For those interested in the TC trial.
Starting with the media itself:
1liter
Distilled water
25-30g Sugar
4.6g MS
4g Gellan Gum
1ml IBA
I am by no means an expert, just making an attempt to further my own education…
Pressure cooker or microwave can be used to sterilize the final media, however a pressure cooker is preferred as a microwave does not kill everything.
You want to start with distilled water filling 800ml of water in a mixing container. I used a 1lr glass beaker & stir/hot plate to help homogenize the media. Top off with distilled water to the 1000ml mark after all ingredients are added. Ph to 5.8.
Now you can prepare your containers to pour the media into. I chose to try two different types.
After you have you’re containers filled to the desired levels it’s time to sterilize everything with you’re pressure cooker or microwave. I chose to autoclave in a pressure cooker.
Fill pressure cooker to manual specs, mine called for 12courts of water. Place all containers you can safely fit inside not sitting in water. I balled up 4 small balls of tin foil and placed those at the bottom and then placed the grate on top to sit it up out of the water.
Make sure to undo each top. No lid can be on but lightly placed on top of each container. If any container top is secured on it can cause it to damage the container and likely others. Secure the pressure cooker lid properly and heat on high heat.
Once you have a moderate flow of steam coming through your exhaust port set a timer for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes had passed I placed the weight on top of the exhaust port allowing the pressure to build to 15lbs. Once 15lbs of pressure was reached on the dial the weight also started to shake indicating 15lbs was reached. Start a new timer for 15 minutes and reduce burner temperature to a medium range to ensure no more pressure will build and maintain the 15lbs for a full 15 minutes.
Once 15 minutes has passed you can shut off your stove and allow the pressure to naturally dissipate. Do not try to open the cooker until it is safe to do so. Allow all containers to sit for a few days to see if any contaminants start to show. If all looks well proceed to start taking your cultures.
