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Mushrooms, Mycology and Psychedelics > Advanced Mycology
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Agar not gelling properly
    #29620661 -

Im new to agar. Trying to take in massive amounts of information sift through it and make something that works.

I am failing miserably.

The only agar that I seem to be halfway competent at making is water agar and even that floods my dishes out after about a week because they weep so much.

I dont believe I have made a single plate yet that didnt flood or contaminate. Im doing pours. No pours

Im making pda, lme and water agar.

I mix everything in water and heat it in a hot water bath stirring occasionally and make sure there are no obvious clumps or deposits in the jar. I pressure cook them for anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes. Im documenting every batch trying to find what works and what fails.

My most recent adventure the pda was already halfway gelled up and just a mess when I started pouring it. When I dumped the jar out there were large sections of gelled up pda agar and a giant puddle of water spreading across my work area.

The lme seemed to firm up fine but it is sliding around inside the dish and wont stick for nothing.

I pour them at roughly 118 to 125 degrees. I stack them in tens and I allow them to cool for at least 4 hours before flipping. It is a full 24 hours before I seal the dish with parafilm for storage.

I do all of this in a SAB applying sterile techniques

Please. Any advice is appreciated

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Re: Agar not gelling properly [Re: kdewitt] * 1
    #29620721 -

What percent what are you using? I would recommend starting at 2% and adjusting it from there if you have a reason to. You should end up with firm media. Are you pouring in front of a ffu or inside a sab?

My advice if it's clumping while/before you pour is to pour the media hotter. You may have to let the dishes sit (upside down is recommended but not required) a few days to clear up.

While it will result in less clear media you can pressure cook the media to fully mix it and then heat it up again in the pressure cooker when you are ready to pour. If you heat the media and let it cool without pouring is it the right consistency and not clumping? Are you fully venting your pressure cooker?

29 minutes for 250ml and 45 minutes for 1l of media.



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🌾💮🫘🥖

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Re: Agar not gelling properly [Re: hellofresh] * 1
    #29621188 -

Hello and welcome to the shroomery!:cool::mushroom2: I see you mention a hot water bath before pressure cooking. You need to make sure to boil the mixture before it goes into the pressure cooker. Either by hot water bath or microwave. Otherwise it may not set properly. 10min vent, 30 minutes of pressure cooking will sterilize agar sufficiently.

As hello fresh said, 2% agar agar powder (20g/L) should create some pretty firm agar.

Hope this helps. Please keep us posted, gonna get this sorted out for ya friend :hug:


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Pasteurizing Straw with Hydrated Lime
Swiss Cheese Fruiting Chamber

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Re: Agar not gelling properly [Re: Agar Wedge]
    #29621550 -

What he said :rockon:


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An enigma some caerulescens n a mono 😎

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Re: Agar not gelling properly [Re: kdewitt]
    #29625581 -

Is there any chance that you're not using agar but think you are and its actually gelatin or something else?


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Mushrooms, Mycology and Psychedelics > Advanced Mycology
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