stirplating a 5 gallon batch.

[Jeepsn beer]

Has anyone ever tried stirplating a full fermentation? I stirplate all my starters and was just wondering how it would affect a full 5 gallon batch. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna try it unless some one has a good reason for me not to. This idea came to me from a barleywine I have that is super slow. I was thinking of ways too help it along and thought of stirplating it. I don't think I'll experiment with my barleywine though, but wouldn't mind trying it on a lawnmower brew. Thoughts?

 

[FlyGuy]

I use a stir-plate now for starters, but I thought the big advantage was to keep the wort oxygenated so the yeast propagates rapidly. I know it also helps to keep the yeast in suspesion, but I always assumed this was a secondary reason.

Also, I am not sure that you want the trub to stay in suspension. Further, wouldn't stirring affect the formation of the krausen? That 'crud' that gets formed you don't really want in your beer. It will mostly stay on top or cling to the fermenter if left undisturbed. I worry that stirring would affect this, too. But I am purely speculating here, admittedly.

 

[Drunk Monkey]

I am thinking that it will be too heavy and break your stir plate.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I am thinking that it will be too heavy and break your stir plate.

...and with summer coming you probably want to keep the fan in the window or suffer the wrath of SWMBO!!!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I am thinking that it will be too heavy and break your stir plate.

That's certainly a possibility...depending on which stir plate you have. Mine have a plastic case and may not stand up to 50 lbs of wort. Also, bottom of the fermenter may be too thick to allow good magnetic attraction between the stir bar and stir plate.

I doubt that you'd really aerate the batch that much even if you could drive a 3" stir bar. You need to generate a lot of turbulence to aerate in the presence of so much CO2. I doubt any of our stir plates would be capable of that sort of thing.

I also doubt that it's necessary in the first place. Let us know what happens if you decide to try it, though.