"Swirling" yeast

Making a WIT and using Wyeast 3944, which is similar to WLP400.

I am seeing similar fermentation as the WLP reviews at:
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp400.html

In about a week and my ales normally have had the yeast crop drop at this point. I have a good fermentation and hit it with pure O2. The thing is still creating o2, I am assuming this is why the yeast is still on top.

Several people talked about "swirling". Would you only do this if you were not getting attenuation? or would this help out in getting the yeast to break apart on top to settle out?

I am using a bucket and can't see inside unless I open up, rather not stick anything in there to stir it either. Other people use 3944 without "swirling"?

That strain take much longer to flocculation then something like an English ale yeast. You need to let it do it's thing. Use your hydrometer to figure out when your sully attenuated. Swirling is fine. If you really want the yeast to drop, lower the temperature.

It is not done attenuating. Some people said on the whitelabs site that they needed to swirl to get the yeast to sink. Eventually the yeast needs to sink to clear the beer. My question is, is it nesseasry to swril to make this happen or is the only point of the swril to increase attenuation. At this point I don't have any reason to think my wit isnot going to attenuate...it taking it's time, but it hasen't had enough yet and I am fermenting at 65.

Swril magic or stupid?

You don't need to swirl but some times it speeds things up. I recommend leaving it be for another week and when it's fully attenuated give it a shake to help the yeast drop. RHAHB

Two weeks in, things slowed down...gave it a swrill. Blew off top again, bubbling regularly again.

I am heading out of town this weekend, do I need to clean the blow off tube and water container? Or can I just leave the cloudy yeast mess till Monday? I assume as long as their is positive presure in the carboy/bucket it doesn't matter.

Started at 1.051....ended at 1.005!!!!

I just bottled it tonight and force carbonated two 20 oz bottles. It is going to be hard to wait until all those bottles carbonate on their own...the beer is freaking stealer.

I put probably 4x the chamomile in there. With all the orange zest, it ended with a very nice honey flavor and smooth body. Dry finish with that chamomile aftertaste. Going to call it, "Sleepytime Wit". Very drinkable...like great warm weather session beer, but at 5%.The yeast was a total pain in the ass, but by the time we finish off this beer I am sure I will have forgotten about all that and get the urge to make some more.

I had in primary for 16 days, thought everything had stopped, but their was still krausen...like 2 inches....I just decided to transfer to secondary to "watch it" in glass carboy (was in bucket). Really didn't think, much then the yeast started to from in 5 gallon carboy, almost blew off...didn't let set for another 14 days and bottled...I put in 5 oz priming sugar and 1.5 grams of Danstar Nottingham yeast.

Wyeast 3944 rocks!