Stirring and Yeast...

[Chopper]

Another question from a beginner.


I'm making my very first batch of wine from a juice kit. All future batcheswill be made using actual fruit, from scratch.


Well, my juice kit instructions say to add yeast to the primary, and explicitly say DO NOT stir once the yeast has been added.


Most recipes say to add yeast, and stir daily.


So, I gather that stirring daily is a good thing to do, at least when making wine from scratch. But what about the first day, when the yeast is first added? Should it be stirred in then, or allowed to just float on top for a day before stirring?


Thanks,


Chopper

 

[grapeman]

If you use the sprinkle on top method with the yeast like in kits, it is best to not stir it to give it a chance to build up it's numbers in the presence of plenty of oxygen. If you were to make a yeast starter (a liquid) then you can stir that in from the start since the yeast is always actively reproducing when added.

 

[Tom]

Applemen ,


Right on

Chopper,
I would suggest that it will help the "yeasties" to make a starter for a jump start for your wines.

 

[Wade E]

You would not stir a "fruit in" wine if you sprinkled until the yeast took off either.

 

[Tom]

If you are talking about a fruit wine from "fruit" I would make a starter and then stir that in the must. After a couple of days thats when I would start to "punch down the cap"

Keep in mind there are pleanty of versions of adding yeastand there is no real wrong way. Maybe a quicker way to get the yeast started.