Double Stir Plate - Home Made

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keelanfish

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2008
Messages
315
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Location
Decatur, GA
So, first off, I got the inspiration for this DIY project from Anthony Lopez (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-stirplate-cheap-easy-build-86252/) and from a guy in my homebrew club who had the ingenious idea of building a single stir plate out of a rubbermaid container. Thanks to both for the ideas!

So, I decided I'd like to have two stirplates so I could use 1000 mL flasks and still do a big starter. I used cooling fans that had adjustable speed controls built in. I had them, but if you don't, coolerguys.com is an excellent source. I used an old power supply from a computer I had and it has a built in on/off switch, so that was nice. Note, in power supplies, black wires are ground, reds are 5 volt DC and yellows are 12 volt DC. I first hooked up to the red and the fans didn't spin very fast. But when I changed over to the yellows I had to turn them down. Below are a couple pics of the build:

1 Rubbermaid Container $7.00
2 Computer cooling fans (adjustable speed) $salvaged
1 Computer Power Supply $salvaged
2 Harddrive Magnets $salvaged
1 Tube of Crazy Glue $2.50
3 Wire Nuts (had them)

So, for under $10, I built a double stirplate. Still waiting for my stirrods, it's a little sad that they are more expensive than the plate, but you can't have everything.

3248032383_b4c593da91.jpg

Finished Stir Plate

3248857272_0548376e99.jpg

Top Removed

Also note I drilled some vent holes in the sides of the containers. Power supplies have a tendancy to get hot, so this was important. The container's lid is water tight, but with the holes drilled for the on/off switch and vents, I would classify as water resitant. I would recommend using on a GFCI protected outlet.
 
It's amazing how many people have copied my stirplates in the last five years. This is the first one I built about 5 years ago and the one that started the homemade stirplate revolution...

Stirplate10.jpg
 
A couple more fans from the computer, that has so generously given its life for you, could help with cooling the power supply. A slight edge/lip over the holes would help immensely for water protection.
 
Well, I am flattered that you all use the internet to keep in contact with one another still... I actually invented it 20 years ago. Glad to see it is still up and running. :mug:
 
And fortunately for "The Pol", I mispoke while very drunk 10 years ago and called a hulkish looking woman a, "HERMS"
 
It's amazing how many people have copied my stirplates in the last five years. This is the first one I built about 5 years ago and the one that started the homemade stirplate revolution...

Hey everybody it's Al Gore!:D
 
I actually discovered water 50,000 years before I was born... I'm so glad you are all brewing beer based on my personal discovery that no one but me discovered...50,000 years ago...:p

I love HBT :rockin:

-Tripod
 
Are you sure you have enough ventilation in the container? That power supply is going to put out some heat. I know my homemade stirplate acts as a minor heater even with an external power supply.
 
Are you sure you have enough ventilation in the container? That power supply is going to put out some heat. I know my homemade stirplate acts as a minor heater even with an external power supply.

I am betting that two spinning fans will help move the air... Is that the case OP?

-Tripod
 
You know, there is a whole world outside of this forum.

As far as I can tell, he posted about DIY stir plates long before anyone here.

Morebeer's Brew Chat • View topic - Homemade Stirplate

I never claimed there wasn't a world outside of HBT. All I asked was who he was and for a link. As stated, I found parts from old power supplies at work, built my stirplate, and then went to radioshack for similiar parts. The suggestion that I copied him just seemed somewhat out of line to me...
 
I never claimed there wasn't a world outside of HBT. All I asked was who he was and for a link. As stated, I found parts from old power supplies at work, built my stirplate, and then went to radioshack for similiar parts. The suggestion that I copied him just seemed somewhat out of line to me...

I never really wanted to "stir" things up. I was just pointing out that the design I came up with the radio shack parts years ago is still being copied today. I was the original designer and a lot of people took it and made it thier own, no big deal.
 
I never claimed there wasn't a world outside of HBT. All I asked was who he was and for a link. As stated, I found parts from old power supplies at work, built my stirplate, and then went to radioshack for similiar parts. The suggestion that I copied him just seemed somewhat out of line to me...

I probably should not have quoted you, I wasn't put off by your asking for a link but rather by the page of uninformed mocking that followed by others.
 
keelanfish, nice work.

I never really wanted to "stir" things up. I was just pointing out that the design I came up with the radio shack parts years ago is still being copied today. I was the original designer and a lot of people took it and made it thier own, no big deal.

Pretty sure claiming that you are the first to make something that was first designed in the 1940s is deserving of all the **** you got. Even if you made it out of fans from radio shack, not really that novel of an idea and I'm sure it has been done way before you.

I probably should not have quoted you, I wasn't put off by your asking for a link but rather by the page of uninformed mocking that followed by others.

I'm sure everyone that posted mocking was put off by Monster Mash for saying he was the first ever to make one as if there was never one before 2005 and that everyone is copying him. I sure was put off.
 
I don't think people were all that off base. It is quite possible for two people to come up with the same idea without ever knowing the design was created. It just bothers me for someone to state that literally I copied what they did. Radioshack only sells certain parts, and I chose the ones that the manager at my local store said were widely available. I did not want to create something with parts that only people working in the military testing world could source.

If you'd like, I can post pictures of the original stir plate I built using military grade hardware. I grew up with two very well known doctors in the food science world. Stir plates are not something new, and this style of design was created DECADES before the monster mash thread previously posted.

To get back on track, I think the original poster of the thread did a great job, and I appreciate any credit given towards my documented build.
 
Wow, I turn my head for 12 hours and a whole debate about the first homemade stirplate erupts. You guys that care, go update the wikipedia page and claim your prize. I credited the two people that gave me my inspiration and I'm happy with the result.

Regarding the cooling, I'm going to keep an eye on it during a trial run this weekend. I think it will be fine because three fans is not going to put that much draw on the power supply. If it get's too hot, I'll add a couple of small CPU cooling fans I have on one end of the vents to circulate air through. Won't be any big deal to do that.
 
Pretty sure claiming that you are the first to make something that was first designed in the 1940s is deserving of all the **** you got. Even if you made it out of fans from radio shack, not really that novel of an idea and I'm sure it has been done way before you.



I'm sure everyone that posted mocking was put off by Monster Mash for saying he was the first ever to make one as if there was never one before 2005 and that everyone is copying him. I sure was put off.

Whatever dude. I never said I invented the stir plate, I just put one together with a computer fan and a 25ohm rheostat. Why is it such a big deal to you that I was the first to post this combination? I'm sorry I even brought it up, I just thought it might be of interest but instead you feel the need to bash me.

I'll go back to forum that I originally posted it to, it has less uptight whiners...
 
LOL... or perhaps less interested brewers... people don't seem to get away with saying whatever they want around here... perhaps THAT forum is different...
 
LOL... or perhaps less interested brewers... people don't seem to get away with saying whatever they want around here... perhaps THAT forum is different...

People get away with saying whatever they want without justification here as long as it is what the group believes.

I'm still not sure why MM was wrong to claim to have made stir plates at home before others based on the fact that a few people here started doing it years after him. Has anyone proven him wrong or is this another unverifiable HBT belief?
 
Whatever dude. I never said I invented the stir plate, I just put one together with a computer fan and a 25ohm rheostat. Why is it such a big deal to you that I was the first to post this combination? I'm sorry I even brought it up, I just thought it might be of interest but instead you feel the need to bash me.

I'll go back to forum that I originally posted it to, it has less uptight whiners...

It wouldn't be a big deal to me if you were the first to post this idea but you weren't. I'm not saying you didn't come up with it on your own though but don't claim that everyone else took the idea from you since it is a simple idea for any smart person to come up with on their own.

People get away with saying whatever they want without justification here as long as it is what the group believes.

I'm still not sure why MM was wrong to claim to have made stir plates at home before others based on the fact that a few people here started doing it years after him. Has anyone proven him wrong or is this another unverifiable HBT belief?

Proof:
Northern Brew Forum 2004

They have links to older sites that have since been taken down also.
 
I'm not saying you didn't come up with it on your own though but don't claim that everyone else took the idea from you since it is a simple idea for any smart person to come up with on their own.

I agree with this...no one is saying that MM did not come up with a stellar idea back in 2005. But Anthony_Lopez took the time to provide detailed knowledge to the seekers of better brewing. He provided a detailed list of parts that included part numbers, pricing, etc. He took a ton of photos and shared them with the group. He detailed step-by-step instructions so that anyone could follow. As far as I can tell he answered every single question that was asked and, IMHO went way above and beyond the call of duty so that future brewers could expand their skill set. All I saw from the other site was a single photo with an older date of 2005....hardly a comparison.

The invetor of the original stir plate isn't the point (at least not for me). It's the fact that Mr. Lopez put a lot of effort into helping his fellow brewers and it came across as very arrogant to trivialize that contribution.

Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way but I feel like AL deserves a beer and a pat on the back...not for being the first one to design something but for sharing that knowledge with those who seek it.

-Tripod
 
I'm still not sure why MM was wrong to claim to have made stir plates at home before others...

That's not the claim he made...he claimed that he started the whole homemade stirplate revolution and that everyone is copying him...

It's amazing how many people have copied my stirplates in the last five years. This is the first one I built about 5 years ago and the one that started the homemade stirplate revolution...

To me, the difference is obvious... It really trivializes the effort that others have put into sharing their ideas. The whole free exchange of ideas was attacked by that claim. If he had said something like "hey, cool design. It looks kinda like one I made years ago. Here's a photo of my design..." it would have definitely played out in a different way. I am betting that MM did not mean for it to come across that way but the language he used did not sit well with a lot of viewers.

My apolagies to the OP for dragging this away from your original post.

-Tripod
 
I'm glad my tutorial helped you build your dual plate. I can't wait to release the build on my upcoming stir plate and I'll just wait for the "already did that in '97" crowd. Without actually inventing a potentiometer, you can never claim that you came up with this kind of build. I'm not insulted by MM, just some what frustrated with the "i'm taking my ball and going home" attitude. Cheers to him on coming up with this design on his own and sharing it.

Cheers to all of the brewers on the DIY forums whether its on here or another forum. I think the DIY attitude lends itself to homebrewers. We are, infact, DIY'ing beer at home...
 
I fear The Pol might have missed my quote a few pages back...

Thanks for the kind words... you should give it to the original poster of this thread, since this is his chance to show off what he made!
 
I saw that, do I need to put you in the credits on my vids now too, since you INVENTED HERMS?
 
You are missing out on some royalties. You need to file a lawsuit.
 
So, first off, I got the inspiration for this DIY project from Anthony Lopez (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-stirplate-cheap-easy-build-86252/) and from a guy in my homebrew club who had the ingenious idea of building a single stir plate out of a rubbermaid container. Thanks to both for the ideas!

So, I decided I'd like to have two stirplates so I could use 1000 mL flasks and still do a big starter. I used cooling fans that had adjustable speed controls built in. I had them, but if you don't, coolerguys.com is an excellent source. I used an old power supply from a computer I had and it has a built in on/off switch, so that was nice. Note, in power supplies, black wires are ground, reds are 5 volt DC and yellows are 12 volt DC. I first hooked up to the red and the fans didn't spin very fast. But when I changed over to the yellows I had to turn them down. Below are a couple pics of the build:

1 Rubbermaid Container $7.00
2 Computer cooling fans (adjustable speed) $salvaged
1 Computer Power Supply $salvaged
2 Harddrive Magnets $salvaged
1 Tube of Crazy Glue $2.50
3 Wire Nuts (had them)

So, for under $10, I built a double stirplate. Still waiting for my stirrods, it's a little sad that they are more expensive than the plate, but you can't have everything.

3248032383_b4c593da91.jpg

Finished Stir Plate

3248857272_0548376e99.jpg

Top Removed

Also note I drilled some vent holes in the sides of the containers. Power supplies have a tendancy to get hot, so this was important. The container's lid is water tight, but with the holes drilled for the on/off switch and vents, I would classify as water resitant. I would recommend using on a GFCI protected outlet.

This is an excellent idea! I have been searching for a project box that was big enough for the fan I've been using and the rubbermaid is brilliant! Further, it is water-proof (or at least it can be) and super easy to open if you need to get into it.

Sometimes the simplest answers are right in front of you...I tend to over complicate things. :eek:

-Tripod
 
Is it possible to use too big of a magnet to stir? Like I understand that you don't want to use a larger magnet in the beaker then you have on the fan to prevent throwing it but if you got a bigger fan like a 120mm or even a 230mm you could put a larger magnet on that to use a larger magnet in the beaker. This size case would allow for a larger fan.
 
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