Wooden Stirrer?

OK, this may seem like a dumb question... but... I'm new at this.

A friend who is in the restaurant business took me to a restaurant supply warehouse. Holy cow! What an amazing place.

Anyway, I got a nice 10 gallon aluminum (thick) pot for $44. Plan to use it as a brewpot for a while. Also noticed these huge, heavy wooden stirrers, and grabbed one for $8. It's about 30 inches long and very heavy. Would work great for full boils and adding LME, I think.

If I clean it good, maybe spray a Star San solution on it, and/or dip it in boiling water before each use, will it be ok, do ya think?

Thanks,

Mark

P.S. My first batch of IPA is bottled a week now, my second batch is in the primary, and I got some fresh hops to use for a secondary for the second batch. Picked up a kit for a "Red Ale" to try next, and will brew it up next weekend. Still waiting to sample the first batch.... tick tok...

Lots of folks use wood for a mash paddle.
Should be fine

Is there a "best" material for a mash paddle?

RCBIV said:

Is there a "best" material for a mash paddle?

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I like wood. It's light, but incredibly sturdy. Plastic bends at mash/boil temps. I don't have a stainless paddle, but that would work I'm sure.

Some of my pro brewing friends use wooden canoe paddles to stir their mashes!

You shouldn't worry at all about any contamination from using a wooden mash paddle or stirring tool, so long as you don't use it after the boil. As long as it's pre-boil, or during the boil itself, you're fine. The boiling of the wort would kill anything nasty.

I currently use a plastic/hard rubber mash paddle, and am on the lookout for a wooden one.

Thanks, guys. It didn't dawn on me that the boil would take care of it...this is a slow learning process, especially for a guy who can't remember what he had for breakfast.

unionrdr -- I have about 120 new bottles handy. Been running them thru the dishwasher (just hot water) 24 at a time. I'll be moving to kegs for every other batch soon, though, as I have my own tap system in the Man Cave and want to pour my own brews there. Will still bottle a lot, though.

I sawed a mash paddle out of an oak branch that fell in my back yard. As it dried it split a little in the paddle end. I have another branch in my garage drying out so maybe, fingers crossed, when I do a new one it will not split.

Wood is Good!

I'm rockin the polarware 2 ft long stainless whisk. It's great. Got it at rebelbrewer. I also put it in the hop bag during the boil to weigh it down from blowing up with boil gasses (and to stir the hops). Wouldn't want to do that with wood.

I asked this question to my LHBS and he said no, only use stainless steel. Something about how the bateria can still live in the wood fibers even after it has been sanitized.

roxy35 said:

I asked this question to my LHBS and he said no, only use stainless steel. Something about how the bateria can still live in the wood fibers even after it has been sanitized.

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You obviously can't sanitize wood, but as JohnnyO said, you're not using it post-boil, so it doesn't matter... The LHBS just wants to sell a more expensive stainless version.

roxy35 said:

I asked this question to my LHBS and he said no, only use stainless steel. Something about how the bateria can still live in the wood fibers even after it has been sanitized.

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Never had an issue and I have to believe that ifthere wereone all of the wooden paddle users would not be out there.

I've a wooden paddle that I got from restaurant supply... Drilled 4 ea 3/4 inch holes in the blade and I could not be happier with it 1 year later.
Not that you would but .... I never use it post boil and I think wood is better than steel if you are using aluminum vessels or coolers for mashing.
That being said... I use wood for my mash but I use a stainless (resturaunt supply) spoon in my Brew kettle.
Those white plastic jobs a the LHBS are crap... I wanted one but my buddy beat me to it and they didn't have another... I'm glad I "lost"