I got my hands on a used stir plate, and I noticed today that it gets really warm. Using an IR, the plate is running at ~100F, and it gets the starter wort & yeast to 90-95F. This is concerning me, as I know that high temps cause bad fermentation character in the beer, but warmth helps yeast growth. If I decant the starter is this still a bad thing? Having read Yeast but forgotten much of, I can't recall if does it do long term damage to the yeast's ability to ferment properly. Should I be concerned?
According to "Yeast", "Using very high propagation temperatures negatively affects the viability and stability of the resulting yeast. Another problem with very rapid growth or excessive growth is that it can result in weaker cell membranes due to lower unsaturated fatty acid concentrations....a good rule of thumb is to keep starters...around the low 70s...strikes a good balance of health and efficient propagation of both lager and ale yeasts." pg. 137 If it ain't broke...don't use a (that) stir plate : )
Nope. Just waste heat... You should see the electric cord on this thing, my kettle has a smaller one. That said cranked full can get a giant vortex going in a full 2 L flask... Alas, I will be looking to find another.
