Final pH should be 5.6. Mix ingredients, heat to dissolve agar and sterilize by autoclaving at 121°C for 15 min. Temper to 45 ± 1°C in a water bath and pour plates.

Notes:

1. DRBC agar is especially useful for analyzing sample containing "spreader" molds (e.g. Mucor, Rhizopus, etc.), since the added dichloran and rose bengal effectively slow down the growth of fast-growing fungi, thus readily allowing detection of other yeast and mold propagules, which have lower growth rates.
2. Media containing rose bengal are light-sensitive;
   relatively short exposure to light will result in the formation of inhibitory compounds. Keep these media in a dark, cool place until used. DRBC agar should be used for spread plates only.

    

Hypertext updated by rim/cjm 2005-OCT-21