agar Microwave tek

[p88prw]

i have herd of an agar microwave tek that is reliable but havnt found an informative document relating to it yet, could somebody please explain it step by step, thanks

[Om shanti]

Two links for a start
http://forums.mycotopia.net/fungi-gr...tute-agar.html (microwave substitute agar)

http://forums.mycotopia.net/fungi-gr...tml#post756430 (help with agar substitute isolation)

[p88prw]

i have already looked thru these two treads and none of them explain what i am after, one of them doesnt even make sence! im pritty positive that there isnt much to the microwave agar tek and that it could more than likely be expained in say 6 simple stages from start to finish. this would make research alot easier and stress free along with making the thread easier to read. To me that is common sence and i would hapaly create that thead to help others in my situation as i am currently constructing a PDF file comprised of everything needed to start growing using the BRF Tek. This will be posted soon after completion

[BuckarooBanzai]

You can boil sterilize agar, but a PC is more certain.

I would not try to use a microwave to sterilize agar.

Boil over with agar causes a horrible mess and is very common. That is why you never fill a jar of agar to be pressure sterilized over 2/3 full.

A full jar of agar will boil over in the PC and cause an un-Godly mess.

More important than sterilizing the agar is how you pour and seal the Petri dishes. I strongly recommend Parafilm.

Here is a thread I did on making agar plates:
http://forums.mycotopia.net/agar-str...zai-style.html (Agar for the masses - Banzai Style!)

[p88prw]

ok thanks for that BB i will have a read through that link in a bit i dont supose you have any articals on magic mushroom history do you?
i dont have a PC but i will definatly have a go at steam sterilisation as this worked well for me while sterilising the substate jars.

for this i would need:-

agar
distilled water
petri dishes

is there anything that i have mist out there?

[BuckarooBanzai]

You also need:

Sugar (dextrose, Light Malt Extract, fructose, etc.)
Parafilm
Glove box

Agar is NOT a food source - Agar just gels the water. You must also add a food source at a dillution of around 4%-5% (by water weight).

A very simple recipe:
100mL water (distilled is best)
15gm Agar powder
5gm Light Malt Extract

After it is mixed up, 1 hour in boiling water will sterilize.

Parafilm is to wrap around the Petri dishes to seal them.

A glove box will decrease contamination.

[p88prw]

Thank you for that BB, that sounds simple enough to do. some of the threads i have been reading on agar have been terribley written. one example of this is one of the first links posted on this thread.

Can the parafilm be replaced with another type of tape, say electric insulation tape as this has a strechy element to it as plus ot is water resistant?

I no of a place near me that sells agar but isnt in powder form. i no of a person that has used it and they have had no issues with it. im taking that there will be no problem using that. out of curiosity can agar be purchased on the high street?

thanks again

[p88prw]

also just to clarify what would the best item to sterilise the agar mixture in would it be in the petri dishes or on an ordanary jar?

[BuckarooBanzai]

You can replace the Parafilm with any tape - but Parafilm is better than all tape. Masking tape or electrical tape will work, but Parafilm is better.

You can buy agar at any Oriental food store by asking for "kanten." Kanten is Japanese for agar. Most organic food stores will also have it - ask for the "non-animal based" gelling agent to make deserts. Agar/kanten is used to make vegan gellato.

You can't sterilize agar in the Petri dish unless you buy glass Petri dishes. Do not buy glass dishes - they are not worth the investment IMHO. Plastic dishes WILL melt in the pressure cooker.

You must sterilize the agar in a glass jar and then transfer (under sterile conditions) the agar to the plastic Petri dishes to cool. This is commonly called "pouring" the plates.

[p88prw]

thank you for clearing that up for me.

After the Agar is in the petri dishes what happens then, from what i have heard a mushroom stalk is peeled back (as a banana would be) exposing the clean tissue underneath, a sample of this is taken and placed into the petri dish (all under Sterile conditions)....

the other thing that i wasnt possitive about was if the clone could be taken from the mycelium or not?

i can happelly say that the mycelium are still going strong they have nearly 100% colonised. one if them is lagging behind though. should i wait and put them all in the terrarium together. i am planning on putting them in the terrarium next week hopefully. Cant wait

[BuckarooBanzai]

No need to wait for both to be done unless you just want to. I wouldn't wait.

That is cloning in a nutshell. Just take a piece of sterile tissue (this is why we peel the stem - cutting can bring in contaminants on the blade), put it on the agar and incubate until it runs the plate.

You can clone from mycelia.

[p88prw]

thank you that has been most usefull to me

are there any great differences in cloning mycelium to cloning the tissue? i am going to try both so that i compare them

[DR.DOOM]

woops

[DR.DOOM]

Thanks for the idea this is way better than all the time to pc