potential consequences of not stirring vigorously enough

[willbonness]

I put my first batch of wine in the primary fermentor last week. I followed all of the instructions but I watched a tutorial after that reminded me I was supposed to stir the wine very vigorously so that I don't get areas of high and low concentration in the wine. My stir if I remember was pretty half-hearted. It is just now finishing primary ferment, do you think it would be a good idea to give it a good stir now before putting it into the carboy? Or is that a bad idea/won't make a difference?

 

[TonyP]

There's nothing wrong with stirring the wine a bit at this time. In fact, many wine makers stir wine during the fermentation process. I wouldn't go crazy in this regard, however.

The issue you raise is that not stirring the wine at the beginning allows the wine to stratify, similar to oil and vinegar. Racking the wine should take care of the issue, particularly if you move the siphon around as you rack. You've also been helped by the yeast, who did some stirring for you.

Going forward, make certain to check your wine with the hydrometer to make certain you don't have a problem.

 

[robie]

I am one who stirs during fermentation. I do it when I want to add a little oxygen and to stir up the yeast from the bottom of the fermenter.

In your case, once fermentation begins going heavily, any stratification most likely will be taken care of by all the activity and the CO2.

Still, next time it is much better if you mix it well, so you can be sure you stirred in lots of oxygen, which is needed early on in fermentation.

Stirring at your point in the process is not going to hurt anything but not very necessary.

 

[BernardSmith]

Interesting question and responses. I tend to stir during the early days in the primary to add oxygen especially if the fruit I am using forms a thick cap over the mouth of the bucket. If the fruit is in a bag and is so is prevented from expanding to cover the entire surface of the wine in the bucket then I don't do much more than push the bag down a couple of times a day and perhaps squeeze it gently with my stirring rod. If the issue is really about preventing stratification I would have thought that the action of the yeast in producing CO2 and the CO2 bubbling up would be enough to mix different levels of concentration if I allowed strata to form, because of insufficient mixing when I poured the must into the primary bucket.

 

[SBWs]

To understand why and when to stir you need to understand the needs of yeast. My latest BLOG entry is Yeast for Beginners where I try and give a basic understanding of yeast. There really is a reason to stir and not to stir depending on where you are in the wine making process.

 

[Luc]

During fermenting in a primary stirring has several benefits.

Firts you make sure that the pulp contantly is in touch with the juice. Som more sugar, acid, color and flavors will be extracted.
Remember some things dissolve in water other in alcohol. So during primary alcohol is formed and stirring helps bringing the pulp in contact with the alcohol.

next stirring helps bringing oxygen in the juice and that is what yeast during the first stage of fermentation.

Luc

 

[Manda]

While in primary I try to stir twice a day. Once before I go to work and the other when I get home. If I am working with fruit especially if there is a large cap I try to stir more frequently. Due to work I can usually squeeze in three a day adding one just before bedtime.