Skunks Myco Lab

[SkunK]

Nice thread!
One thing I might recommend for agar work is to use little plastic ramekins as plates. They aren't reusable, but they are way more convenient than working with jars or petri dishes, specifically because the lids snap on and off. I use small clear ones, and for agar work, it's really the way to go, ime. You do run some risk of picking up outside spores/contaminants because the seal is not hermetic, but it's easy to solve this by keeping your "plates" inside a plastic shoebox tote. I hardly ever lose any to contamination.

Plus they usually have them at Wally world, which is convenient

I might look into these here when I get some disposable funds, I did order some glass petri dishes that should be here in a couple weeks from a chinese company. I also have a stash of disposable dishes but last attempt pouring some was a epic fail in the SAB, like I mean epic! used an Erlenmeyer flash and it didn't pour nice at all , I''ve read a normal quart jar pours better.

What your talking about are not PC-Able so they would need to be opened in the Glove Box?

The jars I'm using atm make it so hard to gage how well the mycilium is growing. cat see through the top, and looking through the side its all distorted, so a huge guessing game as to how things are growing.

although the SAB is working as intended as 4 cultures I took wedges from seem to be growing well and the plates I transferred too all apear to be clean ATM,

Spores rehydrate within a day or so when in contact with agar.

I'm making some Jars/plates today and will try just dropping some spores with a inoculation loop onto the plates.

I'm wondering if the best method would be to Streak the loop with spores across the plate in a zig-zag or try to dab it in 3 corners. if that makes sence.

I appreciate all the feed back guy, Hopefully people can learn from my mistakes and sucesses. I won't hold anything back!

 

[taita]

What your talking about are not PC-Able so they would need to be opened in the Glove Box?

Correct. They come in a plastic sleeve and while not advertised as sterile, straight out of the sleeve they seem to be... At least I've never had any issues at all with mass contams from them. They're super cheap, highly visible, just the right size, and you don't have to mess with parafilm or grafting tape like you do w petri plates. I had some larger ones with black cups and clear lids, but the small 1.5 oz ones that are all clear are way better

 

[Flufferus]

I might look into these here when I get some disposable funds, I did order some glass petri dishes that should be here in a couple weeks from a chinese company. I also have a stash of disposable dishes but last attempt pouring some was a epic fail in the SAB, like I mean epic! used an Erlenmeyer flash and it didn't pour nice at all , I''ve read a normal quart jar pours better.

What your talking about are not PC-Able so they would need to be opened in the Glove Box?

The jars I'm using atm make it so hard to gage how well the mycilium is growing. cat see through the top, and looking through the side its all distorted, so a huge guessing game as to how things are growing.

although the SAB is working as intended as 4 cultures I took wedges from seem to be growing well and the plates I transferred too all apear to be clean ATM,

View attachment 109822View attachment 109823View attachment 109824

I'm making some Jars/plates today and will try just dropping some spores with a inoculation loop onto the plates.

I'm wondering if the best method would be to Streak the loop with spores across the plate in a zig-zag or try to dab it in 3 corners. if that makes sence.

I appreciate all the feed back guy, Hopefully people can learn from my mistakes and sucesses. I won't hold anything back!

yea with the lil plastic ramekins, dont open their packaging until you got it under a SAB or flow hood, pour ann your agar hot while in the sterile enviroment, lid them up, and store in safe place until you can get spores on em

 

[SkunK]

Thanks guy, I'm going to go to the walmart here later this afternoon, and check out some of these little cups, might pick up a pack and give them a try, I am a pretty hard headed kinda guy where I Hate single use plastics and supplies. Feel bad tossing things away after a 1 and done use; and seeing as I have recently tossed probably 20 jars worth of agar and grains in the compost that would be an awful lot of needless waste.

I do have a bunch of glass plates coming and if they seem like good quality after a trial run I'll start stocking up on these lab petri dish's, I also have a nice stash of Grafting Tape from when I was grafting fruit trees on dwarf root stock's, and other garden projects... plus it makes and looks thing's more professional IMO!

Also need to pick up some more quart jars and look at a new PC as mine is proving to be much too small. It has served its purpose over the years and worked extremely well for 1/2 Pint wide mouths but with the move to quart jars i am spending far too many hours trying to push grains through

The above said I believe im rocking a 90s Vintage ? Mirro Matic 4 Quart Pressure Cooker Excellent & an InstaPot which doesn't accommodate 1 quart jars standing up..

I feel old posting the above paragraph, because I remember making jams from our raspberry and strawberry patches and canning garden veggies as a teen in the 90s and that presser cooker and some of the jars were liberated when I started PF BRF back when!

I'm definitely due for a New Pressure Cooker, will just make things so much easier, just hoping Canadian Tire has stuff in stock as I know this is fairly seasonal item usually purchased in the fall

 

[taita]

Thanks guy, I'm going to go to the walmart here later this afternoon, and check out some of these little cups, might pick up a pack and give them a try, I am a pretty hard headed kinda guy where I Hate single use plastics and supplies. Feel bad tossing things away after a 1 and done use; and seeing as I have recently tossed probably 20 jars worth of agar and grains in the compost that would be an awful lot of needless waste.

I do have a bunch of glass plates coming and if they seem like good quality after a trial run I'll start stocking up on these lab petri dish's, I also have a nice stash of Grafting Tape from when I was grafting fruit trees on dwarf root stock's, and other garden projects... plus it makes and looks thing's more professional IMO!

Also need to pick up some more quart jars and look at a new PC as mine is proving to be much too small. It has served its purpose over the years and worked extremely well for 1/2 Pint wide mouths but with the move to quart jars i am spending far too many hours trying to push grains through

The above said I believe im rocking a 90s Vintage ? Mirro Matic 4 Quart Pressure Cooker Excellent & an InstaPot which doesn't accommodate 1 quart jars standing up..

I feel old posting the above paragraph, because I remember making jams from our raspberry and strawberry patches and canning garden veggies as a teen in the 90s and that presser cooker and some of the jars were liberated when I started PF BRF back when!

I'm definitely due for a New Pressure Cooker, will just make things so much easier, just hoping Canadian Tire has stuff in stock as I know this is fairly seasonal item usually purchased in the fall

I hear you on the single use plastics. It's not ideal, but I guess it's a trade-off I've been willing to make. I work in bags a lot, and it's the same story there. This modern life is full of trade offs

I have an instant pot duo that works great for mycology. Accommodates four widemouth Mason jars perfectly. I hardly ever use the big pressure cooker anymore, the insta pot does all the things. Boils water for pasteurization of bulk substrate, sterilizes spawn, cooks agar and LC jars just dandy. Plus you don't have to baby it. Just set it and forget it. Actually don't forget it!
But it beats minding a PC for sure

 

[SkunK]

I hear you on the single use plastics. It's not ideal, but I guess it's a trade-off I've been willing to make. I work in bags a lot, and it's the same story there. This modern life is full of trade offs

I have an instant pot duo that works great for mycology. Accommodates four widemouth Mason jars perfectly. I hardly ever use the big pressure cooker anymore, the insta pot does all the things. Boils water for pasteurization of bulk substrate, sterilizes spawn, cooks agar and LC jars just dandy. Plus you don't have to baby it. Just set it and forget it. Actually don't forget it!
But it beats minding a PC for sure

Decided to skip the plastics for the moment, needed to get coco coir, and a bunch of other household bullshit, also decided to skip the PC at least for nowand make due for the time being. There stock didn't have anything what I was thinking of in stock. How do you like grow bags over other methods you have tried..... I just don't like that single use.

 

[doubledog]

I'm wondering if the best method would be to Streak the loop with spores across the plate in a zig-zag or try to dab it in 3 corners. if that makes sence.

Personally, I just scrape off very small amount of spores from spore print with scalpel, then simply touch centre of agar with the scalpel (so only one small spot is inoculated). Amount of spores which sticks to agar is barely visible.
When mycelium grows from one central spot, it's easier to isolate strongest rhizomorphic mycelium.

If your sporeprint is suspected to be contaminated, use separate different spots on it.

 

[SkunK]

Personally, I just scrape off very small amount of spores from spore print with scalpel, then simply touch centre of agar with the scalpel (so only one small spot is inoculated). Amount of spores which sticks to agar is barely visible.
When mycelium grows from one central spot, it's easier to isolate strongest rhizomorphic mycelium.

If your sporeprint is suspected to be contaminated, use separate different spots on it.

Some great advice... I had a good chat with the forums mycologist, and I have some work to do on improving all aspects of my agar work.
He gave me some great pointers and tips on how to properly prepare sterilize and pour plates. Then to slow down and let the agar set up properly.

My agar isn't clear enough due to how I have been Mixing and prepping it for PC. I have been ending up with a caramelized product, and I have noticed a lot of condensation dripping and pooling on the agar.

I plan to make some agar tomorrow, and I'll make a post outlining the new methods and technique tweeks

This thread will be a learning lesson for myself, I'm sure with this new advice I will have cleaner plates and a more successful outcome!

 

[taita]

How do you like grow bags over other methods you have tried.....

Depends. I grow a lot of edibles and medicinals, and bags are great for them. Bags are great for truffles too. Cubes are nice in bins imo, more area for full canopies