BAD Stirbar, Didn't know this could happen Options

[cbbrown40]

So I always use a starter that I whip up on a homemade stirplate and have been doing this for a long, long time and never any worries. When I initially started using a stirplate I bought a pack of six stirbars 1 and 1/2 inches in length from Dynalabs. I have basically always used the same stirbar. Well do to me pitching the stirbar along with my yeast into my last batch I had to grab a new one. I made my starter today and it kept throwing the stirbar. I messed around for about an hour trying to figure it out. Anyway I took the stirbar out and put in another one identicle to it and voilla good to go. So My point is that the stirbar has some sort of un-noticeable defect. Has this ever happened to anyone else?

[Yambor44]

I don't have a solution but have had the same problem. I have the white plastic coated one and it will not stay put. I have one other and will try it to see if I get the same results as you. hope someone chimes in on this one.

[showfire]

it has to do with the speed that you are running your stir plate. I see this from time to time in the lab I work in. Try slowing down your stir speed or turning off the stir plate than turn it up slowly or back on.
hope this helps

[cbbrown40]

it has to do with the speed that you are running your stir plate. I see this from time to time in the lab I work in. Try slowing down your stir speed or turning off the stir plate than turn it up slowly or back on.
hope this helps

I guess that what I am trying to say is that out of a pack of six identicle stirbars only one of them gets thrown. So I am fully throwing the blame on that stirbar. Just thought it was unusual

This post has been edited by cbbrown40: Jul 30 2008, 05:42 PM

[BelgianBoy]

I have got bad stir bars before. In a nutshell the magnet is not strong enough. I also bought a rtir bar retriever and couldn't pick up the stir bar. They should replace for you if they are defective.

[dmaxweb]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that you should not store multiple ones together as they will de-magnetize themselves. I could be totally off.

[zymot]

I remember reading you were supposed to store your stirbars stuck together. I guess the logic goes, the increased collective magnetic strength is harder to mess up.

For one individual stirbar, you might have exposed it to a situation that caused it to weaken it's magnetic field. Leaving it on a speaker, or perhaps some sort of motor? Just guessing here.

If it is a lone errant stirbar that has gone bad, I wouldn't worry too much about it until more start showing up weak.

zymot

[cbbrown40]

Yeah I store them together in a bag. I just thought it would be good info if someone was building a stirplate for the first time and it didn't work. That they might check the stir bar. That would be the last thing I would think is bad and probably lose my mind trying to make the stirplate work and not have a clue it is the stirbar

[Yambor44]

So is the the magnet on the fan or the stir bar or both. I used a separate magnet to hold the stir bar in place when pitching my yeast. If the stir bar is magnetized could this be my problem with it now not staying in place on the stir plate?

[Yambor44]

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