newbie, with first atemp to make wine

[longhaul]

I keep seeing people say during there primary fermentation that they are opening the lid and stirring there mixture and testing it daily. we are making a California Moscato and the directions don"t say anything about stirring, checking or shaking in the first 5 to 7 days.We are in our 3rd day of Fermentation. Is this something you learn to do as you get more comfy at making wine?

 

[Johnd]

I keep seeing people say during there primary fermentation that they are opening the lid and stirring there mixture and testing it daily. we are making a California Moscato and the directions don"t say anything about stirring, checking or shaking in the first 5 to 7 days.We are in our 3rd day of Fermentation. Is this something you learn to do as you get more comfy at making wine?

It's perfectly ok to open your primary, stir and check your SG daily. Oxygen is not an enemy at the vigorous fermentation stage you are in. Once it slows and stops as your fermentation completes, that's when you get ruthless at limiting exposure.

 

[NorCal]

You will see a lot of conflicting information. Part of the fun in learning the art and science of winemaking is taking a lot of different approaches in, understanding why they are doing it that way and then deciding which approach is right for you.

 

[bkisel]

Welcome to the forum!

If you gave it a good stirring (or maybe even if you didn't) before pitching the yeast you will not have to stir but it won't hurt to stir.

BTW, I have the WE Cal. Muscato kit in primary fermentation as I type. Thursday I check SG to determine if I move onto the next step. I stirred yesterday morning but will not this morning. Why did I stir yesterday morning? ... It was not necessary, just gave me something to do.

On the other hand if the kit says to stir then I would not ignore those instructions.

 

[heatherd]

I keep seeing people say during there primary fermentation that they are opening the lid and stirring there mixture and testing it daily. we are making a California Moscato and the directions don"t say anything about stirring, checking or shaking in the first 5 to 7 days.We are in our 3rd day of Fermentation. Is this something you learn to do as you get more comfy at making wine?

I agree with the earlier posts:

If the instructions say to stir, do it at least as long or longer than they say.

Beyond that, it's up to you. Everyone has their own way of doing things that they've developed over time. You will too, but for the first few batches I would follow the instructions. That way, if it doesn't work for any reason, you can go back to the vendor with issues.

 

[Floandgary]

I keep seeing people say during there primary fermentation that they are opening the lid and stirring there mixture and testing it daily. we are making a California Moscato and the directions don"t say anything about stirring, checking or shaking in the first 5 to 7 days.We are in our 3rd day of Fermentation. Is this something you learn to do as you get more comfy at making wine?

Things can get confusing in a hurry with this hobby. One step at a time to understand what you're doing and why will help you through to that first glassful. The process is fairly basic and there are a lot of different nuances between steps to choose from without causing any damage. Learn the basic process then add your own nuance! Read up on things from different sites and the picture will become clearer. I enjoy http://winemakersacademy.com/ for easily understandable explanations.