To stir or not stir!!!

[Little Lukie]

I was taught to not mess with your mash after you pitched your yeast. Old timmers tell me stir everyday till its ready. I searched past notes from the mother ship and never found yes or no. This is after yeasting not before or durring and not a sour mash run. Any ideas good or bad?

[BW Redneck]

If it isn't a sour mash, I wouldn't mess with it. Every time you open the lid, you risk contamination. A sour mash is pretty much foolproof as far as contamination; it's already "contaminated", so to speak.

The only question as far as stirring would be if you were fermenting on the grain. It would be counterproductive in a strained one.

[CAMEL_Joe]

I stir once a day every day till its done with everything
never had any problems

[new_moonshiner]

I stir well.. when adding with a very clean large skewer ..but i always use a starter gallon thats been reproducing for several hours ..some ole timers tell me not to monkey with it till its done ..but i guess as Bw said it depends on what ya making ..

[DestructoMutt]

Nixon and Stone say/wrote that CO2 is bad for yeast (or was it Dr. Cone of LLalemand(sp) that they were paraphrasing?)...anyways...

i shake my rum ferments daily based on their recommendation. they say it helps keep the yeast suspended, which keeps it working/active, and helps rid the wash of CO2 which is toxic to the yeast. again, i shake the fermenter, i don't stir.

[Aidas]

I shake it when I get bored...
Though, there is no need to do so. I like to think that agitating it will let the yeast get to every bit of the mash/wash and extract as much as possible out. But I bet they do whether I shake or not.


Aidas

[rumbaba]

I shake it when I get bored...
Though, there is no need to do so. I like to think that agitating it will let the yeast get to every bit of the mash/wash and extract as much as possible out. But I bet they do whether I shake or not.


Aidas

There is a lot of info on the mother site, and not all of it in agreement. I use Taters fruit wash recipe and that requires stirring in the cap once a day. While i do that I also agitate the bottom to redistribute the heavy flocculants. I have done this with all my washes- fruit(stirred with a large spatula) and rums(just shake the barrel), with no adverse effect, but I did read, I think in the whiskey section, that a lot of agitation during fermentation can lead to the production of higher quantities of fusels.

[Little Lukie]

Thanks Guys. This is a mixed grain/sugar mash. I keep it air tight with airlock installed. I have never stirred and try not to open to often but older guys laugh and say stirr and lightly cover to keep critters out.

[Woody_Woodchuck]

I'm in the give it a daily stir corner. Never do remember not stirring one so can't say if there was a difference. I'd cover the crock with a plastic garbage bag and a piece of plywood. Certainly not an air tight operation and only had one batch go to vinegar on me. My fault as I let it go way past its time.

- Woody

[Uncle Jesse]

Many major distilleries have agitators in their fermenters.

[Tater]

I shake barrel or stir all my washes.

[Mac]

I usually shake or stir when I get the chance or if I happen to think about it. If not, it just sits there and ferments on its own. I'm sure it can't hurt.

Once the yeast takes a good hold, I'm sure there is little chance of contamination if the ferment is strong enough. Aweful lot of co2 coming off the top for an air-born contaminate to get in. I only keep a loose fitting lid on my buckets with no probs.

I do however, sanitize my hands and stirring utinsil with star-san before opening.

[dixiedrifter]

Doesn't really matter one way or the other when the fermentation has already kicked off. However, one is doing a large scale fermentation (over 15 gallons) using a fast yeast stirring helps to dissipate heat.

One thing to note is when first pitching the yeast I prefer to stir for at least 3 minutes to help thoroughly mix up the yeast.. seems like I get a much better start that way.

[pintoshine]

Most of my fermentations stir themselves. They never just sit there waiting to be stirred. If the are that slow I worry I have done something wrong.
I got a sour corn and cornflakes that is driving me crazy it is so slow. It really has me stumped. The only thing I haven't done is put it on a heating pad.

[goose eye]

with corn these boys let it form cap when cap fall it ready

with fruit it in a sack pryed to the botom

aint no need to stir
so im tole

[junkyard dawg]

I think the only reason to stir-beyond that its fun to check out your mashes- is to get the cap knocked down. Some fruit and grain mashes can form mold on the top if not stirred in regularly.

edit... I stir most of mine too....

[eternalfrost]

i have a 5 gal rum wash going. was starting to slow down at the air lock after 2 days. started at a bubble every 1 sec now was at one every 5 sec.

i gave it a good shake up by tilting it on edge a few inches and letting it drop a few times. right away the airlock went insane, machine gun of bubbles. im guessing this is from knocking co2 out of solution, like shaking up soda.

after it settled down it was back up to 1-2 sec per bubble, so it looks like it is beneficial to shake it up.

the compleat distiller recommends this because they say the lowered pH from dissolved co2 is bad and that having the wash fully saturated sort of 'drowns' the yeast.

i now give it a drop or two each day or so when i walk by.

[Hillbilly Rebel]

I've tried it both ways, once it is set, I don't stir mine anymore. Just seems to be better to me.

[HookLine]

Once mine (rum or vodka washes) are running I just leave them alone until they have completely stopped bubbling, and have settled out for 3 days or so. Then rack it off once and let it settle for another 3 days. Then into the still.

[blind drunk]

I stir prod shake smell taste and look at it until it's done. I can't leave them alone until it's time to rack. Lucky so far. BD.

[Shroud]

I have read that some old timers got into the habit of stirring in the cap to keep any significant bacterial colonies from forming on it. The alcohol would take care of it while it was still small. I'm not sure how many of them understood what was actually happening, they just knew that they had more successful washes when they stirred as opposed to not stirring. If you are using a more modern fermenter with an airlock, this shouldn't be a problem.

More modern guys seem to think that with the high potency yeasts (like turbos), that a lack of oxygen can develop in the wash. Thus, they stir to mix oxygen into the wash. I'm not sure that makes any sense, since oxygen dissolves into the water from the top, but in a modern fermenter, all the carbon dioxide would prevent any significant oxygen from coming into contact with the surface of the wash.

I've made wine, mead, beer, and distilling washes. I've never shaken or stirred except out of curiosity, and never had any problems. However, I've always used good old plastic buckets and glass carboys with five gallon or less washes. Bigger washes might behave differently.

I will say this, though. If you use a turbo yeast in a bucket with lots of head space and you give it a really good shake, it will sound like bacon frying! I found that out on accident. Then I did it again just for fun once or twice. I'm a man of simple pleasures...

[pro65]

I stirr mine on occasion, most of the time I will pull the air lock and cover the bung with my thumb and shake very hard and then re-install the air lock.