To stir or not

I recommend that you stir everything up vigorously while punching down, and until you press after fermentation. If you allow the lees to compact - especially as the fermentation is dying down - a reductive situation can easily develop in it, just like in a swamp where there is a shortage of oxygen. That can promote hydrogen sulfide production and you _definitely_ don't want that in your wine!

After pressing into a container, let it settle for a couple of hours to overnight (max) and rack the clearest part to airlocked containers. Save the muck and reclaim as much wine as you can from it, but if it starts to smell stinky just dump it. It's not worth your time trying to deal with that stuff, and you certainly don't want to mix it into the good stuff.

Tom S

Thanks for the advice Tom!

I have a follow up question regarding primary fermentation of white grapes. This year I decided to ferment my Chardonnay in a 54L DJ instead of the usual plastic fermenter and I am wondering if I made a mistake. In this forum I have read 2 approaches:

1) ferment in a container with no air lock and stir every day? 2) ferment under air lock and don't bother stirring since yeast do not require oxygen?

Which is the right approach for white grapes?

thanks

Joe

Actually, yeast _do_ require oxygen during their growth phase, early in the fermentation.

I have mostly barrel fermented Chardonnay, so oxygen access has never been a problem. The times I have made small batches in a carboy have usually gone OK too, but occasionally one will stick and require a bit of air to get going again. Using yeast nutrient helps prevent this problem.

Tom S

Tom, Do you mean stir the white primary fermentation only if it gets stuck(or if other problems occur)? Or is it better to stir regularly? This is only my second chardonnay and last time I had to contend with h2s. thanks Joe