Stir Bar Alternative?

[Phunhog]

I accidently dumped my teflon stir bar into my fermentor a few days ago. I need to make another starter and would like to use my stir plate. If my LHBS doesn't have stir bar is there any thing else that could fill in a pinch?

 

[Golddiggie]

Use a rare earth magnet to fish it out.

 

[Phunhog]

Use a rare earth magnet to fish it out.

Well it's at the bottom of sanke fermentor in a water bath....so that won't work.

 

[Golddiggie]

Then use two magnets. Pass it off to one on the side once you get it off the bottom. Sanke kegs are barely magnetic so it won't be an issue. I'll do a test with mine tonight.

 

[Catt22]

I accidently dumped my teflon stir bar into my fermentor a few days ago. I need to make another starter and would like to use my stir plate. If my LHBS doesn't have stir bar is there any thing else that could fill in a pinch?

You can do nearly as well without the stir plate. It may take a little longer to finish out, but you will have nearly as much yeast generated. Just give the flask a swirl anytime you are near it. Keep it on your night stand and set your alarm for every hour so you can swirl it all night long. I would try fishing it out first, but that may be challenging through the thick SS of the Sanke. You might try fishing it out from the top if you can figure out a sanitary way to attach a string or something to the retriever magnet. Personally, I'd let it go and retrieve it after you rack the beer.

 

[HarkinBanks]

Grab a 1" or 1.5" nail and cut off the head and get some cheap plastic tubing at Home Depot. Flame the ends together to seal shut and you have a stir bar. I have never purchased a commercial stir bar.

 

[Golddiggie]

I used two of these magnets in my test earlier tonight. I was able to use one to get the 1" stir bar to the bottom edge, then used it to walk up the side of the keg, then used the other to pass it along the top and out the bung hole. Only took two attempts to get it done, and maybe a couple of minutes total. Hardest part was figuring out the pass-off on the lower section. I simply let the bar rest at the intersection of the side and bottom, then picked it up again from the side.

If you use strong enough magnets (stronger if you have them) you should have an even easier time of this.

I use one of these magnets to hold the stir bar to the side of the flask when pouring the yeast starter into primary. It grabs firmly enough that I can swirl the yeast slurry like a madman and it won't let go.

IMO, a pair of these magnets have so many uses that you should have some. Or pull the magnets from some 3.5" hard drives and keep those on hand.

 

[samc]

The magnets are great to keep around. Use them all the time!!

Making your own stir bar - that's just damn creative! Hopefully will remember that when I dump my stir bar down the drain one of these days.