I used my inoculation loop as most sources I have read instruct.
I have an inoculation needle though as well. In my eagerness to get going I placed an order with more beer and got their overpriced needle. This was before I learned about cynmar. So now I have both and I am not sure what the needle is for.
What I have read indicates that the loop is for streaking plates and slants and the needle is for stabs. I don’t understand the purpose of a stab though. I get that you stab the inoculated needle into the agar in a slant, but what does that do? How do you then work with this?
stab cultures tend to remain viable longer since the yeast grows inside the agar where it doesn’t have access to oxygen. I had a few cases of 12+ month old yeast where the slant culture was dead but the stab culture still had live cells which I was able to culture on a plate and then in new slants and stabs.
stab the needle in it a few times and then streak it over the plate. That’s what I do and it seems to work. You don’t really have to stab exacly into the hole you made first. There seems to be enough viable yeast throughout the agar.
[quote] You can make a loop from your needle. Just wrap the end of your needle into a loop. You can use a nail or something similar to help form it.
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After reading that I took a closer look at the needle. The part that I thought was a handle on it is actually a slip on cover over the needle which is a fine wire… so I guess I can make a loop. Prior to this I had only looked at it inside the case and I thought the fat wire was the needle… wow this thing has a long handle on it and the needle part is probably 3 to 4 inches long. Thanks for making that post… it made me take a closer look at it.
One last questions on stab cultures. I would suppose then that it is not necessary to prepare the vials for this on a slant? Meaning, one would simple pour the agar solution into the vial, sterilize, and then let cool standing straight up?
