Today is a great day! I came home for lunch and my new stir plate from stirstarters.com was in the mailbox. I have my smack pack swelling, and will make a starter this evening for the Surly Cynic I’m brewing Sunday. Great day.
That thing works great for the money. I have one too!
A member on this forum led me to a site called YeastCalc. I don’t have a brewing software yet, so YeastCalc really helped me out a lot. It will figure cell count using your stir plate. I’m not sure if this is your first stir plate or not, but get a magnet to hold the stir bar in the flask when pitching your yeast. It really makes things easier. Good luck with your new stir plate! 
+1
I recall a couple times where I was forced to write “Stir Bar Inside Dumba$$” on the side of the fermenter.
+1
I recall a couple times where I was forced to write “Stir Bar Inside Dumba$$” on the side of the fermenter.[/quote]
Hey, that sounds like good advice. The instructions that came with it say to drop the bar into the starter. You say it’s better to have the stir bar in it before I pour the starter in?
EDIT: never mind, I just re-read the posts. The bar can end up in the fermenter. Got it.
I hate the obvious. I tried to make my own stir plate. I could never get it to work correctly so I gave up and bought one. A stinking 1" piece of PVC. Duh. I hate mechanically gifted people.
Me too. If it has electrical currect flowing through it, I’m usually pretty good. But moving parts? I’m a total retard in that department.
+1
I recall a couple times where I was forced to write “Stir Bar Inside Dumba$$” on the side of the fermenter.[/quote]
Hey, that sounds like good advice. The instructions that came with it say to drop the bar into the starter. You say it’s better to have the stir bar in it before I pour the starter in?
EDIT: never mind, I just re-read the posts. The bar can end up in the fermenter. Got it.[/quote]
This is what I do…I mix the proper amount of water and DME in a sauce pan, mix it up and heat it until the No lumps of DME existing. I pour the warm mixture into the flask, add the stir bar, then boil the works on the stove. This sanitizes everything. When I turn off the flame, I put sanitized foil over the mouth of the flask, cool it, place it on the stir plate for about two days, move it to the fridg for a few days, on brew day, decant the liquid, swirl the yeast then pitch. Let the show begin! :cheers:
Here is something that works real well when you are done pitching the yeast. Get a bucket that is deep enough to hold your flask. Fill it with water and proper amount of PBW. Sink your flask, let it fill and drop to the bottom of the bucket. Let it sit for a day. It will come out looking brand new, nice and clean. Leave your stir bar in the flask while you do this. 
+1
I recall a couple times where I was forced to write “Stir Bar Inside Dumba$$” on the side of the fermenter.[/quote]
I also like to shrink wrap my magnet that I use to hold my stir bars. That way there is no worries of putting micro scratches in my flasks.
What was the issues with building one? They can range from very simple designs to muliti-variable speeds. Its a fun project that can be quite simple.
BB, I was never able to get the right combination of magnets, power, gradual rpm increase with a flask on it so I could never get the bar to keep from spinning off.
Please understand that I’m the same guy who stripped the insulation off a live wire with my teeth, (low voltage, but still made my face numb), I quote “Therry (Sherry)I can’t feel my Fathe”. Won’t do that again.
Haha, that’s great. Glad you’re okay! Electricity kinda scares me too.
