I have misplaced the little white pill looking thing for my yeast stirrer. Is there anything I can substitute until I can get a new one? I was planning on brewing tomorrow.
I'd say the most expedient replacement would be elbow grease: just pick the starter up and shake it periodically. (As you know, you would need to increase the size of the starter slightly, but it'll get the job done.) Unless your LHBS happens to carry those things.
Once I used a 1" long piece of 1/8" threaded rod stuck inside a piece of aquarium pump tubing when I had accidentally pitched my stir bar into my carboy.
Do make sure the threaded rod is stainless, otherwise metallic off-flavors might combat the beer goodness?
use a magnet to hold it in place at the bottom of your flask, or use a magnet to slide the stir bar up the side and out before you pitch. I "repurposed" a refrigerator magnet for this task
+1 on the extra magnet. There's nothing worse than pitching your magnet then needing it right away afterwards to start another starter.
