Has anyone made a DIY stirbar???

[dallasdb]

Just made my stirplate last night and I don't have a stirbar. I'd like to do my first starter tonight or tomorrow.

I remember reading about someone putting magnets in a piece cut from a racking cane or something similar.

Pictures would be great or help point me in the right direction! Thanks

 

[Kahu]

I just made one...I thought I needed a stronger magnet than the commercial stir bar (it kept getting thrown on my last starter despite 2 pots bothed turned down). So I put a hard drive magnet inside a piece of tubing and sealed the ends with food-grade silicone. I'm gonna try it out tonight...

 

[dallasdb]

What tubing did you use?

Was it hard like a racking cane or flexible beer line?

Also, where do you get food grade silicone?

 

[aNYbrewery]

I just made one...I thought I needed a stronger magnet than the commercial stir bar (it kept getting thrown on my last starter despite 2 pots bothed turned down). So I put a hard drive magnet inside a piece of tubing and sealed the ends with food-grade silicone. I'm gonna try it out tonight...

I tried that. Thing wouldn't spin at all. With a different fan and magnets it might have worked though.

I was also worried about the little gaps/cracks in the silicone holding nasty's so I just went with the store bought 1". Worked perfect and for 5 bucks trying to make one is a bit of a PITA IMO.

 

[Atl300zx]

seriously..too much risk and PITA to worry about making one. I have several b/c i often accidently pour the bar from my starter into the beer and i wanted another one to get starters ready for the next beer.

 

[bad coffee]

For $2 it's not worth my time.

 

[dallasdb]

My LHBS charges $6.95 per size... and I was hoping to get at least two sizes. With 8.1% sales tax that is looking like $15.03.

I wanted one by this weekend so I can do my first starter but that price seems a little ridiculous and the 2" bars are out of stock.

 

[dallasdb]

Would a 1" stirbar get a 1L or 2L starter going in a 1 gallon glass apple juice jar (growler shaped)?

I have a computer fan, 4 hard drive magnets (2 stacks of 2) and a 5v cell phone charger.

 

[Enggboy]

My local University Science supply lab charges 0.95 for a 1", 1.02 for a 1.5" and 1.20 for a 2" stir bar. I was not prepared to mess around with a DIY solution at those prices.

Give your local college or uiversity science store a call, they may be able tohelp.

 

[dallasdb]

Science supply places in my area have educational kits and erlenmeyer flasks but no stirbars.

Haven't tried the local colleges, seems like a little hassle (parking) but I just might have to give them a call.

 

[dallasdb]

Ok I officially made my stirbar and tested it out!!!

Very simple design:
2 office depot pens
1 hard drive magnet

I cut the pen to 2" and took two needle nose pliers and broke small pieces of the magnet and stuffed the pen full. I took both endcaps of the pens and shut off the 2" piece.

It worked surprisingly well!

Now I just need to remove the endcaps and seal them with silicone. I have hi temp silicone I'm going to use. I know I should use food grade but desperate times call for desperate measures and this will hold me until I need to make my next order from Morebeer.

 

[dallasdb]

FYI the cutup pamphlet and money clip was to raise the fan close enough to the top of the tupperware to "grab" the stirbar.

Truly DIY haha

 

[bad coffee]

That's a pretty cool idea.

If you haven't siliconed the stir bar yet, I suggest superglue instead. Once superglue dries it's pretty inert. Silicone will stick really well to the bottom of a glass flask.

B

 

[dallasdb]

Good idea bad coffee. Superglue it is!