Official Pitched Stir Bar Count

[Zepth]

It finally happened. After about 2 years of reading threads of doing this by accident, and wondering how X does one need to be to do this, it happened. For the short moment of not checking a magnet on the side of my flask, I heard the characteristic clunk of stir bar on the bottom of fermenter.

As a result, in the spirit of the Broken Hydrometer Thread, let's get this one going. Now I know that plenty of you out there have done so before this thread came to be. And likely some have done so more than once. So chime in with what you've done in the past, and be sure to come back to confess in the future.

Just yesterday, my first time.
Count: 1

 

[NHatcbrewer]

2, I'm guessing the third is imminent.....

 

[pvpeacock]

I did it the first time I used a stir plate. Worse yet, I pitched it into a conical fermenter. I didn't think much about it and figured I'd just fish it out when I kegged the beer. Little did I know that the stir bar fit perfectly into the ball valve at the bottom of the conical. After a week or so, I went to dump yeast from the bottom of the conical. I opened the ball valve and waited as the toothpaste like yeast slowly oozed out. Midway through the process, I tried to close the valve so I could go get something. The valve would not close. It then dawned on me that the stir bar must have lodged in the ball valve. Sheer panic hit me. Once the yeast finished oozing out, 5 gallons of beer were right behind it! Fortunately, it dawned on me that I had a spare triclover ball valve. I quickly grabbed it and attached it to the end of the stuck ball valve and averted disaster. After that experience, I doubt I will ever pitch another stir bar again and, if I ever do, I will not dump any yeast.

 

[beergolf]

4

I did it exactly once. Now part of my routine is to place my hydrometer and the keeper magnet right next to the stir plate. So when I grab the hydrometer to get an OG reading I see the magnet as a reminder and then when I grab the flask I see the magnet so I can grab the stir bar.

 

[Oldskewl]

I knew to put a magnet on the flask for my first batch and I got in a hurry and pitched the stir bar in away.

 

[Jaybird]

I did it the first time I used a stir plate. Worse yet, I pitched it into a conical fermenter. I didn't think much about it and figured I'd just fish it out when I kegged the beer. Little did I know that the stir bar fit perfectly into the ball valve at the bottom of the conical. After a week or so, I went to dump yeast from the bottom of the conical. I opened the ball valve and waited as the toothpaste like yeast slowly oozed out. Midway through the process, I tried to close the valve so I could go get something. The valve would not close. It then dawned on me that the stir bar must have lodged in the ball valve. Sheer panic hit me. Once the yeast finished oozing out, 5 gallons of beer were right behind it! Fortunately, it dawned on me that I had a spare triclover ball valve. I quickly grabbed it and attached it to the end of the stuck ball valve and averted disaster. After that experience, I doubt I will ever pitch another stir bar again and, if I ever do, I will not dump any yeast.

Ohhhh DAMN! What horror story right there! Man way to go quick action!

Cheers
Jay

 

[DoD_Ales]

I've done this at least three times. One time, I forgot about the stir bar when cleaning the bucket and dumped the bar along with the trub into a snow bank on my lawn. Good news was I found it next spring the first time I mowed.

 

[Qhrumphf]

One or two times. I know I've done it once. I know I've done it no more than twice. I'm relatively sure it was only once though.

If it goes in a carboy or brew bucket, no big deal. I could see that conical one being a problem though.

Cheers.

 

[thenugsmoustache]

+1 = 10 or 11 depending on if we count both of Qhrumpf's or not. I did this for the first time today, oops. Good thing I have a extra.:rockin:

 

[Lazer Wolf Brewing]

Instead of the fermenter, mine went into the garbage disposal, which was promptly turned on by my girlfriend.

FYI, a few major websites sell stir bars for $5-10 plus shipping but I emailed Stir Starters directly and I had a new one in my mailbox 3 days later for $2.50 shipped.

 

[jpakstis]

Last weekend for the first time. I'm normally pretty terrible at keeping all the steps in order but I had everything locked down. Until I heard that "plunk" sound. Aw nuts.

 

[Firewalker11]

Great stories! I am so much smarter than you all... I attached my spare stir bar on the outside of the erlenmeyer flask to hold the one inside so that as I pitched, it would stay inside the flask, right? Um, NO! The spare just rolled right down the flask and I lost BOTH of my stir bars into the cooled wort.

Worst part? This just happened two days ago and I was going to start another starter today.

 

[BUCKNUTS]

I've done it twice. The first time I forgot about it until it was rattling around in the garbage disposal I had turned on to clear the sink.

 

[Natdavis777]

Still have yet to pitch any stir bars, and have only broken 1 hydrometer in almost 6 years of brewing

**knocking on wood**

 

[Roland_deschain]

I hot glued a washer on to my stir plate case. My magnet is always visible so I don't forget, at least I haven't so far.

 

[edroberts]

I have some of those magnetic child safety locks on our drawers, and they come with a pretty powerful magnet. Takes no time to grab the stir bar and slide it up the side of the fermenter and out.

 

[DoctorMemory]

I've only made a starter three times, and twice I've pitched the stir bar with the yeast.

I am not a clever man.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

I have 3 stir bars for this reason, i dont even bother trying to keep it out anymore.

 

[jcav]

Oh yea I have before, right into a glass carboy. That's not the end of it though, to top it off after I racked into my kegs, I forgot about the stir bar at the bottom of the carboy. So I dumped the rest of the trub and yeast on the back lawn and then went to spray out the carboy. Then I remembered about the stir bar on the lawn. You know even with a shop magnet, I couldn't find that stupid stir bar to save my life.......

John

 

[NatureOfTheYeast]

None yet. So far I've always used a magnet to guide the stir bar up the side of the jug and out of the top before pouring. One of those old school U shaped red magnets from like 1970 something.

It's only a matter of time, though

 

[enokidaki]

Has anyone ever poured a bar into the fermenter on purpose and then turned it on to stir up the trub?

 

[SMPress]

Has anyone ever poured a bar into the fermenter on purpose and then turned it on to stir up the trub?

My Trub is always too thick for that to work for me...

 

[SMPress]

I have pitched them 4 or 5 times now. The worst is transferring the beer, then dumping the trub in the yard to recall the stir bar was in there, and having to go though the grass to find it. You would think the white would stand out better, but its always a hunt for me...

 

[Zepth]

25 so far. I also forgot about my very first one in that fermenter from thread origin, down the drain it went. Not sure if I should count the pitching (out) of the same bar as a second time on the count.

 

[BobBailey]

As I was preparing to make a starter, I couldn't find my stir bar. I figured I had poured it into the fermenter with the previous starter. I didn't want to disturb the beer trying to retrieve it, so I went to Walmart looking for a magnet that would work. All I could find was a set of plastic alphabet magnets. The "I" worked just fine. BTW.

By the time I kegged the batch that I figured the stir bar was in, I had forgotten all about it. While cleaning the fermenter it went down the drain in the kitchen sink. I know this because I found it chewed up in the waste disposal.

I found an assortment of 7or 8 stir bars on Amazon for 7 bucks & change. I got to thinking about how many erlenmeyer flasks I had broken before I ordered an extra, just in case. Never broke one since, as I will likely never toss another stir bar, just because I have a bunch of spares.

 

[Dracunculus]

I did it for the first time with my last brew. Still happily sitting at the bottom of the fermenter at day 10 of a Kolsch fermentation. Have a strong mental note in place so that I remember it after I rack to keg and clean out the fermenter.

 

[doomXsaloon]

Yep. Clunk of the bar on bottom o bucket...
1st time.

+1