*THIS PRODUCT HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED*

Author: Matt Waldron

Fairly soon after I began brewing, I embraced the oft touted benefits of making yeast starters, which not only ensured I was pitching proper amounts of viable yeast, but allowed me to save some coin by overbuilding and harvesting the extra yeast. While this can all be done manually with a vessel and elbow grease, I brew often and am usually not around my flask to give the required intermittent shakes, which led me on a search for a seemingly ubiquitous piece of brewing equipment known as the stir plate. Essentially a spinning magnet that turns a metal bar inside the bottom of a flask, creating a vortex that keeps yeast in suspension giving them a better seat at the sugar buffet and ultimately increasing cell counts to ensure a quick, healthy fermentation. For years, homebrewers have been building stir plates housed creatively in everything from Lego builds to old 8-bit Nintendo units. All cool, but I’m not even partially talented when it comes to electrical shit, preferring to leave the world of resistors and soldering to those who know what they’re doing. So when my mass produced stir plate frustratingly went belly up, I set out to find something that balanced quality and an appealing look with a reasonable price point.

The answer turned out to be in my local homebrew club. Daniel Kinard, an active member of the Miami Area Sociey of Homebrewers (MASH) and University of Miami mechanical engineering graduate, began putting a cool twist on an usually boring piece of gear by repurposing gorgeous wooden cigar boxes he picked up in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, FL.

I jumped on as soon as I could along with many other local homebrewers. As these unique stir plates began to gain local popularity, Dan thought it’d be cool to offer them to more brewers by selling them online. And Craft Stir Plates was born.

Before I get into the review– yes, Daniel is a buddy of mine, he was before he started Craft Stir Plates, of course I’d love to see him do well. But Marshall, being the skeptic he is, was resistant to publishing a review of a product he’d never heard of or used himself. So I connected him with Dan a few months back, Dan hooked him and Greg up with stir plates, and after many uses, the review was given the green light. As such, this will include feedback I received from Marshall and Greg, hopefully quelling any serious concerns of nepotism.

Beautiful. That was my initial impression of the stir plate when I first bought one. The cigar box and poly/enamel coating create a durable shell that stands up to moisture and is remarkably easy to clean when a starter goes bonkers. The fact Dan purchases used cigar boxes as they become available means each stir plate is a unique, nearly one-off item, each requiring a somewhat tailored build. The majority of the stir plates are designed to work with 2 liter Erlenmeyer flasks, the go-to for a large portion of homebrewers. For those looking to produce larger starters for bigger batches or higher OG beers, Craft Stir Plates has a number of models designed specifically to work with larger flasks as well. While it’s possible to make a bigger starter on one of the smaller stir plates, Dan rates them based on what he feels confident will not create the problem of a stir bar being thrown off, regardless of the stir speed. For those with limited space, Craft Stir Plates even has options available for space saver sized units built for larger flasks. On the other end of the spectrum, they also offer a handful of options made specifically for smaller flasks, which Dan acknowledged is partially because some cigarillo boxes are “too interesting not to use.”

Regardless of the size one chooses, every stir plate is made by a mechanical design engineer who chooses components and layouts that make sense both artistically and functionally. Smart choices such as low profile switches and recessed halo light power buttons give the stir plate less of an industrial look, making it easier to justify leaving it out for others to see when not in use.

Of course, nothing is perfect. After gushing over the many great aspects of these stir plates, I’d like to point out a couple things some people might potentially view as negatives. One thing Greg, Marshall, and I noticed noticed is that it takes a few seconds after turning the unit on for the stir bar to get spinning. I’m not sure this is really a big deal, as Dan explained he intentionally  added a capacitor to the system in order to give the fan an initial kick when at low voltages, causing the slight delay. For the impatient, this might be a drawback, despite having no impact on functionality. On a related note, larger volume starters occasionally require a brief kick to get going by turning the speed all the way up then backing off once the bar starts spinning. Finally, these stir plates are not one-size fits all, in fact most have some unique features, making it important for those interested to thoroughly read the product descriptions prior to purchasing to assure the stir plate meets their brewing needs and aesthetic desires. Overall, I wouldn’t say any of these are major flaws, but worth pointing out to temper expectations.

| THE VERDICT |

To put it simply, I couldn’t be happier with my unique and attractive stir plate from Craft Stir Plates. Living next to Little Havana and having a weak spot for a good smoke, this is the perfect piece of gear for my personality and it has the bonus of functioning as good as any mass produced stir plate I’ve used in the past. Besides being a very well priced choice for brewers looking for that “little something extra” in their brewery, customers can feel good knowing their purchase served to support an awesome dude who is just as passionate about the brewing hobby. Whether for yourself or as a gift for someone else, a cigar box stir plate from Craft Stir Plates is a badass option that I trust will meet all of yeasty needs. On top of that, Daniel offers incredible support and customer service, responding quickly to questions and comments. Got a particular box you want made into a stir plate? Contact Daniel and let him know, I’m sure he’ll work with you to make the stir plate of your fantasies a reality. Cheers!

You can check out all of what Craft Stir Plates currently has to offer at their website now!

If you have any questions or comments about the Craft Stir Plates cigar box stir plates, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below!

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