Stir Plate big enough for a carboy?

[Gadjobrinus]

Hey all,

I'll be stepping up to 10,000 ml starter as my final step before pitching, in a carboy. The maelstrom claims to be able to do the SEALS workout while reading Homeric Greek and, oh, yeah, stir a carboy.

If it can, seems great because among the commercial stir plates I've seen, I've not seen anything approaching this. The 5L Stirstarter also appeals, but it will still require a step without stirring, likely (thinking of an aquarium pump, and if needed, deal with the foam).

Both, however, are pretty cadillac-costly, IMO. I've spent where I felt it most needed to be spent, and am hoping to find a less costly solution for propagation.

At any rate, anyone made a stir plate to handle starter this large? In the alternative, opinions on the maelstrom?

 

[LLBeanJ]

If I needed a starter that large, I'd just brew a normal batch of beer and pitch the slurry after you've racked the beer off of it, so you essentially get a batch of beer with a free starter as an added benefit.

 

[BrewerBrad82]

I have used a 5 gallon carboy on my Maelstrom just to see if it could do it. As long as the bottom of the carboy is decently flat, it works perfectly!

 

[Gadjobrinus]

This is a serious top cropper and that's the intent going forward, LLBean, but this is from a pure colony slant. I'll be growing yeast up to about 1/4 the need for the batch, just about right. So yea, 10 L is the needed last step prior to pitching.

 

[TimmyWit]

I have never tried a 10L on the Maelstrom but I don't think it will have a problem with it. I have a 4.5L going now and I have never turned this thing past setting 1 (of 5). I will add that I have had it for two years now and have never had an issue with it.

 

[triethylborane]

If the maelstrom advertises it can handle a 19l starter, then I would think a 10l would not be a problem.

Breed a Herculean army of yeast for brewing bigger beers than ever before. Powerful rare earth magnets churn through any size starter and never throw a stir bar. Five-speed control adapts to sizes from minute to mammoth, for starters in a 1L flask to a 5-gallon carboy.

https://www.midwestsupplies.com/maelstrom-stir-plate


As far as stir plates go, the maelstrom seems quite inexpensive. Your other options for a stirrer that can handle this volume (single or multiple position) are in the $500-1200 range.

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sigma/cls440812?lang=en&region=US

Well, here is a $360 option

http://www.capitolscientific.com/Nalgene-DS2227-0020-Magnetic-Carboy-Stirrer-Assembly-with-TFE-Stir-Bar-TFE-Impeller-PP-Screw-Ca

 

[Gadjobrinus]

I have used a 5 gallon carboy on my Maelstrom just to see if it could do it. As long as the bottom of the carboy is decently flat, it works perfectly!

Whoops, sorry Brad, missed your post. That's great to know, many thanks!

 

[BrewerBrad82]

I know I had a video of it somewhere, but that must have been on my old (uselessly defunct) phone.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Great, helpful info, thanks everyone. Pretty solid testimony on behalf of the unit. Triethylborane, I misspoke. I agree, a totally reasonable price. I should have said after my 3 Spike vessels (man, I can't wait to brew on these beauties), and some other items, I'm being a bit more parsimonious - more scrutiny in value for dollar delivered. Seems in this case, penny wise and pound foolish.

Really appreciate it guys.

 

[Shea Murphy]

I also didn't read the instructions and just put a carboy on it. It works fairly well with a 6 gal carboy, again as long as it has a flat bottom.

Whoops, sorry Brad, missed your post. That's great to know, many thanks!