Stiring in Primary

[kutya]

After making wine for 2 years, I'm still in the dark on this. I try to stir the must every day in the primary, do you stir really hard, or soft. I was always thinking to stir soft as I didn't want to kill the yeasties, but after reading up on this, I think I should be stiring the heck out of it??? I've just started a batch of crabapple, and it wasn't doing much so I really stired it, now it's foaming like crazy. To add to this, do you stir when it goes into the secondary? When, how hard???? Any advice......

 

[scotty]

I seem to remember that in the primary, easy top stirring was recomended at the time you pitched the yeast. After that then stir well daily to oxygenate the mixture.

 

[Wade E]

I believe your only really supposed to stir the top half as you really
dont want the lees to get all stirred up. You'll want some sediment to
carry over into second racking but there will be way enough from just
the wine without picking up any extra from the bottom. Please correct
me if I'm wrong on this someone but that is what I do and I definetly
get enough lees on second racking and third for that matter.
Edited by: wadewade

 

[scotty]

I think on Jacks wine site he recomends completely stirring every day. My friend Barry says yes but on the day you intend to rack it let the sediment rest on the bottom and just rack that last day.

 

[masta]

My stirring thoughts:
For kit wines no stirring of the primary is needed unless you are making a kit with grape skins then follow the directions. I have made well over 100 kits and used a drill mounted stirrer before pitching the yeast and snapped the lid down tight with an airlock. The oxygen added to the must duringstirring was more than sufficient for a healthy yeast colony.


When making wine with red grapes or fruit the stirring is more to help with extraction from the skins or fruit solids and a gentle stirring is all that is needed until you have reached your SG target and ready to transfer to secondary.


Note: A vigorous stirring will not harm the yeast cells as some wineries recycle their redgrape must primary tanks instead of punchingdown the cap.


Recycling is when youpump the liquid off the bottom and back to the top of the tank over the skins which rise to the surface of the liquid.

 

[Wade E]

Thanks Masta for the knowledge. We can always count on you to set us straight

 

[sangwitch]

Recycling is when youpump the liquid off the bottom and back to the top of the tank over the skins which rise to the surface of the liquid.

Hmmm... an idea, a bucket, a fish pump and some hose

who's going to do it?

 

[kutya]

I'm experementing with my crabbapple, I have been stiring the heck out of it for the past 3 days. Lots of bubbles? I'll see how it turns out. jh

 

[pkcook]

Kutya,


I've only made two kits, but many different country wines and I always stir the country wine must vigourusly in the primary and have had wonderful results. I'm not so concerned about clearing in the primary. After the last good stir, I wait until the next day and rack into the carboy. The majority of the gross lees are left behind and the rest will be eliminated on future rackings.

 

[kutya]

PK, I agree with clearing in the primary, this is of no concern to me. when I first started making wine, I just poured everything into the carboy... Thought I read that somewhere. Now I try to let everything settle for at least a day before I rack. Do any of you stir in the secondary? I have only made a couple kits, and I think they require a stir in the secondary? Is this to degass???? When I do country wines, (fruit) I have never stired in carboy??? I try to leave the wine to bulk age quite a while.. Am I doing this wrong??????