448 replies to this topic

[Oakman]

Do we know what 17938 grows best in?
The chart linked above only show 55730 and 6475.

 

From my previous post above, this cover aspects of DSM 17938.

 

3  Evaluation of L. reuteri DSM17938 as starter in cheese production  Link.

[TerryFirmer]

Do we know what 17938 grows best in?
The chart linked above only show 55730 and 6475.

 

As is mentioned elsewhere in this thread, 55730 is the parent of 17938 (which is slightly genetically modified), so we would expect both of them to prefer the same growth media.
 

[William Sterog]

I had the weirdest experience with the yoghurt. I made it with coconut milk and gelatin and sugar , sterilized everything well, fermented for well over 24h (closer to 48 probably).
Eating the yogurt made me SO INCREDIBLY TIRED! All day, I was living in a fog. Couldn’t do anything. I didn’t realize it was the yogurt at first, and it just kept getting worse. After 3 or 4 days I tossed the yogurt and the tiredness went away.
So this is second negative experience from people in this thread. Any suggestions what would be the mechanism of my symptoms? I’ve made yoghurt with same technique before with no problem.
This makes me question - do we know how good is their quality control? Are we sure we are getting what’s listed on the box?
Not related to gastrus, but there was a study on other probiotics showing huge discrepancies between label and contents.
I also once sent a yogurt from a different probiotic to a lab, and results showed 50% being unlisted bacteria.

Interesting. I have been the most tired of my entire life lately, like I am completely unable to feel fully awake in all day. May be related to this shit.

[ta5]

I made my first batch of Reuteri yogurt today using:

 

Whole Goat Milk

4 jars x 350ml = 1.4L total + 1/8 cup Dextrose 

Heated to 180F and cooled to 104F

Jar #1: No Gastrus (Silly, I know. I wanted to see what it would do, if anything, and be sure what difference the Gastrus makes)

Jar #2: 2 Crushed Gastrus tabs

Jar #3: 4 Crushed Gastrus tabs

Jar #4: 6 Crushed Gastrus tabs

Fermented 24 hours 100F in Luvele Pure yogurt maker (water bath)

 

They just finished fermenting. They are cooling now. I haven't tasted them yet.

I will of course throw out Jar #1. It was interesting.

Jar #2 and #4 look like normal yogurt. I didn't dig in to them yet, but I can see they have at least some firmness.

 

What was surprising is that Jar #3 was way overflowing and has a foamy texture different from the others. What is that? I'm thinking it's bad, unfriendly microbes. Reuteri shouldn't do that, should it? It's not because Jar #3 had more starter. Jar #4 had the most starter.

 

 Reuteri_v1_05212019_1.jpg   87.94KB   0 downloads   Reuteri_v1_05212019_2.jpg   123.68KB   0 downloads

Jar #1=top-left, Jar #2=top-right, Jar #3=bottom-left, Jar #4=bottom-right

 

[sdxl]

Lactobacillus reuteri is an obligate heterofermentative species. It generates carbon dioxide. All my experiments with Gastrus produced gas. Assumingly this was carbon dioxide, because that is what the literature says. I've noticed that the first signs of gas formation occurs after about 6 hours of inoculation with Gastrus. That's a single tablet of Gastrus in 1 liter medium, not 10. I now fill my bottles to about 900 milliliters to deal better with the gas formation.

 

So, yes reuteri could do that. Not sure why the others didn't do the same.

 

Did anyone notice the change in shape and taste in the Gastrus tablets? The first ones were larger and were very tart and tasted horrible. Now they taste better. I've used the Italian and Spanish ones. Now I'm using the Polish version which is the cheapest Gastrus available to me. It's like less than half the price of the others.

[ta5]

Thanks sdxl. After digging in to each jar, I see they are all more similar than I thought. I think the only difference between Jar #3 and the others was that it was more full to begin with. I wish I had taken a picture of how full they were to start, but they were not even close to being uniform.

 

Each one has thick, white, cream, firm foam on the top, with completely watery yellowish liquid underneath. I assume the liquid is whey. The foam is only 1/2"-1" thick. So, it's mostly whey.

 

There was no significant difference between 2 tabs and 6 tabs per 350ml jar.

[ta5]

Is there reason to think that Reuteri 6475 or 17938 would like potato starch?

Is potato starch very similar to one of the carbohydrate substrates shown in the chart?

[Oakman]

Is there reason to think that Reuteri 6475 or 17938 would like potato starch?

Is potato starch very similar to one of the carbohydrate substrates shown in the chart?

 

I believe, yes it is, but not exactly. In the chart, aren't most (maybe all?) sugars? So this is a carb, but a starch, and we can't digest it ourselves, so it's a resistant starch to us. Apparently L reuteri can digest it, but it's not a sugar that the chart is full of. Or at least that's my understanding.

 

Since my goal is to make the absolute best probiotic yogurt I can (my 4^th batch is cooking), I'm trying ways to hack yogurt making with readily available ingredients to make life perfect for our chosen little probiotic organisms. Resistant starch seems to fit the bill. If we are the garden, consuming resistant starch, to us, is akin to spreading compost to encourage growth.  

 

1) what can RSs do for the bacteria in yogurt?

Our friend, Dr Davis explains, Troubleshooting L. reuteri yogurt-making, "If you are encountering difficulties in making the L. reuteri yogurt ... We use 2 tablespoons prebiotic fiber, such as ### Raw Potato Starch or powdered inulin, per quart of liquid."

Also, Extraction and Optimization of Potato Starch and Its Application as a Stabilizer in Yogurt Manufacturing

Properties of stirred yogurts with added starch: Effects of alterations in fermentation conditions, and more, just do a search on yogurt and resistant starch.

I also was using glucomannan (a fiber), but it caused problems, and also green banana flour, not sure about it yet as a prebiotic.

 

2) what can RSs do for me when I eat the yogurt?

Aside from the hoped for increase probiotic count, This pretty much covers the basics, Nutrition Hack: Potato Starch and Resistant Starch 101 — Everything You Need to Know

and there's much more, just search. As a result, to augment  this whole regimen, I've taken up eating green bananas, and trying the simple recipes for adding RS to the diet under "How to Feed a Healthy Gut" section of Nutrition Hacks. Who knew resistant starches can be engineered in the kitchen? At least I didn't!

Edited by Oakman, 23 May 2019 - 04:16 PM.

[ta5]

Osfortis is available now. $48.99 for 60 capsules.

 

It says 10 billion CFU 6475 and 400 IU Vitamin D. But, it looks like the serving size is 2 caps, so it might be 5 billion CFU and 200 IU Vitamin D per capsule. It's still a really good deal compared to Gastrus.

 

[aribadabar]

While perusing Everidis' website, I noticed their dental health offering: Prodentis

I thought I'd share for those interested in gum health

 

Amount Per Lozenge: Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA 5289 100 million CFU^†; Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 100 million CFU

[aribadabar]

I made my first batch of Reuteri yogurt today using:

 

Whole Goat Milk

4 jars x 350ml = 1.4L total + 1/8 cup Dextrose 

Heated to 180F and cooled to 104F

Jar #1: No Gastrus (Silly, I know. I wanted to see what it would do, if anything, and be sure what difference the Gastrus makes)

Jar #2: 2 Crushed Gastrus tabs

Jar #3: 4 Crushed Gastrus tabs

Jar #4: 6 Crushed Gastrus tabs

Fermented 24 hours 100F in Luvele Pure yogurt maker (water bath)

 

They just finished fermenting. They are cooling now. I haven't tasted them yet.

I will of course throw out Jar #1. It was interesting.

Jar #2 and #4 look like normal yogurt. I didn't dig in to them yet, but I can see they have at least some firmness.

 

What was surprising is that Jar #3 was way overflowing and has a foamy texture different from the others. What is that? I'm thinking it's bad, unfriendly microbes. Reuteri shouldn't do that, should it? It's not because Jar #3 had more starter. Jar #4 had the most starter.

 

Reuteri_v1_05212019_1.jpg  Reuteri_v1_05212019_2.jpg

Jar #1=top-left, Jar #2=top-right, Jar #3=bottom-left, Jar #4=bottom-right

 

Now you got me thinking - as most of the time my Gastrus-derived yogurt ( starter was not tabs but previous batch) almost always looks like #3 (just not overflowing) - foamy, firm texture on top with A LOT OF whey( about 1/2 of the volume) underneath it. I thought it's normal as it was happening with nearly all every batch. I used the whey to prepare subsequent batches and they all looked like that which is why I thought that's how it is supposed to look like. Hmmm - was I doing it wrong all along?   

Edited by aribadabar, 24 May 2019 - 02:22 AM.

[sdxl]

Is there reason to think that Reuteri 6475 or 17938 would like potato starch?

Is potato starch very similar to one of the carbohydrate substrates shown in the chart?

 

Starch is a glucose polymer. I couldn't find anything conclusive that either strain can utilize it directly. You could do an experiment where you prepare a medium with potato starch as the sole carbohydrate to see if they grow.

[TerryFirmer]

Now you got me thinking - as most of the time my Gastrus-derived yogurt ( starter was not tabs but previous batch) almost always looks like #3 (just not overflowing) - foamy, firm texture on top with A LOT OF whey( about 1/2 of the volume) underneath it. I thought it's normal as it was happening with nearly all every batch. I used the whey to prepare subsequent batches and they all looked like that which is why I thought that's how it is supposed to look like. Hmmm - was I doing it wrong all along?   

 

Only my very first parent batch made from Gastrus tabs was like that; all daughter batches had the usual yoghurt texture. In fact the second time I made a new starter from purely Gastrus tabs and milk (with glucose), it came out like yoghurt. I've no idea what makes the difference. Possibly the type of milk?

[mike20g]

Just now received confirmation from Gaia that palm oil used in most of its products including Gastrus (not Osfortis) is fully hydrogenated. Would it affect first batch? 

 

I gave up on Instant Pot. Plan to get Luvele Pure plus as I like to have one big jar instead of several small ones. My concern with Luvele Pure is that only a small part of jar is covered with water, not sure how this affects temperature distribution.

[ta5]

I gave up on Instant Pot. Plan to get Luvele Pure plus as I like to have one big jar instead of several small ones. My concern with Luvele Pure is that only a small part of jar is covered with water, not sure how this affects temperature distribution.

 

I got the Luvele with the 4 jars so I could perform 4 different experiments per run, because I knew I would want to try different things.

 

But, I wish I could make more at a time. Now I'm considering a Sous Vide machine. Google Sous Vide yogurt for examples. You just submerge mason jars into a big container of water and put in the Sous Vide machine and you can set it to exactly the temperature you want. It scales: if you want more, just put in more or bigger mason jars, and maybe a bigger container of water. I suppose you could make gallons of yogurt. Since it's completely submerged, it should be an even temperature all over, and I believe the sous vide machines good at maintaining an accurate set temperature.

 

I wonder about the bottles exploding though since you would have to seal them to put them under water. Or, you could let the tops sit above the water and leave the lids loose. I read some people make yogurt in bags too.

[mike20g]

I got the Luvele with the 4 jars so I could perform 4 different experiments per run, because I knew I would want to try different things.

But, I wish I could make more at a time. Now I'm considering a Sous Vide machine. Google Sous Vide yogurt for examples. You just submerge mason jars into a big container of water and put in the Sous Vide machine and you can set it to exactly the temperature you want. It scales: if you want more, just put in more or bigger mason jars, and maybe a bigger container of water. I suppose you could make gallons of yogurt. Since it's completely submerged, it should be an even temperature all over, and I believe the sous vide machines good at maintaining an accurate set temperature.

I wonder about the bottles exploding though since you would have to seal them to put them under water. Or, you could let the tops sit above the water and leave the lids loose. I read some people make yogurt in bags too.

Thank you for suggesting this. I ordered my first sous vide and it will be delivered today. Will try it and see if I need to order Luvele.

[Oakman]

I got the Luvele with the 4 jars so I could perform 4 different experiments per run, because I knew I would want to try different things.

 

But, I wish I could make more at a time. Now I'm considering a Sous Vide machine. Google Sous Vide yogurt for examples. You just submerge mason jars into a big container of water and put in the Sous Vide machine and you can set it to exactly the temperature you want. It scales: if you want more, just put in more or bigger mason jars, and maybe a bigger container of water. I suppose you could make gallons of yogurt. Since it's completely submerged, it should be an even temperature all over, and I believe the sous vide machines good at maintaining an accurate set temperature.

 

I wonder about the bottles exploding though since you would have to seal them to put them under water. Or, you could let the tops sit above the water and leave the lids loose. I read some people make yogurt in bags too.

I have a VonShef that allows time & temp control, and I fill it with an inch or so of hot water to start to get everything up to ferment temp quickly and provide a heat sink bath. I use 6 oz covered yogurt bottles (7-8) and keep it to 100 degrees. I have two sets of bottles, one with screw on covers, one with snap on covers to keep enough made for two if us (wife & I). There's no pressure build up, even after 36 hrs. 

 

That's a pretty neat mass production machine BTW, much more capacity than the VonShef  I wouldn't completely cover the jars though. Really no need, just leave a inch or so of the jar unfilled and out of the water. I leave  some room for adding fruit or jam before serving.

[xEva]

I had the weirdest experience with the yoghurt. I made it with coconut milk and gelatin and sugar , sterilized everything well, fermented for well over 24h (closer to 48 probably).
Eating the yogurt made me SO INCREDIBLY TIRED! All day, I was living in a fog. Couldn’t do anything. I didn’t realize it was the yogurt at first, and it just kept getting worse. After 3 or 4 days I tossed the yogurt and the tiredness went away.
So this is second negative experience from people in this thread. Any suggestions what would be the mechanism of my symptoms? I’ve made yoghurt with same technique before with no problem.
This makes me question - do we know how good is their quality control? Are we sure we are getting what’s listed on the box?
Not related to gastrus, but there was a study on other probiotics showing huge discrepancies between label and contents.
I also once sent a yogurt from a different probiotic to a lab, and results showed 50% being unlisted bacteria.

 

 

In some people, lactobacteria can produce too much D-lactic acid, which can affect brain ("In some cases, the acid levels were two to three times the normal.")  The solution is to stop eating yogurt (or drastically cut the amount).

 

popular press: The use of probiotics could lead to a cluster of symptoms — that include brain fog and abdominal bloating — by increasing bacteria in the small intestine.

 

Lactobacillus bacteria species, one of "the most commonly used probiotics," produces D-lactic acid. The bacteria make the acid when they ferment sugar in the food that is passing through the gut.

The brain fog cleared and, for most patients, the abdominal symptoms "improved significantly" after treatment with antibiotics and stopping use of probiotics.

 

 

the original study: Brain fogginess, gas and bloating: a link between SIBO, probiotics and metabolic acidosis, 2018

[shp5]

Osfortis is available now. $48.99 for 60 capsules.

 

It says 10 billion CFU 6475 and 400 IU Vitamin D. But, it looks like the serving size is 2 caps, so it might be 5 billion CFU and 200 IU Vitamin D per capsule. It's still a really good deal compared to Gastrus.

 

this is very good news. thank you!

 

no EU source yet, though.
 

Edited by shp5, 28 May 2019 - 06:46 PM.

[mike20g]

I successfully made my first batch with gastro using sous vide instead of instant pot.See attached Pic with sous vide set up. I checked temperature independently from sous vide and temperature was spot on. Plan to start next batch in two or three 32 oz Mason jars.

I filled out 32 oz jar to 24 oz mark and when process finished the yogurt occupied the entire jar, but no spilling.

This time I used potato starch that I kept in fridge and it produced absolutely no clumps in milk. That was outstanding. I also used some leftover FOS just because I wanted to get rid of it and was looking for a good excuse. I also added some coconut sugar in the mix. Used half and half lactose free milk. Final product had whey accumulated in the lower section of jar. Consistency was similar to what others got - little watery, looked a little firmer than ricotta cheese. Definite mandarin smell and taste from flavor added to gastro.

Attached Files

•  sousvide.jpg   162.61KB   1 downloads

Edited by mike20g, 28 May 2019 - 07:13 PM.

[ta5]

Now you got me thinking - as most of the time my Gastrus-derived yogurt ( starter was not tabs but previous batch) almost always looks like #3 (just not overflowing) - foamy, firm texture on top with A LOT OF whey( about 1/2 of the volume) underneath it. I thought it's normal as it was happening with nearly all every batch. I used the whey to prepare subsequent batches and they all looked like that which is why I thought that's how it is supposed to look like. Hmmm - was I doing it wrong all along?   

 

I've been trying to learn more about what causes the whey separation. 

 

Here's an article on it:

Approaches to minimise yoghurt syneresis in simulated tzatziki sauce preparation

 

Apparently the chemistry term for it is syneresis.

 

Syneresis is defined as the shrinkage of gel, and this occurs concomitantly with expulsion of liquid or whey separation and is related to instability of the gel network resulting in the loss of the ability to entrap all the serum phase (Walstra 1993). According to Lucey et al. (1998), some possible causes of wheying-off in acid gels are very high incubation temperatures, excessive treatment of the mix, low total solids content (protein and/or fat) of the mix, movement or agitation during or just after gel formation and very low acid production (pH > 4.8) (Magenis et al. 2006; Donato and Guyomarc’h 2009). Magenis et al. (2006) reported that factors influencing yoghurt texture and syneresis include total solids content, milk composition (proteins, salts), homogenisation, type of culture, acidity resulting from the growth of bacterial cultures and heat pretreatment of milk.

 

I find that goat milk is much more prone to syneresis than cows milk. When I use A2 cows milk, I only get syneresis when I ferment it too long, or have too much starter, and it's never to the degree that goat milk separates.

 

Also, I've been using Osfortis for a few batches now. Nothing much to report. It acts like Gastrus as far as I can tell. I'm still trying to figure out the minimum starter I need to use. I really wish I knew how much CFU/g I'm getting in the finished yogurts. I bought a Ph meter to see what that might tell me.

Edited by ta5, 06 June 2019 - 03:55 AM.

[Oakman]

I too have had separation, sometimes so much that the yogurt cup is half whey, have curds. I tried stirring to recombine mid-way, but the final result was a very watery soup (I threw it out). The secret (I think!) at this point is to keep the temp ideally below 100F, certainly never more than 102F. Even though my maker is temp controlled it varies some as the heat goes off and comes back on, so I use a digital thermometer to monitor actual temp in the H2O bath. I've tried different set temps, I've found that 35C (it's a European device) keeps the temp in the ideal yogurt making range. Anything above that gets the variable temp to high. With temps approaching 105F, separation happens within a few hours.

 

At the lower temperatures, the 36 hour ferment works well, with a somewhat firm result, like a thick soup...which is perfect for adding some jam and/or fresh fruit. 

 

Another thing I've been playing with is the mother. Most successful is simply using the previous (successful) yogurt (2-4 tbsps). I've also tried adding 3 more Gastrus tabs at the same time, but can't tell a difference. I've settled on 2% Lactaid milk for the best result rather than full fat. I tried the A2 milk as well, sounds like a good idea, but it's more $$ than Lactaid. I'm still experimenting and finding it a bit of a struggle to keep up enough volume production for the two of us. I'm learning a lot, and it's certainly fun

[fntms]

this is very good news. thank you!

no EU source yet, though.

I got mine reshipped to the EU through planetexpress forwarding co. (there are others). Expensive but very easy.

[ta5]

Int J Food Microbiol. 1993 May;18(3):179-89.

Microflora and acidification properties of yogurt and yogurt-related products fermented with commercially available starter cultures.

Kneifel W1, Jaros D, Erhard F.

Yogurts and yogurt-related milk products were produced using 44 commercially available starter cultures from 8 suppliers. The yogurt starters consisted of the classical yogurt microflora and the yogurt-related cultures containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and/or Bifidobacterium spp. instead of or in addition to the yogurt bacteria. The counts of lactobacilli in the fresh yogurts varied between 5.5 x 10⁷ and 6.5 x 10⁸ CFU/ml...

 

If I ate 1/2 liter of Reuteri yogurt and assuming the Reuteri multiplied to similar counts as in the study (which didn't use Reuteri, so who knows), it would provide 27.5 Billion to 325 billion CFUs. That's like 5.5 to 65 Osfortis capsules.

 

I've been using 1 capsule as the starter per 500ml. So, turning 1 capsule into 5 to 65 capsules is pretty good. If I could actually get 60 caps, that's like taking a whole bottle of Osfortis.

[ta5]

Would it be possible to grow Reuteri in fruit juice or puree?

 

Searching, I see some references to growing other types of lacto bacteria in fruit. But, in some cases, the time is in days, at room temperature, and they add salt or vinegar. That doesn't seem right for Reuteri.

 

I tried Applesauce with Dextrose, using the same procedure as if it was milk. It didn't work.

 

We know they like milk and MRS Agar, for example. But, fruit is so different from those. Fruit isn't going to contain anywhere near as much fat or protein. The pH will be lower to start with too. We could add something to raise the pH. 

 

In this study they grew L. plantarum in apple juice, but found that adding 5% whey to the juice accelerated fermentation. It's also a different type of Lactobacillus.

 

This blog found that apple juice practically didn't work for the strains they used. But, using only 10% apple juice with Dry Malt Extract and calcium carbonate worked almost as well as MRS.

 

Any other ideas?

[shp5]

I got mine reshipped to the EU through planetexpress forwarding co. (there are others). Expensive but very easy.

 

I'm gonna do that. Biogaia answered in a mail they had plans to bring it to Europe, but who knows how long that will take.

 

 

To the heavy users producing an Osfortis-started yoghurt do you feel an effect from it?

Edited by shp5, 09 June 2019 - 10:09 AM.

[Oakman]

I'm gonna do that. Biogaia answered in a mail they had plans to bring it to Europe, but who knows how long that will take.

 

 

To the heavy users producing an Osfortis-started yoghurt do you feel an effect from it?

 

I can say, "yes" (to Gastrus, I can't get Ostortis yet), as shown by improvements in several health markers since starting this beginning of May with daily dosing. That time period began my current focus on a new daily regimen of oxytocin yogurt and fermented wheat germ spermidine (added to my normal supps) to improve my vagus nerve's response. There are a lot of inter-related effects with HRV, HR, cardio strength, digestion, and vagus nerve I'll not go into here, but suffice it to say I see the improvements in HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and resting HR that I measure each morning, as well as improved exercise performance. Prior to starting, my HRV was averaging ~ 50, resting HR almost 60, now my HRV is 65-80 and resting HR 48-54.

 

If you are not familiar with these metrics, you might wonder, so what? Well, in my case I see the improvements in cycling, where over a typical 20-30 mile ride,  my average HR and peak maximum HR are lower while maintaining or improving average speed. During a typical circuit, my HR is down from a typical 150-170 bpm previously, to a typical 130-150 bpm now. I notice overall physical condition afterwards is improved, IOW, I'm not as tired. Much of these effects are inter-related to the vagus nerve stimulation, breathing, and heart muscle strength.

 

If you don't cycle these improvements may not mean much to you, but if you do, you likely appreciate what I'm talking about. Otherwise, subjectively, I feel great, I think my skin condition and 'glow' has improved, and both oral health (no toothpaste, no gum bleeding, likely due to L reuteri 17938) is excellent and bowel health is regular and consistent, and I've lost a few pounds. All these markers are an improvement that potentially (and hopefully) may be attributed, in part, to the trillions of little bacteria newly introduced into my gut, plus some oxytocin from the fermented wheat germ.

 

A side note, it's not just me, I got my reluctant wife to take the same regimen I do, do the same measurements I do, cycle regularly... and for the most part she is showing similar improving results from where she started. In summary, I'll give L reuteri a solid "five star rating" and will continue for the foreseeable future.

Edited by Oakman, 09 June 2019 - 01:37 PM.

[ta5]

I successfully made my first batch with gastro using sous vide instead of instant pot.See attached Pic with sous vide set up. I checked temperature independently from sous vide and temperature was spot on. Plan to start next batch in two or three 32 oz Mason jars.

 

Very nice Mike. I think a Sous Vide device is the way to go. It's more versatile than a yogurt maker. You can make practically any amount you want, and you can use it for cooking other things besides yogurt. And, you can set it to any temperature (mine adjusts in 0.5°F increments). Right now, mine is set at 98.5°F, and the water is right at that temperature. It's always within 0.1° of what it's set to.

 

I got the Anova 800W device, a Ziploc 26.5 Quart WeatherShield box and I cut a hole out at one corner of the lid for the device to go through, a 1.4L and 3 x 2L Ikea containers, and a 16" x 11.5" stainless steel wire cooling rack to get some circulation underneath the containers. I can make about 1.8 gallons at a time. I don't submerge the containers. The water just comes up near the rim of the containers. It was tricky getting the sizes of everything right, because you need the Sous Vide device deep enough in the water, the containers deep enough but not too deep, and containers that aren't too tall to put the lid on the box.

[mike20g]

I ordered steel roaster/fish poacher for about $26, has not arrived yet, but dimensions look very good for my purposes to use with sous vide - I can likely make up to 8 Mason jars at once (32oz each). The shape is oval, but this is the only cheap steel roaster I found that has right dimensions and has no nonstick coating, which is exactly how I wanted it.

I don't use lid with sous vide - unlikely it results in significantly higher electrical bill, because target temperature is just 100F.

By the way I have anova nano 750 watt, it is cheaper than regular one. I don't need much horsepower anyway. Today I noticed a problem - anova timer got frozen, no control over it and temperature seemed higher than usually. Switching on and off has reset anova and I continued cooking batch. Temperature during this glitch was about 105F, which should not kill bacteria, now it is back to 100. Something to keep an eye on.

[shp5]

I can say, "yes" (to Gastrus, I can't get Ostortis yet), as shown by improvements in several health markers since starting this beginning of May with daily dosing.

 

Thanks for your reply, and especially your documentation of your fermentation technique. I just ordered Osfortis from the US, and will follow your guidelines - I have a lab thermostat at home back from when affordable sous-vide wasn't a thing, and am happy to put it (basically) to its intended use. I make natto and occasionally sauerkraut too, fermenting is addictive, and smelly.

 

I'm a physiotherapist and I commute daily on a cycle. your data is interesting. my resting HR is higher than it should be, I'll be sure to get base measurements. though I don't think I'll be able to provide proper HRV data. it's n=1 anyway, but we'll see.

I wish there'd be an easy metric for gum heath, and I really could do with some improvement - though my lower incisor gap is always lightly inflamed, I'll try to take a foto to document a possible improvement.

 

Any change in your sleep patterns?