spin spin spin

[HughBrooks]

I am using a mixing plate for the first time to make my yeast starter. I was wondering how fast does that acually have to spin? Does it have to mix really fast or just enough to keep the yeast in suspension?

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Just enough to keep the yeast in suspenders.

 

[HughBrooks]

Cool. when I try to speed it up too much the magnet gets thrown around. Just wasn,t sure if it should be "sucking"" air in through the whirpool to aerate more. We will see what happens hopefully it boosts the yeast growth like it says, that will be AWESOME!

 

[rsmith179]

You'll absolutely love your new stir plate. It's amazing how much yeast you can grow in a 1-2 L flask! I start out with just a small bit of washed yeast and within 24-48 hours I have more than enough yeast to pitch into my next brew. I normally run my plate for a full 24 hours, throw it in the fridge for about 12, and then bring it out about 12 hours before pitching to ensure that it is back at room temp. Good luck with that new stir plate and let us know how it all went!

 

[HughBrooks]

I really got the hook up on the stir plate! A friend of mine works in a lab at the local college and he got me the mixing plate and 2 stir bars for free! His lab is moving and they have a bunch of extra stuff so he is hookin it up! I cant wait to see how the starter turns out. I used a smack pack of american ale from wyeast. goin to brew a clone of ipswich oatmeal stout tomarrow after work. OG of 1.073! I saw you are goin to do a pliney the elder clone rsmith. That is one that is on my list of thing to do also looks like a good one TONS of hops gotta love it!

 

[Travel_mon]

Greetings.

I've been preparing to do my first yeast starter as well. I've read about all the benefits, etc. and am building my stirplate off the instructions on this site. I do have one question though. After I make my small wort and pitch the yeast I'm going to use, (could be White Labs or a yeast wash from a previous batch), Is that when I put it on the stir plate for 24 hrs? After the 24 hrs if that's brew day is there anything else I need to do or will it be ready to pitch into a batch at that point?

Cheers.
Travel_mon

 

[HughBrooks]

It should be ready to pitch by then. It takes 24 - 48 hours for the yeast to totally saturate. I would try to do it two days in advance. I have started the beer for that yeast already , it was on the mixing plate for about 2 1/2 days. I pitched it into m Ipswich Oatmeal stout clone that I aerated with my new diffussion stone and an air pump. This is the first batch that I had to put a blow off tube on the 6.5 gallon carboy because it was oozing out the top of the air lock. So I recomend using a good aeration system to make sure all that yeast will thrive

 

[rsmith179]

I would also recommend going at least 36 hours on the stirplate. Normally get mine going the Saturday before my Monday brewday. Saturday AM I start up the stir plate and let that go until Sunday night. I'll throw it in the fridge Sunday night, bring it out early Monday AM, and it's ready to go by about 1:00pm when I'm ready to pitch. Works like a charm everytime... Good luck!

 

[HughBrooks]

I did not even cool mine down. I just tookk it off the stirplate and pitched it. Seemed to work fine plan to do the same thing on the next one