Agar & Media Calculator
Scale a mushroom agar recipe to exactly the number of Petri dishes you're pouring — MEA, PDA, light malt and agar, or a budget honey-and-agar mix — with the grams of each component and the water.
Agar is where you clean up a culture, isolate the fastest-growing mycelium, and store strains. The calculator scales standard per-litre recipes to your dish count, adding a small margin for waste. Sterilize the media at 15 psi for 30–40 minutes, cool it to hand-warm, then pour near a flame or in a still-air box.
Amounts scale from standard per-litre recipes with ~15% added for waste in the flask and pour. Sterilize the media at 15 psi for 30–40 min, then pour at hand-warm (~50 °C) near a flame or still-air box.
How to use it
- Pick a recipe. MEA, PDA from powder, light malt and agar, or honey and agar.
- Set dishes and size. How many plates, and whether they're 90 mm or 100 mm.
- Read the recipe. Grams of each component and the water to bring it to volume.
- Sterilize and pour. 15 psi for 30–40 minutes, cool to hand-warm, pour about 15–20 mL per dish.
Questions
What agar recipe is best for mushrooms?
MEA (malt extract agar) is the reliable all-rounder for most gourmet species. PDA from ready-made powder also gives strong growth.
How much media does a Petri dish need?
About 15 mL for a 90 mm plate and 20 mL for a 100 mm plate. The calculator adds roughly 15% for waste in the flask and pour.
How do I sterilize agar media?
Sterilize the flask at 15 psi for 30–40 minutes, then cool to hand-warm (about 50 °C) before pouring near a flame or in a still-air box.
Can I make agar without malt extract?
Yes — light malt extract from home brewing works, and a honey-and-agar recipe is a pantry alternative.