Magnetic Stir Plates

[SJW]

I am going to make a mag stir plate, ala http://brewiki.org/StirPlate and was wondering if I should make a big sucker that could stir the fermenter? Is it a worth while venture or not? keeping in mind that the idea of the fermentation process is to ferment not to grow yeast........would it be a good thing to try or just stick to making a small one for starters?



Steve

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

"Slightly" on track with this post, some breweries have tried constant FV recircultion via a pump external to the fermenter to speed up fermentation and this seems to work. So to keep the yeast in suspension you achieve a bettter faster end product.I can see this being not to hard to achieve, a little tweaking of the system engineering wise , but it would be nice to see a end result.Any ideas?
GB

 

[the_fuzz]

i've been thinking alot the same lines - also thinking about one for the kettle for a major whirlpool (I'm not a real brewer, no pump)

 

[the egg]

Interesting Chart in the link - towards the bottom of the page, chart seems to say that with stirring, the FG is significantly higher than without stirring ?? (.. or is that just the error in the experiment?)
Why is it so?

 

[amiddler]

If someone already does this it might be a better test to make a ~30L batch, half it into two fermenters and pitch a starter made with no stir and a starter pitched with the stir method, making sure you start each starter with the same amount of yeast. Also fermenting side by side so both fermenters are the same temp. This would take all the variables bar the yeast/starter out of the brewing process and you would end up with more clear cut results.

If someone sets up a trial post the results for us all. Might be another gadget for the brewery.

Drew

 

[schooey]

I'm just curious as to what I'd use for a stir bar for a 50L batch.... :blink:

 

[mika]

On one of the BN podcasts with the Whites, someone raised this question with them and they were of the opinion it was a waste of time and could in fact be detrimental to the beer flavour profile. I forget the reasons and I can't really remember if they went in depth about the reasons for the statement. Before you go and spend the bucks, could be worth tracking down the show and checking it out. Think it was the 1st or 2nd time they were on. Only 8hrs to listen thru then

 

[SJW]

I can see this being a long drawn out thread, just the way I like em, with loads of input.

i've been thinking alot the same lines - also thinking about one for the kettle for a major whirlpool (I'm not a real brewer, no pump)

Thats ok as a March pump (or at least mine) does not have the grunt to get a big whilpool going anyway, just enough to keep the wort flowing around the chiller.

 

[gap]

I'm just curious as to what I'd use for a stir bar for a 50L batch.... :blink:

Maybe half a crow bar !!!!!

 

[rude]

jeez no Im worried I just made a yeast stirer yet to use it but are they the go for starters 1 litre. Havent got a stirr bar yet but I was thinking of a bolt minus the head.

 

[schooey]

IF you are going to use a bolt in your yeast starter, it'd have to be stainless for the hygiene factor....but then you have this little problem that exists between stainless and magnetism

 

[LethalCorpse]

You could coat a standard ferrous bolt in silicone, but making it spin might be tough. Maybe with a nut threaded on to the middle? Diffficult to balance.

Maybe multiple small stirbars spaced around the base. Would take some swearing to get the bars all separated and spinning independently.