To Stir or Not to Stir

[pracz]

Hi all -

I just started two kits. These are my first in quite a while. I have a MM Renaissance Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon and a RJS Cru Select Australian Chardonnay. Both are in the primary fermenters as of last night.

My question to you is should I give the contents a stir every day? The directions do not indicate to do so. Neither of these kits have a grape pack or raisins. My inclination is to leave them alone, especially the RJS kit because it called for the yeast to be sprinkled on top rather than reconstituting. Shoud I go with my gut instinct?

Thanks for the help!!

Regards,

Pete

 

[grapeman]

It won't make a big difference either way. The one you sprinkled, just wait until it starts to bubble good and stir if you want to. It really isn't necessary but some people like to feel like they are doing something.

 

[pracz]

Thanks, Appleman.

I was planning on leaving these kits in the primary to complete most of the fermentation. I read a bit about the wine volcano on the MM kits so I was going to add the yeast nutrient and oak at 1.04, snap on the lid and let it ride until about 1.00. The RJS does not have the nutrient so I was going to snap on the lid at 1.04 and also let it go until 1.00. Is it okay to do that?

 

[ibglowin]

I like stirring daily when in Primary even W/O a grape pack but thats just me. Since I make a lot of Reds that usually have some oak I like to make sure the chips get mixed up once a day to help make the oak extraction a bit more even.

 

[grapeman]

These kits are very foregiving so it will be fine as you intend to do. See- Mike is a stirrer because he likes doing things- nothing wron with that. If you don't stir it, the wine does it itself by creating currents within the wine as it ferments. Don't believe me? Watch a white ferment sometime- put a single wood chip in it and watch it move around in the current!

 

[ibglowin]

You got that right! I was amazed at the oak chips in my Aussie Chardonnay once it went into secondary. That stuff was moving all over the place with no stirring whatsoever!

Don't believe me? Watch a white ferment sometime- put a single wood chip in it and watch it move around in the current!

 

[uavwmn]

Mike, are you doing the battange process with your chard??

 

[ibglowin]

I stirred it daily for approx 3 weeks until I racked off the gross lees. Not sure how long your supposed to do that and leave the gross lees on with the battonage process. It tasted yummy when I bottled it but I have not cracked a bottle open. This Summer for sure!

 

[smokegrub]

I stir 2-3 times a day until the yeast are well-established. I also stir if there is a heavy scum layer because its presence can inhibit oxygen transfer at the air/water interface.