Our standard protocol for polymerization of gels 14% T and below is to degas for 15 minutes with at least a house vacuum, and then use 0.05% APS (1610700) and 0.05% TEMED (1610800) , at room temperature. (The solutions must be at room temperature.) The gel will polymerize within 15 minutes. For additional information on acrylamide polymerization for gel electrophoresis, please review Bulletin 1156, Acrylamide Polymerization, A Practical Approach.
For gels 15% T and above, use 0.025% TEMED and 0.05% ammonium persulfate as catalysts. (Reduce the amount of TEMED, but not the amount of ammonium persulfate.) Degas the acrylamide solution for 15 minutes with at least a house vacuum, and then add the catalysts, and pour the solution into the gel casette. The solutions must be at room temperature for good polymerization. The gel will still polymerize very quickly, but you will not get bubbles between the gel and the glass, as you do if you use the usual concentrations of catalysts.