Stir Plate by STIRSTARTER

[PetenNewburg]

  This is a really great little stir plate, yes I use one.  It greatly improves fermentation!  Here is the link;

http://www.stirstarters.com/

   This is really cheap insurance of utilizing a great starter to your wort!  Here is another link with FAQ page about stir plates.

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?t=15108

   If you like big brews as I do, getting the correct amount of yeast may require several packages of yeast and/or a large starter.  I prefer the initial outlay of equipment that can be reused as opposed to buying three or four tubes of $6 yeast to make a batch of brew.  Once my keggles are done, I'll be making 10 - 12 gallon brews.  I'll be darned if I'll spend $30+ on a bunch of yeast for one brew!

[wvbrewer]

I am thinking of getting one of these.  It seems it would be easier to buy one then to make one.  I am tired of slow starts when brewing.  Can these be used with Wine yeast as well?

[PetenNewburg]

  9 month's with a StirStarter stir plate.  Still works fine!  However, with some flasks that have a concave bottom, the magnets in the stir plate are not strong enough to keep the stir bar centered.  I wanted a second stir plate, so I bought one from Blaine, the Hanna model on the HB4L Store.  Well, twice the price but much better quality, I tested my 2000ml Flask with the concave bottom and the stir bar centered it's self and performs flawlessly!

[wvbrewer]

I have not used a stir plate yet, I just have been putting it in a mason jar for a couple of days in a dark warm place to get things started.  What is the lag time when you use it?

[PetenNewburg]

  If I get the starter going 24 hours prior to pitching there is zero lag time.  The Irish Stout starter was made last night, had bubbles in fermenter within 15 minutes this morning!  The Pac-Man starter made yesterday afternoon, has a 1/4 inch head still on the stir plate!! 

[wvbrewer]

It took about a little over a hour for that one I started in a jar to get that Wheat beer going.  Which is getting better everyday..

[bobcamp]

Hi

One advantage of a "real" stir plate - low speed operation. The do it yourself fan based gizmos are great for high speed, but tend to get strange when you try to run them slow for hours at a time.

Bob