when to stir?

[Lengie10]

Just a quick question asking when is th?e best time to stir the first ferment. Box says not tp - just transfer to bottle/barrel. Folks on here are suggesting to do so...question is when? Is there anything to look for?

 

[supersteve]

You shouldn't stir unless for some reason you need to agitate the yeast as far as im aware :wha:

 

[Gethin79]

You should only be stirring when making up the wort to aerate, or if you have a problem with a stuck fermentation??

Once in the FV, best course of action is leave well alone!!

 

[LeithR]

There are two times you would stir and there are 2 types of stirring. The first is just prior to pitching your yeast into the wart, this is order to aerate the wart, yeast needs oxygen to help it multiply. This is a vigorous stirring. The second occasion to stir is when you have a stuck fermentation and you need to rouse the yeast, this stirring is less vigorous not to get oxygen into the wart but to mix the yeast and trub from the bottom of the fermenter back into suspension.

 

[Strongarm]

For aeration I've just gone for the pour in to the FV from a great height approach. Seems to work so far.

 

[Gethin79]

For aeration I've just gone for the pour in to the FV from a great height approach. Seems to work so far.

I do that too, but also give it a good stir afterwards. I tested the OG after adding the water from a height, which was 1.030 (for the Woodfordes Wherry). Thought it was a bit low so gave it a good stir too. This brought the OG up to 1.041. So it would appear that adding the water from a height hadn't mixed up the wort as thoroughly as I thought it had.

 

[MyQul]

I use a mechanical whisk. Really works well. Remember to sterilize it first though

 

[MyQul]

I use a mechanical whisk to aereate. Really works well. Remember to sterilize it first though

 

[Lengie10]

thanks for all the advice - however, still befuddled. in a previous post someone suggested giving it a stir (gently I guess) to revitalise any 'unused' yeast. again, following advice on here, I am planning to decant the brew into a second FV and wondered if this will have a similar effect or is it best to leave well alone and just bottle/barrel after 14 days. I know that all of this is very much trial and error and as this is my first brew I shouldn't mess about too much. the beer I am making is the St Peters Ruby red - if anyone has done this one can you suggest a best course of action for decent results. also is it best to bottle or barrel??http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/posting.php?mode=reply&f=36&t=51818#

 

[clibit]

You don't need to stir. Unless the fermentation has stopped at a gravity higher than it should, then a gentle stir to lift the yeast.

Dried yeast does not require wort (pronounced wert) aeration. I only recently found this out. But the manufacturers websites say this. Freaky, but true.

 

[Jazz]

You don't need to stir. Unless the fermentation has stopped at a gravity higher than it should, then a gentle stir to lift the yeast.

Dried yeast does not require wort (pronounced wert) aeration. I only recently found this out. But the manufacturers websites say this. Freaky, but true.

Would you recomend just sprinkling dried yeast on top ?

I saw in a video that you don't want to aerate the wort until it is at the correct temperature to pitch the yeast. Otherwise you could create off flavours /flavors. Why is this so ?