Stir plate Substitute: Swinging or Vibrating?

[nscheck]

I don't have a stir plate and needed to make a 2L starter for the Schwarzbier I am about to brew. It came into my head to use my son's "Calming Vibrations" baby seat, which keeps a perpetual vibration running through the starter.
However, I recognize that this isn't exactly the same as a stir plate, as it has no internal mechanism to keep the wort moving. I also have his baby swing, which will keep the wort visibly moving back and forth.
(Yes, I have made sure that it won't spill)
Any thoughts or suggestions? Vibrating, swinging, or just shake it every few hours?

 

[Cranny04]

First of all: best reuse ever!



Second: I think either one will work. The purpose of the stir plate is to increase surface to air ratio by moving the liquid. The vibration will keep the liquid moving thus increasing O2 exchange.

 

[okiedog]

Wow, great idea! I would've never thought of that. We have one of those vibrating swings that we used to put our grandson in when he was smaller. I'll have to dig it out and give it a try. Swinging at the right speed (the swing speed is adjustable), and running the vibrator should cause some amount of turbulence. It is worth a try. The only problem might be that if it swings too smoothly, the liquid just stays in place in the container.

 

[daksin]

The whole idea is to keep yeast in suspension so if you're not getting a yeast cake it's doing its job. I don't think I would have ever made that connection.

 

[EyePeeA]

Ingenious!! Though, I would attempt to streamline your current setup.

If you can avoid spillage, and keep the yeast suspended, then I don't see why this technique wouldn't work fairly well. But the starter in the picture looks quite clear, with no head, so I'm not sure it's working.

 

[Kaiser]

+1 on daskin's comments. the idea of a stir plate is to keep the yeast suspended, expell CO2 and increase the O2 pick-up from the headspace.

Kai

 

[nscheck]

But the starter in the picture looks quite clear, with no head, so I'm not sure it's working.

The yeast was only pitched about an hour ago, so I am not getting anxious yet. We will see tomorrow.