Source for Inexpensive Stir Plate

[ultravista]

I am looking for an inexpensive stir plate. What is a good cheap plate?

 

[woodstone]

Strip an old computer for the fan and magnet, use an old cell phone charger, grab a cigar box or old Tuper Ware, and run to the Shack for parts and pieces and make one - really easy, almost no cost.

 

[bovineblitz]

Strip an old computer for the fan and magnet, use an old cell phone charger, grab a cigar box or old Tuper Ware, and run to the Shack for parts and pieces and make one - really easy, almost no cost.

I made one like that. Used a $1 computer fan, broke off the blades, stripped a magnet out of a hard drive (you probably have an old useless one or can find one on craigslist or something, any old hard drive will do), glued the magnet to the center of the fan, cut the prong end off the wire of a 5V cell phone charger and stripped the wires, wired the cell phone charger to the fan, glued the fan inside a small cardboard box I'd covered with duct tape (to prevent it from falling apart in case it gets wet).

Then, I tested with a small stir bar (I like the x shaped ones) in a flask filled with water. I determined the height at which it can hold the magnet well through the top of the box (very close to the magnet as it turned out) and cut the edges of the box to the right height. To get the magnet to hold, I match the magnets first then plug it in.

Works like a charm and barely cost me anything. I never really saw a stirplate for a reasonable price outside of a homemade one.

 

[burdbrew]

http://cgi.ebay.com/StirStarter-Yea...210?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e60d7054a

This has been great.

 

[peachwein]

try this... i read this post a while back ... https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-stirplate-cheap-easy-build-86252/

 

[Captain Damage]

There's one here for $40.

 

[JasonInBTR]

If you aren't looking for DIY then I would recommend Dan.

http://www.stirstarters.com/

Excellent build quality and he'll sell you a flask.

 

[FatherJack]

Jason,

That. Looks. Awesome.

Going back to the States in February, I might just have to get one.

 

[the_bird]

I've got one of Dan's. Simple, but works great. DIY'ing stir plates can be a little hit or miss, it's tricky and frustrating as hell to get the magnets positioned properly.

 

[ndsgr]

I've got one of Dan's. Simple, but works great. DIY'ing stir plates can be a little hit or miss, it's tricky and frustrating as hell to get the magnets positioned properly.

I thought it to be pretty simple. I just made a second one out of tupperware and wired in parallel until I get a 2L flask. Positioning the magnet took a good 10 seconds or so.

-Set magnet on fan. It should interact with the medal/magnet inside the fan.
-Turn fan on low speed until it centers itself. You may have to "throttle" it to keep it from being thrown off.
-Glue or tape in place. I used duct tape on my primary stir plate and it has worked for weeks of "on" time in total. I'll glue them on eventually... someday.

Total parts:
-Fans were free, out of an old computer.
-Magnets: Also free out of an old computer and a "shake" flashlight that no longer worked.
-Found a jewelry box at a thrift shop for $1.50.
-Potentiometer was $2.
-Used old cell phone charger - free
-Had some 20ohm (ceramic 30W I think) resistors laying around, but they are usually about $1 a piece. Only had to use these because of the power supply being a little high (12V) and the potentiometer I bought not being variable enough.

$3.50. I have seen Dan's though, and if you're not comfortable building one, I don't think you'll be disappointed in buying his.

 

[WC87]

I built a dual stir starter on the (relatively) cheap using a 8x10 shadow box (glass covering over a 1.5" deep boxed frame) from the local craft store (Hobby Lobby - $11.00), 2 80mm computer fans from eBay ($4 total including shipping) , an old cell phone charger (free), and rare earth magnets from Harbor Freight ($3.00ish I think). Wired both fans into the single power source and glued the fans inside the shadow box. Viola - dual stir starter! It rocks.

 

[MisterGreen]

If you aren't looking for DIY then I would recommend Dan.

http://www.stirstarters.com/

Excellent build quality and he'll sell you a flask.

+1 on stirstarter.com! I love mine.

 

[steinsato]

How vital do you guys consider stir plates to be? I've always done the intermittent swirling in a growler and that has seemed to work pretty well for me. Is there a huge difference?

 

[azscoob]

I built mine using Dan's as inspiration, it works great, and was quite cheap to build!
Here is a link to my build.

 

[Homercidal]

How vital do you guys consider stir plates to be? I've always done the intermittent swirling in a growler and that has seemed to work pretty well for me. Is there a huge difference?

Technically, I think the swirling around once in a while would be ok, but a stirplate is hands free. Plus they are fun to build if you like DIY stuff.

If you were usign liquid yeast a lot, or harvesting yeast, then I'd say they are worth the $$ to buy or build one.

For the occasional yeast starter, I'd probably just swirl a few times a day.

 

[a_w_taylor]

I got an old lab stir plate off eBay for $35 with shipping. Works great for 1L & 2L starters - in fact both starters I've stepped up from bottle harvests have blown the top of my erlenmeyer flasks and made a huge mess! I got a 3pk of stir bars of amazon for under $15.

 

[riromero]

How vital do you guys consider stir plates to be? I've always done the intermittent swirling in a growler and that has seemed to work pretty well for me. Is there a huge difference?

I use a stirplate primarily because it cost me $3 (the price of the stirbar) to make one from my computer fan. I use "make" very loosely here since I just place my starter right on top of the fan housing itself. Swirling might be just as
good, but for $3...

 

[ultravista]

I tore the magnets out of two dead hard drives. Now the challenging question, now do you remove the magnets from the metal plate? It appears the magnets are on with adhesive.

Suggestions?

 

[bovineblitz]

I tore the magnets out of two dead hard drives. Now the challenging question, now do you remove the magnets from the metal plate? It appears the magnets are on with adhesive.

Suggestions?

Take two wrenches, grip the metal plate, and bend as hard as you can. Hopefully then you can slip a small screwdriver under the magnet and pry it off.

I'm 3 for 4 in this... one hard drive I couldn't get the magnet off at all. I actually made a stir plate with it anyways with the metal plate on it, it spins a lot slower but it works for a 1L flask pretty well. My friend is currently using that one.

 

[woodstone]

I tore the magnets out of two dead hard drives. Now the challenging question, now do you remove the magnets from the metal plate? It appears the magnets are on with adhesive.

Suggestions?

I've tossed the plate in a vice and gave the magnet a "tap" with a masonry chisel and hammer. Be careful not to give it too hard of a whack or you will crack the magnet. Good luck.

 

[ultravista]

Yeah, these magnets easily damage. I had a few crack when they clinked together. I have a surplus of hard drives, everything from small to large magnets. The older SCSI drives have huge magnets but they are glued to the backer plate. The vice works great but the plating stays behind.

I cracked four magnets today already ... I can't believe they are so sensitive.

 

[Homercidal]

I've tried heating up the backing plate with a torch, slowly and carefully, pushing on the edge of the magnet, until the glue lets go. And the magnet is significantly weaker afterwards.

I've also tried smacking the magnet with a hammer and screwdriver to knock it off and that works much better, except that sometime you break them, and sometimes the chrome plating comes off...

I'm seriously thinking about just ordering some rare earth magnets online. They are not much money.

 

[azscoob]

I used a magnet bar from a nametag I scrounged from an old salesman who got canned. the magnets are the crazy strong ones Dan uses on his stirplates, they just are mounted in a plastic plate, made for a super simple build and even if you buy one, they are pretty cheap!

Here is what they look like and where to get them.

 

[SwampassJ]

I've got one of Dan's. Simple, but works great. DIY'ing stir plates can be a little hit or miss, it's tricky and frustrating as hell to get the magnets positioned properly.

It's also frustrating when you get everything soldered together and realize the 4 year old 120mm fan that's been sitting in your junk drawer is now dead. I was ready to beer rage.

 

[WC87]

I built a dual stir starter on the (relatively) cheap using a 8x10 shadow box (glass covering over a 1.5" deep boxed frame) from the local craft store (Hobby Lobby - $11.00), 2 80mm computer fans from eBay ($4 total including shipping) , an old cell phone charger (free), and rare earth magnets from Harbor Freight ($3.00ish I think). Wired both fans into the single power source and glued the fans inside the shadow box. Viola - dual stir starter! It rocks.

Was thinking about this thread since I made a starter during my lunch hour. I've made a minor change to my stirplate, trimming one side of the shadow box frame down to the glass so as to accommodate a 2L flask, and also changing my cell phone charger out for a variable power charger I found on eBay. Pic of dual stir plate in action below.

 

[freshhoarse]

if you aren't looking for diy then i would recommend dan.

http://www.stirstarters.com/

excellent build quality and he'll sell you a flask.

+1

 

[Toy4Rick]

+1 and then some for Dan at Stirstarters.com

Works fantastic and the price is very reasonable.

I purchased the 2lt flask and couldn't be happier

Toy4Rick