Sensei_Oberon

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I've successfully harvested yeast multiple times now by doing a few good "swirls" a day of my flask, and feeding the yeast a second dinner after 2-3 days. I always end up with big starters that make great beers.

Can some explain why there is a need for fancy stir plates? I'm not being smug, I'm wondering if different yeast types or conditions require them. The photo is a farm from a few bottles of Bells Oberon.

thanks

phoenixs4r

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If you have a 2 year old around it's quite useful. Can't ever seem to stop chasing her around...... I'm sure they're is some sort of math involved. I'm sure a stir plate is marginally better, plus it's awesome, and if you have the parts laying around it shouldn't cost more than 10 dollars to build.

stubbornman

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stir plates do the shaking for you. constantly. keeping the yeast in suspension and allowing more oxygen intake / yeast reproduction.


for all the large starters you've made by shaking, they would have been larger with a stir plate.

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"The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem."

BrewThruYou

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+1

The goal of a starter isn't to ferment the starter wort...you don't even have to shake it for that to happen. The goal is to create as much clean, healthy yeast as possible and stir plates provide an advantage there.

Sensei_Oberon

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I understand the logic of a stir plate, just don't see the need. Now if it is proven they make healthier yeast than I'd listen to that.

It seems people use them largely because they have a high coolness factor.

AmandaK

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+eleventy to BrewThruYou and stubbornman

Healthy yeast makes for better beer!

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BJCP Certified Beer Judge
On deck: Dopplebock, Pliny, Munich Helles, Big Brew Day CAP
Fermenting: #69 Nelson Saison, #72 3711 Cider Two, #76 West Coast Bitter
Souring: #32 Lambic 2.0, #49 Lambic 3.0, #60 3763 Flanders Brown, #61 WLP665 Flanders Brown
Conditioning: #38 Golden Sour, #58 Hooch Cider, #67 Schwarzbier, #70 3711 Cider, #71 Kolsch
Drinkin': #16 Lambic 1.0 (Drunk Monk BOS), #52 Rye Saison, #56 Saison-Brett, #57 BGSA, GUEUZE!, #65 Maibock

AmandaK

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Mine is made out of a snapping tupperware container, a computer fan and some magnets... it's pretty ugly. Nothin' cool about that.

Read up a bit (try Yeast) on the science behind it and you'll see that well oxygenated yeast are healthier.

__________________
BJCP Certified Beer Judge
On deck: Dopplebock, Pliny, Munich Helles, Big Brew Day CAP
Fermenting: #69 Nelson Saison, #72 3711 Cider Two, #76 West Coast Bitter
Souring: #32 Lambic 2.0, #49 Lambic 3.0, #60 3763 Flanders Brown, #61 WLP665 Flanders Brown
Conditioning: #38 Golden Sour, #58 Hooch Cider, #67 Schwarzbier, #70 3711 Cider, #71 Kolsch
Drinkin': #16 Lambic 1.0 (Drunk Monk BOS), #52 Rye Saison, #56 Saison-Brett, #57 BGSA, GUEUZE!, #65 Maibock

Homercidal

Recipes 

There is nothing wrong with with stirring a few times a day. I built a stirplate mostly for the fun of it, but it IS nice to be able to forget to shake the flask.

The stirbar keeps the yeast well in suspension, where it has a much better chance of meeting up with its food supply.

KevinW

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I am sure we can all agree that nobody "needs" a stir plate. In all sense nobody needs starters if you are using pre-packaged yeasts and aerate your wort. It is all a matter of improving the quality of your beer. You can make good beer without a starter, better beer with a starter. The type of starter you use is purely a matter of preference, IMHO!

The fact is that a stir plate will yield much more yeast than any other starter method that most homebrewers use.

I am lazy and if all I have to do is watch my starter swirl around on my stir plate then I am all for it.

I do have a growler that I use for starters as well, but it is a pain to have to keep shaking it!

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terrapinj

Recipes 

stir plate creates More yeast than intermittent shaking because of increased oxygen contact, thus needing a smaller starter volume

you can see the differences on Mr Malty by changing aeration method
1.060 of 5.5g beer
1.01 liters needed with stir plate
1.56 liters needed with intermittent shaking

def not essential but also has it's benefits