Poll - Plastic Culture Cup use / re-use ?

[rcteem]

I'm slowly collecting mason jars for my cultures... thx frogface ;P

[jeffr]

I keep reusing them until they break. During the summer months I clean them outside with the hose and a brush. During the cold months I pay my girlfriends kid to clean them

[edwardsatc]

^^^ Shame, shame.....

LOL

I promise when I get a dishwasher in the bug room I'll switch to glass and reuse. :wink:

Funny thing is....someone on one of the forums did some research and said it was a toss -up as to just how "green" it was to wash and clean / reuse a plastic container due to the amount of heat (hot water) involved ect vs having it recycled as waste.

Interesting, either way.

From what I remember, that post failed to take into account the environmental cost (energy use, chemical compounds released/used in process, etc.) of manufacturing and shipping a new cup to replace the discarded one.

Donn

[RichFrye]

I think they big thing, is mites ect. I actually put my old cultures in the freezer for a few days.

OK, being a person who has never had any issues with mites or ect. in FF cups, I still wonder why the need for cleansing seems important. Residual yeast is a good thing...

[Philsuma]

I think they big thing, is mites ect. I actually put my old cultures in the freezer for a few days.

OK, being a person who has never had any issues with mites or ect. in FF cups, I still wonder why the need for cleansing seems important. Residual yeast is a good thing...

I just tired the "non rinse / clean" method and made a bunch of new cultures....

I got a few cases of:

Mold hock:

[nrf]

I tried cleaning a couple one day. The odor that hit me was amazing. I have been tossing them since.
BUT... some of the ideas here- drying out etc- have me rethinking this. Once again, Thanks folks. :wink:

[dtfleming]

I have been cleaning mine out - rinse, drying and reusing...

[cbreon]

I think they big thing, is mites ect. I actually put my old cultures in the freezer for a few days.

OK, being a person who has never had any issues with mites or ect. in FF cups, I still wonder why the need for cleansing seems important. Residual yeast is a good thing...

Rich, I must ask, how have you avoided mites all these years?? I know about mite paper,etc and don't normally have a problem but occasionally I'll get some mites and thought that was normal. So, whats your secret?

[Venomos]

Its interesting seeing all the different responses! I personally go for a few rounds per cup and then when it breaks or looks like crap it gets tossed. Just easier for me to empty them, clean them up and re-use them. Im not quite up to 20 or 30 but usually have about 12-15 at a time going for a few weeks as some are drying up I start a few more so i am always having flies. But I guess there might be times where its 20 plus now that I think about it.

[Philsuma]

I have some plastic Fabri-Kote or whatever they are....lids....with the little circular fabric coated holes that are at least 6 or more years old and have been power washed in hot water jet spray 6-8 times and they hold up like a champ.

The lids are like 20-35 cents a piece - much more expensive than the cup. No way I'm throwin' em out.

[fieldsmith]

Yeah I'm a re-user as well. I just dump the old cultures in the compost heap, rinse the cups out with a hose, soak the lids and cups in a 5% bleach solution for 30 mins, rinse really well, then run them through the dishwasher. Sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't. Been doing this for close to a year, a couple of lids have cracked but that's it.

[RanaVenenosa]

Yeah I'm a re-user as well. I just dump the old cultures in the compost heap, rinse the cups out with a hose, soak the lids and cups in a 5% bleach solution for 30 mins, rinse really well, then run them through the dishwasher. Sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't. Been doing this for close to a year, a couple of lids have cracked but that's it.

I do the same, but skip the dishwasher. I have about 50 cups/lids so I only need to clean every so often. I let mine sit in the garage prior to cleaning - as already mentioned, the old crap just falls out like a hockey puck.

[Philsuma]

For the people that want to glue/silicone/fabricate their own ventilated lids.....why ??? The time and effort and money will be more than if you buy the ready-made lids and cups that are battle tested for this hobby. Lids and cups are between.50 cents and 1.00 each. Pony up for a dozen and be done with it. Cups AND lids can last for 10 years and repeated hard use...I've no doubt about it.

[Philsuma]

I've got fabric-holed lids and cups that are way over 6 years old...powerwashed in hot water -even the fabric holes, at least a dozen times. Still going strong.

Small $$ investment - cups and lids. Lasts a LONG long time.

[RichFrye]

I think they big thing, is mites ect. I actually put my old cultures in the freezer for a few days.

OK, being a person who has never had any issues with mites or ect. in FF cups, I still wonder why the need for cleansing seems important. Residual yeast is a good thing...

Rich, I must ask, how have you avoided mites all these years?? I know about mite paper,etc and don't normally have a problem but occasionally I'll get some mites and thought that was normal. So, whats your secret?

Didn't notice this question until now Craig.
Avoiding mites and having issues with them in FF cultures is two different things. I may have mites right now, but they are most certainly not an issue with production or any other issue I can think of, pertaining to FF cultures.
Mites in my springtail cultures do not make me happy, but I feed those too when they pop up. Very funny (and informative) to watch terribilis pick mites off a tree fern root pannel.
Can anyone explain what a FF culture with mite troubles looks or acts like?

Rich

[RichFrye]

I've got fabric-holed lids and cups that are way over 6 years old...powerwashed in hot water -even the fabric holes, at least a dozen times. Still going strong.

Small $$ investment - cups and lids. Lasts a LONG long time.

Those opaque white, white ones with the holes are hands down the best. If anyone knows how to get ahold of any new ones these days, please PM me.

Rich

[Philsuma]

One..perhaps the only one...instance,where plastic is better than glass, for our hobby purposes.

[RanaVenenosa]

Since my last post in 2011, I continue to use my plastic FF culture cups (hand wash outside w quick bleach water bath) and have had only 2 lids crack. 1 went to trash, the other is still hanging on.

[Philsuma]

Reuse people..re use...

[Enlightened Rogue]

Nothing like stoking up an old thread :twisted:

Tried to clean them out once and yacked in the sink. No amount of saving money or the planet could make me do that again