Pre-Poured Sterilized BLACK MEA Agar Plates (10-Pack)
Pre-Poured Sterilized BLACK MEA Agar Plates (10-Pack) is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
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Pre-Poured Sterilized BLACK MEA Agar Plates (10-Pack)
Description
Description
Pre-Poured Sterilized BLACK MEA Agar Plates (10-Pack)
Freshly Poured Daily · Carbon-Rich · Maximum Contrast for Mycelium Evaluation
360° view: bright white mycelium against deep black MEA for optimal contrast and sector visibility.
Take your culture work to the next level with Myco Labs Black MEA Agar Plates. Specially formulated with activated carbon, these 100mm plates provide exceptional visual contrast—making white or light-colored mycelium stand out clearly against a deep black background.
Poured fresh daily in a clean-room workflow and sealed for protection, Black MEA plates make it easier to observe morphology, detect early contamination, and isolate your strongest genetics with confidence.
What’s Included
- (10) Sterilized BLACK MEA Agar Plates
- 100mm Polystyrene Petri Dishes – durable, lab-grade clarity
- Carbon-infused MEA formula for enhanced visibility
Why Choose Black Agar Plates?
- Maximum Contrast – white mycelium pops against the dark surface
- Improved Sector Identification – easier to see growth edges and isolate clean transfers
- Carbon-Enriched Formula – activated carbon may help reduce bacterial spread
- Chloramphenicol Infused – helps suppress common bacterial contamination*
- Machine Poured & Pressure Sterilized for consistency and reliability
- Storage: refrigerate and use within 3–4 weeks for peak performance
*Antibiotics assist with certain bacteria but do not replace sterile technique.
What Is Black Agar & Why Use It?
Black agar is a nutrient-rich malt extract medium infused with activated carbon, giving it its dark appearance. It serves three primary purposes in mushroom culture work:
- Contrast: Makes white/light mycelium highly visible.
- Clarity: Helps identify morphology, sectoring, and pigmentation.
- Cleaner Evaluation: Easier detection of subtle contamination or mixed growth.
Simply place a small drop of spore solution, tissue, or liquid culture onto the plate and incubate. Once growth appears, transfer a clean wedge to grain jars, spawn bags, or liquid culture for expansion.
Which Agar Plate Should I Choose?
Each agar type serves a specific purpose in your workflow. Here’s a quick comparison to help you choose:
| Agar Type | Best For | Why Growers Use It | Recommended Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black MEA (This Listing) | High contrast evaluation, isolation, showcase plates | Dark background makes sectors and edges easier to see | Any stage (ideal for detailed evaluation) |
| Regular LME / MEA | Spore germination, first plates, contamination checks | Reliable baseline media for early-stage culture work | Start here → first transfer |
| Rapid Rhizo | 2nd & 3rd transfers, aggressive sector isolation | Encourages strong rhizomorphic, threadlike growth | After clean-up → final transfers |
| Manure-Enriched / Conditioning Agar | Performance testing, conditioning for bulk substrates | Tests genetics on richer, supplemented nutrition | Mid-to-late stage |
Black MEA (This Listing)
Regular LME / MEA
Rapid Rhizo
Manure-Enriched / Conditioning Agar
Lab Precision in Every Plate
All of our agar plates are machine-poured for unmatched consistency and sterility:
- Mixed and sterilized at 18 PSI for 30 minutes
- Poured at ~145°F with precise 25ml per plate
- UV-C sanitized, capped, and laser-labeled
Our automated MediaFill workflow ensures uniform volume, cleanliness, and quality—every single time.
See How Our Black Agar Plates Are Made
Watch our clean-room workflow and automated agar pouring system in action—from sterilization to precision filling. This is the same controlled process used for every Black MEA plate we produce.
Behind the scenes: MediaPrep sterilization, precision fills, UV-C sanitization, and clean-room workflow.
Learn More About Working with Agar
Let customers speak for us
I have always had a great experience with Midwest products. There delivery time is fast and exactly what I ordered. Not once has my substrate been to dry or have I had any contamination. I only have two tubs going right now but definitely will be expanding soon. Thank you for great products at affordable prices.
...and that is viable liquid culture mushroom spores, enough for lots of microscope work, let me tell you.
I pre-stired the jar to show the floating mycellium after nine days. I've been real conservative on the temperature, not letting it get too high, but still I've got great growth.
Once I saw the successful first attempt, I ordered another 10 ounce kit to arrive shortly.
Hey Midwest, thanks for offering the two sizes of the LC kit. I can feel big time, while using the small kit.
Wish you had stickers so I could rep you.
Been doing some agar-related experiments in this guy along with spawn bag inouculation (which I'm not sure is necessary because I've never had a contamination from a Midwest Grow Kits spawn bag - the 5-grain ones are top doggity!)
Just what I needed. I really like the scale and the folding cover.
I’ve been using them for a couple of years and they have always given me great products and customer service is where they really shine though so if you are just starting out or like me an old hand at mushroom cultivation this is the place you need to be pictured is just one of the sizes and the picture is from a second flush also🤪
This worked perfectly as described. Easy to use and the yields were amazing. I make my own now but still get lazy sometimes and order this.
Enjoy
This thing was beautiful to grow. Exactly as described.
Couldn’t be easier or more awesome of an experience. Highly recommend due to its ease and overall experience. Not to mention the benefits from the fruits. I add dehydrated/ground fruits to my morning coffee for immune boost, anti inflammatory and energy boosting properties. You will be glad you got this one. The price is so cheap and the experience is so worth it. Enjoy
I placed my very first grow in a minitub into the automated ecosphere. It kept humidity and light schedule perfect with FAE on a timer 60 seconds on 3x a day. Fruits were huge and plentiful! Im going to fruit my BRF cakes in there next. Midwest is my main supplier of kits and materials. I have the Ultimate Kit with incubator also. Set it up per instructions and it'll serve you well for a long time!
This my second time ordering and both times have been great! No contamination and a fantastic final product. I will definitely order again.
Your products have been consistent and i get the best results with it..
Thank you for this service..
Came in 4 days
Colonized in 14 days now in fruiting chamber .
Looking forward for fresh turkey tail mushrooms.
I recently bought the Midwest Growers small mushroom monotub 2-pack (amazing price for two). They are perfect size for a colonized block! I am currently growing two shiitake blocks and one king trumpet mushroom block and the tubs make it very easy.
My second time growing. First time I bought two different brands of all in one bags from Amazon. Did not work, they both stalled and never fruited. This little kit was my last ditch effort and I’m sitting here less than 8 weeks after ordering and amazing results
I ordered 2 - 10lb blocks and was a little worried that they were plainly wrapped and different sizes. I weighed them and 1 was 8lbs the other 12lbs so the total was correct. Expanded to the expected volume (picture included of smaller block)
These are the best Monotubs on the market for the price they are built well and I wish I had 4 more lol
https://youtube.com/shorts/6uqucyx0RJk?feature=share
