Evan!

Recipes 

I got my eBay stirplate in the mail today. I've seen them in action but never used one before. This one came with a little stir bar, maybe 1" long...in profile, it's octagonal, and in the middle, it has a little protruding ring which raises it off the surface a little bit as it spins.

At the same time, I have a 2" stir bar that I got from AHS awhile ago, anticipating getting a stirplate soon. That one is square in section, and has no protruding ring. I don't have a flask yet, so I tested it out using gallon glass juice jugs that have a very slight convex bottom. The little 1" octagonal one works fine at full speed; however, the 2" bar gets thrown every time before I can reach full speed.

My question is two-fold: first off, I don't really need the big 2" bar, do I? I mean, I got a pretty good little vortex going with the 1" bar. Second, if I were to get a flask, would the flat bottom help the 2" bar from getting thrown? I mean, aside from the obvious advantage of being able to boil the starter wort directly in the flask, I'm fine with these jugs. Plus, I always make big 2000mL starters, which, as far as I've seen, is the size of the biggest flasks (without spending an arm and a leg), which means that I'd have to lighten up my starter volumes to account for starter krausen...or...do you not even get a krausen with stirplates because of the vortex???

__________________
MOSS HOLLOW BREWING CO.
Aristocratic Ales, Lascivious Lagers

.planned:
•Scottish 80/- •Sweet Stout •Roggenbier
.primary | bright:
98: Moss Hollow Soured '09 72: Oude Kriek 99: B-Weisse 102: Brett'd BDSA 104: Feat of Strength Helles Bock 105: Merkin Brown
.on tap | kegged:
XX: Moss Hollow Springs Sparkling Water 95: Gott Mit Uns German Pils 91b: Brown Willie's Oaked Abbey Ale 103: Merkin Stout
98: Yorkshire Special 100: Maple Porter 89: Cidre Saison 101: Steffiweizen '09 (#3)

findthefish

Recipes 

The 1" bar should be fine. A flask might help, due to the shape and weight of the 2" bar, but really the 1" bar is all you need.

I never really get much krausen due to the constant stirring.

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Kevin

The Bruery Provisions - Homebrewing supplies and equipment.
BrewCommune - Orange County home brew club, yeast database, recipes, and forum.

On Deck: Belgian IPA
Primary: nothing
Secondary: Traditional Mead
Kegged: APA, Cream Ale, Belgian Ale, Sour Belgian, Barrel Aged RIS

Desert_Sky

Recipes 

2" might work for a 2000ml flask if you should go that route. I use a 1000ml and the 1" bar works very well for that situation

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Desert Sky Brewing Co.
Sierra Vista, AZ

BrewSapiens

Recipes 

I believe that the flat bottom on the flask will help the larger/squarish stir bar. If the 1" is working than the longer one isn't really needed. With a stir plate you don't get much krausen.

P.S. I've heared that you can roll a corny dip tube o-ring halfway down on a stir bar to give it a pivot point.

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Friends help you move; true friends bring the Beer.

Revvy

Recipes 

I don't seem toget krausens unless I turn off the stirplate.

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The Open Heart Surgery Recovery "Dramedy" continues!

Revvy's one of the cool reverends. He has a Harley and a t-shirt that says on the back "If you can read this, the bitch was Raptured. - Madman

I gotta tell ya, just between us girls, that Revvy is HOT. Very tall, gorgeous grey hair and a terrific smile. He's very good looking in person, with a charismatic personality... he drives like a ****ing maniac! - YooperBrew

Evan!

Recipes 

Thanks...suspicions all confirmed.

__________________
MOSS HOLLOW BREWING CO.
Aristocratic Ales, Lascivious Lagers

.planned:
•Scottish 80/- •Sweet Stout •Roggenbier
.primary | bright:
98: Moss Hollow Soured '09 72: Oude Kriek 99: B-Weisse 102: Brett'd BDSA 104: Feat of Strength Helles Bock 105: Merkin Brown
.on tap | kegged:
XX: Moss Hollow Springs Sparkling Water 95: Gott Mit Uns German Pils 91b: Brown Willie's Oaked Abbey Ale 103: Merkin Stout
98: Yorkshire Special 100: Maple Porter 89: Cidre Saison 101: Steffiweizen '09 (#3)

Desert_Sky

Recipes 

Which is why you need to keep an eye on the speed and use the correct length stirbar. Ive had the bar slip off center in the middle of the night a few times only to wake up and see the krausen coming down the outsides of the flask

__________________
Desert Sky Brewing Co.
Sierra Vista, AZ

PseudoChef

Recipes 

Welcome to the club. Stirplates are so friggin' awesome.

Evan!

Recipes 

I'm psyched

__________________
MOSS HOLLOW BREWING CO.
Aristocratic Ales, Lascivious Lagers

.planned:
•Scottish 80/- •Sweet Stout •Roggenbier
.primary | bright:
98: Moss Hollow Soured '09 72: Oude Kriek 99: B-Weisse 102: Brett'd BDSA 104: Feat of Strength Helles Bock 105: Merkin Brown
.on tap | kegged:
XX: Moss Hollow Springs Sparkling Water 95: Gott Mit Uns German Pils 91b: Brown Willie's Oaked Abbey Ale 103: Merkin Stout
98: Yorkshire Special 100: Maple Porter 89: Cidre Saison 101: Steffiweizen '09 (#3)

da5idzero

Recipes 

I just found a will scientific "dyla dual" stirplate/hotplate combo for eight bucks at a recycle center. I dont quite know what to do with it yet. The magnet stops spinning if it gets too hot ( it looks old) but i have other heat sources the $8 stir plate couldn't be passed up, though. Is the stir bar also magnetic, or is it just steel? I am starting to amass a lot of all grain equip. after doing it for a while, and yeast starters are something I definitely want to start playing with.

Thanks for letting me jump my questions in on this thread!