Is a Heating Stirplate Worthwhile?

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RonRock

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I am thinking of buying a stirplate off Ebay. I can find heating stirplates available easy enough. Are they worthwhile? Can you use the heating to boil a starter? And if you do use one to boil will it cool fast enough to use as a stirplate after the starter is chilled?

Not a big deal, but I've been thinking about replacing my homemade stirplate anyway. So figure I'll get a more useful one while I'm at it. But no point in paying for a heated stirplate if it won't help with my starters.

Anybody have one to sell?
 
Most heating stir plates are intended to get you up to about 80F or so, so they definitely wouldn't boil. That's a bit hot for a starter...probably better to be about 70F. If you can get that from the ambient temperature in your house, no need for the heater. If you can't, it would be useful.
 
I use a Corning combo stiplate/hotplate, and I have found it works great for making starters. I typically make larger starters too - some even as large as 4000 mL. I typically bring my dechlorinated water to a boil in a pot on the stove, add the DME to my 5000-mL flask and add the boiling water to the flask. Then I allow the hotplate to bring the mixture to a boil, using the stir function to mix.

I also typically use an antifoam agent. After cooling - which I do by submerging the flask in an ice bath - I place the flask back on the plate for stirring. I have never had any difficulties with the combo plate still being too hot to put the flask on it. I have enjoyed making starters this way.
 
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