Need advice on stirrer plate

Just starting to make yeast starters. Noticed the cell count is much higher if a stir plate is used. Stir plates run from $70 to over $200. What do you use? Want one that runs quietly.

Currently use a 3 L wine jug with a cap drilled and grommeted for an airlock. What would be the benefit of getting a 3 L flask, assuming the stir bar will remain centered in the concave bottom of the wine jug? Any thoughts on what size stir bar to get?

It's a simple one, but I like the stirstarter. Only $45 and does the job well.

I learned about it here on HBT when I was researching the same thing.

Whatever you use for yeast, they recommend that it should have a flat bottom (unlike a growler)

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f173/stirstarters-com-278756/

Computer fan, magnets from a hard drive, and a spare 5V wall-wart. Total cost=0

https://bellsbeer.com/store/products/StirStarter-%2d-Yeast-Starter-Stir-Plate.html
$40

Concave bottoms will throw a stir bar...I've heard the Carlo Rossi 1 gallon jugs are flat bottom.

Make your own if you have the parts, but for $45 the Stirstarter as mentioned above with a lifetime guarantee and avoid all the headaches.

alot of videos on youtube about making them. its an easy DIY project. if the bottom of your jug is flat then use it. if not you will have issues with your bar staying where you want it. have fun.

stirstarter it´s cheap, and pretty good if you ask me 45 usd shipped it´s a nice price, works very good with 2l erlenmayer, I´m using it with a 3 liter erlenmeyer and 2.4 liter starter and still makes a little whirlpool. As some user stated you can also make your own looks pretty easy and cheap.
About your flask as it was mentioned a flat bottom will keep the bar spinning centered, a concave bottom will most likely trow the bar to the sides. You don´t neceseraly need an erlenmeyer, the good thing about them is that you can heat, cool and pitch your yeast in the same vessel but any other flat bottom container will do the trick.
Cheers.

If you truly LOVE tinkering, then build your own. If you just wanted to save a little money, $45 isn't bad at all! I built mine, and after about 25 starters with it, its "almost" adjusted/modified to the point I can count on it working correctly without fooling with it beyond just turning it on. Wishing now that I knew then about a quality unit for $45....... (for the record I truly LIKE tinkering)

CityOChampBrew said:

https://bellsbeer.com/store/products/StirStarter-%252d-Yeast-Starter-Stir-Plate.html
$40

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I think this is the same unit as the stirstarter.com, but 5 dollars less.

twalte said:

I think this is the same unit as the stirstarter.com, but 5 dollars less.

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Yeap but that´s plus shipping I guess, another option it´s nikobrew (meanwhile you support one of homebrewtalk vendors) they have it for $42 with free shipping.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/one-more-diy-stirplate-109587/ I made one very similar to this one. It was a lot cheaper than any one I could find for sale. The most expensive items were the flask and soldering iron.

AWNbrewer said:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/one-more-diy-stirplate-109587/ I made one very similar to this one. It was a lot cheaper than any one I could find for sale. The most expensive items were the flask and soldering iron.

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Absolutely. If you're a DIY type, there are a number of threads on here that will show you how to build one for just a few bucks.

I built mine with spare parts I had laying around. The only part that really cost me anything was the flask itself....