Stir Plate?

Ive been happy with my Maelstrom stir plate. A bit pricey. Some of the mechanically inclined(which I unfortunately am not) make their own for much less, MacGyver style, out of scraps of metal...

 

I've been very pleased with http://www.stirstarters.com/ . Expect some posters to recommend a home build and that's certainly doable. But my stirstarter "blew away" my home-built plate . . .

 

Build yourself a cheapo for now (I built one for ~$20) until this one becomes available.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/356008257/schuwert-stir-devil-beer-brewing-stir-plate

 

I did build my own. twice in fact. I believe the DIY part of homebrewing is what makes this hobby special but I will admit the stir plate project is probably one I could have done without. 10 years ago we had little choice, but now they are cheap to buy. I do not have any better handle on electronics after the experience.
Cheers.

 

Agree with stirstarter. I have been using one for years. Below is another good reason. Mine stopped working and they fixed it for free.

"The StirStarter comes with a lifetime guarantee. If it fails for any reason, simply return it for a free repair or replacement."

 

That stir bar retrieval system on the Kickstarter makes it a no-brainer. And it cost the same (or less) than the competition. No more thrown stir bars in the middle of the night. Like I said, no brainer.

 

I use a Northern Brewer stirplate that I got off Craigslist for like $20. It works great and if you haven't looked yet def check out your local craigslist there could be a really good pro model for cheap. If I didn't buy that one I was going to build one using specs that are online. It doesn't seem that difficult and can save you some $$. I'm all about saving cash, YMMV though

 

I don't own a stir plate myself, but there are some reasonably priced ones out there. Here's one: https://bellsbeer.com/store/products/StirStarter-%2d-Yeast-Starter-Stir-Plate.html

 

Very happy with this one.

http://www.homebrewing.org/The-Stirstarter-Yeast-Stir-Plate-_p_1306.html

 

If you have access to some old computer parts, I built this one with a power supply, a couple computer fans, and some scrap wood.

 

You can get some style points for one of these:
http://craftstirplates.com/

Also, consider if you would ever need to do a starter in a 5L flask. You will need a beefier stir plate for this

 

Huh…i've used a stirstarter for years and never had a thrown stir bar (once it's going)…I'm another satisfied stirstarter customer. That said, I'd probably be in for that schuwert plate if I was in the market...

 

Congrats Dave! I've found I have to speed mine up in intervals. Anytime I crank it all the way up quickly, the bar will end up being thrown. And usually not right away. Because I that, I tend to keep my speed at about 70-80% and the bar never tosses. Surely I can't be the only one since someone has designed a stirplate to solve that very problem!

 

I had that issue when I first built mine. I was using a longer stir bar, two or three inches, cant remember which. I went down to a 1/2 bar and it solved the problem.

 

I found one on eBay a few years ago from a used science equipment vendor. Good price, no problems

 

Life time warranty on the Stir Starter. You can't beat that!

The probable vaporware Kickstarter model with the completely unnecessary automatic thrown stir bar reset has zero proven reliability.

The Stir Starter has been bulletproof for many years.

 

Another vote for StirStarter, solid no problems.