No Pour Agar - The easiest agar tek for mycology.

How to make no pour agar tek using brown rice flour (BRF), this technique uses a Instant Pot for sterilization. This tek is great for beginner mycologysts and mushroom cultivation.
=== Written guide ===
ezmushroom.com...
ezmushroom.com...
ezmushroom.com...
=== Amazon Affiliate Links for items ===
Polypropylene Pots (similar but not identical to mine).
amzn.to/3qImiwH
Agar
amzn.to/2X5HsFD
Brown Rice Flour
amzn.to/3FiiCXo
Micropore tape
amzn.to/3EoSFUx
Still Air Box (similar but not identical).
amzn.to/45wywXO
Butane Torch
amzn.to/3OIf1F2
Anything you buy using these links will give me a commission which helps me run the channel and website.

[@ezmushroom]

🍄Learn the secrets to Sterile Technique.🍄 I'm writing a cheap course packed with essential knowledge I wish I knew at the start-mastering sterile technique, using equipment properly, and preparing substrates. Designed for clarity and ease, it’s your fast-track guide to growing mushrooms at home. Join the waiting list if you want to be informed when the course is ready. ezmushroom.com/mushroom-cultivation-ebook/ 📚 Join our waiting list for the chance to gain exclusive access to the initial release and contribute feedback! If you've found value in my content here, you'll love the depth and detail we're bringing to the written course.📚

[@Jaimelapoesie]

Appreciate the video, especially the part about pre-PC preparation, but two things: its a lot nicer to have level agar in your cups, and also its a bad idea to use your agar directly after PC'ing it. You don't know if you have any contams until days later, so going straight to inoculation is risky business-- and making agar is about minimizing that risk in the first place.

[@ezmushroom]

Thanks, I think i missed in the video but the agar was allowed to cool overnight in the Instant pot before I used it, I didn't use it straight away. I genuinely never wait and see if the agar contams as I've done this so many times before I can trust the PC times. The LC syringes I am inoculating with have been sat around for months on end and would likely be the source. Contam on agar isn't a big deal anyway as you can always just do transfers to clean it up.

[@WhiteBeardHashtag1205]

I really wish we could come up with a better term than "no pour", because you are definitely still pouring. I think a better fitting name would be "pre-pours". Its like how everyone calls them "flow hoods", but rarely do they actually have a hood... I know this shouldnt bother me as much as it does 🤣

[@chicofromph33nix64]

I remember the 1st time I saw a video on yt that was titled "No pour agar tek" and I clicked on it so fast. Literally the first second showed someone pouring agar into little cups and I was confused. I mean, I get it now, but a better name would work.

[@WhiteBeardHashtag1205]

@@chicofromph33nix64 lol, right?

[@Mushmammy]

Word

[@TechGorilla1987]

@1:20 - if you mix your agar with cold water in to a paste first, it will not clump. Never add agar to boiling water. The clumping can be quite a pain.

[@tedkravos7129]

Are you serious? Dont you have to boil the paste? I will have to try it.

[@TechGorilla1987]

@@tedkravos7129 NO, you have to follow all the other instructions, but mixing the agar with cold water before boiling keeps the clumps down and makes mixing easier.

[@ezmushroom]

Yes i have to agree with TechGorilla here, I actually think I used to do this (first few times i made agar, many years ago) then at some point i've switched my process to speed it up (probably when I stopped reading guides, always wondering why it was clumping). Now that you've pointed that out I'll probably go back to pouring it in cold then heating it to activate.

[@ZombieSnax42069]

Ty for the tip bro.

[@Sahilkumar-fh3jd]

WO-AA

[@tedkravos7129]

Do you need to put Parafilm tape or plastic wrap over the cups of agar when you store them and/or innoculate them? I see there the storage box is a goid solution. If the lids are tight, can I avoid the step of parafin wax tape or plastic wrap?

[@ezmushroom]

Yes you can avoid it, there will be enough oxygen inside for myc to breath. If you worry about it choking just loosen it the lid slightly to make a small cap. Never had any issues

[@retropursuit992]

Just wondering where do you get those pp5 tubs in the UK mate? I’m using condiment cups at the moment and seem to get crazy amounts of trich no matter what I do

[@ZCRAIZED1]

Polypropylene starts to deform around 180F. How do you sterilize these at 15 PSI that is 250F without having issues melting or warping?

[@GriotDNB]

Any Dutch viewers know where to get these plastic pots?

[@chihai_tran]

Solow, action

[@emmanouelsmith4288]

I like the game of thrones music in the background

[@tedkravos7129]

Why do you have to wait 7 to 14 days to use them? I usually use them the next day after sterilizing the agar cups. I have had no problem. I buy my cups like yours at Dollar Tree, they work great and only $1.25 for 10 of them and they have not melted on me in PC for 30 minutes on my instapot high pressure.

[@ezmushroom]

I mean once inoculated, i use them straight away from the PC too.

[@youtubedeletedmynamewhybother]

Ive heard its because you dont really know if you Actually sterilized it or not until a few days later. Its basically just another preventative measure against contams.

[@wgkarolisc]

Hello, great video. Wanted to ask what do you do with that extra agar mixture left in the bottle?

[@ezmushroom]

I actually sterilize it either with the pots or separately (separately would be better as it might need a longer PC cycle) then store it. When I want to use it, I then PC it again and pour it out.

[@DoppsPkin]

@@ezmushroom how does the agar in the buttle get sterilized if you screw the cap on tight? why not leave it lose like the rest?

[@ezmushroom]

@@DoppsPkin The heat of the Pressure Cooker will penetrate the bottle and sterilize the agar regardless. Loosening the lids it about equalizing the pressure of the container, if you didn't do this you risk completely warping the plastic under pressure. The lab bottle has been designed to withstand the pressure so there is no need.

[@user-ev5dd6tj9p]

Whata that red thing?

[@retropursuit992]

Thanks for the video, I take it brown rice flour has enough nutrient’s to germinate something like MSS as well?

[@ezmushroom]

Yes, absolutely

[@love2ff]

hi what is the red liquide which was put into cooked agar?

[@ezmushroom]

Food colouring

[@chicofromph33nix64]

Blood from a chicken

[@SmeeUncleJoe]

It's my understanding that InstaPots only go as high as 12 PSI unless you bought the newest one... I think it's called the Max or something like that. then it goes to 15. I have the unfortunate experience of having my plastic petri dishes melt in my Instapot. You must have a more resilient plastic for your jars. I ended up using the tiny Mason jars out there. I think they are cheaper and you can mod them if you like for vents and injection ports.

[@ezmushroom]

Plastic Petri dishes are not sterilized in pressure cooker, they are not made of Polypropylene. Which is why we use these pots instead.

[@jaksmith6465]

what are these made of ? they look flims and melt able @@ezmushroom

[@ezmushroom]

Polypropelene

[@love2ff]

I'm just thinking of making a preparation today, do not have rice flour, can I blend the rice at home ? instead of it, does it work with sugar?

[@ezmushroom]

Blending rice will work yes. Try to get it as fine as possible. The mycelium will find the nutrients in the rice.

[@tedkravos7129]

What about using rye flour?

[@ZCRAIZED1]

​@@tedkravos7129 Just about any carbohydrate will work. So, yes, it should be fine. Sugar I have heard isn't good for some reason but I have not tried it so I can't swear to that.

[@doctorwho5259]

Heyy what time of plastic do you use, it doesn't melt in the presure cooker?

[@ezmushroom]

Polypropylene, that is normally symbolised with 5pp in a triangle or just PP on the plastic. Make sure you get pots which are thick (dont bend when squeezed) or else they can warp.

[@Kevfactor]

is that food coloring for the red part? :)

[@ezmushroom]

Yes it is. It doesnt have to be organic or anything the mycelium eats it up rather quick anyway its just for initial observing.

[@TheTank8]

Why not use silicone instead of micropore tape?

[@ezmushroom]

You can use silicone, just make sure you loosen the lids or the plastic will warp as it will create a seal. Then inject through the silicone.

[@Blue-bf8lv]

make sure its high temp silicone too!

[@tonyoffermans3676]

Maybe say something about alcohol and open fire in a SAB every time you do a video. When only wiping is involved, then the chance of your SAB exploding is far less compared to spraying. I use an induction coil sterilizer that I constructed from 5€ Alibaba components. Or one could use non-flammable 50% bleach, which I truly hate.

[@ezmushroom]

I spray my Still Air Box down with Soap Water so the risk is very low, I've also stopped using the butane torch inside the SAB all together since i realised it not productive for keeping the air still in the box if a flame blower is going off.

[@eauprecieuse9742]

Hello, you don't have any problems with condensation? I heard that doing PC with agar in the petri dishes were bad for that.

[@ezmushroom]

In the video i wiped all excess condensation from the pots before PC this along with leaving the PC to cool over night should reduce condensation. Finally condensation isnt the end of the world, when the mycelium colonises the plate it often clears up as the myc absorbs it. But you can see my pots as i pull them out have very little excess moisture

[@humansrstupid8007]

Where can i buy these? Thanks in advance!

[@ezmushroom]

I got mine here www.ampulla.co.uk/shop/plastic/plastic-jars-with-screw-lids/50ml-hc-clear-pp-screw-top-jar/ I also pick similar ones up from supermarket but they dont have see through tops but they do

[@ianwynne5483]

@@ezmushroomthanks for this link, polypropylene pots are getting harder to find

[@harleythompson7954]

No pour 😮 looks like you're pouring it to me 😂

[@DeathFromAbove_5.56]

Boiling wot’uh

[@840swed840]

I get instant pots are easy but I really don’t understand some people not just getting an actual pressure cooker. Especially since he has a gas stove

[@ezmushroom]

I have a Presto 23qt....and a second gas pressure cooker Its just easier to run small batches in an instant pot when you are busy doing other things. You should try it.

[@youtubedeletedmynamewhybother]

$$$ Brother. I dont have $200 AUD just lying around to chuck on a PC when there's SO many ways you can get around not having one.

[@840swed840]

@@youtubedeletedmynamewhybother instant pots are literally more money than a presto

[@youtubedeletedmynamewhybother]

Brother in what world is $20 AUD worth of reusable pots "More Money" than a $260 AUD pressure cooker?????? @@840swed840

[@jesb333]

@@840swed840 walked out of Wally World with a brand new Instant Pot Duo (8 qts) for $50, can't beat that.

[@fattymcbastard6536]

Are are all food colourings suitable to use for agar preparations?

[@ezmushroom]

Yes i just use regular store bought food colouring, its not a requirement but does help for viewing.

[@Majketu01]

Darker color will give you a better view of your mycelium But it's always a matter of preference

[@tedkravos7129]

​@@ezmushroomI had mycelium eat the food coloring.

[@ezmushroom]

Yes that happens once it fully colonizes @@tedkravos7129 always makes me chuckle. Take a peek at this pinterest post picture my blue oyster turned the agar back to plain colors but normally its after 100% www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/697424692319647534/

[@SirDydimus86]

​@@tedkravos7129that's when cubes start fruiting on your plate.