Show us your DIY stir plate!

[fiat84]

USB port's are 5V so using a USB cable cut off one end then spliced only the red and black wires to a 80mm 2300rpm fan red/black wires and its working fine am getting a small vortex. No luck with the full 12V connection as that spun all three fans 1350-2600rpm I tried too fast. Will hopefully source someone's 5V cell phone charger to remove the computer power connection. Used an old spare PC to be safe after finding lots of Google hits on modding USB cables to power 5V electronics.

Made a temporary stir bar from a bolt with a nut attached at the end to help balance. Wrapped it in a few layers of 6 mil vapor barrier plastic then melted together with a heat gun. After it cooled added an O-ring to the center as a balance point.

 

[BrentM]

Here is the stirplate I just built....

I had a bunch of scrap 1/4" plywood laying around and my local radio shack didn't have the enclosure boxes so I used what I had. I originally planed on this being a cheap build but I ended up spending around $45 ($30 was the fan). Probably could have bought one for the same amount but that is pretty much the case for all my projects.

I modeled mine after Anthony Lopez's Cheap Stirplate build here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-stirplate-cheap-easy-build-86252/

I used a 12v 4" fan, 9V radio shack power supply, this spins plenty fast, hope not too fast, I am still waiting for my flask, but it will throw water out of my 1 quart plastic measuring cup.

Here's a few pictures.........

 

[Brewfat]

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmnPHQNwuFM

I am stealing this, love the dimmer. What are you using for power supply?

 

[Catt22]

I am stealing this, love the dimmer. What are you using for power supply?

That one is using a 12V DC, 500 ma transformer. The fan only draws a max of 250 ma, so you would want at least that much power available. The light dimmer works really well for speed control and it was cheap to put together.

 

[brehuh]

Here is mine, I'm glad someone else likes to play with food coloring. hahaha

 

[passedpawn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MThIMO6DEKQ

Here is mine, I'm glad someone else likes to play with food coloring. hahaha

Maybe you went too far with the food coloring

 

[hs0656]

Thanks Anthony Lopez for the post that inspired this project...

I work on an Air Force base and the recycling center has a drop off location for electronics . Needless to say, I loaded up 3-4 old computers and brought 'em home. I also found an assortment of DC power supplies in which I loaded up many different outputs. Tore the CPUs apart and raped all the HD magnets and 7-8 spare fans.

I built my stir plate with the items that AL suggested in his post. However, my fan isn't really even mounted. I drilled 2 holes in the front and 2 in the back. I stuck a 1 1/2 inch bolt through each hole and secured them on the inside of the project enclosure with nuts. The fan just sits atop of the bolt that protrude inside. I works great also.

I initially had issues with the stir plate throwing the bar. After wiring in various power adapaters, I ended up using a 6VDC supply. 9V was too much and 5V wasnt enough. I have a 2 inch stirbar. I also have a 1 inch but will not work due to my current magnet placement. Magnet placement really is probably the most difficult thing I encountered with this build. Thanks to the forum again with all of your help!!!

 

[FireBrew63]

An old cigar box from my grandfather and parts from an old computer.

 

[weconway]

I already posted this in the stir plate thread, but I'm so stoked about how my stir plate turned out that I'm going to sum it all up here!

Case Fan - $0 from an old PC
Rare earth magnets - $10 for 12 from my local hobby shop
Power supply - $0 from the junk bin at work
Power jacks, pot, toggle switch and knob - about $12 from Radio Shack
Washer, epoxy, hardware - about $6 from Home Depot
Cigar box - $1 from my local Cigar Store
2" stir bar with pivot ring - $7 from Ebay

I get very good low-speed performance, and it is very quiet up to half speed. The speed at the start of the video is with the pot pegged at the slow end.

 

[hs0656]

Me jealous. ; ) I want a cigar box!

 

[bmickey]

Looks like I found my next project.

 

[azscoob]

Here are a couple pics of mine:

 

[hs0656]

Thats a cool idea. What is that? A PVC pipe coupler?

 

[azscoob]

Thats a cool idea. What is that? A PVC pipe coupler?

Why yes it is, and a twin disk magnet from a name tag.

 

[motorhead69]

From these pics and other posts I now have a cigar box stir plate... I've got some stir bars on order, and can't wait to use it. in the pic i just have a bar magnet spinning around. I even have room to put a 2nd fan in if i want to have 2 going at once.

 

[MI_Craig]

Used a cigar box myself and it turned out great. However, my potentiometer gets really hot. Anyone else have that issue?

 

[hs0656]

Used a cigar box myself and it turned out great. However, my potentiometer gets really hot. Anyone else have that issue?

If your potentiometer is getting really hot, she's wired wrong. You only need 1 wire running in (+), and 1 wire running out (+). The PT doesnt get grounded. If you ran a ground to it, that explains why its hot to the touch. Check your wiring and get back to us...

 

[digg1es]

Here's Mine

 

[ere109]

How are people handling magnet placement? With one magnet, my stir bar flies off even at low speed. Two magnets won't allow my fan to spin at all. I'm not sure if I'm getting polarity wrong, or if the single magnet just has to be lifted further from the fan. Right now, my magnets are about 1/4" from the bottom of the glass. Does lifting them away help?

 

[MI_Craig]

If your potentiometer is getting really hot, she's wired wrong. You only need 1 wire running in (+), and 1 wire running out (+). The PT doesnt get grounded. If you ran a ground to it, that explains why its hot to the touch. Check your wiring and get back to us...

Yep, attached the ground. I'll remove and see if that fixes it. Thanks!

 

[hs0656]

Yep, attached the ground. I'll remove and see if that fixes it. Thanks!

Glad to be of help, needless to say, youre not the only one who made that mistake. ; ) cough cough

 

[Hang Glider]

How are people handling magnet placement? With one magnet, my stir bar flies off even at low speed. Two magnets won't allow my fan to spin at all. I'm not sure if I'm getting polarity wrong, or if the single magnet just has to be lifted further from the fan. Right now, my magnets are about 1/4" from the bottom of the glass. Does lifting them away help?

I had to space my magnets off the fan - they were interrupting the motor I've got two hard drive magnets stacked, and when the system is off, I line the stir bar up with the magnet, then turn the device on very slowly. I can maintain a nice stir on the minimum speed that turns the stir bar, but it throws anything faster. I can feel a slight "pull" when I line them up, guessing it's between 1/8 and 1/4"

And wort spins MUCH different than water - I can get water to kick ass.

 

[matt415]

here is my ghetto stir plate. i built it completely from scrap parts i had hanging around so it didnt cost me a thing.

 

[enohcs]

I cheated. I work for a scientific distribution company. I have ways of getting all sorts of fun stuff for free. This stir plate came from a customer who "traded it in" for a better price on another piece of equipment. The 2L flask came from a sample supply I ordered, and my cost on stir bars is only a few cents.

 

[barrooze]

Here's my first one. No pics, but a stupid movie I took of it when I first got it going. VERY GHETTO!
Old Case

After it krausened and overflowed, the "case" was a bit destroyed so I upgraded to this guy.

Front

Innards

At work

 

[Catt22]

The new twins:

 

[CidahMastah]

Just curious, was chekcing out stir plate bars at stirbars.com

Any reccs on bar type? I was looking to have the ability to do a gallon stir plate, and a quart sized

 

[Catt22]

Just curious, was chekcing out stir plate bars at stirbars.com

Any reccs on bar type? I was looking to have the ability to do a gallon stir plate, and a quart sized

I prefer the 2" stir bars with a pivot ring. These will work well with most any size vessel. IMO, bigger is better when it comes to stir bars. I've also had excellent results with the 3" x 3/8" stir bars. I think you could stir a 5 gallon carboy with one of those bad boys!


Here's a video using a one gallon jug with the 3" x 3/8" stir bar:

 

[CidahMastah]

Awesome! funny that was the one I was considering the most of the group. I am planning to use a 1 gallon jug like that too. Thanks for the info - much appreciated!

 

[CidahMastah]

Just curious - saw a stir plate on AHS for 50 bucks - anything wrong with just grabbing this? Seems like a deal seeing as how it comes with the stir bar too.

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=12699