still all covered in agar >let it rest like this at least 2 hours, overnight is better... if your agar cracks that’s because you didn’t wait enough to handle it... If you’re planning on saving it for latter use, this is your final product, don’t remove the top foil and keep it in a clean space, it should be good for a long time.
CHAPTER 5 – Inoculation. In prep for inoculation you should have dusted your room the night before or at least 2 hours prior... also you must keep all windows/doors closed during and 30 min before starting... remember to be clean and use hand sanitizer, gloves are overkill. Remember the straws you prepared individually and sterilized with the cups? Those are your discardible scalpels, they are easy to operate and are crucial for making the inoculation ar quick as possible, also they are just wide enough to get in the little door we made in the lids, the kinky tip we cut is sharp enough to cut a piece of agar/tissue or scrape on a spore print... inocc steps: Cut out the foil lid, exposing the film lid you prepared just uncover the straw when you’re about to use it use the straw to pick the sample you’re about to inocc (a little twist is enough to cut agar) with the stoctch tape handler you made, lift the little foil door and touch the agar inside with the straw. close the door and cover it back with the foil you took off (for a while) when you finish all the inocc work, reinforce the foil door with scotch tape in all 3 free sides. Also as good measure I put another layer of micropore tape over that venting hole.
END.
Here are some pics of my last batch (3 days from inoc):



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