DIY Stir Bar...It's almost possible

So I just DIY a stir plate and looked around and wasn't much on making your own stir bar. I see most purchase theirs online or from a hobby shop. I wanted to test and see if I could make a simple one. I do realize this is just me "winging it" and have had success so far in the testing phase.

I realize most bought stir bars are coated, and balanced and what not. But In an attempt to go 100% free stir plate with stir bar, I fabricated one from a steel bolt. Basically took a steel hex headed bolt and cut the threads and head off. Rounded the ends a bit. Made two for fun, a 1.5" and a 1" Both work great in a glass jar. Spins a nice vortex and doesn't get thrown. So in that aspect it works great.

I do realize they are zinc plated bolts and zinc is bad especially in our MLTs. I'll probably insert it in a piece of tubing and silicone the ends and see how that works.

But then again will there be a lot of corrosion if the starter is mainly at room temp? Of course I did have a zinc washer in my MLT for my first few batches with no ill effects, but the acids from the grain corroded it and I since replaced it.

I also may tinker with cutting a Hex key. I will try to make center point on one just to see if it can be done.

just get a SS bolt and call it good.

android said:

just get a SS bolt and call it good.

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Pretty much where I was going to go next....

android said:

just get a SS bolt and call it good.

Click to expand...

I see two potential problems with this suggestion. One would be that most stainless is not magnetic, or only weakly so. The second would be that a metal bolt may scratch the glass container. Lab type stir bars typically have a magnet embedded inside a Teflon shell.

Most SS isn't magnetic. I know some lesser quality SS can be a little bit since it may have impurities.

I'm going to try put a piece in a small tube and seal the ends.

I'll eventually pick up a "real" stir bar once i'm done paying uncle sam. But I have most of this stuff laying around the house, so why not play around.

I have several stir bars made with pieces of steel bolt covered with "plastidip"

A 4 oz can will make a lifetime supply of stir bars. It's the kind of rubbery grippy stuff you can dip tool handles in.

Works great, cheap and effective.

Google plastidip, you should be able to get it at a local big box Lowes / Home Depot etc.

Stir Bars are like $5 and should last forever. I'd reckon this is a good time to not DIY.

A SS bolt would likely cost more than a real stir bar $4! That includes shipping. I bought 2. $8 total.

BrewThruYou said:

Stir Bars are like $5 and should last forever. I'd reckon this is a good time to not DIY.

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+1 There are much better ways to pinch a penny in the home brewing realm. I think that if I just wanted something to do, I would make some beer. JMO blah, blah, blah.

Apprieciate the replies from both sides of the aisle. My whole premise was to see if it could be done since a lot of us DIY so much in our homebrewing adventures.

Could I buy, one sure, but where's the fun it that. I always see threads on making the stir plate, but not a stir bar. Well I made one and they do physically work and proved my stir plate to work as well. So on that side its a win and I'm happy. Now will I use it to make a actually starter...maybe...

They are not teflon coated, nor SS, nor balanced, and pretty ugly. But it'll stir the hell out of a martini! Just don't add the olives til its done.

I was laid off a while back, A.K.A (no money and lots of time) So I did the whole DIY stir plate and thought I can make a bar too. I tried a few things but what ended up working was a nail with the head cut off and jammed into the inner part of a ball point pen ( the part thats clear with the ink in it). Then melted the ends shut and presto! This thing will get a good vortex going in up to 2l starter. And thats even with a concave bottom on the glass. I've done several starters with it and I have no complaints

BrewThruYou said:

Stir Bars are like $5 and should last forever. I'd reckon this is a good time to not DIY.

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+2
Dude its $4 on Eblay. Did you make your potentiometer, wires and switch? Did you fire up the furnace and blow your own glass beaker flask? No, you buy the parts you need and build the rest.

acefaser said:

+2
Dude its $4 on Eblay. Did you make your potentiometer, wires and switch? Did you fire up the furnace and blow your own glass beaker flask? No, you buy the parts you need and build the rest.

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Dude, you are being far too rational.

acefaser said:

+2
Dude its $4 on Eblay. Did you make your potentiometer, wires and switch? Did you fire up the furnace and blow your own glass beaker flask? No, you buy the parts you need and build the rest.

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If I could make those other parts then I would have. But since I had them lying around I didn't have to. And because I didn't have a stir bar sitting in front of me I took your advice and "built the rest". If you dont wont to make your own I'm cool with that.