Anyone ever use a lab stirrer

[amiriliano]

Wondering if anyone has experience with a chemistry stirrer for those long stir sessions with some cheeses. I figured it would be gentle enough not to destroy the curd. Am I wrong?

[Spoons]

I personally like the pain of stirring 45-60 minutes and then another 45-60 minutes. But I've always wanted to know about these as an alternative:

http://www.amazon.com/Telebrands-Robo-Stir-Automatic-Stirer/dp/B004PZ7FPY/?tag=duiwath-20

So cheap. much cheaper than a lab stirrer. Don't know the reliability though.

[ArnaudForestier]

You're talking about a magnetic stirrer, yes? I don't believe you'd get enough power.  I regularly used it when propagating beer yeast cultures (and other micro. lab requirements, in brewing) but these will not stir much more than a liquid, in limited volumes.  I believe a better solution, one I'm thinking of myself for my smaller batches, is a windshield wiper motor, jury-rigged for curd stirring requirements.  Somewhere on this site.

I do like stirring, though, my 20 gallon and up batches.  Gives me a great sense of development. 

[amiriliano]

Well now I just feel like a lazy wimp 

I do like the zen of stirring but sometimes life takes over and I get pulled away.

@anonymous: intriguing idea. I just don't want it to slam the curd around. But for $10 might be worth it?

[amiriliano]

@arnaud - not enough power even for 4 gallons or less?

[amiriliano]

also just realized that that auto stirrer can't be submerged in a large vat

[ArnaudForestier]

@arnaud - not enough power even for 4 gallons or less?

Well, let's clarify.  Are you talking about a magnetic stirrer, with a magnet on the bottom of your pot? If so, no, not in my experience, unless you're willing to spend some serious coin. And then, nothing too viscous. 

There are units, something like an immersion blender, but there you'd have the issue of slowing the RPM down.  And then the blade is all wrong for a wide vat, with fragile curd. 

[awakephd]

Oh! immersion blender in my curds. I don't know if I will be able to sleep tonight with that terrible, terrible image in my head!

[amiriliano]

Yep, that's the kind of stirrer I'm talking about and yes, they are expensive but you can get them very discounted on eBay. You're probably right that for the average curd viscosity this would not work and just stop spinning.

http://www.newstarenvironmental.com/images/store/analog-stirrer.jpg

I thought about immersion blenders but like you said, those have chopping blades like a blender and you would need to hold them.

There is also this: which is not very cheap and gets just ok reviews: http://www.amazon.com/StirChef-SAUCEPAN-STIRRER-HandsFree-StoveTop/dp/B0000TPBYG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1415740903&sr=8-3&keywords=auto+stirrer

[ArnaudForestier]

Amiriliano, I don't have experience with this line, but I'm very suspect it would be up to the task, though it lists at 4L (of low-viscosity solute).  I'm only speaking from my own experience in a micro. lab.  Whatever works!  For me, it's (1) arm; and (2), contingency, a junk-yard wiper motor. 

[amiriliano]

Ha. Oh OK so you're using some kind of motor. Got any pics?

[ArnaudForestier]

So far, the only motor I've got is this:



and this:



 

Just had seen some discussions around here on using a wiper motor, and I recall it seemed a great, cheap solution.  Might search under Alp's username? 

[ArnaudForestier]

Here you go.

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13103.msg101255.html#msg101255

Another:

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,5950.msg42968.html#msg42968

p.s. - how did your cheese come out, anyway - the one with some fractures in it?

[scasnerkay]

I like putting my hand in the pot and stirring the curds, at least in the meso makes. When doing the thermo makes it gets tooooo hot for me! But it is fun to feel how the curds change when stirring... I hold my kindle in one hand, and stir with the other...

[Savu]

I'm with you Susan, I like to make blue cheese and have found the only way to perfect curds is to use your hand, also I think it takes you back to to when you were kid but maybe we better not go there!