Cornmeal tubs

Cornmeal tubs (about 60 tubs, each filled to a depth of 0.5 to 0.75 inches)

Things to do in the lab:

In a large plastic container, which has a lid, combine the following ingredients:

187.5 g Agar (Sigma A-7002 or USB 10654, usually stored under the balance, do not use Bactoagar or agarose)
1476 g Table sugar (sucrose from the grocery store, not reagent grade, stored in the fly room)
298.5 g Torula yeast (do not use Baker's yeast), Yeast 500, or Formula 95 protein: Torula yeast is stored in right-hand cabinet of the cold room; Yeast 500 and Formula 95 protein are stored in the cabinet under the balance. These are fine powders so try to limit what disperses in the air by using a scoop.
1704.75 g Cornmeal (stored in the fly room)

Snap the lid in place and thoroughly mix the dry ingredients by inverting the container many times.

Prepare a solution of Tegosept in a flask (also called Lexgard):

225 ml of 95% Ethanol (usually stored near the hood)
22.5 g of Tegosept (usually stored in a small container under the balance or in a large white canister near the doorway to 450 N. Frear)

Measure 379.5 ml of Acid Mix A: 1 liter of acid mix A is composed of 418 ml of propionic acid, 41.5 ml of phosphoric acid and enough water to bring the final volume to 1 liter. Store in the refrigerator. Gather together tubs (these may already be stored in the fly kitchen), tub lids (with screens or not depending on how soon the tubs will be used - see note at end), ladle, autoclave glove (to manipulate steam valve), and an old piece of X-ray film (the film is used to keep material that is washed out of the steam kettle from splattering on the floor) along with the food components described above and go to the kitchen.

Things to do in the kitchen (172 N. Frear).

Rinse the kettle with water and let the water drain through the bottom. Close the valve.

Put 18 liters of cold water in the steam kettle and turn on the stirrer (not the steam).

Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the cold water.

Shut off the stirrer for a moment and measure the depth of the solution. Remember the depth so you can add more water later replace water that evaporates as the mixture is cooked.

Turn on the stirrer. Open the steam valve and, with a autoclave glove for protection (if you use caution, the glove is not needed), open the valve to purge condensate from the steam line. There will be a loud noise as the condensate is purged. Once steam is emitted, the purging valve can be released.

Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the steam on and off so that the food gently boils. Be watchful so the material doesn't boil out of the kettle.

Shut off the steam and the stirrer. Measure the depth of the food and add water to bring the mixture back to its original depth.

Turn on the stirrer.

Add 379.5 ml of Acid Mix A and 225 ml of tegosept solution.

Mix for 5 minutes.

Put about 1.5 ladles worth of food in each tub.

If you intend to use the tubs within a day, you can cap the tubs with the screened lids. If you intend to wait longer, store the tubs in the cold room. You want to prevent the tubs from drying out. For long term storage (1 or 2 weeks), cover the tubs with intact lids. For periods less than one week, cover the top tub in a stack with an intact lid and lower tubs in a stack with the screened lid. Save the sealed lids for reuse when you switch to the screened lids.