Swirling bucket

[JR McKnight]

Does it hurt to swirl or shake my primary fermentation bucket when the fermentation gets toward the end to shake up the yeast?

[DannyW]

Swirling gently is OK, shaking to a froth is probably less good if taken to extreme and not any more effective.

[J.Brew]

What if the head space is purged with CO2 and there is no threat of oxygen pick up or contamination? Doe the same rule of rousing still apply?

[Thirsty Mallard]

I would think you would want to keep that yeast that fell out early and may be in early stages of autolysis buried under the other stuff. I don't know, I'm no microbiologist.