A Shout out to Stirstarter!

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Ejayz, Jun 2, 2013.

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  1. Ejayz

    Ejayz Initiate (0) May 15, 2011 Iowa

    So today I brewed a Saison and got to use my Stirsarter Stirplate for the first time. I made my starter on Thursday and put it on the plate and let it do its thing. I used to pitch out right out of the smack pack and then have yeast anxiety while I waited 24 to 48 hours or the yeast to start working. After using the stirpalte I waited a whole 3 hours and Boom I had bubbles coming out of the blow off tube! Do yourselves a favor and buy this inexpensive 45.00 piece of equipment its a game changer for sure! Ok that is all Brew on!
     
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  2. antlerwrestler19

    antlerwrestler19 Initiate (0) Nov 24, 2010 Nebraska

    Three hours is insane. With my starter yeast on a stir plate I still anticipate about 24 hours give er take for any action from the blowoff tube. I suppose headspace may play a role as will the size of the tube but damn....3 hours is quick.
     
  3. cavedave

    cavedave Grand Pooh-Bah (4,145) Mar 12, 2009 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Stirplate is definitely on my list, but our hb club is going to have a lesson on making them, so hope to get mine even cheaper.

    Speaking of quick and active ferments, I made a 2l starter of Wyeast Kolsch that was pushing out the tube in under 2 hours after pitch. That shit is phenomenally active. Looked like it was going to blow up the smack pack, then I had 2l in a gallon fermentor and in 8 hours krausen was near to the top. Never thought I would need a blow off tube in my starter fermentor!
     
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  4. JohnSnowNW

    JohnSnowNW Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Minnesota

    I don't find the stir plate necessary. I just double pitch and always have activity within 8-12 hrs, which is plenty fast for me.

    Just not interested in adding more complexity to my brew day.
     
  5. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Society

    The problem with double-pitching is that if you're using wyeast or white labs, it's another six or seven dollars a pop. If the money's not an issue, then more power to ya. But I figure that the stir plate and flask paid for itself within about six months. After my upgrade to ten gallons is complete, it will pay for itself many times over pretty quickly.
     
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  6. Ejayz

    Ejayz Initiate (0) May 15, 2011 Iowa


    Complexity? All I did was boil a cup of water and a half cup of Pale DME. Then you let it chill, dump it into the flask,add the one smack pack, place it on the stir plate and forget about it for two days. By doing this you can turn on smack pack into two! Really it wasnt that hard or complex at all!
     
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  7. rlcoffey

    rlcoffey Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2004 Kentucky

    One cup might be too low to see any real growth. There is some (who I trust more than any [zero] experiments I have done) who say that anything under .5L hurts rather than helps.
     
  8. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,502) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    Two packs is fine, but you'll spend more money, and still in some cases be under pitching for big beers.

    It's easier to make a starter usually, unless I'm brewing something that I can get away with dry..

    Come to think of it.. I need to pack up my stirstarter and send it back in. Quit working a couple weeks back and I've been too lazy to get it out.
     
  9. barfdiggs

    barfdiggs Initiate (0) Mar 22, 2011 California
    Deactivated


    When brewing a big ass beer like a RIS or barleywine, double pitching is still way under pitching. If you want to make better beer, pitch the right amount of yeast.
     
  10. JohnSnowNW

    JohnSnowNW Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Minnesota


    I have yet to brew any "big beers", but when and if I do, I'll consider it. However, as I said, so far pitching two vials has worked splendidly for me.

    It does cost more, but not a lot, and cost isn't much of a factor for me at this point.
     
  11. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah


    You could also make a low gravity beer and then just pitch an RIS or barleywine on the yeast cake. More than one way to get a wet cat through butter. :wink:
     
  12. Smokebox_79

    Smokebox_79 Initiate (0) Jan 11, 2013 Pennsylvania

    Is that the same sturplate from Adventures In Homebrewing? Im getting that one in 2 weeks! Super stoked! And I've made at least 3 beers over 10% double pitching dry yeast. Worked pretty good, I just want to cut costs!
     
  13. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I bought mine from AiH.
     
  14. sergeantstogie

    sergeantstogie Initiate (0) Nov 16, 2010 Washington

    Stirstarter rocks. And if you are handy, he tells you step by step on his site how to make it the same as he sells for free.
     
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  15. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Dan is in our club, and is a great guy. He stands behind his product. His little hobby project blew up on him, and now takes a lot of time, but he seems good with that.
     
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  16. Boonedog

    Boonedog Initiate (0) Apr 10, 2013 Illinois

    anyone have a link to this?
     
  17. HokiesandBeer

    HokiesandBeer Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2013 Pennsylvania

  18. Boonedog

    Boonedog Initiate (0) Apr 10, 2013 Illinois

  19. PortLargo

    PortLargo Pooh-Bah (1,737) Oct 19, 2012 Florida
    Pooh-Bah Society


    A starter too small can be ineffective. It's really not the size of the starter, rather the inoculation rate (number of yeast cells/wort). If you are talking about a 100 billion cell packet, the optimum size starter for highest yield factor is in the 1.5-2.0 liter range. It's in this range you can double your cell count.

    The difference in starter size and yield growth is non-linear, so it's tough to figure some of this out without using a calculator. Another consideration is a packet is assumed to have 100 billion cells, but it's common for homebrewers to be pitching in the 70-85 billion range due to the age of the packet.

    This is a long read, but a lot of good information on starters at this link:
    http://www.mrmalty.com/starter_faq.php

    Also, I have to agree the stir plate is wonderful. It increases the yeast health in addition to the cell count.
     
  20. Ejayz

    Ejayz Initiate (0) May 15, 2011 Iowa


    Being fairly new to the world of starters I did read up on this tonight and next time I will work on the pitch rate and making a proper size starter. I will say this though my first time out even with a small starter has been a great success! I ferment in a 6.5 gallon carboy and today the krausen pushed all the way to the top and then through another 2 feet on 1 inch blow off hose!!!
     
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