SWMBO is a Scientist

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screamingcities

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Yesterday SWMBO brought me home a stir plate, a thermometer, an Erlenmeyer flask, a graduated cylinder, some PH strips, a really cool 3 clock timer, and enough tubbing to last me until the end of the world REALLY happens... :p

She also saw me checking out the posts on how to make a yeast bank, and said: we can store it in my -80 freezer... they'll last much longer that way.

She then proceeded to read through a bunch of science pdfs about yeast storage/culturing.

My wife is awesome.
:D
 
i got one of those too. unfortunately all of my swmbo's stuff has had some pretty nasty items inside of them so i really dont wanna use any of it. it'd be nicer if she worked with yeast but NOOOOO it had to be the herpes virus...
 
i got one of those too. unfortunately all of my swmbo's stuff has had some pretty nasty items inside of them so i really dont wanna use any of it. it'd be nicer if she worked with yeast but NOOOOO it had to be the herpes virus...

Yeah. You don't want to cross those two. You intend to brew a double IPA and get a "Herp Bomb" instead of a "Hop Bomb".

;)
 
I don't see Herpes on the Meilgaard Flavor Wheel, but a "Genital Surprise Schwarzbeir" is probably not going to go over well with the SWMBO. It'd be a hit with the BMC crowd, though!
 
i got one of those too. unfortunately all of my swmbo's stuff has had some pretty nasty items inside of them so i really dont wanna use any of it. it'd be nicer if she worked with yeast but NOOOOO it had to be the herpes virus...

She controls the ordering, so she can bring home lots of nice clean stuff. :)
 
While I know they aren't as precise as a digital meter, whats wrong with test strips? They have been used for decades. Mind you, I lock my PH with 5.2 anyway as my water ph (form the well) tends to run a bit high. I've been getting good results with that addition and thats all that counts to me.
 
Just not accurate enough for our purposes, And 5.2 is garbage. You guys need to head down to the brewing science forum and learn some eye opening stuff.


-
 
My SWMBO is... wait for it... a yeast geneticist... and... wait for it... always comes up with excuses why she can't help me do anything relating to yeast even after offering to help. :(
 
My SWMBO is... wait for it... a yeast geneticist... and... wait for it... always comes up with excuses why she can't help me do anything relating to yeast even after offering to help. :(

You must stink in bed. ;)


_
 
i got one of those too. unfortunately all of my swmbo's stuff has had some pretty nasty items inside of them so i really dont wanna use any of it. it'd be nicer if she worked with yeast but NOOOOO it had to be the herpes virus...


Ive heard herpes can give an off flavor.
 
Your wifey Rocks!

A friend works in a lab and I asked about using the autoclave for my yeast vials.

"You know we do HIV research, right?"

Um, yeah. Pressure cooker will do just fine.
 
at least she is able to tell me if i have an infection...

she works with the kind of herpes that 90% of people have (hcmv)
 
Your wifey Rocks!

A friend works in a lab and I asked about using the autoclave for my yeast vials.

"You know we do HIV research, right?"

Um, yeah. Pressure cooker will do just fine.

Which is the exact purpose of an autoclave. To make things sterile. We share an autoclave with many other labs, all doing a variety of research.
 
at least she is able to tell me if i have an infection...

she works with the kind of herpes that 90% of people have (hcmv)

90% of people have herpes? or did you mean of the people who have herpes, 90% of them have (hcmv)? If its the former, then I feel sorry for the 9 posters before me 'cause I sure don't have it.
 
90% of people have herpes? or did you mean of the people who have herpes, 90% of them have (hcmv)? If its the former, then I feel sorry for the 9 posters before me 'cause I sure don't have it.

If you've had a cold sore or canker sore, then you have herpes.
 
hcmv is not the kind of herpes that makes yoru junk itchy. its mainly a dormant kind of herpes that wont hurt you unless you are immunocompromised and----... *sigh*
 
And I have access to all that stuff. The stir plate, if it was used, would be the one that I would worry about most. Chemists, biologists spill crap all over the stir plate all the time and don't clean it. Glassware should be fine. I have two 500 ml Erlenmeyer flasks I got when the company I was working for closed research and I've used them forever. (they had some real nasty stuff in em. I know. I put it there)
I also have two 12 gallon glass carboys that had 0.5% trifluoroacetic acid/water in them. Hit them with a solution of baking soda and water, let it sit, good to go.
Glass isn't really gonna house nasty stuff. As for the herpes wash it real well and bake it in the oven if you're scared. 300 degrees F will kill most anything. Heck rinse it with acetone and it will kill anything buggish.
 
Yesterday SWMBO brought me home a stir plate, a thermometer, an Erlenmeyer flask, a graduated cylinder, some PH strips, a really cool 3 clock timer, and enough tubbing to last me until the end of the world REALLY happens... :p

She also saw me checking out the posts on how to make a yeast bank, and said: we can store it in my -80 freezer... they'll last much longer that way.

She then proceeded to read through a bunch of science pdfs about yeast storage/culturing.

My wife is awesome.
:D

My wife does that sometimes also, but it's generally correlated with when she screws something up with the car.
 
And I have access to all that stuff. The stir plate, if it was used, would be the one that I would worry about most. Chemists, biologists spill crap all over the stir plate all the time and don't clean it.

Your yeast shouldn't be coming into contact with the stirplate, so a dirty stirplate* shouldn't be an issue. Just clean it with any normal cleaner and you'll be fine.

*And if you're working with scientists who aren't cleaning up after them, especially in sterile or even sanitary environments, they need a nutshot.
 
I don't care if the purpose of an autoclave is to sterilize, I would cringe at the idea of using one that was also used to sterilize HIV samples. Yes, I know that the virus is easy to kill but thats not the point....
 
I used to work in a yeast lab and froze down all my cultures at -80. Thing is I dont work there any more and now I gotta hope they didn't throw them out! Better get my butt down there!...

All I managed to procure was a 2L erlenmeyer and a 6L which is real nice for experimental recipes...
 
I don't care if the purpose of an autoclave is to sterilize, I would cringe at the idea of using one that was also used to sterilize HIV samples. Yes, I know that the virus is easy to kill but thats not the point....

They actually use HIV for a lot of things... A "neutered" form, but still... since the entire purpose of a virus is to take over the host body's genetic replication, it's great for manipulating things on the genetic level.
 
I used to be a yeasty (yeast scientist), I don't know a single yeasty who isn't a homebrewer. My homebrew days actually started because I seemed to be the only yeasty who wasn't doing it.
Swimbo also used to be a well educated scientist.
We both ditched the lab when we realized that science pays crap. She became a lawyer and I became a medical sales rep.
Bonus now, I have access to all sorts of fun sciencey gadgets I use to step up the homebrew game.
 
I used to be a yeasty (yeast scientist), I don't know a single yeasty who isn't a homebrewer. My homebrew days actually started because I seemed to be the only yeasty who wasn't doing it.
Swimbo also used to be a well educated scientist.
We both ditched the lab when we realized that science pays crap. She became a lawyer and I became a medical sales rep.
Bonus now, I have access to all sorts of fun sciencey gadgets I use to step up the homebrew game.

Off-topic...PM sent.
 
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