Hot + Stir Plate: Yes or No?

[WissahickonBrew]

I welcome members experiences and opinions on the benefits or pitfalls of using stir plates that also heat up?

My basement brewery drops to 60 degrees during the winter months and that's where my future stir plate will do it's job. Has anyone used a hot/stir plate combo to keep ale yeast happy during start up?

Cheers!

 

[Oginme]

I am of two minds on this. I have a hot plate/stirrer, but I don't really trust the controls well enough to prevent cooing the yeast. When needed, I turn the hot plate on and allow it to heat up the ceramic surface to be very warm to the touch, then turn it off and place the flask on for stirring. So it is useful for that purpose.

I think if I had a digital temperature controlled unit, I may be tempted to keep it on.

 

[WissahickonBrew]

Thanks.

I cannot have the stir bar rattling around upstairs for 3 days, and I cannot heat my basement with space heaters to get the ambient temperature north of 70 degrees. I assumed a stir plate with it's own (reliable) heat source would do the trick!

Maybe not?

 

[cannman]

A simple waterproof probe like This one hooked up to an STC-1000 and heated via Heat Tape would solve your heat regulatory issues

 

[wardens355]

If you cool your starter wort to the temp you want to start at and pitch, the temperature probably won't drop too much, and once fermentation starts it will warm up. If your basement isn't cooler than 60 I think you probably don't need the heating function. How much more does it cost for a stir plate with heating vs. without?

Edit: Is this for starters or actual batches?

 

[Monkey-BB]

I just wrap a a little refluxtis around the flask and a t-shirt around the neck. Seems to work in my 63* basement.

 

[WissahickonBrew]

Starters

If you cool your starter wort to the temp you want to start at and pitch, the temperature probably won't drop too much, and once fermentation starts it will warm up. If your basement isn't cooler than 60 I think you probably don't need the heating function. How much more does it cost for a stir plate with heating vs. without?

Edit: Is this for starters or actual batches?

 

[WissahickonBrew]

Great suggestion but how do position the heat tape on your Erlenmeyer?

A simple waterproof probe like This one hooked up to an STC-1000 and heated via Heat Tape would solve your heat regulatory issues

 

[WissahickonBrew]

Essentially this is the Brew Belt concept.

A simple waterproof probe like This one hooked up to an STC-1000 and heated via Heat Tape would solve your heat regulatory issues

 

[cannman]

Great suggestion but how do position the heat tape on your Erlenmeyer?

I would electrical tape the heat tape to the surface of the stir plate. This seems like the least cumbersome solution...

... and I feel like I need to buy some Heat Tape and have an xmas DIY project

 

[WissahickonBrew]

The STC's on Amazon come with a probe I assume used for aquariums? Bam!

A simple waterproof probe like This one hooked up to an STC-1000 and heated via Heat Tape would solve your heat regulatory issues

 

[cannman]

The STC's on Amazon come with a probe I assume used for aquariums? Bam!

The STC on Amazon does come with a probe but it is not Submersible. If you want to PM me your address, I'll send you a Submersible probe for free. I ordered a bunch, not sure why...

 

[dstar26t]

I use a "Brewer's Edge" heat pad under the flask on the stir plate controlled with an STC-1000. Tape the probe to the outside of the flask near the bottom.

 

[WissahickonBrew]

Is your magnet under the plate + the heat pad still able to spin the solution?

I use a "Brewer's Edge" heat pad under the flask on the stir plate controlled with an STC-1000. Tape the probe to the outside of the flask near the bottom.

 

[dstar26t]

The magnet is ~1/8" under the brewers edge heat pad. I routed the underside of the wood base to get the magnets closer to the top surface. Spins no problem but it's not the typical hard drive magnet set-up.