Starters and Stir Plates?

[KELLEHERC]

Hey All,

I have been reading HBT a lot lately but have and brewed a few batches in my time but never used a starter before. After reading a lot about starters I would definitely like to try that next time.

Is a stir plate necessary?
Iam sure it helps but what are results with and without one?
Need to give the starter a swirl by hand often?

Thanks

 

[sjbeerman]

A stir plate will create about 1.5x more cells compared to a non-stirred starter at an equivalent volume. Therefore, the starter size can be reduced when using a stir plate For example, a 5 gal batch with an OG of 1.06 requires approximately 200 billion cells. For a basic starter (not stirred), I would need ~2.5 L starter. If I use a stir plate, I would need ~1 L starter. Before I got a stir plate, I had to do a lot of stepped starters, which requires more advanced planning and increases the risk of contamination. For high gravity beers, I would definitely recommend a stir plate. There are also benefits even with low gravity beers too.

 

[IrregularPulse]

A stir plate starter is best, but a starter made with just swirling/shaking every time you walk by is still better than just pitching the vial or smack pack.