How to build a stir plate for less than ten quid

[Bigcol49]

I ordered and received a 6-30v DC 8A max speed controller with digital display and I am trying to connect it to a 12v AC power supply to control a 12v DC pc fan with 4 wires.

Hi!
If your speed controller is DC, you need an AC/DC adapter - like a phone charger, but rated at 12v.

 

[strange-steve]

Hi!
I know it's a couple of months since you posted, and I've already built my stir plate in a project box, but, as I was idly browsing around the supermarket I noticed that the "tins" of Heroes, Quality Street etc. are made of plastic. I wondered whether the lid would be strong enough to support a 2 or 3 litre starter?
Of course the problem then is: who's going to eat the sweeties? :whistle:

That's what I use, though I turned it upside down like so:

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Great minds think alike . . . lesser minds rarely differ

 

[Dutto]

The ingenuity of the members of this Forum NEVER fail to amaze and impress me! :thumb:

 

[Old_P]

Hi!
If your speed controller is DC, you need an AC/DC adapter - like a phone charger, but rated at 12v.

Thanks very much for the help.
I will look for an old phone charger, I'm sure someone will have one laying around.

Cheers :thumb:

 

[BeerCat]

Hi!
I know it's a couple of months since you posted, and I've already built my stir plate in a project box, but, as I was idly browsing around the supermarket I noticed that the "tins" of Heroes, Quality Street etc. are made of plastic. I wondered whether the lid would be strong enough to support a 2 or 3 litre starter?
Of course the problem then is: who's going to eat the sweeties? :whistle:

Cheers Col thanks for remembering. To be honest i still have it on lego but that's a brilliant idea and i will go and buy a tub. Steve yours looks quality. I did buy one of these to house a STC and was thinking of using it but its not very wide. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pro-Water...var=560870884347&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I ordered one of these the other day as i thought it may be fun and possibly even usefull to know what speed its running at. Will post back when its installed. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-L...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I had a "spare" project box - it was just a little too small to build my mash controller earlier this year. It's too deep so I had to mount the fan on a raised "platform" inside the box - I used a 220V fan as I couldn't get a 12V fan to work.
I've already built a variable voltage controller linked to a socket mounted into a project box. It occurred to me that my stir plate doesn't need a separate speed controller - I plug it into the voltage controller and it works just fine. I will eventually adapt the stir plate to take a speed controller but for now, it works fine.

 

[Dutto]

........

I ordered one of these the other day as i thought it may be fun and possibly even usefull to know what speed its running at. Will post back when its installed.

........

Looking forward to seeing what revs you get.

With mine I just keep winding it up until either A) It pulls a fairly deep vortex. or B) The spinner decides to go walk-about, the vortex dies and the spinner nips over to the side of the jug and sulks.

Unfortunately, B) happens all too regularly if I wind the speed up too quickly. I think it's because I don't have the little magnets perfectly aligned on the fan.

Luckily, it still works well enough for my purposes. :thumb:

 

[foxbat]

I ordered and received a 6-30v DC 8A max speed controller with digital display and I am trying to connect it to a 12v AC power supply to control a 12v DC pc fan with 4 wires.

However, when I connect the power supply to the speed controller, the power supply makes a buzzing sound and there is no respons from the display or fan?

The controller is a digital device and will not work with an AC supply input.

I can run the fan with the power supply, by connecting the yellow (live) and black (earth) from the fan to the two wires of the power supply.

I was going to try to explain why this works for some motors, but as usual somebody on the internet has done it better already.

Do I need a DC power supply or am I missing something??

Yes you do.

 

[Dutto]

The controller is a digital device and will not work with an AC supply input.

.........

I didn't even know that a 240v to 12V battery charger kept the supply at AC. Live and learn eh? :thumb:

Personally, I try to avoid any 12v electric gizmo that has more than two wires ... :thumb:

.... and I know I have done something wrong whenever I see a flash, see plastic melting or get "the smell"! :lol::lol:

 

[BeerCat]

Looking forward to seeing what revs you get.

With mine I just keep winding it up until either A) It pulls a fairly deep vortex. or B) The spinner decides to go walk-about, the vortex dies and the spinner nips over to the side of the jug and sulks.

Unfortunately, B) happens all too regularly if I wind the speed up too quickly. I think it's because I don't have the little magnets perfectly aligned on the fan.

Luckily, it still works well enough for my purposes. :thumb:

I think to go full revs you would need a magnet from a hard drive and they are curved. Not needed though and had no problems making starters even in a cold room. The unit works really well, nice large display 7.8cm. I tried to wire up an ammeter to this before and failed so this is a nice cheap alternative.

 

[BeerCat]

Having a display has really taken the guesswork out of it. I set it at 88 and its perfect. Anymore and it will come off. I just picked up another one for just over £3.

 

[Linalmeemow]

Just finished my Quality Street tin stir plate. Cost me the princely sum of about £4 (potentiometer, screws and a stir bar only - everything else scavenged from around the house). Works perfectly, proper chuffed!

 

[strange-steve]

Just finished my Quality Street tin stir plate. Cost me the princely sum of about £4 (potentiometer, screws and a stir bar only - everything else scavenged from around the house). Works perfectly, proper chuffed!

Good work, any pics?

 

[Linalmeemow]

Good work, any pics?

View media item 560
There you go. Quality!!

 

[BeerCat]

In case you missed this thread Steve. Cheap 2 & 3l flasks. https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/2l-3l-erlenmeyer-flasks.75691/#post-735346

 

[strange-steve]

In case you missed this thread Steve. Cheap 2 & 3l flasks. https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/2l-3l-erlenmeyer-flasks.75691/#post-735346

Good find there, that's a great price for a 3L flask!

 

[Linalmeemow]

The flask in my photo is one of them!

 

[BeerCat]

The round stir bars are so much better. Apart from being much quieter i can get it going much faster, makes more yeast. I could get the round one to spin at 88 and this only manages 79! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PTFE-Tefl...var=690092097928&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

[Dutto]

Okay, so I built my own Stir Plate, I make my own Yeast Starters and have now thrown the little magnetic spinner into the wort on TWO occasions!:wave:I've been lucky and fishing the spinner out of the wort with a telescopic magnet hasn't introduced an infection, but I decided to change a few things so here they are:

1. I've marked up the Spinner Plate like never before and even put a warning just where I rest the jug with the Yeast Starter in it.​

2. Knowing that this is not enough to remind me, I decided that putting the telescopic magnet on the fridge being used to make the starter would be sensible and I will include this on my Checklists in the future.
​

Yes! I can still forget (Murphy's First Law - "If it can happen it will happen.") but I'm hoping that the new system will give me a sufficient set of warning that I don't have to fish the spinner out of the wort again.

Here's hoping!