[Pawtucket Patriot]

I looked at diy stirplate guides. Definitely not my kind of project!    I gladly ponied up the $50 for one from stirplates.com.

[Kaiser]

Remember to add the stir bar when boiling your

It is very important that you DO NOT add the stir bar after the wort has been heated to boiling temperatures. Because the flask is so smooth the wort is actually superheating if the stir bar is not in there to provide nucleation sites. When you then add the stir bar later the wort will suddenly boil and shoot out of the flask.  This happened to me once and I am lucky that neither I, or someone else got hurt. The wort sprayed 5 ft out of the flask and hit the cabinets.

Kai

[theDarkSide]

It is very important that you DO NOT add the stir bar after the wort has been heated to boiling temperatures. Because the flask is so smooth the wort is actually superheating if the stir bar is not in there to provide nucleation sites. When you then add the stir bar later the wort will suddenly boil and shoot out of the flask.  This happened to me once and I am lucky that neither I, or someone else got hurt. The wort sprayed 5 ft out of the flask and hit the cabinets.

Kai

Holy smokes!!!  Good tip, thanks!

I really should have stated to add your stir bar before starting your boil.  I usually do this but once I forgot, but I did get it in there before it was on the burner too long.

Thanks for discovering these little things for us. 

[Tim McManus]

I've never added the bar to the boiling wort and haven't had any issues.

I will boil the wort and DME in a pan while the flask and stir bar are on the plate stirring some iodophor.  I'll dump the iodophor into the ice bath and pour the boiling wort into the flask (which is in the ice bath) with the bar at the bottom.  I haven't had any adverse results (yet).

[tumarkin]

I've never added the bar to the boiling wort and haven't had any issues.

I will boil the wort and DME in a pan while the flask and stir bar are on the plate stirring some iodophor.  I'll dump the iodophor into the ice bath and pour the boiling wort into the flask (which is in the ice bath) with the bar at the bottom.  I haven't had any adverse results (yet).

sounds like that process is working ok for you, but even with a borosilicate flask you're risking thermal shock & possible cracking by pouring boiling wort into a flask being cooled in ice bath. that process could work right up until it doesn't.

[Tim McManus]

I've never added the bar to the boiling wort and haven't had any issues.

I will boil the wort and DME in a pan while the flask and stir bar are on the plate stirring some iodophor.  I'll dump the iodophor into the ice bath and pour the boiling wort into the flask (which is in the ice bath) with the bar at the bottom.  I haven't had any adverse results (yet).

sounds like that process is working ok for you, but even with a borosilicate flask you're risking thermal shock & possible cracking by pouring boiling wort into a flask being cooled in ice bath. that process could work right up until it doesn't.

You should see me cringe every time I pour wort in....   

[Thirsty_Monk]

Remember to add the stir bar when boiling your

It is very important that you DO NOT add the stir bar after the wort has been heated to boiling temperatures. Because the flask is so smooth the wort is actually superheating if the stir bar is not in there to provide nucleation sites. When you then add the stir bar later the wort will suddenly boil and shoot out of the flask.  This happened to me once and I am lucky that neither I, or someone else got hurt. The wort sprayed 5 ft out of the flask and hit the cabinets.

Kai

That is exactly what happened to me.
I was lucky I was wearing paints (No Paints brewing reference).
Boiling wort was all over stove and me.
It shot out about 1 qt of wort from 4 liters.
I was so shocked that I did not know what to do first.
The casualty if this was that sticky wort got into electronics of the stove and we had to replaced it.
I was not hurt.
Live and learn.

So do not do it.

[narcout]

I always add the stir bar after I've chilled the wort.

NB recently started carring a pretty nice looking stir plate for $66: http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/northern-brewer-stir-plate.html

[beersk]

I always add the stir bar after I've chilled the wort.

NB recently started carring a pretty nice looking stir plate for $66: http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/northern-brewer-stir-plate.html

Except that it's out of stock. Boo!

[bearcat]

There is another procedure that could be followed.   Based on the Maltose Falcons website that utilizes pressure canned wort with no worries of boil overs, cracking your flask due to heat scenario's, etc.
.   
My procedure to make a starter lately has been:

1. sanitize the flask and stir bar.
2. flame the opening of the flask
3. flame lids on a jar or two (depending on starter size) of canned wort and dump into the santized flask
4. add yeast from sanitized yeast vessel.
5. start stir plate.

takes about 5 minutes total.
 
http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/starter-made-easy-pressure-cooking-your-starter-wort-ahead-time

Of course there is options of doing the same thing with extra wort from brew day--.

[Hokerer]

There is another procedure that could be followed.   Based on the Maltose Falcons website that utilizes pressure canned wort with no worries of boil overs, cracking your flask due to heat scenario's, etc.

That's the method I use.  Each time I brew, I take the extra wort (trub pile and such) and drip it through a coffee filter into mason jars and then pressure can them.  Just last night, pressure canned 3 quart jars, 1 pint jar, 2 quarter-pints, and 24 slants.  I'm set for a while.

[Pawtucket Patriot]

Follow-up question: should I aerate my starter prior to putting it on the stirplate?  I used the starter for the first time last night and just put my flask on the plate after pitching (no prior aeration).  Today, there's a very small foam ring around the top of the swirling starter beer.  I'm not sure what to look for as far as signs of fermentation when using the stirplate.

[Kaiser]

The starter on the stir plate will aerate itself. Especially if you have a nice wortex that pulls in air

kai

[Pawtucket Patriot]

The starter on the stir plate will aerate itself. Especially if you have a nice wortex that pulls in air

kai

Ok, thanks. I have the plate stirring such that the vortex is more than a dimple, but not huge. Is it normal to not see much krausen when using a stirplate?  I added two vials of wlp820 to 2L of starter wort last night. Like I said, there is a very thin ring of bubbles around the edges of the swirling starter beer, but that's it.

[Hokerer]

That thin ring of bubbles around the edge is about all you're ever going to see with the stirplate so you're good.  If you want to have some fun, try and figure out when max growth is going on and then turn off the stirplate - you'll see some krausen then, likely all out the top of the flask and all over the place