gator_brewer

Recipes 

So I made a 1 gallon mead, and have no idea how to bottle it. I feel like my normal bottling bucket is going to leave more behind than it will bottle (between what sticks to the sides and can't reach the spigot).

Anyone have anything thoughts or ideas? My only thought is rack to another 1 gal bottle (to get off trub) and just use a funnel to pour into bottles.

Help please

gator_brewer

Recipes 

oh yeah, i'm bottling into the mini-beer bottles (7oz) so I'll need to fill a lot of them, not just 4 wine bottles.

Also, I saw online to use a wine thief on the end of a ranking cane, but without an auto-siphon I'm not sure how to start everything moving. If there is a trick to this, that would work as well.

Thanks again

Kahler

Recipes 

Go to your hardware store and buy a one gallon paint bucket, drill a hole and put your valve from your bottling bucket on it.

Beer_Eugenics

Recipes 

You could make a dip tube.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

devianttouch

Recipes 

I actually do the method you suggest here - I rack into a 1 gallon pitcher, and then bottle into beer bottles with a funnel. I am careful as I can be not to splash it a whole bunch by running down the side of the bottle instead of aiming straight down. It's careful work, but it works.

I should say, however, that so far I have only bottled cider (not beer, mead, or wine yet) because I'm still new at this and my wine and mead are all still in secondary. But it worked quite well with cider.

I'm going to keep an eye on this in case there is a better way to do it. The dip-tube option is too complicated for me.

Kahler

Recipes 

You are looking for trouble using a funnel. Excess air will oxidize your beer/cider/wine.

crane

Recipes 

There is a much easier way to accomplish this than cutting and bending copper tubing. I saw a thread in the DIY sub forum on this. Go to your hardware store and buy a PVC 3/4" FPT to slip elbow. Done. It screws directly onto your bottling valve. By doing this and tipping the bucket I only leave behind a very small amount of beer.