BREWER ANAEROBIC JAR ,(/,)/,(

The Brewer anaerobic jar is the most common method for creating anaerobic conditions in solid medium cultures in clinical laboratories. The atmospheric oxygen is removed from a large, sealed container by catalyzing the chemical combination of oxygen with hydrogen to form water. To cultivate anaerobes in the Brewer jar agar plates are inoculated with an organism. The plates are inverted and placed into the jar. Working rapidly, use a scissors to cut the corner off a foil packaged hydrogen generator, and place this opened generator package into the jar between the petri dishes and the side of the jar. Next open a methylene blue indicator placket, and place it in a similar position against the opposite side of the jar. Now introduce 10 ml of water into the hydrogen generator envelope, and put the lid on the jar immediately. Put the clamp in place over the lid, and turn the thumb screw for a tight seal. A small, screened chamber that holds the palladium catalyst is attached to the inner surface of the lid. Within 30 minutes droplets of moisture will begin to condense on the inside of the jar, indicating that hydrogen has been generated and chemically combined with the atmospheric oxygen, aided by the catalyst, to form water. The entire Brewer jar is placed in an incubator at the optimum temperature for the organism with which the plates are inoculated for 24 to 48 hours.