{"product_id":"black-agar-pre-mix-mya-activated-charcoal","title":"Black Agar Pre-Mix — MYA with Activated Charcoal","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"page-wrap\" style=\"font-family: inherit; color: #2b2b2b; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.25; color: #3b6d11; margin: 0 0 .85rem;\"\u003eSee every hypha. Black agar makes your mycelium impossible to miss.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 1.05rem; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 1.75rem;\"\u003eWhite mycelium on pale amber agar is a squinting exercise. Sectoring, rhizomorphic edges, the first faint bloom of a contaminant — all of it disappears into the background. This is a full malt yeast agar (MYA) formula with activated black charcoal blended through it, so the medium pours a deep matte black and every strand of growth reads in high contrast. Weighed, blended and packed on our organic farm on Tamborine Mountain, dispatched from Queensland. As far as we can find, it’s the first black agar pre-mix made in Australia — until now you were importing pre-poured plates or blending charcoal into your own mix by hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-size: 1.3rem; color: #3b6d11; margin: 0 0 1rem;\"\u003eWhat’s in the bag\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pd-grid-2\" style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit,minmax(265px,1fr)); gap: 1rem; margin: 0 0 1.75rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background: #f7f5f0; border: 1px solid #e4e0d6; border-radius: 8px; padding: 1.1rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"display: block; font-size: 1.05rem; color: #3b6d11;\"\u003eAgar Agar\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display: inline-block; background: #f0f7e8; color: #3b6d11; border: 1px solid #C0DD97; font-size: .7rem; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: .06em; text-transform: uppercase; padding: .22rem .55rem; border-radius: 4px; margin: .5rem 0 .65rem;\"\u003eGelling Agent\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003eExtracted from red seaweeds (\u003cem\u003eGracilaria\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eGelidium\u003c\/em\u003e). Sets firm at room temperature, holds its shape under a scalpel, and contains no animal ingredients. Blended at 2% w\/v — firm enough to cut clean wedges for transfer without tearing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background: #f7f5f0; border: 1px solid #e4e0d6; border-radius: 8px; padding: 1.1rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"display: block; font-size: 1.05rem; color: #3b6d11;\"\u003eLight Malt Extract (LME)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display: inline-block; background: #f0f7e8; color: #3b6d11; border: 1px solid #C0DD97; font-size: .7rem; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: .06em; text-transform: uppercase; padding: .22rem .55rem; border-radius: 4px; margin: .5rem 0 .65rem;\"\u003eCarbon Source\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003eHigh in maltose, plus the proteins and nitrogenous compounds fungi draw on for energy. Light malt rather than dark keeps the base medium from muddying the charcoal black and avoids the caramelised notes that can slow some species.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background: #f7f5f0; border: 1px solid #e4e0d6; border-radius: 8px; padding: 1.1rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"display: block; font-size: 1.05rem; color: #3b6d11;\"\u003eOrganic Activated Charcoal Powder\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display: inline-block; background: #eef4f8; color: #1f5673; border: 1px solid #b9d3e2; font-size: .7rem; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: .06em; text-transform: uppercase; padding: .22rem .55rem; border-radius: 4px; margin: .5rem 0 .65rem;\"\u003eContrast + Adsorbent\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003eA fine, highly porous carbon. Two jobs: it turns the plate matte black for contrast, and its enormous internal surface area adsorbs phenolics and inhibitory metabolites released into the medium — the same reason plant tissue culture labs have used charcoal media for decades. Blended at 0.3% w\/v: fully opaque without going gritty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background: #f7f5f0; border: 1px solid #e4e0d6; border-radius: 8px; padding: 1.1rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"display: block; font-size: 1.05rem; color: #3b6d11;\"\u003eNon-GMO Nutritional Yeast\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display: inline-block; background: #fdf4e3; color: #8a5a00; border: 1px solid #e8d3a6; font-size: .7rem; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: .06em; text-transform: uppercase; padding: .22rem .55rem; border-radius: 4px; margin: .5rem 0 .65rem;\"\u003eVitamins + Amino Acids\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003eDeactivated \u003cem\u003eSaccharomyces cerevisiae\u003c\/em\u003e. Supplies free amino acids and the B-complex vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, B6) that malt extract alone doesn’t cover. This is the “Y” in MYA, and it’s why recovery from a slow or stressed culture is noticeably quicker than on plain MEA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-size: 1.3rem; color: #3b6d11; margin: 0 0 .8rem;\"\u003eWhat you’ll notice\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin: 0 0 1.75rem; padding-left: 1.3rem; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: .5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color: #3b6d11;\"\u003eSectors jump out.\u003c\/strong\u003e Isolating a fast rhizomorphic sector from a slow tomentose one becomes a matter of looking, not guessing. This is the single biggest reason people switch.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: .5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color: #3b6d11;\"\u003eContamination shows early.\u003c\/strong\u003e A pale bacterial sheen or the first grey fuzz of \u003cem\u003eTrichoderma\u003c\/em\u003e reads against black long before it would against amber.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: .5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color: #3b6d11;\"\u003ePlates photograph properly.\u003c\/strong\u003e If you document strains or sell cultures, black plates shoot far better than translucent ones.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: .5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color: #3b6d11;\"\u003eClean, even set.\u003c\/strong\u003e Poured at the ratios below, plates set flat and matte with no surface sheen, and cut without crumbling.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color: #3b6d11;\"\u003eNo dyes.\u003c\/strong\u003e The colour is carbon, not food colouring.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background: #f0f7e8; border-left: 4px solid #639922; border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0; padding: 1.2rem 1.35rem; margin: 0 0 1.75rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"display: block; font-size: 1.08rem; color: #3b6d11; margin-bottom: .6rem;\"\u003eWhy charcoal — and what it does and doesn’t do\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0 0 .75rem; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003eActivated carbon works by adsorption: its pore structure traps organic molecules on contact. In culture media that includes phenolic compounds and metabolic by-products which accumulate around a growing colony and can inhibit it. Mycologists have used charcoal-supplemented media since at least the 1970s for exactly this reason, particularly with tissue clones and difficult wild collections where browning and stalling are common.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003eTo be straight with you: charcoal is not an antibiotic and it will not sterilise anything. Some sellers describe it that way. It adsorbs; it does not kill. Good sterile technique, a still air box or flow hood, and a properly run pressure cooker still do the actual work. What charcoal gives you is contrast and a cleaner chemical environment around the colony.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-size: 1.3rem; color: #3b6d11; margin: 0 0 .6rem;\"\u003eMix rates\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0 0 1.1rem; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003eWe list both the pack weight and the water volume, so you can pour to your own preference and work out plate counts yourself. Our stated counts assume a generous 25 mL pour into a 90 mm dish — thick enough to resist drying out over a long incubation, and forgiving if your hand isn’t steady yet. Pour thinner at 15 mL and you’ll get roughly 60% more plates per pack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"pd-flush-table\" style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0 0 1.5rem; font-size: .95rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"background: #3B6D11; color: #ffffff; text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"padding: 0.7rem 0.8rem; font-weight: 600; width: 17.9742%;\"\u003eVariant\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"padding: 0.7rem 0.8rem; font-weight: 600; width: 20.1097%;\"\u003ePack weight\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"padding: 0.7rem 0.8rem; font-weight: 600; width: 14.059%;\"\u003eWater\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"padding: 0.7rem 0.8rem; font-weight: 600; width: 24.0249%;\"\u003ePlates @ 25 mL\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"padding: 0.7rem 0.8rem; font-weight: 600; width: 23.8469%;\"\u003ePlates @ 15 mL\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"background: #f7f5f0;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(228, 224, 214); width: 17.9742%;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display: inline-block; background: #f0f7e8; color: #3b6d11; border: 1px solid #C0DD97; font-size: .75rem; font-weight: 600; padding: .18rem .5rem; border-radius: 4px;\"\u003e20 PLATES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(228, 224, 214); width: 20.1097%;\"\u003e29 g\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(228, 224, 214); width: 14.059%;\"\u003e500 mL\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(228, 224, 214); width: 24.0249%;\"\u003e20\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(228, 224, 214); width: 23.8469%;\"\u003e33\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(228, 224, 214); width: 17.9742%;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display: inline-block; background: #f0f7e8; color: #3b6d11; border: 1px solid #C0DD97; font-size: .75rem; font-weight: 600; padding: .18rem .5rem; border-radius: 4px;\"\u003e40 PLATES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(228, 224, 214); width: 20.1097%;\"\u003e58 g\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(228, 224, 214); width: 14.059%;\"\u003e1 L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(228, 224, 214); width: 24.0249%;\"\u003e40\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(228, 224, 214); width: 23.8469%;\"\u003e66\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"background: #f7f5f0;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; width: 17.9742%;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"display: inline-block; background: #f0f7e8; color: #3b6d11; border: 1px solid #C0DD97; font-size: .75rem; font-weight: 600; padding: .18rem .5rem; border-radius: 4px;\"\u003e80 PLATES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; width: 20.1097%;\"\u003e116 g\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; width: 14.059%;\"\u003e2 L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; width: 24.0249%;\"\u003e80\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 0.65rem 0.8rem; width: 23.8469%;\"\u003e133\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch4 style=\"font-size: 1.1rem; color: #3b6d11; margin: 0 0 .9rem;\"\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display: flex; gap: .9rem; align-items: flex-start; margin: 0 0 .8rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"flex: 0 0 28px; width: 28px; height: 28px; background: #639922; color: #fff; border-radius: 50%; display: inline-flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: .85rem; font-weight: bold;\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003eTip the full pack into the matching volume of water in a heatproof bottle or flask. A 1 L media bottle suits the 40 Plate mix; use a 2 L flask for the 80.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display: flex; gap: .9rem; align-items: flex-start; margin: 0 0 .8rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"flex: 0 0 28px; width: 28px; height: 28px; background: #639922; color: #fff; border-radius: 50%; display: inline-flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: .85rem; font-weight: bold;\"\u003e2\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003eStir or swirl thoroughly. Charcoal settles — you want it fully suspended before it goes into the cooker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display: flex; gap: .9rem; align-items: flex-start; margin: 0 0 .8rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"flex: 0 0 28px; width: 28px; height: 28px; background: #639922; color: #fff; border-radius: 50%; display: inline-flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: .85rem; font-weight: bold;\"\u003e3\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003eCap loosely. Pressure cook at 103 kPa (15 psi) for 20 minutes at 121 °C.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display: flex; gap: .9rem; align-items: flex-start; margin: 0 0 .8rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"flex: 0 0 28px; width: 28px; height: 28px; background: #639922; color: #fff; border-radius: 50%; display: inline-flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: .85rem; font-weight: bold;\"\u003e4\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003eCool to around 50 °C — hot enough that you can just hold the vessel. Swirl gently once more to re-suspend the charcoal, then rest 30 seconds to let bubbles rise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display: flex; gap: .9rem; align-items: flex-start; margin: 0 0 1.25rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"flex: 0 0 28px; width: 28px; height: 28px; background: #639922; color: #fff; border-radius: 50%; display: inline-flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: .85rem; font-weight: bold;\"\u003e5\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003ePour in front of a flow hood or inside a still air box. Roughly 25 mL per 90 mm dish. Leave lids ajar 10–15 minutes to set, then seal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background: #fdf4e3; border: 1px solid #e8d3a6; border-radius: 8px; padding: 1.05rem 1.25rem; margin: 0 0 1.75rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"display: block; color: #8a5a00; margin-bottom: .4rem;\"\u003ePro tip\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003eCharcoal is heavier than the medium and will drift to the bottom of the vessel while it cools. If your first plates come out jet black and the last few come out grey, that’s settling, not a bad batch. Swirl between every three or four pours and they’ll all match.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background: #fdf1e8; border-left: 4px solid #C4661F; border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0; padding: 1.15rem 1.3rem; margin: 0 0 1.75rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"display: block; color: #8a4212; margin-bottom: .5rem;\"\u003eStorage \u0026amp; safety\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0 0 .65rem; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDry mix:\u003c\/strong\u003e reseal the pouch and keep it cool, dark and dry. Malt extract is hygroscopic and will cake if it takes on moisture. Stored properly the mix keeps for 12 months. \u003cstrong\u003ePoured plates:\u003c\/strong\u003e refrigerate sealed and use within 30 days; bring to room temperature for 30–60 minutes before inoculating so condensation doesn’t form on the surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKeep out of reach of children and animals.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a laboratory culture medium, not a food product. Charcoal powder is very fine — avoid inhaling the dry mix and blend it in still air. For mushroom cultivation and microbiology use only.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-size: 1.3rem; color: #3b6d11; margin: 0 0 .6rem;\"\u003eIngredients\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0 0 1.25rem; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003eAgar agar powder (\u003cem\u003eGracilaria\u003c\/em\u003e \/ \u003cem\u003eGelidium\u003c\/em\u003e seaweed), light dry malt extract, organic activated charcoal powder, non-GMO deactivated nutritional yeast (\u003cem\u003eSaccharomyces cerevisiae\u003c\/em\u003e). Nothing else — no dyes, no fillers, no antibiotics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0 0 1.75rem; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003ePouring your first plates? You’ll also want \u003ca href=\"\/products\/parafilm-m-pre-cut-strips\" style=\"color: #3b6d11; font-weight: 600;\"\u003eParafilm M pre-cut strips\u003c\/a\u003e for sealing, and a \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/mushroom-lab-supplies\" style=\"color: #3b6d11; font-weight: 600;\"\u003estill air box\u003c\/a\u003e to pour inside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background: #f7f5f0; border-top: 4px solid #639922; border-radius: 0 0 8px 8px; padding: 1.35rem;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"display: block; font-size: 1.08rem; color: #3b6d11; margin-bottom: .55rem;\"\u003eFrom our lab to yours\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .95rem; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003eKai Kai Farm is a family-run certified organic farm on Tamborine Mountain, in Queensland’s Scenic Rim. We grow gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, and every culture we run starts on a plate we poured ourselves. This mix is the one we use — we blended it because we got tired of hunting for sectors on pale agar, and we’re selling it because nobody in Australia was. Weighed, blended and packed here on the farm, dispatched from Queensland. If you have questions about agar technique or anything else in your lab, get in touch. We’re growers, not just suppliers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Kai Kai Farm","offers":[{"title":"20 Plate Mix (29g)","offer_id":52734815830327,"sku":"MS-BLK-MYA-20","price":14.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"40 Plate Mix (58g)","offer_id":52734815863095,"sku":"MS-BLK-MYA-40","price":24.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"80 Plate Mix (116g)","offer_id":52734815895863,"sku":"MS-BLK-MYA-80","price":39.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0791\/2040\/0695\/files\/Black_Agar_MYA_Pre_Mix_20_Plates.webp?v=1785312975","url":"https:\/\/kaikaifarm.au\/products\/black-agar-pre-mix-mya-activated-charcoal","provider":"Kai Kai Farm","version":"1.0","type":"link"}