Maelstrom Stir Plate - works fine, no dimple at 2L

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Gadjobrinus

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Just an observation, starting up a WLP540 for an RIS (thanks for the idea, Northern - smells fantastic) on a new Maelstrom stir plate. At early steps/lower wort volumes, anything but 1 out of 5 speed was totally unnecessary; I don't shoot for a tornado, just a strong dimpling, so long as the mass is moving briskly.

Surprised however that at 2L, I cannot get any kind of dimpling, even. Getting a strong swirl and a bit of a depression in the middle and honestly that's enough, I think, for me. But surprised, as I thought I saw this listed as a "5L" machine, and I'm curious what's going to happen tomorrow as I'm stepping up to 5L (odd step schedule - aged yeast packet, starting at an estimated 45% viability, hence the weird step).

Anyone have any experience with this? The other thing I've noticed - but only with this yeast,. not a Brewlab/HH strain I brought up from a slant - is that there is very little krausen. I stepped today, with this low krausen level, because the wort itself had changed so radically in tone (bright orange, tons of white flocs swirling - it had obviously generated). So far, after several hours, same thing. Compared to the HH testing, which had significant krausening, this is interesting. Anyone with any experience with WLP540, have any thoughts (or perhaps somehow it's a function of the aged yeast, that I'm not seeing)?

Edit: I should mention, I've restricted my brewing entirely to British yeasts, and have zero experience with Belgian yeasts. I am not confident this krausening thing relates to the strain, but wanted to disclose my lack of experience here.
 
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Thanks guys. Nagorg, nice video, thanks for posting. NB was really nice and just sent me another one. In fact, I have it with about 6L in the 5L flask right now, getting a tornado on 3 so I know it has room to play (5 was ridiculous). I think it must have just been a bad unit, like you're saying. Thanks for the help.
 
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Mines a beast
 

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