Pitching yeast.

[Harbrook]

Harbrook...coming from beer brewing all this stirring of the must might make you crazy. We are just so used to not touching our beers for fear of contamination or exposing it air or just generally causing the Earth to become unbalanced! Wine is tougher, it likes getting it's back scratched and a little fresh air!

your right about the with from beer!, I don't even like to open the Lid!, So should I stir every day through primary fermentation? Is this common practice. The instructions said don't stir, and leave for 9 days? I'm

 

[StBlGT]

I sprinkle the yeast on top and let it go. I don't stir. The only time i stir is if i have a grape pack.....THEN you have to stir and punch down the skins 1-2 times a day.

If your kit doesn't have skins, then let it go. Check your SG around day 5 or 6 and see where you're at. Depending on temperature and I'm assuming you have EC-1118 yeast (which works real fast), it can be fully fermented by 5 days.

 

[Harbrook]

I sprinkle the yeast on top and let it go. I don't stir. The only time i stir is if i have a grape pack.....THEN you have to stir and punch down the skins 1-2 times a day.

If your kit doesn't have skins, then let it go. Check your SG around day 5 or 6 and see where you're at. Depending on temperature and I'm assuming you have EC-1118 yeast (which works real fast), it can be fully fermented by 5 days.

Yes I have used EC-1118, I think its quite a robust yeast? I also use a 33ltr FV so there is plenty of headroom and Oxygen at the moment, although I'm sure that CO2 will replace that quite quickly. I also made sure to stir it a lot before i pitched the yeast, It took a lot of stirring to get those oak chips down!!
I plan to give it a gentle stir when the airlock kicks in (probably tomorrow) and then just leave it.. do you think this is a good plan with the yeast I'm using?

 

[Mismost]

your right about the with from beer!, I don't even like to open the Lid!, So should I stir every day through primary fermentation? Is this common practice. The instructions said don't stir, and leave for 9 days? I'm

I stir twice a day...but you oughta see me cook chilli, I can wear a spoon...I like to stir! I also extend the time lines after the first racking.

but i have made good wine following instructions!

 

[ceeaton]

your right about the with from beer!, I don't even like to open the Lid!, So should I stir every day through primary fermentation? Is this common practice. The instructions said don't stir, and leave for 9 days? I'm

I'm from a beer background too (since 1990). I never stir my wine while in the primary (will stir under secondary MLF, but under protest). I will punch down the cap with all grapes, which is basically like stirring, but it drives me nuts and I'm not happy until it is racked and under airlock. I only do it because you have to if you are going to extract most of the color and sugars from the grapes, especially the ones that end up on top and tend to dry out. But I never stir my kit batches.