Stupid question (you would think you all would be used to them by now)

I have one of my infamous "stupid" questions for all of you. When your hooch is in the primary (I only keep it in the primary for 4-6 days, if I use fresh fruit), does stirring it every day make the alcohol potential higher, by better incorporating the "beasties"? I never really bothered to stir my wine, in the primary, but I have been using a couple of Jack Keller's recipes lately, and I was following the directions (somewhat). Thanks...Annie

There is a pretty pronounced current in the ferementer during active fermentation. So any additional stiring would be pointless.

I disagree on the above post. If you have fruit in there you best stir it. If not the fruit on top can go bad. Mike

oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer said:

I disagree on the above post. If you have fruit in there you best stir it. If not the fruit on top can go bad. Mike

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Yes, but that doesn't really do all that much for fermentation- it just keeps the fruit from drying out and molding on the top. Degassing (stirring) does help a bit in primary, but it's more about breaking up the cap and keeping the fruit under the liquid level when you stir in primary.

I agree with Ooga

Ditto to above - doesn't affect alcohol content but good practice when you have a cap of fruit on the fermenting wine.

why not put your fruit in a large muslin bag and weight it down with marbles? or is it too much fruit?

my thoughts is that it helps oxides the wine therefore helping the yeast also with the flavor of the wine, i dont stir it daily but i do about every 2to 3 days good luck!story is that the old timers stirred it everyday but i used to go to the cellar with them we also test tasted it everyday maybe that was the reason?

It was Jack Keller's strawberry wine recipe. I just had never really stirred my primarys before, so I never got a look-see into them when they were stewin and a brewin. They remind me of the wine equivelant of rice krispies. I even had the husband in there watching and listening before I gave my little wine moneys a stir. That was the reason for the question. I probably should have used a bag, in hindsight, but I was following the recipese I have never made strawberry wine before. Thank you for your insights. Annie

When you stir, you also get rid of some of the c02, and that does help the fermentation, as well as bring oxygen into it.

Typically, you stir for the first few days to break up and submerge the "cap", and then after the wine gets to 1.020-1.010 or lower, you move it to secondary and airlock it and stop stirring. At that point, the wine needs to be protected from oxygen as fermentation is slowing down. After fermentation stops. oxygen is the death of wine. In primary, the oxygen and degassing is good for the yeast.