Because I’m a laboratory guy, for me there’s nothing better than making measurements and analyzing data. To this end I’ve been wanting to play around with yeast counting. I pulled out a simple student microscope from the back of the closet, though I failed to check what power it has. I’m looking for recommendations for a basic hemocytometer setup. Poking around the Internet I see prices on counting chambers that range from $30 to $500. What kind of chamber do I need and at what quality? I expect that I would be using it on the order of 6-10 times per year. What magnification range is useful for counting?
A 40X objective. The most affordable hemacytometer should be fine.
Check out page 7 in this Brewing Laboratory Handbook by the Brewing Science Institute.
http://brewingscience.com/PDF/BSI_brewers_lab_handbook.pdf
Thank you. That looks like a handy document.
I prefer something with greater power, but that’s me. Scope work tends to give me a headache, and larger is just easier on the eyes. Even better if you can rig a digital camera to the optic and look at it on a screen. A little clicker counter is helpful too, better for me than trying to mark it down.
+1 on the clicker. Isn’t the next power up oil immersion?
Any advice on a digital or USB camera for it?
We had 100x with no oil in the lab I used to work in, but I don’t remember the brand name.