Stuffed Agar

[rae]

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!
Had to blow off !!!
Just stuffed 1litre of agar. Never happened before. Don't know why just had a feeling from the beginning it wasn't going to work!! Must have been bad vibes.
at least I don't need it till Thursday!!

OMG

[rae]

All is not lost kind folk. It just took a lot longer to set than normal. Must have been way to hot when I poured it. As they say patience is a virtue and I'm definately not virtuous!! HA!!HA!!

[sunray18]

ahh.. agar... a ...grrrr

[fibreweb]

This is just the topic I need right now!

I have just had to discard 30 agar plpates that were ordered and then wern't used.

They had just started to grow tiny spots so I have discarded the agar and salvaged the petri dishes for use for growing seed, making concrete etc.

Now I have to turn around and prepare more plates for use on thursday.
A total waste of my time and school money.

Wendy

[dime]

As soon as the agar plates are set, I put 'em in the staffroom fridge and tell the appropriate teacher where they are and to get them out just before they need them. This doesn't allow for teachers getting them out and not using them. Although I do reinforce with "if you don't use them all, pop them back in the fridge, in case some one else needs them", 'cause they keep for a long time.

[RosalieM]

Grrr Wendy!! That is so frustrating. I hate when orders requiring so much effort aren't used and then you have to do it all again when they do want it. Have you looked into the nutrient agar again? I've worked out if I mix half nutrient and half plain (which doesn't actually work out half and half due to the different amounts of each needed per litre) it still grows really well. Will save you lots of time and money! Eg I do (I think) 13g nutrient agar (usually 26g/L) and 6g plain agar (usually 12g/L) in one litre of distilled water. I am almost finished a container of plain agar and I am planning to make up my 'pre mix' at the right ratio and put it in the empty container so I can just do 20g/L of that (close enough).

I too, have had some agar issues this week!! It must be a conspiracy? Revenge of the agar? Mine was of the phenolphthalein variety... My first batch went lumpy (was rushing it...) so started a second batch and it turned WHITE when I added the phenolphtalein!!! It still worked though I added it as powder, not dissolved in metho (which I am sure I have done before and it never turned white!). Oh well...

[celia1]

hi ,
i use nutrient Agar add it when water about to boil ,let it boil for abit and let Agar cool down for 5 minuts before pouring to petri dish it works well.
also i only give 11 Agar plates per class 10 for student groups and 1 for T. control

Celia