Do you swirl?

Just wondering how many swirl their primary carboys when fermentation is complete or near complete? Is there any chance this could cause off flavors in the final product by stirring up the dregs on the bottom? Thanks.

It's self defeating. The idea is to ferment and clarify the beer in the fermenter. Swirling it just stirs it back up again.

The times I have (swirled) I always let it rest a few days before transfer, so clarity is never an issue, I'm wondering more about off flavors and such...

BendBrewer said:

It's self defeating. The idea is to ferment and clarify the beer in the fermenter. Swirling it just stirs it back up again.

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+1...not sure what the value would be. You are making the beer cloudy, and there is a slight chance you are oxidizing the beer.

I've never heard of anyone swirling after fermentation... maybe I've had my head in the sand but that just doesn't make any sense to me.

I doubt it would introduce off flavors unless you shook the crap out of it. I leave my beer for a month and try my very best not to disturb the yeast cake at all during this time. There is no need to swirl.

There is a school of though that says you can gently agitate the wort (without aerating it) if your FG is a little higher than you want (not a lot higher, that is a different problem). Apparently the idea is if you re-suspend some of the yeast it will do a little more work on converting the sugars.

I have tried this method with no success. Once it is the primary, I don't touch it except to take hydro readings.

I guess it depends on if you feel the fermentation is fully completed. There should be nothing to hurt your beer in there if you properly sanitized and it's full of self-produced CO2. I swirl when airlock activity drops on my lower gravity beers to make sure attenuation is higher. For some reason higher gravity beers just seem to saturate better and attenuate more on their own, despite a starter. Then again I don't freak out about letting it rest some more to clarify...so yes, I am a swirler.

The only time I ever swirl is if I need to add more extract or flavoring at bottling time while my beer is in my bottling bucket.

I added a bit of peach extract to my bottling bucket, then racked my beer on top of it. I tasted it and it needed a bit more peach. I added my peach and swirled a big sanitized spoon in it to mix it up.

On the Brew Strong show from the Brewing Network, in the episode about dry hopping, Tasty said that he swirls his secondary fermenter every couple of days when he dry hops. He does this to try and distribute the hop oils, according to that podcast. He says something to the effect that it is amazing that the material that gets stirred up falls right back out after a couple of hours.

http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/Brew-Strong/search/dry+hopping

Edit: I can't remember if he says "swirls" as in opening up the fermenter and dipping a spoon inside and swirling, or if he just swirls the fermenter itself without opening it. I assumed the later.

dantheman13 said:

On the Brew Strong show from the Brewing Network, in the episode about dry hopping, Tasty said that he swirls his secondary fermenter every couple of days when he dry hops. He does this to try and distribute the hop oils, according to that podcast. He says something to the effect that it is amazing that the material that gets stirred up falls right back out after a couple of hours.

http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/Brew-Strong/search/dry+hopping

Edit: I can't remember if he says "swirls" as in opening up the fermenter and dipping a spoon inside and swirling, or if he just swirls the fermenter itself without opening it. I assumed the later.

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I thought he blows co2 up the cone like the big boys.

I dry hop in kegs and shake them a couple of times a day. Makes a big difference.

I only swirl when I'm doing something with fruit in the secondary.

I only swirl when I'm on the dance floor. I know, I know.

When I say swirl, I mean the whole carboy, without removing the airlock (so as not to introduce oxygen to the beer).

Dry-hopping and fruit/extract additions aside, why would anyone do this? I can't say that for sure it would, or even could, introduce problems but I can say that not doing it won't introduce problems.

Lol. The "Swirl". I thought only Seinfeld did that move...

I rock (not swirl) my carboy when I dry hop with pellets a couple of days before kegging to knock the hop material off the top to get it to settle. Probably doesn't make a difference but it's what I do.

Jason

I'm an occasional swirler. If I brew bigger beers, and/or I'm looking to really push attentuation, I will swirl my carboy as it slows down fermenting. I'll also swirl if I'm pushing the lower limits of temperature range of the yeast I'm using.

Stirring up the yeast isn't a big issue as most of the yeast that has been roused up will settle within a day. This has definitely worked well for me. It works very well with some of the Belgian yeasts that are prone to stalling out.

I swirl.

It should not introduce any off flavors into your beer, you certainly will not be oxidizing your beer if you have left the air lock on the entire time, and clarity won't be an issue if you're waiting for a day or two after swirling to transfer.

Swirl away.

CrystallineEntity said:

Lol. The "Swirl". I thought only Seinfeld did that move...

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nice

Some swirl and spit, others swallow.

Seriously, I swirl, but call it rousing. When making bitters and using highly flocculating yeast like WY1968 for cask and real ale. I also rouse dry hops in the secondary.

remilard said:

I thought he blows co2 up the cone like the big boys.

I dry hop in kegs and shake them a couple of times a day. Makes a big difference.

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Yeah, I think you are right.

I use to twist(i like this term better) when i thought it would help finish up the last week,so it cleared also.I trust my yeast now giving it 3 weeks and it finishes every time,no hydro reading til then and then botttle it up.You will only oxidize it if you shake it up not twist or swirl it.
I actually thought about doing it this time with munich yeast fermenting at a pretty low temp,but i still hit my FG @ 3 weeeks,unless i had a questionable FG then i would do it and let it sit a few more.

anyone make a swirl joke yet? lol..

i usually kick my beers (literally) about a week in.. never actually swirl but i will disturb my beers if i dry hop or add fruit. lets be logical here, there's a layer of CO2 sitting thickly atop your beer in mid fermentation, it ain't going to oxidize. technically not possible to do without the presence of oxygen.

as for clarity, the less you can disturb it, the clearer it will get. disturb it=wait longer for clarity.

BendBrewer said:

It's self defeating. The idea is to ferment and clarify the beer in the fermenter. Swirling it just stirs it back up again.

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What if you have a highly flocculent yeast, that still has work to do, such as finish fermentation and clean up any diacetyl.

Swirling is ok. All the oxygen should be gone in the carboy already and the yeast will settle back down again.

ChiefGeek said:

Just wondering how many swirl their primary carboys when fermentation is complete or near complete? Is there any chance this could cause off flavors in the final product by stirring up the dregs on the bottom? Thanks.

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Yes, I swirled 1 gallon batch of cider everyday and did nothing to another batch. Swirled one took much longer to clear, higher alcohol, drier, and terrible sulphur smell, which kinda went away after several rackings. The other batch had no sulpher smell, sweeter, but much less alcohol. Refilled both jugs with apple juice to see which yeast cultures were more alive; the swirled jug struggled to get fermentation started and bubbled 50% less than the jug with undisturbed established yeast cultures. I would not recommend agitating or aerating cider fermentation after adding yeast. A nice yeast cake floating gently on top eventually does its thing and settles to the bottom.