5L erlenmeyer flask too big?

I want to buy flask large enough to produce huge starters that I can both heat directly and crash cool without risk of breaking. I'm thinking the 5L flask is great for that. What I'm wondering though is whether or not that actually be too large for making normal sized starters.

Anybody use a 5L erlenmeyer flask for their standard starters? Also, would a stir plate have much of a chance of stirring a starter in one of these even if it was only about 2L full?

5L? wow. haven't seen one bigger than 2L. you could kill a man with that. Big vessels on a stir plate tend to send the sediment to the edges and don't stay stirred. you might consider a smaller one.

Wow a 5 L erlenmeyer is pretty dang big... in my old research lab we had 4 L erlenmeyers and they were large and quite cumbersome. I don't think a stir plate would have any trouble stirring 2 L in a 5 L flask, however I would recommend getting a larger stir bar, that will help at least partially prevent the problem that PintOfBitter mentioned. I know they are available in up to 3 inches long, but you'll probably have to go through a scientific distributor like Fisher Scientific - Welcome or something similar to find something that big.

Hmm, perhaps I should just stick to a 2L flask if 5L's are so large. Maybe just have a gallon jug on standby if I need to step up to a huge starter. Although I am tempted to try making mead in a 5L flask.

I wouldnt directly heat a flask, if I must, I always put it in a pot of water, and heat the other pot.. it takes a while to boil that way...

I have a 5L, but I havent figured out what to do with it...

you can directly heat a borosilicate flask by flame without any problems. wouldn't wan't to try using it on an electric stove, though.

danielinva said:

Hmm, perhaps I should just stick to a 2L flask if 5L's are so large. Maybe just have a gallon jug on standby if I need to step up to a huge starter. Although I am tempted to try making mead in a 5L flask.

Click to expand...

That's what I do, but it's a pain having to agitate the jug.

-a.

go big or go home

I have a 6 liter - make 4 liter starters in it - works fine on my old worn out surplus stirplate. Go for it.

You might want to buy both a 2L and a 5L flask. The 2L flask will be good for normal size starters since a 5L flask will be really unwieldy for normal everyday use. If you are planning on doing large quantities or big beers than you will need the 5L flask.