jvanwest

Recipes 

I had a question for those that are more experienced. I was told at the local Homebrew shop that when I move from my fermenter to the bottling bucket, I should use a siphon.

Currently, I have been using a strainer with a tight mesh filter and pouring into the bottling bucket with my sugar before I get bottling. My brew partner and I have felt that this gives extra aeration to the beer before we begin bottling. They guy at the home brew store told me this was incorrect and I should always use a siphon but did not give me a reason why pouring through a strainer was not optimal.

Can you tell me if this is just another reason to sell a piece of equipment or is there a good, scientific reason why using a siphon is optimal? I just don't know and the pouring method has been working.

Thanks!

Jerry

northernlad

Recipes 

After fermentation, the introduction of oxygen into the beer can lead to off flavors over time. You may not taste the "wet cardboard" or "sherry-like" flavors Palmer talks about in How to Brew if your beer does not stick around very long.
The general concensus is to transfer "quietly" usually by siphoning to avoid potential problems.

Pouring through a strainer is not optimal for the above reasons.

Rick500

Recipes 

You want to avoid getting oxygen into the beer when moving from the fermenter to the bottling bucket to the bottles.

Oxygen is only good when putting the wort into the fermenter. Post-fermentation, it will oxidize the beer (not good).

Siphoning into the bottling bucket is the best way to get it in there while avoiding getting air into it. Also the easiest way to keep the sediment from the fermenter out of the bottling bucket and bottles.

[Edit: northernlad beat me to it. ]

lx302

Recipes 

You want to use a siphon.
That way you can keep all the trub in the bottling bucket and don't have to worry about straining. You also said something about aeration as being good. At this stage of beer making you don't want ANY aeration or O2 getting into your beer.
So get a nice syphon and some tubing. Get enough length of tubing so it is submerged into the beer, minimizing aeration.
Also add your priming sugar mixture before you syphon the beer over and it will then get mixed in nicely. After the beer is syphon over to the bottling bucket, use your syphon wand to slowly stir the beer without splashing before bottling. I then place a bottling valve/wand over the tubing and continue my process.
Hope this helps.

jvanwest

Recipes 

You guys have been great. I'm glad I'm asking. I've bottled 3 batches so far and I have 2 in fermenting buckets which I brewed last Saturday. I don't want to waste beer and really want to have the best product produced. I really love this site as it allows me to get feedback on things I'm doing and/or planning on doing. I did pick up the Auto Siphon from the brew store so when I'm ready to move to the bottling bucket, I will definitely use it.

Thanks!