Quirkmeister92 said:

I prefer proper petris all around. I use malt because it's cheap, readily available, consistent, and stores well. Haven't used PDA, and grain water just needs diluted properly.

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bigfootscreepyuncl said:

I prefer LME over grain-soak water because I can get it to be more clear. I've never used potato anything but a lot of people here do. If you have everything you need I would start with LME or potato though since it will be several weeks or more before you get a culture to grain so you would end up just wasting the grain you soaked to make the agar.

Welcome to the forum, btw!

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filthyknees said:

Welcome to shroomery, yes it's preference. I use LME agar (see d3monics agar Tek).

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filthyknees said:

Welcome to shroomery, yes it's preference. I use LME agar (see d3monics agar Tek).

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Myc_Hunt said:

I wouldn't. By all definitions you should be able to and be alright considering the plate and the environment is "sterile". But to my understanding a pin is going to have a larger surface area and won't visibly display any mold or bacteria the same way agar would. I would just put it to another plate to verify it's clean then go from there.

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Lol I don't actually know why I wanted to. Saw another post earlier and someone does it all time for whatever reason.

I've got a further transfer from that plate too , gonna try put that to LC very shortly

Quote:

nogoodnamesleft said:
look up 'hot pour' clean up technique. this is what you want to do

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On it! Thanks kind sir

filthyknees said:

Welcome to shroomery, yes it's preference. I use LME agar (see d3monics agar Tek).

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that growth is stronger than me, shit

bigfootscreepyuncl said:

you're already way ahead of a lot of people by starting with a print, instead of syringe AND learning agar to start. APE (albino penis envy) is a cruel mistress lol.

I've really enjoyed my Chitwan and Golden Teacher cultures so far. Very few mutations, good potency (though this is purely genetic) and a fun high.

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A.k.a said:

Any cube should be fine. Maybe not ape though.

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Guerrilla said:

To what extent can you transfer away from bacteria/molds in agar?

I've recently been getting into it and started shitting myself every time I see contam plates, especially if a high rate. I know the point is to transfer away from contam, I just didn't realise it'd be such a high rate to start with.

At that point I'd been using spore syringes.

I've only just realised today, because I'm fucking stupid, that all that nasty mess must be from the syringes rather than my technique.

I mean, I already knew syringes weren't clean. But god damn every time I see the mean green and bacteria all over my plates I can't help but feel I've done something wrong.

Since I've started transferring away from cleaner plates, or working with spore syringes with no visible spores, I'm not getting contam so far.

I feel a bit better about it all now.

But yeah regarding my first sentence, as long as it's not meshed in with or growing over each other, I'm ok to transfer from nasty looking plates? Or would trich just spread their spores around?

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There is no reason to lose a culture to contamination. There are always ways to get the organism you are after.

I work with a lot of wild fruits and spores. If it is alive you can clean it up.

Here is a sporulating mold ridden germ plate that cleaned up very nicely. It was clean in one xfer but it got 2. This is a very minor mold infestation IME and came from an indoor print...



Here is the x1



There are a LOT of different maneuvers you can do to get the organism you are after. Lots of folks preach the fear of mold in one way or another and believe in old wives tales but I don't think they really know what they are looking at. Fear is dated tek.

It really helps to have a microscope or some way to look up close.

The only reason to ditch a culture is that it is not productive.