Selfsufficientish.com

I've got a Mrs Beeton ginger wine recipe, the final instructions of which are-

"Stir the wine every day for 14 days. Add the brandy. Stop the vessel down by degrees and in a few weeks it will be ready to bottle."

but what does 'stop the vessel down by degrees' mean?

Little by little.

Presumably to make sure that as the fermantation slows, gradually closing the stopper will ensure there is a constant flow of gas out of the container to keep and nasties from drifting in. A bit like the logic for keeping biohazard labs at a slightly reduced pressure relative to the outside so that air rushes in when the door is opened rather than bugs rushing out.

Apart from which, I'd look around the net for a few more modern recipes. Certainly not one from the Blessed Beeton, who actually didn't know the inside of a kitchen from her backside.