Kit Wine : Stir the must in Primary?

[HeiZenBerg]

I have read through the forums, and see references to stirring the must daily. I'm doing a Winexpert Vintners reserve Riesling kit, and the instructions do not say anything regarding stirring, just check the SG after 4-5 days. Thoughts?

 

[AZMDTed]

Often the stir every day rule is for kits that have a separate grape skin pack. Since yours doesn't you can let it sit and do its thing. Stirring won't harm anything and may engage some more lazy yeast, but it's not necessary on your kit.

 

[jgmann67]

I typically stir white wine once a day and reds twice a day.

 

[Johnd]

As stated by AZMDTED, there's probably no need to stir without fruit in the must. My wines all get stirred a couple of times a day, just because I like to do it. Your choice.

 

[bkisel]

If the instructions say to stir then I'll stir. If not then I'll only stir on odd number days that begin with a "T" and have followed a previous day that had at least an 1/8 inch of rain.

 

[Whitehrs]

I am pretty new, and have only done 1 kit, I do see more kits in my future. The 1 thing I've read most about kits is to follow the directions to a tee, until you get versed enough to feel confident about modifying them.

 

[TonyR]

The reason you stir the must is to introduce oxygen which greatly helps during fermentation, it will also help eliminate stuck fermentation and as a side benefit it degasses your wine. But it is up to you.

 

[Mismost]

The reason you stir the must is to introduce oxygen which greatly helps during fermentation, it will also help eliminate stuck fermentation and as a side benefit it degasses your wine. But it is up to you.

I don't know how much degassing really gets done when a good rolling ferment is going on....yeah it'll hiss like a snake, but it is just going to keep making more CO2.

Me? I just like the stirring! I have worn holes in the bottom of my chilli pots from stirring so much.

 

[HeiZenBerg]

Thanks for all the responses! I was concerned that my fermentation was stuck, because the airlock was not moving. I decided to give it a stir to see if I could get it going again, and discovered that I had not tightened the lid all the way on the Big Mouth Bubbler. I wondered why it smelled like it was working...lol. Stirred the must, put the lid on ALL THE WAY, and it's perking away happily.

 

[bkisel]

Thanks for all the responses! I was concerned that my fermentation was stuck, because the airlock was not moving. I decided to give it a stir to see if I could get it going again, and discovered that I had not tightened the lid all the way on the Big Mouth Bubbler. I wondered why it smelled like it was working...lol. Stirred the must, put the lid on ALL THE WAY, and it's perking away happily.

My very first kit did not produce a single airlock bubble. Turns out that the bucket lid grommet was not a complete ring, it had about an 1/8" missing so all the gas was taking the path of least resistance. The wine turned out fine. My LHBS [when I was living in CT] had an extra grommet that they gave me and the problem was solved.