Huckleberry wine question

[LaughingWaterWine]

I have just started a 5 gal batch of huckleberry wine as per recipe below and I am wondering if I should be stirring the must daily or not and what is gained by stirring?
I see different recipes and some call for stirring ... some not.
The must is fermenting vigorously at about 24hrs.

huckleberrywine batch

20lbs of huckleberries crushed about 2.5 gals juice and hucks
5 pints honey and 4lbs sugar boiled in 2 gal water added to the crushed huckleberries added water to 5.5 gal must at 1.090 sg.
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5 camden tablets

2 oz acid blend

5/8 tsp pectic enzyme powder

2 1/2 tsp yeast energizer

5 tsp yeast nutrient
ALL in a slurry added to must when cooled.
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pitched yeast after 14 hrs

 

[Arne]

This is another deal where it it up to the winemaker how he wants to make his wine. If you stir it, you keep oxygen in the must which helps the ferment. Others will just ferment and not stir at all. Arne.

 

[salcoco]

I suggest stirring twice a day. One the must will float and possibly cake , stirring will break up the cake and add flavor to wine. stirring adds oxygen to must which aids fermentation, and stirring helps release CO2 helping in degassing later.

 

[LaughingWaterWine]

Thanks for the replies.
I have stirred it once a day the last couple of days as I wanted to check the sg anyway. I now see why this should be stirred. The berries are caking on the top.
sg down to 1.082 from1.090 in 48 hours.

 

[garymc]

If they're left to sit on top and dry out over a period of a few days, that's not good.

 

[LaughingWaterWine]

Thanks garymc for the comments.
I have more questions. This is the fifth day since i pitched the yeast and the SG has been dropping by about .006 every day. I am now at 1.066. The temp has been at a constant 68-72 degrees and I have stirred it every day.

Does this seem to be a normal rate of fermentation? At what SG would it be recommended to rack this to secondary?

 

[vernsgal]

different fruits seem to ferment at different rates. Kits are the same way some are done in a week while others are onward of 2 weeks. As long as it's fermenting I believe all is good. I find sometimes a slower ferment leaves more fruit flavor. I would rack when dry but no longer than 2 weeks

 

[garymc]

I had some elderberry sit for 45 hours after I pitched the yeast and I and hydrated it when I added it. Then it took off like a bat out of hell at 48 hours. So, no movement for the first 2 days, you would think it would go slow, but it was ready to transfer after 5 or 6 days. I sometimes transfer mine at a higher sg than some people. As long as it's going slow I've transferred at a sg as high as 1.020. Your batch seems to be going slow. I have a current batch of muscadine still fermenting in secondary (as of 12-20-13) after having been started in September. You just never know.

 

[LaughingWaterWine]

garymc, I just checked sg this am and not only is it going slow its slowing down!... Today its day 6 (1/3/14) and its at 1.063.