Agar plate calculator
Pick a recipe and how many plates you want to pour. Includes 10% extra for what stays in the bottle.
Recipes per liter: MEA 20 g light malt extract + 20 g agar. MYA adds 2 g nutritional yeast. Premixed PDA powder is typically 39 g/L; check your label.
Cleaner transfers from those plates: punch vs. scalpel →
How this calculator works
The calculator multiplies your plate count by the typical pour volume for your dish size, then adds 10% for what stays behind in the bottle. Ingredients scale from per-liter recipes: MEA uses 20 g light malt extract and 20 g agar; MYA adds 2 g nutritional yeast; premixed PDA powder is usually 39 g per liter.
Pour thinner if you want more plates per liter, or thicker for plates you plan to store a long time, since thicker agar dries out more slowly.
Common questions
How many agar plates does 1 liter make?
About 50 standard 90 mm plates at 20 mL each, or roughly 45 once you allow for some waste.
How much agar powder per liter?
Most growers use 15 to 20 g per liter. 20 g makes a firmer plate that holds up better to punches and wedges.
How long do I pressure cook agar?
About 30 minutes at 15 psi for 500 mL or less, and about 45 minutes for a full liter.
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