Mega Stir Plate ... W/pic

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sudbuster

This ain't my first rodeo....
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When brewing lagers, one often finds it time consuming and tedious to build up a starter to 6-8 liters, especially since I usually use the wort from the brew to do so. The main wort in cooled and allowed to settle in the cooler while starter wort (~ 2 gal) is brought up to pitching consentration. I have found the computer fan stir plates to be inadequate for the task because of the time involved in only being able to use a 2 liter flask.

Now, I pitch the pack to 2 liters after brewing. The next morning, the remaing 6 liters of starter wort is added to the starter jar. The next morning, the entire starter is added back to the main wort after racking to a sanitzed fermenter. Both the main wort and the stir plate are kept in the cooler at 50f.

This thing cuts the time for building a huge starter in half.
Mega_Stir_Plate1.JPG
 
Its a monster!!

That thing is huge. I haven't done a lager yet, but I guess building up the starter would be annoying.

I like it!
 
Where did you get that stir plate?

What are you using for a stir bar?

If you built it yourself, what is spinning and what type of magnet is on it?

Thanks.

I built it myself. The motor was salveged from an old bathroom fan (shaded pole). The control is a standard fan control unit from Home Depot. The magnets are from K&J Magnetics 7/8" dia. x 1/2" thick. I think they were about $6.25 each. The stir bar is 2 1/2 in. octagonal plastic coated from Lab Depot Octagon (58947-136-EA), cost ~ 12.50.
The top is a marble tile so as to overhang the body. No mater what some may say, there is a possibility of a blow over if you are doing an ale. I learned the hard way after burning out the lil black box due to one.:)
 
I built it myself. The motor was salvged from an old bathroom fan (shaded pole). The control is a standard fan control unit from Home Depot. The magnets are from K&J Magnetics 7/8" dia. x 1/2" thick. I think they were about $6.25 each. The stir bar is 2 in. octagonal plastic coated from Lab Depot Octagon (58947-136-EA), cost ~ 12.50.
The top is a marble tile so as to overhang the body. No mater what some may say, there is a possibility of a blow over if you are doing an ale. I learned the hard way after burning out the lil black box due to one.:)

Great. Now, in the midst of building the greatest electric brew structure Man has ever seen, I feel the need to build the greatest stir plate Man has ever seen. Crap. I've built a couple but they are so ghetto to yours. Must quit job and brew full time.
 
This'll be great - next thing is someone is gonna use a 6.5 gallon carboy, a job box as the housing, and industrial strength motor for spinning the almost footlong magnet. Can't wait to see it!

-OCD
 
Great. Now, in the midst of building the greatest electric brew structure Man has ever seen, I feel the need to build the greatest stir plate Man has ever seen. Crap. I've built a couple but they are so ghetto to yours. Must quit job and brew full time.

I had a need, so I found a way to solve it that's all it's about.:p
 
Not really, my stir plate will sir a carboy.......

Yeah but it COULD be bigger. Seems size really does matter. Bigger, better, faster, stronger, shinier, more complex, more automated, more blingy.

Just sayin... seems to be a trend on HBT. Could be my imagination.

-OCD
 
Yeah but it COULD be bigger. Seems size really does matter. Bigger, better, faster, stronger, shinier, more complex, more automated, more blingy.

Just sayin... seems to be a trend on HBT. Could be my imagination.

-OCD

You may be on to something there, but when i brew ten gallons of Elephant Lager knockoff, i need 4 gal of starter at high krausen to kick it off. :)
 
Okay, parts list, and build write up.

PROST!:rockin:

Thanks for the prost. The materials are in post #6. I built it from mostly scrap from the shop from other jobs. After the magnets and stir bar came in, it seens like it took about 3 hrs to up and running. The tile came from a bathroom job, the rest is just scrap odds and ends. I found the epoxy will not stick to the plastic that the old fan was made of though, so i had to make a disk from 3/4 in plywood. :D

EDIT: The inside.

inside7.JPG
 
One must get control.. :) Thanks guys. It was cheap and quick, and best of all, the motor doesn't get very hot.
Brewer Steve, you may have found a new use for this thing....
 
Glad to see I'm not the only crazy person putting giant vessels filled with colored water on their stir plates :D

greenstir2.jpg


-Joe
 
When brewing lagers, one often finds it time consuming and tedious to build up a starter to 6-8 liters, especially since I usually use the wort from the brew to do so. The main wort in cooled and allowed to settle in the cooler while starter wort (~ 2 gal) is brought up to pitching consentration. I have found the computer fan stir plates to be inadequate for the task because of the time involved in only being able to use a 2 liter flask.

Now, I pitch the pack to 2 liters after brewing. The next morning, the remaing 6 liters of starter wort is added to the starter jar. The next morning, the entire starter is added back to the main wort after racking to a sanitzed fermenter. Both the main wort and the stir plate are kept in the cooler at 50f.

This thing cuts the time for building a huge starter in half.
Mega_Stir_Plate1.JPG

I'm thinking about building a larger stirrer for other reasons. Do you remember or know off hand what the wattage or amp draw of the fan motor is? 120 volts, no?
 

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