Yeast staggering and stirring?

Hey, very basic question here. For HighTest's yeast staggering, Stage 3 is to go in at the halfway point ((OG+FG)/2). However, as I understand it, we don't want to oxygenate the must beyond 1/3 of the fermentation. Do I just throw the Stage 3 on top? Should I just gently stir it in? Thanks

Stir it in. The oxygenation concern is more related to aggressive must agitation.

Can you explain that? I'm still not fluent in all the language. How is stirring it up not aggressive must agitation?

There is a blanket of CO2 that covers all ferments. By stirring gently this blanket is not disturbed much. Real oxygenation would occur if you used a degasser or some other tool to whip it to a frenzy.

Also, can anyone tell me approximately the time frame when I should check to see if my halfway point has been reached? I realize this is difficult, but any help would be great, as I want to limit the amount of times I open my fermenter.

Some basic details about my mead are:

11 lbs of honey, 1 lbs of blackberries. 5g mix. OG was 1.082. Yeast was two packets of D-47 with GO-Ferm used to rehydrate them. 20 hours after pitching (and about 8 hours after Stage 2 nutrients were added) the airlock was bubbling fiercely.

So from the time of pitching the yeast, can any of you approximate when I should look to pitch my Stage 3? I know it's subjective, but I'm paranoid about infection. Thanks

Mencken said:

Also, can anyone tell me approximately the time frame when I should check to see if my halfway point has been reached? OG was 1.082.

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OG - 1.082. FG should be about .994 so halfway will be about 1.040 +- You don't have to worry about opening your primary. I use a loosely woven towel for my cover so it's basically the same as not having a cover at all when it comes to exposure to air.