EDUCATION

Different microbes have different conditions under which they grow best. They need particular nutrients, oxygen, as well as a suitable pH and range of temperature.

While FastOrange media provides both a source of nutrients and a stable pH environment at which beer spoilers will reproduce, it is recommended to use an incubator to maintain control over optimal temperatures for microbial growth.

There are all manner of incubators on the market, ranging from simple to sophisticated and some are designed for very specialized types of testing. For the purposes of tests conducted using FastOrange, though, a very basic microbiology (non-CO2) incubator will suffice.

A couple different models are featured in our list of basic laboratory equipment.

When shopping for an incubator, be aware that, based on its internal volume, each unit will only be able to hold a certain number of samples. Depending upon the size of the sample vessels and the number of tests being processed at a time, it will be necessary to take the internal capacity of the incubator into consideration.

In addition to commercially available incubators, it is possible to build an inexpensive incubator using off-the-shelf components.

A YouTube search for “how to make an incubation chamber” yields quite a few designs with a wide range of capacities.

Anyone undertaking such a do-it-yourself project should, of course, familiarize themselves with all relevant safety precautions and applicable electrical codes in the area where the device will be put into service.