building a must stirrer

ok I've been in construction longer then I can remember,
all my five gallon paint stirrers are chrome plated and all my joint compound stirrers are zinc plated, of which neither sounds any where close to food grade, so I've ordered 6#,,, 1/4'' x 12'' round rods of stainless steel and 1# 3/8'' x 24'' hex bar, when they come in I'll run them down to a machine shop
and have them build it like my joint compound mixer but instead of having 4 bars ,, I'll have this one built with 6 splines that will be 1# - 1/4 x 12 round bent 3 inches on each end,, leaving a 6 inch long back/spline, 1 wielded on every flat, my joint compound mixer really tears up the fruit an/or berries during ferment. I use a 18v DeWalt cordless drill/hammer drill,,,
STAINLESS STEEL IS 304,,, commercial grade SS for restaurants an so fourth,
Dawg::

Do you use this technique during the first few days of fermentation? Or is this done before fermentation starts?

I put my must in food grade open top barrel, all my fruits an berries sugars, pectin enzyme so on so fourth, ,, I freeze first then, then I put my thawed fruit or berries into my fermentation barrel with loose lid or towel and stir once to twice a day, during fermentation oxygen is wine yeast friend, so the more you whip it up and bring oxygen into your must usually 7 to 10 days. when your SG slows down dropping then I vacuum rack into a carboy, once your fermentation slows down from then on oxygen is wines enemy, I hope I explain this right, I go to carboy at a SG of 1000 to 990, from that point on you do not stir , if you have a vacuum pump it'll degas every time you rack, if no vacuum pump then you use a plastic wine degasser whip;
but I highly recommend Steve's allinonewinepump.com,,,
the vacuum pump you no longer have to lift heavy carboys, degassing made simple bottling made easy and all of it a lot quicker then doing by hand,
Dawg::

Tnuscan said:

Do you use this technique during the first few days of fermentation? Or is this done before fermentation starts?

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Dawg, sounds like a fun project but overkill IMHO. 4-5 $ 24" plastic wine stirring spoon is all you need. I use a ridiculously expensive, ~$11.00, brewing paddle. Shucks, using a little heat and bending you could fashion a drill stirrer from a plastic coat hanger. This one would maybe be too short but you get the idea for using a different, even cheaper, style plastic style hanger... http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-an-easy-paint-stirrer/

From my experience one good stirring of the must before pitching the yeast will give you all the O2 needed for fermentation of a 6 gallon batch. At least I've found this to be true of my low end kits where I've done many going to dry in the primary bucket. [Not talking about need to stir because you're using a grape skin pack or some such thing.] I would agree though that stirring those first 5-7 days shouldn't hurt and might help fermentation so long as the stirring isn't so vigorous that it stresses the yeast.

Paddle I use for bucket (a lot) or carboy (hardly ever) stirring...

Lol. Ya'll are fancy.

I cut a plastic clothes hanger so that I have the long, straight bottom part and about 3 inches on one side. It looks like a giant check mark.
Insert the straight long end into my drill and Bob's your uncle.

Jericurl said:

Lol. Ya'll are fancy.

I cut a plastic clothes hanger so that I have the long, straight bottom part and about 3 inches on one side. It looks like a giant check mark.
Insert the straight long end into my drill and Bob's your uncle.

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"Bob's your uncle"

Will be 72 years old in August and still learning! Never heard or read that expression, that I can remember, before reading your post. Can I take a nap now?

My hubby heard that expression for the first time about 6 months back. Since then it seems everybody is my uncle!

Pam in cinti

When I was a child, my dad's best friend was a guy named Dennis.

Dennis and his family were Yankees, but had been living in Texas for the better part of 20 years at this point. I think I was around 7 years old. Dennis was a lifelong bachelor and his parents were like another set of grandparents to us.
His mom smoked like a freight train and drank whiskey and taught me a LOT of colorful things to say.
I picked up "Bob's your uncle." from them. It was probably about the only thing they taught me that didn't get me a spanking or my mouth washed out with soap.

It starts. "Bobs your Uncle.........but then Fanny's your Aunt"

Bob's your Uncle is used more in the UK than in the US.

As an ex-pat from Scotland, I have to agree that Bob's your uncle is a (or was ) a very common expression when I was growing up. And if Bob's your uncle then Fannie's your aunt.

For what it is worth, I found this....


'Bob's your uncle' is often said to derive from the supposed nepotism of Lord Salisbury, who appointed a favorite nephew, Arthur Balfour, to several political posts in the 1880s. Balfour went on to become Prime Minister after his uncle, but his early political appointments were considered inappropriate as he had shown no prior interest in public work. It is unlikely that Arthur Balfour would ever have become a celebrated politician without the patronage of his influential uncle.

ok first i'm a little behind just outta hospital, tick fever,
the reason I use a stirrer is I pick my fruits but use no mesh bag, so it helps break down my fruit, I use the stirrer first 10 days to turn my fruit to mush an add oxygen, after I filter out my pulp I then press out left over juice, an yep it is over kill, but over kill beats under doing, as for batch sizes like my apple/pear, I have 4 6 gallon carboys, and a few gallon an half gallons, I top off with what i'm making, just my preference. I stay away from as much store bought as I can, and since the only one I must please is me, therefore I mix, grow , can, or however I wish to eat, drink, so on so fourth,

bkisel said:

Dawg, sounds like a fun project but overkill IMHO. 4-5 $ 24" plastic wine stirring spoon is all you need. I use a ridiculously expensive, ~$11.00, brewing paddle. Shucks, using a little heat and bending you could fashion a drill stirrer from a plastic coat hanger. This one would maybe be too short but you get the idea for using a different, even cheaper, style plastic style hanger... http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-an-easy-paint-stirrer/

From my experience one good stirring of the must before pitching the yeast will give you all the O2 needed for fermentation of a 6 gallon batch. At least I've found this to be true of my low end kits where I've done many going to dry in the primary bucket. [Not talking about need to stir because you're using a grape skin pack or some such thing.] I would agree though that stirring those first 5-7 days shouldn't hurt and might help fermentation so long as the stirring isn't so vigorous that it stresses the yeast.

Paddle I use for bucket (a lot) or carboy (hardly ever) stirring...

Click to expand...

Love home enginuity. Post some pics!

doing things like a fancy must stirrer, is my attempt at occupying my mind, I cant get out and keep my brain occupied. when your used to staying busy your whole life then your health takes a noise dive, if I don't do overkill, and other things I'd go crazy, I do know several things I do are not needed and is over kill. but I must try an stay busy, when you do nothing you rot down, I know certain things I do are a waste of proper time, but you can not imagine the idiotic things one will do to keep my mind from rotting, I don't know, i'm only trying to survive these problems, I have stirrers, for barrels, carboys, so on so fourth , I even have stainless paddles, i'm just trying to survive. to keep busy, I have days I can go outside to keep busy, and I have days it is all I can do to do things inside, I just don't know how to remain sane, all I can do is try my best,

I have had to send my hex rod back, they measured flat to flat instead of diameter my smaller one should come soon, I finally got my commercial sink in, but will be plumbing it as I feel good enough, when my sink and stirrer are ready, I will post pictures,

NorCal said:

Love home enginuity. Post some pics!

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hounddawg said:

ok first i'm a little behind just outta hospital, tick fever...

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Sorry to read about your tick fever. Hope you make a quick and full recovery.

hounddawg said:

doing things like a fancy must stirrer, is my attempt at occupying my mind, I cant get out and keep my brain occupied. when your used to staying busy your whole life then your health takes a noise dive, if I don't do overkill, and other things I'd go crazy, I do know several things I do are not needed and is over kill. but I must try an stay busy, when you do nothing you rot down, I know certain things I do are a waste of proper time, but you can not imagine the idiotic things one will do to keep my mind from rotting, I don't know, i'm only trying to survive these problems, I have stirrers, for barrels, carboys, so on so fourth , I even have stainless paddles, i'm just trying to survive. to keep busy, I have days I can go outside to keep busy, and I have days it is all I can do to do things inside, I just don't know how to remain sane, all I can do is try my best,

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Dawg, I know what you mean...I spent all day in 90 degree heat in 90% humidity building a set of steps. I could have bought pre-cut risers in been done in a hour or a step ladder and been done in 20 minutes!

But...I had some big oak rounds, some heavy rough sawn cedar, a sharp chain saw, and one half baked idea for a new set of porch steps. Ain't never seen a set of steps like these before and they will out last me...which I figure will also be about the same time my wife gets used to them...she is a hard woman to please!

Frankly, my time is worth more than those steps...I could have made more money working. but sometimes I just have to get the idea outta my dadgum head so I can more on to something else. Beside, it gives the redhead and me something to argue about for a few more years!

Ticks...30 years ago we had ticks bad...then the fire ants came...not near as many ticks now. But...I got plenty of fire ants if you need some!

fire ant's huh,
aw I bet their broken,
I tried a week once an they never started a fire,
all joshing aside, now i'm feeling sorry for you,
sketters ,ticks, an chiggers suck, when I was around 10 we went and visited some family in grapevine TX. I laid down in a field near their home, and I know why they call then fire ants, my aunt poured bleach on my back, since that day I avoid them little devils,,,,
redhead huh, lol. I lived with one a few years, hehe, that means you got fire ants in your yard and a fiery temper in your house, man, you got it ruff, lol,
and yep any thing to stay busy, everybody around here are chewing on me, I got home from the hospital, and headed for the woods , I ate blackberries till my belly hurt then headed for the mulberry tree, then mowed my front yard, after which I wrestled my yard dogs, I've done cross breeding most of my life, I got some 1/2 great Pyrenees 1/4 chow an 1/4 collie, was going to have their mother fixed but to many people had a fit so she's having one more litter, then fixed vile for her, these dogs will eat you alive you come sneaking around after dark, love kids,, during the day are as mild as you can get,
so yep anything gets stuck in my cobwebs and I too have to try it, you aint got a pic of them steps do you, I'd like to see em. ,,
oh an by the way your better half is always right, an never offer to twist your own head off, they like doing that themselves when they get mad,
Dawg

Mismost said:

Dawg, I know what you mean...I spent all day in 90 degree heat in 90% humidity building a set of steps. I could have bought pre-cut risers in been done in a hour or a step ladder and been done in 20 minutes!

But...I had some big oak rounds, some heavy rough sawn cedar, a sharp chain saw, and one half baked idea for a new set of porch steps. Ain't never seen a set of steps like these before and they will out last me...which I figure will also be about the same time my wife gets used to them...she is a hard woman to please!

Frankly, my time is worth more than those steps...I could have made more money working. but sometimes I just have to get the idea outta my dadgum head so I can more on to something else. Beside, it gives the redhead and me something to argue about for a few more years!

Ticks...30 years ago we had ticks bad...then the fire ants came...not near as many ticks now. But...I got plenty of fire ants if you need some!

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I used to breed dogs, but it to be too hard on my knees!!

That's just a joke.