Simple DIY Stir Plate
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:00 pmHi guys, here is a simple DIY stir plate that any of us can make at home. There are heaps of pictures on the web for similar setups. Some use a spare fermenting lid and others in the states often use old wooden cigar boxes. I wanted to get a bit more value from any special yeast I order and although a stir plate isn’t necessary for what we do it is another toy to experiment with. Will also be handy when I get into AG beer.
I won’t write a long tutorial for this as it really is strait forward once you see the picture. I’ll just list a few of the things I used and a bit of info.
Top plate is 250x250mm. I used a 120mm Thermaltake fan from an old PC and fortunately it had a rheostat already connected. The fan will be the most expensive part of the build if you don’t have one available, speed adjustable is ideal if possible. On top of the fans there is usually a 40mm diameter plastic plate that covers the motor. I glued 4 x 8mm rare earth magnets on this plate, they have to be in a line and each side must have opposite polarity. You can find these magnets in old hard disks but you would need to cut them in half and glue one on each end of the fans 40mm plate. Otherwise Jaycar has 4 magnets for around $12.
The wiring in mine consists of an on/off switch, the rheostat and a 3.5mm socket to accept a transformer. I found my fan runs on an old Nokia 5V 800mA transformer just fine, it runs faster on a 12V 1A transformer. I changed the Nokia transformer end to a 3.5mm plug so I can interchange.
Finally the stir bar can be ordered from a lab shop and I believe the ideal length is 20-30mm. Flat for flat bottom conical flasks and although I haven’t tried it I have read that oval stir bars can be used for round bottom vessels.
Would love to see pictures if anyone else has made a DIY stir plate!!
Next project is an oast or dryer for my over supply of chilies will also be suitable for drying grain as part of the malting process, hops etc...
I won’t write a long tutorial for this as it really is strait forward once you see the picture. I’ll just list a few of the things I used and a bit of info.
Top plate is 250x250mm. I used a 120mm Thermaltake fan from an old PC and fortunately it had a rheostat already connected. The fan will be the most expensive part of the build if you don’t have one available, speed adjustable is ideal if possible. On top of the fans there is usually a 40mm diameter plastic plate that covers the motor. I glued 4 x 8mm rare earth magnets on this plate, they have to be in a line and each side must have opposite polarity. You can find these magnets in old hard disks but you would need to cut them in half and glue one on each end of the fans 40mm plate. Otherwise Jaycar has 4 magnets for around $12.
The wiring in mine consists of an on/off switch, the rheostat and a 3.5mm socket to accept a transformer. I found my fan runs on an old Nokia 5V 800mA transformer just fine, it runs faster on a 12V 1A transformer. I changed the Nokia transformer end to a 3.5mm plug so I can interchange.
Finally the stir bar can be ordered from a lab shop and I believe the ideal length is 20-30mm. Flat for flat bottom conical flasks and although I haven’t tried it I have read that oval stir bars can be used for round bottom vessels.
Would love to see pictures if anyone else has made a DIY stir plate!!
Next project is an oast or dryer for my over supply of chilies will also be suitable for drying grain as part of the malting process, hops etc...