Aerating a yeast starter

[magno]

It seems that the greatest benifit of a stir plate is introducing plenty of oxygen into the starter. Is there any reason why using an aquarium pump on and off for several hours wouldnt have the same effet?

- magno

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Sounds like it would work to me!

 

[mysterio]

It would be close, but not quite as good as a stir plate. I would go for it, though.

http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/MB_Raines_Guide_to_Yeast_Culturing.php

 

[Beer Weevel]

Stir plates not only introduce oxygen into the wort. but keep the yeast in suspention and in close proximity to the fermentable suger their food source. Resulting in a higher leval of yeast cells produced.

 

[Hopfan]

Stir plates not only introduce oxygen into the wort. but keep the yeast in suspention and in close proximity to the fermentable suger their food source. Resulting in a higher leval of yeast cells produced.

Yeah, what he said. (just post-whoring since I've been away fr a while)

 

[Megiddo]

It seems that the greatest benifit of a stir plate is introducing plenty of oxygen into the starter. Is there any reason why using an aquarium pump on and off for several hours wouldnt have the same effet?

- magno

I put my pump in a plastic box with a sealed hepa filter. I have one of those gang valves and I run the air the whole time.

 

[Kaiser]

Stir plates not only introduce oxygen into the wort. but keep the yeast in suspention and in close proximity to the fermentable suger their food source. Resulting in a higher leval of yeast cells produced.

This is actually the main benefit of stir plates. I have a self-made one and it is not able to produce a wortex if I have a lot of yeasty beer in there. That's why I even thought about a set-up where I use an aquarium pump for intermittend aeration. But I don't have the pump and the necessary HEPA filter yet.

Kai