Do you guys stir your wines every day? I see some say do and some say don’t.
For kit wines, I follow the instructions, which generally say to leave it alone (although I check the SG and rack when it's done even if it's less time than the instructions say).Do you guys stir your wines every day? I see some say do and some say don’t.
Thanks, I will take a look. I am a biology/chemistry person and like to understand what is going on in the jug!I think the simple answer is that it should be stirred daily especially if there's a hard cap. A build-up of CO2 can lead to a stuck fermentation.
I stir multiple times a day because I enjoy it! (And I taste every time!) The amount of CO2 determines how often I stir....
...or pour! I currently have a banana in primary. Slow ferment because I'm under 60F and it gave me a chance to experiment. It's VERY thick. Stirring will produce a 1 inch cap in a couple hours. I also poured it between buckets, back and forth. Each time after pouring within a couple hours my cap is 5 inches thick! Take from that what you will.
More complex answer -
Oxygen is important during fermentation. It's especially important during the first 48 hours. Oxygen is needed for reporoduction and also the production of lipids, fatty acids, and ergosterol which strengthen the cell wall, thereby being more resistant to high ethanol later, and thus avoiding a stuck fermentation.
Oxygen also affects the creation of esters, fatty acids, branched acids, ketones, aldehydes, and higher alcohols. Yeast metabolism is incredibly complex and interesting. So, yes, we want oxygen - but not too much.
If you're interested in a deep dive this is a good paper on oxygen and fermentation -
https://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ijfs/2020/7902974.pdf
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