Stir plate for 15mL - 500mL bottles, steep your juice faster!

submitted about 10 years ago by barrarMixologist

You can make a stir plate using a small cardboard box, a fan that sits slightly below the lid of the box, a magnet and a PWM power supply. You will also need a stir bar matching your bottle size. I made a video but the stir bar I used was a regular magnet that happened to fit. Generally you want a stir bar that is half the width of the bottle. I ordered one and I am sure it will work better, allowing higher RPM / faster mixing. Some pictures:

My homemade PWM power supply: http://i.imgur.com/in2c8qj.jpg

Fan super glued to bottom of cardbord box, magnent super glued to fan, fan blades removed (optional but must be clipped off evenly on all sides) http://i.imgur.com/uV6Hr8W.jpg

15mL of my own juice, recycled container :) sitting on my amazing stir plate / cardboard box http://i.imgur.com/AV2TKOq.png

Video - It's noisy because the stir rod is too big: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDjQ4WjFWGg

Remove stir rod with magnet use "Teflon PTFE Encapsulated" or some other inert coated magnetic stir rod this fits 15mL bottles for example: http://www.ebay.com/itm/121726180508

You may find them at a local beer brewing supply store

12v wall adapter + ebay PWM unit, this is the best way to control RPM of stir rod. Computer fans use PWM also. You may have something laying around that will work.

ebay PWM from USA only: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15&_nkw=pwm&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=1&_trksid=p2045573.m1684

ebay PWM from china in 12-30 days: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_nkw=pwm&_sop=15

you might try positioning the bottle perfectly and plugging the fan directly into a 9 or 12 volt power supply, but the PWM control really helps!

Comments

2 points

by Odramaabout 10 years ago

I think I might try to make one of these this weekend. I love little Diy projects like these

2 points

by Venterinoabout 10 years ago

I'm not sure if this would help with steeping, it should probably have a heat plate for that. Obviously you won't have to shake the bottle At least lol.

1 points

by barrarabout 10 years ago

In my experience it does reduce steep time and even a 10-20 minute stir would probably make a big difference at the start of the steep process. A 24 hour stir after a fresh mix will make most things vape-able. Fruit flavors that don't need to be steeped very long benefit greatly from a 20 minute blend. 80%+ VG blends will get mixed better than shaking because of how thick they are.

I have heard that heat can degrade some flavors by breaking down compounds, no idea if that is true because I have never tried it.

1 points

by Venterinoabout 10 years ago

Interesting, it's definitely worth making one of these, I was planning on making one a while ago when I first started to mix myself but didn't think it would help with steeping so I never got around to it. It's definitely easy to make one and not expensive at all, I recently replaced my stock fan for my processor so I'll most likely make one! What kind of magnet could work for this? I know you can use the ones in HDDs but mine all work fine so I'm not going to ruin one just for this :P

1 points

by barrarabout 10 years ago

Any strong (Neodymium) magnet will work, but it has to be strong. My magnet is from a desktop sized hard drive, not the best shape but it works. Two round 10mm magnets will work (facing opposite polarity on each side) or a bar magnet polarized the long way

1 points

by Maddawg29501about 10 years ago

I put some warm water in one of those Glad containers, and place that on the stir plate. I put my beaker with the fresh juice in the bath, and mix away. the mild heat makes the VG stir-able.

1 points

by barrarabout 10 years ago

Great idea! I have been able to stir VG without heat, but with this the RPM is higher and the heat speeds the steep process.

1 points

by Maddawg29501about 10 years ago

thanks, my stir plate is kinda weak, so I had to do something to get the VG moving....I didn't want to buy another with a hot plate either.

1 points

by brandini80about 10 years ago

i was at frys the other day and they had this in place of pwm...plug n play http://www.frys.com/product/4319215?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG also most of these are made with project enclosures,which you are probably aware of,but im looking for a tote/plastic container that will suffice,i was thinking $1 store or something. i saw some nice square ones at staples the other day,i may have to go back.almost picked up a kids pencil box yesterday which would have been perfect had it not had a slight arch on top.

1 points

by barrarabout 10 years ago

You bring up a great point, PWM fan controllers are perfect. Be aware some fan controllers may use a simple potentiometer which does not work as well as PWM. Simply connect your 12 volt power supply to the correct wires on the fan controller. Old cigar boxes are popular, you will need screws and spacers most likely to get the fan right underneath the lid for that kind of setup. Having a box that is just the right size is nice because you can glue it to the bottom and be done mounting it in 5 seconds.

1 points

by CocaColaCowabout 10 years agoMixologist

How do you get the bar out? Tweezers?

0 points

by barrarabout 10 years agoMixologist

HAHAHAHAHA

Use a magnet and pull it up the side, catch with napkin

1 points

by CocaColaCowabout 10 years agoMixologist

I suppose that works lol

0 points

by barrarabout 10 years agoMixologist

Yeah pretty easy to do. I was just imagining trying to grab it with tweezers with all the slippery VG/PG and teflon non-stick coating and the curved surface, that would be very annoying.