Thank You. I did a 2nd video almost identical where I simply added heat. I currently have 4 sets - 8 total stir plates and they are all working amazingly well. If you do really large starters let me know as I had a user do a variation of what I did to handle larger starters.
I may have to reach out to you down the road, as that sounds very interesting to use a stir plate for mushroom cultures. I'm a huge mushroom fan and would like to grow a small amount in the near future for my own personal consumption. Mainly Lion's Mane as it is expensive, and my memory sucks. (I have great long-term but have always had really poor short-term issues.). Plus, if you see the upcoming video that I'm working on about my new brew space, you will take notice that I have a LOT of mason jars and small jars for pickling, fermentation, making my own yogurt, and of course, beer yeast starters. I just like to eat healthy and try to make a lot of my own stuff if possible.
@@BitterRealityBrewing That's what got me started with mycology, Lion's Mane for memory. Learned however in order to get the benefits you need to do an extraction. I originally bought a inoculated saw dust wood block but that was a failure. I now get Lion's Mane in extracted powder form from FreshCap. You can buy ready to go blocks, get spores or liquid culture. Last year I got blue oyster and shiitake liquid culture and made several blocks. It was tough because work had me on the road a lot that year and ended up having to toss my shiitake blocks. We did get some oyster mushrooms, but honestly it wasn't worth the time for what we got. So this year I'm diving in a bit deeper. Setting up a clean room with a 6.5' x 6.5' grow tent as a lab (contamination is a killer). The plan is to be able to produce 70lbs weekly or every other week. I'm 62 and plan on retiring at 67, hoping to supplement some income with mushrooms. I'll be automating humidity, fresh air exchange and temperature. Interesting thing about mushrooms is they need oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. I brew Kombucha and looking to get into fermented foods. Was going to brew beer but I've given up alcohol because of UC. I prefer, like you, make my own stuff. Not only is it healthier but it's rewarding as well. Reach out anytime. Say I found a site called TotalElement.com, they sell magnets and have quite the selection. Prices I though were reasonable and shipping was free. You can get different strengths.
Tip: if you add ferrous metal like a steel washer to the side of the magnet which you are gluing down you will focus the magnetic field on the opposite side. The added magnetic strength will improve the stir bar performance in larger flasks and/or in thicker liquids.
Thank you and sounds like something I need to test. Just to make sure I fully understand, you saying to put a wash on (or under) each magnet on each side?
@@BitterRealityBrewing Yes, put the washer on the opposing pole (underneath) ... ie: the side you are gluing down, not the side that couples with the stir bar. A washer isn't the best choice as the more ferrous material the stronger the effect. A solid slug or even a nut will be better but regardless, any ferrous metal on one side of the magnet serves to "short out" that magnetic field and focus the field in the opposite pole. I use a hall-effect transistor circuit to measure the change in the field but if I didn't have that I would use a compass and measure the distance needed by the magnet to influence it. How big the improvement is depends on what you use, but it's basically a free efficiency boost. Keep up the great vids!
I think the best part about this is that people watching world wide will be able to source the exact same parts you're using in the video (Without having to worry about buying something with a different power socket than what their country offers) and feel confident to tackle a little diy project where the fans you've used for 3 years have been put to the test. The fact it's a usb powered fan is awesome. I'm from Australia and shipping to my house will still probably be cheaper than a new stir plate locally.. And I get 2. Great video! I just subscribed to your channel. Excited to see what other tricks are up your sleeve 😊
Thank you and I will be doing a follow up video where you can use up to 4 of those stir plates (2 sets of 2) with a simply reptile heating pad for about $13 US (trick is this one has a dial to help control the heat) which I already use for doing Kveik Yeast starters. amzn.to/2Fdoapw Time flies and I hadn't realized how long I had been using two sets of these stir plates I made using the cardboard boxes they came in until I went to buy more and looked at my Amazon history...man time flies!
I honestly think even 2 stir plates is plenty for my needs. But I'll still watch that video in the future. I'll end up with s drinking problem if I tried to drink that much on my own ahaha You're onto a good thing! Thank you again for sharing your wisdom I know what I'm asking the family for Christmas ahaha
@@JoshSinnott97 I am a bit OCD and impulsive so I brew more to see how my creation will come out and then I try to share a ton to get feedback and also to free up the keg so I can brew more. Brewing for me is actually very relaxing as I have to focus enough that I forget about everything else that could be stressful in my life while I am brewing so brewing for my is actually I guess...therapeutic to some degree.
Cool homebrew hack...and resourceful...using the box the dang fans came in is neat! Very informative. My entire home brewery is truly like one big hack! So a gizmo like this is right in my wheelhouse. Cheers!
I never thought about sharing this until I did the video on maintaining yeasts and someone pointed out how many stir plates I had and a friend asked about the cardboard ones which I've been using for well over 3 years now. I love them as they work amazingly well and we so easy to make. As you saw in the video it might have taken me all of a couple minutes to make them.
Nice! I need a fan for me fermentation chamber so I may use one for that and just make a single stir plate. Harbor Freight has rare earth magnets for pretty cheap, btw
Never thought about checking Harbor Freight for rare earth magnets. If you need something for your fermentation chamber, check out these used in the video - amzn.to/3tRjOgD The key is that they have a regular power plug and three speed settings. Not sure if the cord between the 2 is enough to put one in each corner of your fermentation chamber. I have two in mine but they are hanging in front of the freezer part of my dorm fridges to push ice cold air as needed.
Cool video, I made one like 10 years ago and it was way more complicated and I had to source all my parts from Radio Shack! Your way is “stupid easy” cheers!
Thank you and it was funny as I had made my first 4 way before this video and never thought about it and how easy it was compared to the way everyone else was trying to make there's with boxes and cigar boxes which I had tried too.
Hopefully it helps. I have 4 sets of these and have been using them for many years now. I'm experimenting with moving the magnets to a more center location but the jury is still out if it does any better.
Good idea. To simplify the magnet/stir bar process, I'd just stick the magnets to the stir bar to form a single unit, glue the other sides of the magnets that are exposed, and then stick them, as a single unit, onto the fan.
That would work too but I have a lot of stir bars of different sizes as I made the mistake when I ordered my first batch of getting assorted sizes and more than half were too small for my use. One of the reasons I mentioned that in the video for people to be careful of. Also if you get the super glue on your fingers like I do almost every time is to have some fingernail polish remover nearby as it will break it down and get it off your fingers. (The good stuff with the fumes aka acetone as the other stuff doesn't work so well.) (Most people don't have acetone in the house but do have the finger nail polish remover.)
Thank you and I did another of the same videos with a simple heating mat. If you try this, consider testing with two of the magnets touching each other in the center. The stronger the magnets the better, as long as they don't interfere with the fan. When I did this video manufactured ones were still a bit expensive but they finally came way down and I scored two of these which I use with the 8 (4 pairs) of these when maintaining my yeast bank.) - amzn.to/3XH476o
As it was an inexpensive build, both fans run off the same switch. They do sell single fans per switch, but it was a lot more cost effective to user a dual fan with one switch. I still have 4 pairs of these that I built which get used very regularly.
Thank You. You can buy stir plates now for just a little more than this dual system costs, as of the past year. I have 4 sets of these and still use them on a regular basis and love them. Also, try putting the magnets in the center as that seems to help with certain stirbars based on their size.
Hi! Thanks for the video. I want to make this for structuring the water. I bought the fans but they didn't come in boxes like you have. Do you have any solutions, what can i use better? What are the most powerful magnets i can use? I'm thinking 15x8 mm neodim magnets. Thank you
The 8 mm thickness might be way too powerful and could cause the fans to not spin. 2 to 3 mm would be a better option. As for the boxes, they were perfect, but maybe they found either more cost effective packaging or fancier packaging. I would consider grabbing large cigar boxes at your local cigar shop or at Total Wine if you have one of those as they usually sell for $1. You might need to as the Affinity Fans are pretty large at 120 mm each.
Not sure these is a difference for the stir, but I could see it for pushing or pulling air under the box, but not sure if it pushes enough to really matter.
@@BitterRealityBrewing thank you for your quick response. I will buy neodim 12x4mm then. I'm not sure how cigar boxes are, like the metal ones? I live in Romania, Europe and I don't know what you mean.
@@BitterRealityBrewing all life, all molecules vibrate anti clockwise, all that is decayed and dead vibrate clockwise. As a living organism we assimilate easier when the intake is vibrating same as our body, otherwise the body will make a supplementary effort to convert vibrational movement from right to left.
Thank you. A few months ago, I did a test by moving the magnets very close together and I feel it did a little bit better but it is really dependent on the magnets (Stronger is better) used and the stir bar. I have 4 sets of these and use them all the time.
It is crazy easy compared to so many that look harder and never seem to work right. I just took for granted how easy there were to make. I have 4 sets now.
Thank you as this is one of my most popular videos but you should check out the one with the heated stir plates as it is the same thing with a simple heat pad. I never realized how helpful the heat would be until winter hit and where I do my yeast starters it doesn't have heat so it came in amazingly handy.
@@BitterRealityBrewing Forgot to ask if fan size is good enough to make stir plate with 3L flask I already own?? Bought a homemade strplate that will work with my 500 ml flask but need 3 more for the 20G high gravity batches I’m trying to nail down. Your awesome videos are ingenious! Can’t swallow the high cost equipment for bigger batches. I’m your biggest fan!!!
@@tman9338 I use to tell people no, but I had a subscriber tell me he left the rubber feet on and didn't leave the units in the box and the rubber feet worked perfectly to hold up a very large flask and moved the stir bar without issues. I will have to buy another set and a large flask or maybe use my 64 oz mason jar to test as that would be very interesting if it works as it would give more inexpensive options to brewers needing large starters.
Yes, during the starter phase, then when I cold crash them, I seal the foil as tight as possible. Once they have crashed and separated between yeast and liquid, I move them to 8 oz mason jars with lids.
Interesting DYI hack. I suppose if you wanted to go the extra mile you could dremmel away most of the fan blades to remove the air resistance that the fans are usually fighting against - thus letting you have more motor power for stirring. Some fans actually have blades that are detachable from the motor hub, but usually not the cheap ones. I get that the idea here is to keep it super cheap and easy - but I think I would try to get something a bit sturdier than cardboard, at least for the top, just because it will bend under load and start to rub on the magnets. Cardboard also weakens when wet. I think I would try to find some sturdy scrap plastic instead. Plastic containers are everywhere, easy to cut and glue together into a box.
Shockingly I have 4 sets of these as I maintain a pretty decent quantity of yeast, but the first two sets were bought and built like in the video back in July 2017, and I do think they have a few tiny stains, but they are still going strong and still in the same original cardboard. As for removing the blades, that is a great deal for me to try, but I might have to try larger and strong earth magnets as I never go over medium speed, and for most yeast, I leave it at low. At high speed, it has a habit of spinning the stir bar to the side of both a mason jar and even in a 2000 ml flash I tried. The high speed might also help if I did much larger starters. Thank you.
Cool video and thanks! I would go one up and make a box instead of the cardboard in case the cardboard gets wet. But all credit to you the simplest method I have seen so far!
Thanks and I fully understand the moisture concern but I've had two sets of these going since 2017 and one has a few liquid stains on it but they are still do just as good as day one. The box would help for larger starters as the cardboard is very sturdy but does have a bit of a weight limit of doing starters for 20+ gallon batches but most of mine are 5 gallons and I only use half my starters.
Thanks I tried got my fans today and it does not work :( the stir bar just sits in the side of the glass and no movement at all. Any advice? What size stir bar did you use?
@@VeritasAequitas178 I'm sorry you're having some issues but we will figure it out as it has to be something minor and we'll get it fixed. I use the 12mm and even recently some 15mm bars but I've used much smaller without issues. So first take your stir bar and set it on top of the magnets on top each fan to ensure the polarity is correct as this is the most common issue (I had mine reversed on one of the first ones I did). After checking that if we are good there make sure the fan is lifted up with those two pieces of cardboard enough to almost be rubbing the bottom of the lid. And the glass container you are using make sure the bottom isn't rounded in an upward design (about half of the mason jars I use are rounded up a bit but not enough to create an issue). Let me know if any of this resolves the issue but if not we will continue to troubleshoot but maybe with a few photos included. Also check this out as I tried to go a bit slower in this video doing the same thing again but with heat at the end. th-cam.com/video/PjipQmalBbM/w-d-xo.html
I have tried again but doesnt work. My stir bar is 25mm long and 8mm in diameter. At least have taken off the magnets after using your razor idea so thanks! Magnets are 3mm in height and 5mm diameter. Perhaps magnets too small?
I like your idea but will use it for something else besides yeast starter, will this stir a full quart of water? I would say it will. Also flat bottom glass containers would work better than mason jars. Thanks
So, I've been doing a lot of testing and comparing of my DIY Stir plates recently and can give you some fresh info. First I would say yes it can do 32 oz / 1 quart but it would only create a very small to almost medium sized vortex. I bought one of these to do a comparison of my 4 - dual DIY stir plates with this recent purchase to compare - amzn.to/3TYlbBQ The purchased stir plate and easily do 1 quart / 32 oz in a mason jar, flat bottomed jar, or 2000 ml or slightly larger Erlenmeyer flask (I only own 2 - 2000 ml Erlenmeyer flasks). One thing I did recently on one of my DIY stir plates was to move the magnets closer to the middle of the fans and it seems to help for higher speeds. The problem with gluing the magnets further apart and trying to hit high speed has a habit of sending the stir bar flying to the side of the flask or jar. (Flat bottom are easier to start without issues but the regular mason jars still perform well and are very cheap as it isn't uncommon for me to run 8 starters at at time, just to build up my yeast reserves.)
@@BitterRealityBrewing I have been doing some searching about these and I don't see why it couldn't do 32oz. I guess it all depends what you are using them for. They work for you so that is all that matters. Thanks.
Hi! So I tried this, and I am having an issue where I turn the fan on (to low) the stir bar spins for a second, then it stops and just sort of twitches in place. It doesn’t happen in an empty glass, but as soon as there’s liquid, it happens every time. Any idea why?
Did you use the same fans? Sound like not enough toque from the fan. Also, I have made a minor change to a few of mine which I feel actually helps it work better. I moved some of the fan magnets so they are touching each other instead being apart. Two other things I've noticed is larger stir bars do better compared to tiny ones. And if your glass has a very convex bottom, sometimes it will keep the stir bar too far from the magnets. (A few of my mason jars take a few attempts to get just centered due to the convex bottoms.) Let me know if any of this helps as it should. Keep the gap between the magnets and the stir bar as minimal as possible. (If I go over 12 oz of liquid the stir bars seem to create too much resistance causing the stir bar to come out of sync. I also recently purchased two of these (when they were on sale like they are now) amzn.to/3Ri5yFL Although one of the two does work better, it also has issues at over 12 oz. One of the two really isn't any better than these DIY stir plates. The only thing I can do with these over the DIY, is make them spin a bit faster.)
@@BitterRealityBrewing I used the same brand of fan, but I got one that was only one fan, since I don't need two, but other than that I think it was the same. I did end up getting it to work, I stacked multiple magnets on each side instead of just the one, and that seemed to do the trick.
Awesome and thanks for the feedback as it is great to this is helping others. I love these compared to the crappy cigar box ones I had originally that I saw from an old DYI vid. If you want to add heat just buy a simply heat strip, usually on Amazon for $12 to $15 which I originally did for Kveik yeast but now that it is cold I've been using it for regular yeast just to maintain temps. th-cam.com/video/PjipQmalBbM/w-d-xo.html A updated version of what you watched already but with the heat pad so no need to watch the whole thing but you can see the heat pad I am talking about.
@@BitterRealityBrewing I have a heat pad… I was actually concerned because my basement is pretty cold where I brew. But just lying the pad underneath the fan would work out perfectly because it pushes the heat up… I just use the rubber stoppers on the bottom of the fan in on top in my 2000 mL flask fits perfectly on there no need for a box
@@paulbilodeau8569 It is funny as I started testing with a heating pad you would use for your back or like and thought it was a great idea for Kveik until this winter as I am in Florida but my spare room isn't heated and that is where I do my yeast starters (my wife's old sewing room) and suddenly the heated part became very important. Happy to know that the rubber stoppers can actually be useful as I ended up throwing them away as I couldn't find another purpose for them. I did just start using two 1000 ml flasks and they work really well and the stir bar does seem to spin a little easier but overall I prefer my mason jars as those flasks take up more space, don't stack and I'm accident prone and that tapered top just feels like it is asking me to drop it.
Over long term, the speed control switch will start to fail on you. I use these fans for my computer and I generally keep them running 24x7. The little resistor and the switch will start to fail over time and you have to essentially remove it if you're going to have the fan run full speed all the time. The fans aren't the best, but for your application for a janky stair plate, it should work fine.
Yeah, I'm not going to jinx myself, but they switches are still going strong. I'm still using 4 sets of these, plus 2 low cost store bought stir plates. The store bought do work a tad bit better but not anything to really get excited about. I have been using a lot of flasks which work better as the jars have a slight curve up in the middle that can be problematic from time to time when doing a larger starter.
Yes. The wort doesn't really matter the yeast does. If you are pitching dry yeast, I've never used a starter and have only had an issue once with some old dry yeast. As for liquid a starter isn't always needed especially if it is fresh (not near expiration) but it is recommended. If you want to do a starter without a stir plate, simply add the yeast to a small amount of wort (DME works best) at around a 1.030 to 1.040 is fine and simply shake it a little every few hours to help aerate and allow it to take off as this will help it get a better start especially if you are pitching it in a high gravity wort.
Leslie, I'm actually been asked to do a video just on this and nothing else so I will be doing that in the very near future but for now hopefully this will help. Once I've wort has either finished fermentation or is really close (if I am dry hopping) as I'll allow it to drop a few more before chilling I simply use a pump transfer system. First you need to purge the keg you are transferring to with CO2 100% to ensure no O2. Then using a Pump system with a with a racking wand (I prefer stain steel) and a pot full of very hot water and starsan and simply pump it through into your kitchen drain for a few minutes to ensure everything is sterile (It should already be clean but you just want to sterilize it), then (optional) clean the pot and add really hot water (as hot as you kitchen faucet will go) and run that for a few minutes. Now you are ready to transfer your fermented wort to you keg. (The key here is the tubing and the racking wand are full of clean water and not O2). Go to your fermenter and put the racking wand inside and start the pump so that it is pumping wort to either you pot or an alternate keg and once it just starts to flow (don't let too much wort go to waste) put your disconnect on (if not already going to a keg) and connect to your keg (pre-purged of O2 with CO2) that you will either be carbonating and chilling or at least dry hopping and continue. The only issue is you will either need to put a relief valve on it like I do, a spudit valve, or a wide open air disconnect to allow the CO2 to be released to allow the wort to flow. As you are asking this and I've been asked about this from a few other recently I think I simply need to do a video at least be this weekend if not sooner and simply post it to help everyone asking.
So how about the heating pad in the description. How would that fit into the project and do you see a need for it if developing yeast at indoor ambient temp 65-72 degrees Fahrenheit? Great video and thanks for sharing
Thanks and I redid the video with a cheap heating pad which works great for cold rooms and Kveik yeasts! th-cam.com/video/PjipQmalBbM/w-d-xo.html - Works really easily.
The problem with the self build fan stirer one's is if they stuck they burn out, it happening to me, they shoud have some fuse to protect that happening.
Going on many years now for my original without burning out...so I'm either lucky (usually not) or just have a quality product is used for something else. 😀
I had been doing my stir plates this way for so long I never thought it was anything special as it was so easy to do and less headaches compared to many others or expensive like store bought ones can be. Also here is a very tiny modification to add heat in a very simple way too - th-cam.com/video/PjipQmalBbM/w-d-xo.html - Also one of our subscribers tested one of these fans with the rubber feel still attached to do 3 liter (3000ml) flasks for his starters and he said it worked great as my design was more for 1000ml flasks or my preferred flask also known as a cheap but sturdy mason jar.
Actually check out these - amzn.to/39eo2S7 They are even bigger and I bought these shortly after this video and actually prefer these a LOT with this exact setup. They are 10x40mm which is much larger but work amazingly well.
Sadly I wouldn't think so as I use Mason Jars which are 32 ounces and easily do 8 ounces and could probably go to 16 or even 24 ounces but a 5 liter is about 170 ounces so unless you are barely filling it I would suggest it with that size flask. I also use reptile heating pads (use to use a heating pad) to bring temps up to 100F for Kveik yeast starters without any issues.
Really fun and clever idea, but you can get a decent enough stir plate for cheaper than all those parts. Also, a few of your product links are dead now.
Yeah, when I made this video, the cheapest one on Amazon was $69, but as of the past year +/- there have been a few decent ones around $29, like this one - amzn.to/43dwonX at $26.99. Keep in mind I was able to make this for around $20 for two back then, putting it around $10 a stir plate. The $30 ones are usually a bit better, but they still have the occasional issue. I bought 2 - $30 identical units late last year, and one usually works great, but the other one gives me headaches from time to time. Thank you for giving me a heads-up on the dead links.
I think what you showed here is brilliant. I ended up getting a unit from Amazon for about $30. Have you compared or had feedback comparing some units on Amazon and your custom setup?
Sadly not but I've considered buying a cheap one just to see how it compares as I've usually heard good things but occasionally hear issues but I think that goes for any products out there so I would prefer to test it side-by-side personally.
@@BitterRealityBrewing I got my cheap one from Amazon last night and ran it once using a plastic pickle jar filled with 45oz of water. It spun like a mad man! Like any cheap-o's on Amazon some will work great and others will fail. mine worked better than expected on its maiden spin.
True but I would easily put the 2 stir plates I get from this for about the same price against the longevity quality of the $25 one (even with this being cardboard). I have 3 speeds and having 2 for the same price allows you to do a backup starter if you bank your yeast as I do, of it you are if you are either doing two different batches on the same day or brewing with friends who brought their gear. I use to be all about DIY but I've gotten away from a fair amount of DIY with the exception of these, I'm extremely happy and if you have a heat mat, you can also add a bit of heat if your room is cold for another $5 to $10 unless you already have a heating pad or like. Quality Stir bars are extra of course! 😀 Cheers! 🍻
When I was building mine, I couldn't glue the magnets directly to the fan because they would impede the components. I had to glue a spacer item to the fan and the magnets to the spacer. Wondering why that is not happening here.
I think it has to do with how the fan is made as I have two older Cigar box stir plates that require me to reach under and give them a spin before they will kick off as the magnets seem to hold the fans still unless they get a bit of help. I've built 3 pairs of these using the AC Infinity fans in this video and never had that issue. I will say you can tell these fans are serious quality compared to some of the cheap ones computer companies sell for our computers.
Yeah and really funny is that a good friend when I was young got super glue on his fingers and his dad used a pocket knife to help separate his fingers and about 2 minutes later I remembered that finger nail polish (in the 80's which was all acetone) was the cure...which he hated me for well over a year for being late to the issue. 😂😂😂
I would personally just leave the mags attached to the bar, add a spacer between mags to keep them from moving, dab glue on them, then push the bar and mags on to the fan. less work in my opinion, and they will maintain perfect alignment
Great point. Since this video I have done a test with the magnets being in the center of the fan and it appears to actually help keep the bar more stable.
@BitterRealityBrewing I'm about to make one myself and I'm thinking about just using the exact same copy of the cylinder mag for the fan. Any experience with that?
I was surprised by comments that nobody seemed to be bothered with a fact that the stirring in the video was tried only in hardly 1/2 litre of water. It is way too little for any practical purpose.
That would depend on just how big of a batch you are doing as I can easily pitch, using this for up to 6 gallon batches without issues. If you are interested in doing 4 liter starters another viewer mentioned leaving the rubber feet on as he said it worked perfectly for his 4 liter starter. I can't remember if he used slightly larger magnets or washers to give it a bit more lift to the edge of the glass. I am looking to do a video using this system for 4 liter flasks but haven't gotten around to it at this point.
@@BitterRealityBrewing yes that's insane, they screw people often on amazon UK for products that are much cheaper in the US, we have to pay normaly the same amount in £ and that's in my opinion to much but sometimes double the price of the US price and more for the same products, but I refuse to pay this amount and look for similar or exactly looking products under a other brand name.
@@danielauen7790 I fully get it as I love a good tea and I am very critical about the quality of tea. I make Kumbucha and the base is a quality tea! Once I get my new place (we're having a house built). I plan on doing all kinds of things with tea and fermentation. From veggies, tea beers, tea meads, and of course my Kumbucha which I prefer a solid black tea with cranberry and ginger.
You mean most, right? I know cell phones and things seem to be o.k. with weaker magnets but how do they do with very strong magnets? I'm a bit old so I came from the school magnets are never kept near electronics of any kind which will be a hard habit to break.
@@BitterRealityBrewing They messed with old CRT monitors because they use magnetic fields to direct the electrons that light the phosphorescent display. But modern screens should be fine. Magnetic data storage on credit cards strip can be wiped with a small magnet. But the chip for chip and pin or contactless should be fine. Floppy disks were also quite fragile. Hard disks less so. It takes an unusually large and powerful Neodymium (Rare Earth) magnet very close to it to affect them. More modern data storage is solid state and is completely unaffected by magnets, unless they're moving close past at a very fast speed. Though pretty much everything recent should survive any magnet you happen to have not for the purposes of having a comically powerful magnet; your speakers, microphones, and digital compass, can break in the presence of strong magnetic fields. But It's not guaranteed insta-death from magnets this size. Here's some people demonstrating electronics resilience to magnetic fields. th-cam.com/video/_yEu2R1gYSs/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/U8LWTe5CqQg/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/qGAbuTrm_bI/w-d-xo.html
Thank you as I just learned something new as I thought it was just the old "magnets which are usually black" or Earth Magnets which I thought were the same as Rare which I knew were silver and considerably stronger. I just did a google search and it appears I have a bit of reading to do but obviously from the video I was using Rare Earth Magnets. Thanks again.
@@BitterRealityBrewing Happy to help! Thanks for taking the time to share you're learning on building these, by the way. You're insight is very useful!
@@Leo99929 I think sometimes we all over think things (I am very guilty of that) but sometimes we find the simplicity in things and I think this was just that. Plus if you see the heated stir plate edition of this, I simply used a thin heat mat after testing regular heating pads. Thank you.
Yeah, but I'm a Gen X and sadly we grew up using a lot of that stuff in large quantities without supervision. I used to work on my motorcycle back then and my go to for getting grease off my hands was Gas and Sand, which today would be seen as a bit crazy. I had a friend that superglued his fingers together and his dad used a knife to separate them, but the toxic nail polish remover would have been a lot less painful.
LOL, I feel you. Gen X aka Latch Key Kids which is a great term as I remember breaking into my own (parents') home when I was a kid because I forgot my key or forgot to re-stash it somewhere outside. I remember cooking my own food on a gas stove at the age of 10 (in a trailer which somehow makes it worse) which today would send someone into a heart attack. So, many things we did seemed perfectly normal back then, but today most young people would freak out. And I lived in the country, so I used to walk too many miles just to get home from the age of 6 without anyone worrying about me.
@@BitterRealityBrewing haha 100%, I'm in Australia, I have said a few times that of the gen x'ers that made it to adulthood felt a sense of accomplishment because it was actually an achievement. I think my parents did fine but there's no way I'd let my kids have the freedom I had haha
When I made the video I couldn't find them on Amazon for under $49 plus that is still a single. I have 4 of these dual plate setups now and use a very then heat mat when needed for up to 4 starters at a time. (I maintain a yeast bank so having lots of stir plates is extremely useful for me compared to most people.) Plus building these only takes a couple minutes at most.
Thanks for stopping by to critique one of my oldest videos. Talking too much is a sign of being nervous, which, at the time, I was. Let me know when you start producing videos for the world to consume.
You make a lot the mistakes most DIY YTers make. 1. You assume we want to watch your content. Don't.... Show us the finished project within the first 10 seconds, make it easy to see while scrubbing 2. Split the video into sections, What it does, how it works, what you need, etc - But make it clear in the image. When a viewer wants to pick a video tutorial on a project, most people don't watch all the videos from all the creators, we scrub through them, and if they are messy like this we skip them. 3. Use some close ups, still images even, if nothing else. Makes us able to orientate ourselves through the video
Appreciate the feedback and I will be doing a condensed version of this video from scratch (not reusing video) in the near future without going over all the mistakes every makes which was one of my goals in this video to keep people from wasting their time and adding a super easy heating element to it for Kveik yeast starters. Keep in mind you also are assuming that everyone else wants to be like everyone else. I'll keep with my format instead of following the rest (although I am always refining it) as that is one of the reasons I started this channel as I wasn't happy with the magical "Tada and I made beer!", or "Here are the parts, a few fast close ups and it was built" or the here is what and how I did everything but I'll never make the video showing you how it came out which is why I swear by "Grain to Glass" for all brewing videos as it was like watching a movie with no ending.
@@BitterRealityBrewing I agree with both of you.... if you could, show the finished product up front with all the features, benefits and a quick demo, then go into the build. This will hook me into “how did you do that?”. Don’t change the detail and ease of use you cover as this is very well appreciated and certainly lacking in you tube video’s. Too many times I am looking for help or insight (when it comes to brewing) and the video leaves out the details (assuming everyone is at their level of experience) and ..... tada! Here’s the finished product and let me tell you how great it is! I will skip or exit! Your tutorials are awesome and very thorough; Thank You! (There is enough “expert” video’s out there showing how to do something at an expert level on expert equipment.
@@RyNoChannel I like your insight and think that is a great suggestion, the next time I do a "DIY" I will do a quick shot of the finished product upfront with a bit of maybe pros & cons or just benefits based on the project and then break into the video of how to do it. I actually will be looking to do a lot of these major projects sadly about 1 year from now as I will be moving and once I get into my future house (12 to 14 months to complete) I will have 400 to 500 sq ft to setup a mini-brewery, micro-pub area, and fermentation area so I'm thinking about building a new Fermentation chamber to replace my current one, and build another keezer setup for small batch testing just to name a few things I'm thinking of doing.
Awesome tutorial, that will save me quite a bit of money, appreciate the knowledge.
Thank You. I did a 2nd video almost identical where I simply added heat. I currently have 4 sets - 8 total stir plates and they are all working amazingly well. If you do really large starters let me know as I had a user do a variation of what I did to handle larger starters.
Appreciate the reply back with that bit of info. I plan on making these to use with my liquid mushroom cultures. Thanks for sharing, take care !!
I may have to reach out to you down the road, as that sounds very interesting to use a stir plate for mushroom cultures. I'm a huge mushroom fan and would like to grow a small amount in the near future for my own personal consumption. Mainly Lion's Mane as it is expensive, and my memory sucks. (I have great long-term but have always had really poor short-term issues.). Plus, if you see the upcoming video that I'm working on about my new brew space, you will take notice that I have a LOT of mason jars and small jars for pickling, fermentation, making my own yogurt, and of course, beer yeast starters. I just like to eat healthy and try to make a lot of my own stuff if possible.
@@BitterRealityBrewing That's what got me started with mycology, Lion's Mane for memory. Learned however in order to get the benefits you need to do an extraction. I originally bought a inoculated saw dust wood block but that was a failure. I now get Lion's Mane in extracted powder form from FreshCap. You can buy ready to go blocks, get spores or liquid culture. Last year I got blue oyster and shiitake liquid culture and made several blocks. It was tough because work had me on the road a lot that year and ended up having to toss my shiitake blocks. We did get some oyster mushrooms, but honestly it wasn't worth the time for what we got. So this year I'm diving in a bit deeper. Setting up a clean room with a 6.5' x 6.5' grow tent as a lab (contamination is a killer). The plan is to be able to produce 70lbs weekly or every other week. I'm 62 and plan on retiring at 67, hoping to supplement some income with mushrooms. I'll be automating humidity, fresh air exchange and temperature. Interesting thing about mushrooms is they need oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. I brew Kombucha and looking to get into fermented foods. Was going to brew beer but I've given up alcohol because of UC. I prefer, like you, make my own stuff. Not only is it healthier but it's rewarding as well. Reach out anytime.
Say I found a site called TotalElement.com, they sell magnets and have quite the selection. Prices I though were reasonable and shipping was free. You can get different strengths.
Tip: if you add ferrous metal like a steel washer to the side of the magnet which you are gluing down you will focus the magnetic field on the opposite side. The added magnetic strength will improve the stir bar performance in larger flasks and/or in thicker liquids.
Thank you and sounds like something I need to test. Just to make sure I fully understand, you saying to put a wash on (or under) each magnet on each side?
@@BitterRealityBrewing Yes, put the washer on the opposing pole (underneath) ... ie: the side you are gluing down, not the side that couples with the stir bar. A washer isn't the best choice as the more ferrous material the stronger the effect. A solid slug or even a nut will be better but regardless, any ferrous metal on one side of the magnet serves to "short out" that magnetic field and focus the field in the opposite pole. I use a hall-effect transistor circuit to measure the change in the field but if I didn't have that I would use a compass and measure the distance needed by the magnet to influence it. How big the improvement is depends on what you use, but it's basically a free efficiency boost.
Keep up the great vids!
I think the best part about this is that people watching world wide will be able to source the exact same parts you're using in the video (Without having to worry about buying something with a different power socket than what their country offers) and feel confident to tackle a little diy project where the fans you've used for 3 years have been put to the test. The fact it's a usb powered fan is awesome. I'm from Australia and shipping to my house will still probably be cheaper than a new stir plate locally.. And I get 2. Great video! I just subscribed to your channel. Excited to see what other tricks are up your sleeve 😊
Thank you and I will be doing a follow up video where you can use up to 4 of those stir plates (2 sets of 2) with a simply reptile heating pad for about $13 US (trick is this one has a dial to help control the heat) which I already use for doing Kveik Yeast starters. amzn.to/2Fdoapw Time flies and I hadn't realized how long I had been using two sets of these stir plates I made using the cardboard boxes they came in until I went to buy more and looked at my Amazon history...man time flies!
I honestly think even 2 stir plates is plenty for my needs. But I'll still watch that video in the future. I'll end up with s drinking problem if I tried to drink that much on my own ahaha
You're onto a good thing! Thank you again for sharing your wisdom
I know what I'm asking the family for Christmas ahaha
@@JoshSinnott97 I am a bit OCD and impulsive so I brew more to see how my creation will come out and then I try to share a ton to get feedback and also to free up the keg so I can brew more. Brewing for me is actually very relaxing as I have to focus enough that I forget about everything else that could be stressful in my life while I am brewing so brewing for my is actually I guess...therapeutic to some degree.
@@BitterRealityBrewing Same here. If only SWMBO got it.
Cool homebrew hack...and resourceful...using the box the dang fans came in is neat! Very informative. My entire home brewery is truly like one big hack! So a gizmo like this is right in my wheelhouse. Cheers!
I never thought about sharing this until I did the video on maintaining yeasts and someone pointed out how many stir plates I had and a friend asked about the cardboard ones which I've been using for well over 3 years now. I love them as they work amazingly well and we so easy to make. As you saw in the video it might have taken me all of a couple minutes to make them.
Nice! I need a fan for me fermentation chamber so I may use one for that and just make a single stir plate.
Harbor Freight has rare earth magnets for pretty cheap, btw
Never thought about checking Harbor Freight for rare earth magnets. If you need something for your fermentation chamber, check out these used in the video - amzn.to/3tRjOgD
The key is that they have a regular power plug and three speed settings. Not sure if the cord between the 2 is enough to put one in each corner of your fermentation chamber. I have two in mine but they are hanging in front of the freezer part of my dorm fridges to push ice cold air as needed.
Cool video, I made one like 10 years ago and it was way more complicated and I had to source all my parts from Radio Shack! Your way is “stupid easy” cheers!
Thank you and it was funny as I had made my first 4 way before this video and never thought about it and how easy it was compared to the way everyone else was trying to make there's with boxes and cigar boxes which I had tried too.
Thank You.
Hopefully it helps. I have 4 sets of these and have been using them for many years now. I'm experimenting with moving the magnets to a more center location but the jury is still out if it does any better.
Good idea. To simplify the magnet/stir bar process, I'd just stick the magnets to the stir bar to form a single unit, glue the other sides of the magnets that are exposed, and then stick them, as a single unit, onto the fan.
That would work too but I have a lot of stir bars of different sizes as I made the mistake when I ordered my first batch of getting assorted sizes and more than half were too small for my use. One of the reasons I mentioned that in the video for people to be careful of. Also if you get the super glue on your fingers like I do almost every time is to have some fingernail polish remover nearby as it will break it down and get it off your fingers. (The good stuff with the fumes aka acetone as the other stuff doesn't work so well.) (Most people don't have acetone in the house but do have the finger nail polish remover.)
thanks for the video! informative and funny
Thank you and I did another of the same videos with a simple heating mat. If you try this, consider testing with two of the magnets touching each other in the center. The stronger the magnets the better, as long as they don't interfere with the fan. When I did this video manufactured ones were still a bit expensive but they finally came way down and I scored two of these which I use with the 8 (4 pairs) of these when maintaining my yeast bank.) - amzn.to/3XH476o
@@BitterRealityBrewing yeah they are not expensive nowdays but still it is very interesting to know how they work explained in a simple way. thanks :)
Big knives ARE lots of fun!
Can be, based on how they are used.
do both fans run off the same switch or do both have their own switches?
As it was an inexpensive build, both fans run off the same switch. They do sell single fans per switch, but it was a lot more cost effective to user a dual fan with one switch. I still have 4 pairs of these that I built which get used very regularly.
Super cool thank you 😊
Thank You. You can buy stir plates now for just a little more than this dual system costs, as of the past year. I have 4 sets of these and still use them on a regular basis and love them. Also, try putting the magnets in the center as that seems to help with certain stirbars based on their size.
Hi! Thanks for the video. I want to make this for structuring the water. I bought the fans but they didn't come in boxes like you have. Do you have any solutions, what can i use better?
What are the most powerful magnets i can use? I'm thinking 15x8 mm neodim magnets. Thank you
Another thing I find important is the direction in which the liquid steers, it's good to be anti clockwise.
The 8 mm thickness might be way too powerful and could cause the fans to not spin. 2 to 3 mm would be a better option. As for the boxes, they were perfect, but maybe they found either more cost effective packaging or fancier packaging. I would consider grabbing large cigar boxes at your local cigar shop or at Total Wine if you have one of those as they usually sell for $1. You might need to as the Affinity Fans are pretty large at 120 mm each.
Not sure these is a difference for the stir, but I could see it for pushing or pulling air under the box, but not sure if it pushes enough to really matter.
@@BitterRealityBrewing thank you for your quick response. I will buy neodim 12x4mm then. I'm not sure how cigar boxes are, like the metal ones? I live in Romania, Europe and I don't know what you mean.
@@BitterRealityBrewing all life, all molecules vibrate anti clockwise, all that is decayed and dead vibrate clockwise. As a living organism we assimilate easier when the intake is vibrating same as our body, otherwise the body will make a supplementary effort to convert vibrational movement from right to left.
Nice, thank you !!!
Thank you. A few months ago, I did a test by moving the magnets very close together and I feel it did a little bit better but it is really dependent on the magnets (Stronger is better) used and the stir bar. I have 4 sets of these and use them all the time.
Thanks.. This looks like a fun project
It is crazy easy compared to so many that look harder and never seem to work right. I just took for granted how easy there were to make. I have 4 sets now.
Wow. I can believe your great idea?? Luv it!!
Thank you as this is one of my most popular videos but you should check out the one with the heated stir plates as it is the same thing with a simple heat pad. I never realized how helpful the heat would be until winter hit and where I do my yeast starters it doesn't have heat so it came in amazingly handy.
@@BitterRealityBrewing Forgot to ask if fan size is good enough to make stir plate with 3L flask I already own?? Bought a homemade strplate that will work with my 500 ml flask but need 3 more for the 20G high gravity batches I’m trying to nail down. Your awesome videos are ingenious! Can’t swallow the high cost equipment for bigger batches. I’m your biggest fan!!!
@@tman9338 I use to tell people no, but I had a subscriber tell me he left the rubber feet on and didn't leave the units in the box and the rubber feet worked perfectly to hold up a very large flask and moved the stir bar without issues. I will have to buy another set and a large flask or maybe use my 64 oz mason jar to test as that would be very interesting if it works as it would give more inexpensive options to brewers needing large starters.
What do you do to cover the mason jars? Do you just put tinfoil over top?
Yes, during the starter phase, then when I cold crash them, I seal the foil as tight as possible. Once they have crashed and separated between yeast and liquid, I move them to 8 oz mason jars with lids.
Interesting DYI hack. I suppose if you wanted to go the extra mile you could dremmel away most of the fan blades to remove the air resistance that the fans are usually fighting against - thus letting you have more motor power for stirring. Some fans actually have blades that are detachable from the motor hub, but usually not the cheap ones.
I get that the idea here is to keep it super cheap and easy - but I think I would try to get something a bit sturdier than cardboard, at least for the top, just because it will bend under load and start to rub on the magnets. Cardboard also weakens when wet. I think I would try to find some sturdy scrap plastic instead. Plastic containers are everywhere, easy to cut and glue together into a box.
Shockingly I have 4 sets of these as I maintain a pretty decent quantity of yeast, but the first two sets were bought and built like in the video back in July 2017, and I do think they have a few tiny stains, but they are still going strong and still in the same original cardboard. As for removing the blades, that is a great deal for me to try, but I might have to try larger and strong earth magnets as I never go over medium speed, and for most yeast, I leave it at low. At high speed, it has a habit of spinning the stir bar to the side of both a mason jar and even in a 2000 ml flash I tried. The high speed might also help if I did much larger starters. Thank you.
Cool video and thanks! I would go one up and make a box instead of the cardboard in case the cardboard gets wet. But all credit to you the simplest method I have seen so far!
Thanks and I fully understand the moisture concern but I've had two sets of these going since 2017 and one has a few liquid stains on it but they are still do just as good as day one. The box would help for larger starters as the cardboard is very sturdy but does have a bit of a weight limit of doing starters for 20+ gallon batches but most of mine are 5 gallons and I only use half my starters.
Thanks I tried got my fans today and it does not work :( the stir bar just sits in the side of the glass and no movement at all. Any advice? What size stir bar did you use?
@@VeritasAequitas178 I'm sorry you're having some issues but we will figure it out as it has to be something minor and we'll get it fixed. I use the 12mm and even recently some 15mm bars but I've used much smaller without issues. So first take your stir bar and set it on top of the magnets on top each fan to ensure the polarity is correct as this is the most common issue (I had mine reversed on one of the first ones I did). After checking that if we are good there make sure the fan is lifted up with those two pieces of cardboard enough to almost be rubbing the bottom of the lid. And the glass container you are using make sure the bottom isn't rounded in an upward design (about half of the mason jars I use are rounded up a bit but not enough to create an issue). Let me know if any of this resolves the issue but if not we will continue to troubleshoot but maybe with a few photos included. Also check this out as I tried to go a bit slower in this video doing the same thing again but with heat at the end. th-cam.com/video/PjipQmalBbM/w-d-xo.html
@@BitterRealityBrewing Great thanks. I will try your suggestions tomorrow and let you know what I come up with. Appreciate the help!
I have tried again but doesnt work. My stir bar is 25mm long and 8mm in diameter. At least have taken off the magnets after using your razor idea so thanks! Magnets are 3mm in height and 5mm diameter. Perhaps magnets too small?
Really Cheap and Really Easy. Parts ordered.
Good Deal, enjoy.
I like your idea but will use it for something else besides yeast starter, will this stir a full quart of water? I would say it will.
Also flat bottom glass containers would work better than mason jars. Thanks
So, I've been doing a lot of testing and comparing of my DIY Stir plates recently and can give you some fresh info. First I would say yes it can do 32 oz / 1 quart but it would only create a very small to almost medium sized vortex. I bought one of these to do a comparison of my 4 - dual DIY stir plates with this recent purchase to compare - amzn.to/3TYlbBQ
The purchased stir plate and easily do 1 quart / 32 oz in a mason jar, flat bottomed jar, or 2000 ml or slightly larger Erlenmeyer flask (I only own 2 - 2000 ml Erlenmeyer flasks). One thing I did recently on one of my DIY stir plates was to move the magnets closer to the middle of the fans and it seems to help for higher speeds. The problem with gluing the magnets further apart and trying to hit high speed has a habit of sending the stir bar flying to the side of the flask or jar. (Flat bottom are easier to start without issues but the regular mason jars still perform well and are very cheap as it isn't uncommon for me to run 8 starters at at time, just to build up my yeast reserves.)
@@BitterRealityBrewing
I have been doing some searching about these and I don't see why it couldn't do 32oz. I guess it all depends what you are using them for. They work for you so that is all that matters. Thanks.
I love taking apart hard drives too. :)
I do to as those magnets are crazy powerful but I'll never use one to build a stir plate again as this way is so much easier and repeatable.
Hi! So I tried this, and I am having an issue where I turn the fan on (to low) the stir bar spins for a second, then it stops and just sort of twitches in place. It doesn’t happen in an empty glass, but as soon as there’s liquid, it happens every time. Any idea why?
Did you use the same fans? Sound like not enough toque from the fan. Also, I have made a minor change to a few of mine which I feel actually helps it work better. I moved some of the fan magnets so they are touching each other instead being apart. Two other things I've noticed is larger stir bars do better compared to tiny ones. And if your glass has a very convex bottom, sometimes it will keep the stir bar too far from the magnets. (A few of my mason jars take a few attempts to get just centered due to the convex bottoms.) Let me know if any of this helps as it should. Keep the gap between the magnets and the stir bar as minimal as possible. (If I go over 12 oz of liquid the stir bars seem to create too much resistance causing the stir bar to come out of sync. I also recently purchased two of these (when they were on sale like they are now) amzn.to/3Ri5yFL Although one of the two does work better, it also has issues at over 12 oz. One of the two really isn't any better than these DIY stir plates. The only thing I can do with these over the DIY, is make them spin a bit faster.)
@@BitterRealityBrewing I used the same brand of fan, but I got one that was only one fan, since I don't need two, but other than that I think it was the same. I did end up getting it to work, I stacked multiple magnets on each side instead of just the one, and that seemed to do the trick.
You could also use baking soda with the super glue for INSTANT BOND and full cure 😊
I've actually heard that but most of the time when working with super glue, my main goal is to avoid gluing my own fingers together.
@@BitterRealityBrewing gloves! :) When watching the video, I was thinking, I'm wearing latex gloves when I do it. Razor blade? Nope!
I just made this came out perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome and thanks for the feedback as it is great to this is helping others. I love these compared to the crappy cigar box ones I had originally that I saw from an old DYI vid. If you want to add heat just buy a simply heat strip, usually on Amazon for $12 to $15 which I originally did for Kveik yeast but now that it is cold I've been using it for regular yeast just to maintain temps. th-cam.com/video/PjipQmalBbM/w-d-xo.html A updated version of what you watched already but with the heat pad so no need to watch the whole thing but you can see the heat pad I am talking about.
@@BitterRealityBrewing I have a heat pad… I was actually concerned because my basement is pretty cold where I brew. But just lying the pad underneath the fan would work out perfectly because it pushes the heat up… I just use the rubber stoppers on the bottom of the fan in on top in my 2000 mL flask fits perfectly on there no need for a box
@@paulbilodeau8569 It is funny as I started testing with a heating pad you would use for your back or like and thought it was a great idea for Kveik until this winter as I am in Florida but my spare room isn't heated and that is where I do my yeast starters (my wife's old sewing room) and suddenly the heated part became very important. Happy to know that the rubber stoppers can actually be useful as I ended up throwing them away as I couldn't find another purpose for them. I did just start using two 1000 ml flasks and they work really well and the stir bar does seem to spin a little easier but overall I prefer my mason jars as those flasks take up more space, don't stack and I'm accident prone and that tapered top just feels like it is asking me to drop it.
Over long term, the speed control switch will start to fail on you. I use these fans for my computer and I generally keep them running 24x7. The little resistor and the switch will start to fail over time and you have to essentially remove it if you're going to have the fan run full speed all the time. The fans aren't the best, but for your application for a janky stair plate, it should work fine.
Yeah, I'm not going to jinx myself, but they switches are still going strong. I'm still using 4 sets of these, plus 2 low cost store bought stir plates. The store bought do work a tad bit better but not anything to really get excited about. I have been using a lot of flasks which work better as the jars have a slight curve up in the middle that can be problematic from time to time when doing a larger starter.
Great job!!
Thank you, I still have all 4 sets I built and still use them regularly.
Can we do starter yeast with out stir, only pitch in DME wort ?
Yes. The wort doesn't really matter the yeast does. If you are pitching dry yeast, I've never used a starter and have only had an issue once with some old dry yeast. As for liquid a starter isn't always needed especially if it is fresh (not near expiration) but it is recommended. If you want to do a starter without a stir plate, simply add the yeast to a small amount of wort (DME works best) at around a 1.030 to 1.040 is fine and simply shake it a little every few hours to help aerate and allow it to take off as this will help it get a better start especially if you are pitching it in a high gravity wort.
How to make stir bars?
Not sure, they are pretty inexpensive.
Can you explain the pumping system for transferring your wort around from fermentor to keg form secondary fermentation
Leslie, I'm actually been asked to do a video just on this and nothing else so I will be doing that in the very near future but for now hopefully this will help. Once I've wort has either finished fermentation or is really close (if I am dry hopping) as I'll allow it to drop a few more before chilling I simply use a pump transfer system. First you need to purge the keg you are transferring to with CO2 100% to ensure no O2. Then using a Pump system with a with a racking wand (I prefer stain steel) and a pot full of very hot water and starsan and simply pump it through into your kitchen drain for a few minutes to ensure everything is sterile (It should already be clean but you just want to sterilize it), then (optional) clean the pot and add really hot water (as hot as you kitchen faucet will go) and run that for a few minutes. Now you are ready to transfer your fermented wort to you keg. (The key here is the tubing and the racking wand are full of clean water and not O2). Go to your fermenter and put the racking wand inside and start the pump so that it is pumping wort to either you pot or an alternate keg and once it just starts to flow (don't let too much wort go to waste) put your disconnect on (if not already going to a keg) and connect to your keg (pre-purged of O2 with CO2) that you will either be carbonating and chilling or at least dry hopping and continue. The only issue is you will either need to put a relief valve on it like I do, a spudit valve, or a wide open air disconnect to allow the CO2 to be released to allow the wort to flow. As you are asking this and I've been asked about this from a few other recently I think I simply need to do a video at least be this weekend if not sooner and simply post it to help everyone asking.
th-cam.com/video/R5c8-pCJAAs/w-d-xo.html - Just posted a video covering exactly what you and a few others had been asking for.
So how about the heating pad in the description. How would that fit into the project and do you see a need for it if developing yeast at indoor ambient temp 65-72 degrees Fahrenheit? Great video and thanks for sharing
Thanks and I redid the video with a cheap heating pad which works great for cold rooms and Kveik yeasts! th-cam.com/video/PjipQmalBbM/w-d-xo.html - Works really easily.
The problem with the self build fan stirer one's is if they stuck they burn out, it happening to me, they shoud have some fuse to protect that happening.
Going on many years now for my original without burning out...so I'm either lucky (usually not) or just have a quality product is used for something else. 😀
@@BitterRealityBrewing yex, maybe, I have ordered the same looking ones but from a other company I hope I have luck and get the same that you have. 🤞
Brilliant.
I had been doing my stir plates this way for so long I never thought it was anything special as it was so easy to do and less headaches compared to many others or expensive like store bought ones can be. Also here is a very tiny modification to add heat in a very simple way too - th-cam.com/video/PjipQmalBbM/w-d-xo.html - Also one of our subscribers tested one of these fans with the rubber feel still attached to do 3 liter (3000ml) flasks for his starters and he said it worked great as my design was more for 1000ml flasks or my preferred flask also known as a cheap but sturdy mason jar.
I'm very eager to build this. I found some 15X5mm on Amazon, think they'd be too big for this build? Thanks for the video!
Actually check out these - amzn.to/39eo2S7 They are even bigger and I bought these shortly after this video and actually prefer these a LOT with this exact setup. They are 10x40mm which is much larger but work amazingly well.
Oh I meant for the earth magnet part. Unless you're using the stirrer magnet to glue to the fan?
Thanks for sharing, do you think it would work for a 5L flask.
Sadly I wouldn't think so as I use Mason Jars which are 32 ounces and easily do 8 ounces and could probably go to 16 or even 24 ounces but a 5 liter is about 170 ounces so unless you are barely filling it I would suggest it with that size flask. I also use reptile heating pads (use to use a heating pad) to bring temps up to 100F for Kveik yeast starters without any issues.
@@BitterRealityBrewing Thanks for taking time to reply.
Really fun and clever idea, but you can get a decent enough stir plate for cheaper than all those parts. Also, a few of your product links are dead now.
Yeah, when I made this video, the cheapest one on Amazon was $69, but as of the past year +/- there have been a few decent ones around $29, like this one - amzn.to/43dwonX at $26.99. Keep in mind I was able to make this for around $20 for two back then, putting it around $10 a stir plate. The $30 ones are usually a bit better, but they still have the occasional issue. I bought 2 - $30 identical units late last year, and one usually works great, but the other one gives me headaches from time to time. Thank you for giving me a heads-up on the dead links.
I think what you showed here is brilliant. I ended up getting a unit from Amazon for about $30. Have you compared or had feedback comparing some units on Amazon and your custom setup?
Sadly not but I've considered buying a cheap one just to see how it compares as I've usually heard good things but occasionally hear issues but I think that goes for any products out there so I would prefer to test it side-by-side personally.
@@BitterRealityBrewing I got my cheap one from Amazon last night and ran it once using a plastic pickle jar filled with 45oz of water. It spun like a mad man! Like any cheap-o's on Amazon some will work great and others will fail. mine worked better than expected on its maiden spin.
Good video and awesome idea but ... you can but a stir plate for like 25 bucks
True but I would easily put the 2 stir plates I get from this for about the same price against the longevity quality of the $25 one (even with this being cardboard). I have 3 speeds and having 2 for the same price allows you to do a backup starter if you bank your yeast as I do, of it you are if you are either doing two different batches on the same day or brewing with friends who brought their gear. I use to be all about DIY but I've gotten away from a fair amount of DIY with the exception of these, I'm extremely happy and if you have a heat mat, you can also add a bit of heat if your room is cold for another $5 to $10 unless you already have a heating pad or like. Quality Stir bars are extra of course! 😀 Cheers! 🍻
When I was building mine, I couldn't glue the magnets directly to the fan because they would impede the components. I had to glue a spacer item to the fan and the magnets to the spacer. Wondering why that is not happening here.
I think it has to do with how the fan is made as I have two older Cigar box stir plates that require me to reach under and give them a spin before they will kick off as the magnets seem to hold the fans still unless they get a bit of help. I've built 3 pairs of these using the AC Infinity fans in this video and never had that issue. I will say you can tell these fans are serious quality compared to some of the cheap ones computer companies sell for our computers.
It's Acetone for Removing Super Glue from skin.
Yeah and really funny is that a good friend when I was young got super glue on his fingers and his dad used a pocket knife to help separate his fingers and about 2 minutes later I remembered that finger nail polish (in the 80's which was all acetone) was the cure...which he hated me for well over a year for being late to the issue. 😂😂😂
@@BitterRealityBrewing 🤔
I would personally just leave the mags attached to the bar, add a spacer between mags to keep them from moving, dab glue on them, then push the bar and mags on to the fan. less work in my opinion, and they will maintain perfect alignment
Great point. Since this video I have done a test with the magnets being in the center of the fan and it appears to actually help keep the bar more stable.
@BitterRealityBrewing I'm about to make one myself and I'm thinking about just using the exact same copy of the cylinder mag for the fan. Any experience with that?
I'm a scientist
😀🍻
I was surprised by comments that nobody seemed to be bothered with a fact that the stirring in the video was tried only in hardly 1/2 litre of water. It is way too little for any practical purpose.
That would depend on just how big of a batch you are doing as I can easily pitch, using this for up to 6 gallon batches without issues. If you are interested in doing 4 liter starters another viewer mentioned leaving the rubber feet on as he said it worked perfectly for his 4 liter starter. I can't remember if he used slightly larger magnets or washers to give it a bit more lift to the edge of the glass. I am looking to do a video using this system for 4 liter flasks but haven't gotten around to it at this point.
Amazon UK is nuts, they want 40£ - 50£ for the fans, found similar ones for 16£. 😊
That is insane!!! Seriously! A few wire coils and some bearings with some plastic and they want 40£ - 50£!!! That is insane!
@@BitterRealityBrewing yes that's insane, they screw people often on amazon UK for products that are much cheaper in the US, we have to pay normaly the same amount in £ and that's in my opinion to much but sometimes double the price of the US price and more for the same products, but I refuse to pay this amount and look for similar or exactly looking products under a other brand name.
So, Im thinking about making loose leaf tea with something like this.. I dont drink beer.
I would think it would act a lot like a French press but increasing how much the tea leaves touch the water.
@@BitterRealityBrewing I do already use a french press for making my tea lol, Combining the 2 could be quite interesting.
@@danielauen7790 I fully get it as I love a good tea and I am very critical about the quality of tea. I make Kumbucha and the base is a quality tea! Once I get my new place (we're having a house built). I plan on doing all kinds of things with tea and fermentation. From veggies, tea beers, tea meads, and of course my Kumbucha which I prefer a solid black tea with cranberry and ginger.
👍🖖
Magnets don't effect modern electronics.
You mean most, right? I know cell phones and things seem to be o.k. with weaker magnets but how do they do with very strong magnets? I'm a bit old so I came from the school magnets are never kept near electronics of any kind which will be a hard habit to break.
@@BitterRealityBrewing They messed with old CRT monitors because they use magnetic fields to direct the electrons that light the phosphorescent display. But modern screens should be fine.
Magnetic data storage on credit cards strip can be wiped with a small magnet. But the chip for chip and pin or contactless should be fine.
Floppy disks were also quite fragile. Hard disks less so. It takes an unusually large and powerful Neodymium (Rare Earth) magnet very close to it to affect them.
More modern data storage is solid state and is completely unaffected by magnets, unless they're moving close past at a very fast speed.
Though pretty much everything recent should survive any magnet you happen to have not for the purposes of having a comically powerful magnet; your speakers, microphones, and digital compass, can break in the presence of strong magnetic fields. But It's not guaranteed insta-death from magnets this size.
Here's some people demonstrating electronics resilience to magnetic fields.
th-cam.com/video/_yEu2R1gYSs/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/U8LWTe5CqQg/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/qGAbuTrm_bI/w-d-xo.html
They're "rare earth magnets" not "earth magnets"
Thank you as I just learned something new as I thought it was just the old "magnets which are usually black" or Earth Magnets which I thought were the same as Rare which I knew were silver and considerably stronger. I just did a google search and it appears I have a bit of reading to do but obviously from the video I was using Rare Earth Magnets. Thanks again.
@@BitterRealityBrewing Happy to help! Thanks for taking the time to share you're learning on building these, by the way. You're insight is very useful!
@@Leo99929 I think sometimes we all over think things (I am very guilty of that) but sometimes we find the simplicity in things and I think this was just that. Plus if you see the heated stir plate edition of this, I simply used a thin heat mat after testing regular heating pads. Thank you.
There's where all the power adapters for the phones went :)
Actually they were from the old cloud drives as they use to throw the extras away. 12v
That nail polish remover, the real stuff, is highly toxic and carcinogenic, that's why you can only get the crap now
Yeah, but I'm a Gen X and sadly we grew up using a lot of that stuff in large quantities without supervision. I used to work on my motorcycle back then and my go to for getting grease off my hands was Gas and Sand, which today would be seen as a bit crazy. I had a friend that superglued his fingers together and his dad used a knife to separate them, but the toxic nail polish remover would have been a lot less painful.
@@BitterRealityBrewing I'm genx myself haha, that's the only reason why I know what the good stuff was
LOL, I feel you. Gen X aka Latch Key Kids which is a great term as I remember breaking into my own (parents') home when I was a kid because I forgot my key or forgot to re-stash it somewhere outside. I remember cooking my own food on a gas stove at the age of 10 (in a trailer which somehow makes it worse) which today would send someone into a heart attack. So, many things we did seemed perfectly normal back then, but today most young people would freak out. And I lived in the country, so I used to walk too many miles just to get home from the age of 6 without anyone worrying about me.
@@BitterRealityBrewing haha 100%, I'm in Australia, I have said a few times that of the gen x'ers that made it to adulthood felt a sense of accomplishment because it was actually an achievement. I think my parents did fine but there's no way I'd let my kids have the freedom I had haha
Dude a stir table cost 24 dollars on Amazon. With the time it took to order the Fan then assembling it, lol just fucking order one.
When I made the video I couldn't find them on Amazon for under $49 plus that is still a single. I have 4 of these dual plate setups now and use a very then heat mat when needed for up to 4 starters at a time. (I maintain a yeast bank so having lots of stir plates is extremely useful for me compared to most people.) Plus building these only takes a couple minutes at most.
U talk too much.
Thanks for stopping by to critique one of my oldest videos. Talking too much is a sign of being nervous, which, at the time, I was. Let me know when you start producing videos for the world to consume.
You make a lot the mistakes most DIY YTers make.
1. You assume we want to watch your content. Don't.... Show us the finished project within the first 10 seconds, make it easy to see while scrubbing
2. Split the video into sections, What it does, how it works, what you need, etc - But make it clear in the image. When a viewer wants to pick a video tutorial on a project, most people don't watch all the videos from all the creators, we scrub through them, and if they are messy like this we skip them.
3. Use some close ups, still images even, if nothing else. Makes us able to orientate ourselves through the video
Appreciate the feedback and I will be doing a condensed version of this video from scratch (not reusing video) in the near future without going over all the mistakes every makes which was one of my goals in this video to keep people from wasting their time and adding a super easy heating element to it for Kveik yeast starters. Keep in mind you also are assuming that everyone else wants to be like everyone else. I'll keep with my format instead of following the rest (although I am always refining it) as that is one of the reasons I started this channel as I wasn't happy with the magical "Tada and I made beer!", or "Here are the parts, a few fast close ups and it was built" or the here is what and how I did everything but I'll never make the video showing you how it came out which is why I swear by "Grain to Glass" for all brewing videos as it was like watching a movie with no ending.
@@BitterRealityBrewing I agree with both of you.... if you could, show the finished product up front with all the features, benefits and a quick demo, then go into the build. This will hook me into “how did you do that?”. Don’t change the detail and ease of use you cover as this is very well appreciated and certainly lacking in you tube video’s. Too many times I am looking for help or insight (when it comes to brewing) and the video leaves out the details (assuming everyone is at their level of experience) and ..... tada! Here’s the finished product and let me tell you how great it is! I will skip or exit! Your tutorials are awesome and very thorough; Thank You! (There is enough “expert” video’s out there showing how to do something at an expert level on expert equipment.
@@RyNoChannel I like your insight and think that is a great suggestion, the next time I do a "DIY" I will do a quick shot of the finished product upfront with a bit of maybe pros & cons or just benefits based on the project and then break into the video of how to do it. I actually will be looking to do a lot of these major projects sadly about 1 year from now as I will be moving and once I get into my future house (12 to 14 months to complete) I will have 400 to 500 sq ft to setup a mini-brewery, micro-pub area, and fermentation area so I'm thinking about building a new Fermentation chamber to replace my current one, and build another keezer setup for small batch testing just to name a few things I'm thinking of doing.