What Size Stir Plate?

[Mozart]

I'm thinking of adding a stir plate to my collection of beer brewing equipment as someday I'd like to perhaps get around to brewing a lager (if I can get my pipeline deep enough to be willing to sacrifice my fermentation chiller space!).

Ok, actually I'm hoping I've been a 'good boy' and Santa might bring me one in a couple of months, but my question is, what size stir plate and flask would most of you recommend?

If it helps, I brew 5 gallon batches and have no plans to make the move to larger batches in the foreseeable future. Also, I do have a chest freezer I use as a fermentation chamber, so could control the yeast starter temperatures that way, again if it makes a difference.

 

[CA_Mouse]

I've never done a lager (mainly because I don't care for them). I have both a 1000ml and a 2000ml flask and find that I use the 2000ml more often because I'll culture my yeast strains by building a double starter and decanting half to use on my next batch. SO I would suggest at least that size. As for the stir plate, it just needs to be able to support the largest flask you will use with full of the starter beer and yeast. I built my own stir plate and could have gone with a slightly larger box.

 

[ResumeMan]

Like Mouse, I have both 1L and 2L flasks, and mostly use the 2L.

My stir plate is a StirStarter. Works just fine for the 2L and is probably the most reasonably priced one you will find. The guy who makes them used to sell them direct from his website, but I guess he's franchised it out to a few online shops.

 

[BreezyBrew]

Go three liter. No chance of blow off and plenty of room to grow.

 

[Cyclman]

I would highly recommend the StirStarter 5L stirplate. Great price, you'll have no issue doing lager starters on that unit with one step.

I got the 2L stirstarter, have to do 2 starters when doing a lager starter. I've done a 4L on the plate once, but didn't think I got enough movement of the yeast, didn't want to chance underpitching a big lager I was doing (doppelbock). Other than that, love my stirstarter.