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Invisiblekiowa27
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Registered: 01/30/08
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agar choices (or alternative?)
    #7977990 - 02/04/08 03:03 PM (15 years, 11 months ago)

I did a little looking and couldn't seem to find a thread with a concise comparison of agar choices, so figured I might as well ask. while at dinner with the family over the holidays recently I mentioned my newfound hobby of cultivation and got a rather surprising offer, my uncle asked me if I wanted an autoclave lol. so I am now the proud owner of a harvey 5000 clave :laugh: but I digress, back to the question(s) at hand..  are there any significant advantages to using bacteriological grade agar rather than food grade? and while I was searching on that subject I cam across a thread about guar gum as an economical alternative to agar, anyone tried it and have any advice, opinions etc? I'm all about saving money, but not if it is at the cost of seriously lower performance or higher effort. thanks again for your time guys :smile:


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Invisiblelorbitherize
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Re: agar choices (or alternative?) *DELETED* [Re: kiowa27]
    #7978817 - 02/04/08 05:40 PM (15 years, 11 months ago)

Post deleted by lorbitherize

Reason for deletion: ...



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OfflineRogerRabbitM
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Re: agar choices (or alternative?) [Re: lorbitherize]
    #7979181 - 02/04/08 06:43 PM (15 years, 11 months ago)

Make sure the autoclave doesn't have a solonoid that will release pressue at the end of the cycle. If so, disable it or don't use the 'clave. It will ruin the moisture content of your jars and/or boil over your agar bottle if the pressure is released suddenly.

There is no real replacement for agar, guar gum certainly isn't. Agar is made from seaweed, so as long as there's life in the oceans, there will be plenty of agar to go around, so use it.
RR


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Invisiblekiowa27
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Re: agar choices (or alternative?) [Re: RogerRabbit]
    #7979687 - 02/04/08 08:11 PM (15 years, 11 months ago)

thanks RR, any reason a fella starting out shouldn't use food grade rather than the bacteriological?


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Offlinemakaveli8x8
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Re: agar choices (or alternative?) [Re: kiowa27]
    #7980369 - 02/04/08 09:57 PM (15 years, 11 months ago)

food grade is fine, i don't know much about the lab grade agar nore the bacteriological stuff, but i trust the food grade more.  Basicly what im saying is I wouldn't make soup with lab grade anything, so if its not good enough for me its not good enough for my little shiitakes  :dancingshroom:


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OfflineWorkmanV
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Re: agar choices (or alternative?) [Re: makaveli8x8]
    #7980652 - 02/04/08 10:38 PM (15 years, 11 months ago)

Bacterialogical grade agar is very pure and is intended for growing bacteria on precisely controlled media. Impurities in the agar can muddy results by providing trace amounts of nutrients. This agar can also stay liquid at lower temperatures so heat sensitive additives can be added when the agar is quite cool.

Since most hobby mycologists don't care about these things, food grade agar is perfectly fine.


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InvisibleMorelman
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Re: agar choices (or alternative?) *DELETED* [Re: Workman]
    #7982499 - 02/05/08 12:26 PM (15 years, 11 months ago)

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Offlinemakaveli8x8
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Re: agar choices (or alternative?) [Re: Morelman]
    #7982692 - 02/05/08 01:26 PM (15 years, 11 months ago)

i would guess a nice thin layer of slightly moist sawdust would work just fine for growing out a little culture for storage, once its colinized it should be cuttable just like agar

you should also be able to sector off the parts you like for transfers


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We were sent to hell for eternity :hellfire: Ø:omgawesome:h®
We play on earth to pass the time :foreheadslap:

Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.


Edited by makaveli8x8 (02/05/08 01:27 PM)


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InvisiblePeterthinks
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Registered: 11/10/04
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Re: agar choices (or alternative?) [Re: makaveli8x8]
    #7989013 - 02/06/08 08:37 PM (15 years, 11 months ago)

Hello saw your post, thought this earlier post of mine may help.
-------snip-----------------------------
(Cooking measures for PDA agar)
I have access to a scale but got sick of borrowing it to measure this.
1 Liter water
300 G potatoes
17-20 G Agar
2 G Brewers Yeast
10 G Dextrose
Here are cooking measures that make the same measurements.
Put 3 cups of water in a 4 cup measuring cup.
Cut up one large red potato(unpeeled)and push the chunks into the water till it reads 4 cups.
pour it in a pot.
Add 1 more cup of water so your 1 cup of potatoes are being boiled in 4 Cups of water.
Boil for an hour and drain.
Keep the water,eat the potatoes.
Add water to bring up the level to 4 and 3/4 Cups.
The following are LEVEL measures...
Drag the back of a knife over a heaped measuring spoon to make it flat.
2 Tablespoons + 1 Teaspoon of Agar
3/4 Teaspoon (1/2+1/4)Brewers Yeast
1 Tablespoon +1 Teaspoon of Dextrose
mix the dry.
Heat the potato water in the microwave or on the stove till hot again.
Mix the dry ingredients together then add the dry to the water while stirring.
Pour it sterilize it and use it.
-------------------snip---------------

You may also wish to try a paste of brown rice flour and water,
works very well for culturing but not for long term storage.
Use the search function for more information.
:jester:


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Offlinemr_minds_eye
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Re: agar choices (or alternative?) [Re: makaveli8x8]
    #8015858 - 02/13/08 12:16 AM (15 years, 11 months ago)

I've used both food and lab grade. I like the lab grade stuff. It is sooooo much more hydroscopic if nothing else. It just seems like it gels better and more evenly.


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