Blender for a yeast starter?

[Ravenshead]

Sorry brewit2it, I missed your dimmer reference there.

The motor was doing fine after an hour. I think this will work just fine. The only problem is that a normal blender will only hold 5 cups. I'd like the ability to double that.

I'm thinking a hand blender (smoothie mixer) with some sort of clamping system would be ideal. That way you aren't limited to what container you can use as long as the opening is big enough for the mixer.

BTW: Thanks to the OP, you really got my aggie-engineering juices going here.

 

[terrapinj]

OP did you notice any heat generated by the blade after running it that long?

def could see the capacity limitations being an issue for you, glad you were able to rig something up

 

[Ravenshead]

OP did you notice any heat generated by the blade after running it that long?

I'm not the OP but I'll answer. It would be hard to detect anything other than really gross heat generated by the blade. That said, the thermal mass of the liquid should be more than enough to reject any heat built up by the blade.

Understand, the blade was moving way slower than normal blender operating speeds. Think an order of magnitude or two slower.

 

[bjl110]

Thanks to you Ravenshead for taking the initiative to try it! Too bad about the capacity, I didn't think about that part. Well, I sorta did, but I thought that they were more like ten cups. Its really cool to see the idea tested out though!

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Monks or no Monks here is the deal: I've never had the experience of an infected batch. I do things that would make Palmer headesk. Sanitation has never been an issue. All of you need to take your own advice on the subject and rdwhahb. Is it a concern when trying to make good beer? Sure. I believe other things are way more important to the process though. Am I trying to say that beer from 1300 is all the evidence we need to stop sanitizing forever? You would have to be pretty dumb to think that. My guess is you're just using the time honored tradition of twisting my argument into a straw
man that can easily be knocked down. You guys should work for Karl Rove! However, there is no doubt in my mind though that it is over emphasized, especially over things like temperature. I'm just saying that beer takes care of itself much better than we think it does, and I have no reason to question the method of hitting the vessel with starssan right before it is used. It has worked 100% of the time for me and other brewers I know. Experience, not theory. I assume brewers who are all about sanitation have never tried not being sanitary. Why would you argue your sanitation theory to someone who actually has experience in unsanitary conditions? It doesn't make sense.

"It is better to let them think you are a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt" I forget who said that, maybe Churchill? I totally agree with the sentiment that you shouldn't try to answer the OPs post unless you have some direct, or at least indirect, experience. Ive certainly made the mistake of giving bad advice from no experience. I think everyone has. That said, everyone but one poster shot my theory down with zero experience. Whatever concerns you have, whether they be speed or sanitation based, don't amount to squat if you just have some theory on my theory. Do you have any experience with sanitizing a blender? If so awesome, if not why press the point? Bringing it up once was fair, but to continue to snipe at my feelings on the subject just makes you seem pushy and rude. Especially after I've made it clear i don't feel the need to give myself an ulcer over it. I'm just saying, although the info you gave was valid, it did not answer my question. I think your rant came from the right place, and I've seen you give great advice on other threads, but I think this is one where maybe you should listen to yourself a bit.

Guess I'll give good ol' Karl a call, he'll listen to me. Maybe it has something to do with humpday, or maybe it's something in the water that's causing our collective skin to wear thin, but I've never found myself making the following statement more than once a week, much less for the 3rd time today; It will never cease to amaze me what some people consider logical thought.

FWIW, noone tried to 'shoot your idea down', some of us simply pointed out the obvious concern over sanitizing a garage sale blender. You then went on and on about how over rated sanitation was, blah, blah, monks didn't have star san, yadda yadda. I don't think I'm alone in thinking that it's silly to downplay sanitation based on your logic of 14th century brewers not understanding microbial life.

Let's just agree to disagree, you use your blender to make starters, I'll use mine for margaritas. We can discuss how both of our plans pan out on the next "does this look infected" thread.

 

[Ravenshead]

Thanks for the kind words. Don't worry about the capacity. I'm certain a hand mixer with a few brackets and clamps will work well with any container. I'll work on bulding one soon.

 

[bjl110]

I don't think I'm alone in thinking that it's silly to downplay sanitation based on your logic of 14th century brewers not understanding microbial life.

Again, this isn't my logic. It is what *you* say my logic is. My logic is: beer has been around for a long time prior to super-sanitation. We can even talk 18-1900s if that suits you. Hell, we can talk 1950s. Between the obvious evidence that beer persists and my evidence that I am lax on cleanliness and have never had an infected batch, it stands to reason that I don't have to give myself an ulcer worrying about it. That's all. Not that microbes don't exist or whatever nonsense you see fit to twist my words into. But, if it makes you feel better to put people down as not as enlightened as yourself, go for it. You won't make many friends that way though.

 

[bjl110]

Thanks for the kind words. Don't worry about the capacity. I'm certain a hand mixer with a few brackets and clamps will work well with any container. I'll work on bulding one soon.

If you would post a pic or link to your hand blender experiment on this thread, I would be very interested to see it. Thanks again!

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

You won't make many friends that way though.

Awww, should I cry now? Sorry if I hurt your feelings by disagreeing with you, or as you put is, 'twisting your words', but when you say something people disagree with, they may disagree with you. I wasn't the only one who pointed out the flaw in your claim of sanitation, just the most outspoken one. Obviously you believe what ya will, as do I. Like I said, that's f'n awesome, go on with your plan, and next time before you ask for other's input, think about whether or not you actually care what other's may have to say. One of the most annoying things on these forums is an OP asking if something works, or is a good idea, then getting all pi$$y when the responses aren't what they hoped for.

 

[paulster2626]

Sanitation is drastically overrated. It's important, but you don't need to wear a condom when you pitch your yeast like some people do. Err, wait.

 

[studmonk3y]

Sanitation is drastically overrated. It's important, but you don't need to wear a condom when you pitch your yeast like some people do. Err, wait.

Condoms have their place in brewing...haha.

 

[Ravenshead]

That's awesome. Did you poke a hole in it or were just waiting for it to fly around the room at the most inopportune moment?:rockin:

I may try playing with the hand mixer over the weekend. I'll post if I do but it's really a pretty easy concept. Rig up something to hold the mixer and plug it into a dimmer controlled outlet.

 

[Ravenshead]

Here's my first attempt at rigging a hand-mixer to act as a stir plate. It works pretty well considering I didn't have to buy anything. Note: my hand-mixer came with a whisk attachment that made things easier as far sanitation goes--no moving parts in the starter.

 

[signpost]

That is an awesome contraption.

 

[terrapinj]

Is it open on top or just a small gap to let air in? Nice work mcguyver

 

[bjl110]

On of the most annoying things on these forums is an OP asking if something works, or is a good idea, then getting all pi$$y when the responses aren't what they hoped for.

I asked if anyone had *tried*. You haven't. Take your advice from the rant you posted earlier in this thread and keep quiet if you don't *know*. I don't care if you *think* it's a good idea, I care if you have tried. You haven't. Shut it. One of the more annoying things in this forum is self righteous know it alls who can't even tell the difference between what was said and what wasn't.

 

[bjl110]

Here's my first attempt at rigging a hand-mixer to act as a stir plate. It works pretty well considering I didn't have to buy anything. Note: my hand-mixer came with a whisk attachment that made things easier as far sanitation goes--no moving parts in the starter.

Nice! Did you have to slow the speed of the hand blender with something, or is it slow enough by itself?

 

[Ravenshead]

I used a variable transformer. It's pictured earlier in the thread. A dimmer switch should work just as well.

 

[Ravenshead]

Here's the final build of this thing. I'll be using for the first time in couple days. I know this is a dead thread so I'll post it in a new one if it doesn't get any traffic. It's a nice, cheap way to make a stirplate if you already have the mixer in the kitchen.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I asked if anyone had *tried*. You haven't. Take your advice from the rant you posted earlier in this thread and keep quiet if you don't *know*. I don't care if you *think* it's a good idea, I care if you have tried. You haven't. Shut it. One of the more annoying things in this forum is self righteous know it alls who can't even tell the difference between what was said and what wasn't.

One of the most annoying things on these forums is an OP asking if something works, or is a good idea, then getting all pi$$y when the responses aren't what they hoped for.

Wow! I stand by my above quoted statement (and the others I've made on this thread). Sorry if you don't like it, sorry if you weren't pleased with me and others pointing out reasons why to not use a used garage sale blender for a vessel to make starters in, and sorry if you need to tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about and that I'm a 'self righteous know it all' to make yourself feel better. Oh, and sorry if you feel that I've again 'twisted your words', or taken them out of context, but you sir, are a real...... nah, not worth the trouble.

 

[Ravenshead]

Well, that wasn't what I expected to resurrect.

 

[hepcat]

Re: plastic, yada yada yada like someone said earlier, I have a good quality blender, no plastic, thick glass pitcher and stainless steel blades. And, I use it for aerating my worts just prior to pitching yeast, works amazingly well for that. I think this could work, just don't run it continuosly 24-7 to aerate the starter, just turn it on lowest settings when ever you walk by for a few minutes....bet it would work alot better than just swirling it by hand. Way to think out side the box.