Stiirer in Fermentor

[Mainiac]

I have been making my own starters with my homemade magnetic stirrer. They ferment like crazy !!!!!

Since a starter is just a mini beer; I was wondering why you couldn't make a big stirrer for a fermentor? If it works on a small scale isn't bigger better?

[PhilboBaggins]

I reckon the problem would be introducing oxygen into the wort/beer.

 

Happy to be corrected though. It's certainly an interesting thought. [happy]

[Hairy]

I reckon the problem would be introducing oxygen into the wort/beer.

 

Happy to be corrected though. It's certainly an interesting thought. [happy]

I thought introducing oxygen to the wort was a good thing. Beer on the other hand not so good.

 

Oxygenating vs oxidising.

 

I guess it would be fine at first during the growth phase, besides keeping the trub and break material in suspension.

 

But in the end, and just like Phil, I have no idea and I am just guessing.

[Scottie]

Won't your beer taste like a wet blanket or something? Ever since I started using my stir plate I have been decanting the beer before pitching the yeast. I am following a procedure that I read somewhere, not sure where but it made sense to me for the same reasons that phil said.

[Hairy]

When using a stir plate you are introducing oxygen during the whole process i.e. before, during and after fermentation. I guess if you left the starter as a beer for a few months then it will oxidise.

 

But you are adding this to unfermented wort and the oxygen in the starter will get used during fermentation.

 

If you used a stirrer in primary then I guess it would be beneficial whilst the yeast are multiplying but towards the end and after fermentation it wouldn't be a good thing.

 

It is easier to aerate the wort properly at the start and just let it do its thing.

 

It s interesting though.

[Otto Von Blotto]

It is an interesting thought but I wouldn't do it personally for the abovementioned reasons i.e. oxidising it. Starters are a different beast to an actual brew - there's really no issue with how they taste or whatever because they aren't being bottled etc.. Like Scottie, I too decant my starters before pitching. My usual process is to leave it on the stir plate until fermentation dies down which is usually around the 24 hour mark, then let it sit for another day, then I chuck it in the fridge until I'm ready to use it which is usually a couple or a few days later.

 

I like the idea of making real wort starters from the leftovers of a batch, so that I can just tip the whole thing in, but since I don't normally ferment the batches until months after I actually brew them, this is rather impractical.

[Mainiac]

I may just have to build a big stirrer for a test.

 

[/img]http://static9.depositphotos.com/1729220/1230/i/950/depositphotos_12301076-Mad-scientist-.jpg

[Hairy]

I like the idea of making real wort starters from the leftovers of a batch' date=' so that I can just tip the whole thing in, but since I don't normally ferment the batches until months after I actually brew them, this is rather impractical. [/quote']

You can freeze the wort until you are ready to make your starter.

[Otto Von Blotto]

Yeah I guess that's true. But I don't mind supporting the LHBS by buying LDM to make starters, it's about the only reason I go there now apart from dex for priming. [lol]