How To Use A Stir Plate?

[bear09]

Hi All.

When making a starter with a Stir plate - is there any special method or timeline that should be followed? Should you leave it turned on the whole time or for only the first 12 hours?

I have read and heard snippits that a stir plate should be used differently depending on what you are doing. By this I mean if you are culturing up from a coopers stubbie I have heard you are meant to stir the crap out of it for as long as possible but if you are using a wyeast starter pack perhaps only for 6 hours.

Any advanced stir plate users out there advice welcome!

Cheers.

 

[razz]

I leave it turned on until at least high krausen bear09. If I'm pitching straight away then that's it, into the fermenter. If I'm building up some yeast I'll leave it on until the head has dropped then put it into the fridge.

 

[argon]

For slurry only;
I leave it on the whole time, then put into the fridge to drop the yeast and decant the beer off, before pitching the slurry only.

For active starter;
If i want to add an active starter i will have it going only until i see some signs of fermentation, then turn it off, wait till things are getting very active and pitch the entire contents, beer and all

 

[bear09]

Thanks all - good stuff.

I just bought one of these things so I want to ensure I get the best out of it.

 

[Wolfy]

I have read and heard snippits that a stir plate should be used differently depending on what you are doing.

No matter where the yeast comes from, when using a stir plate you are only trying to do one thing: Grow yeast to increase the cell count and viability.

Oxygen is vital for yeast cell growth, and the stir plate helps supply that, for most yeast strains maxium cell growth is achieved within 12-24 hours.

You may like to turn off the stirplate and let the yeast settle if you wish to decant the spent beer and pitch only the yeast slurry.

Wyeast packs are designed to be pitched directly into a full batch of wort, depending on the volume of the starter and the nutrients available, you may actually harm the yeast's health by throwing it into a starter for only a few hours before using it.