Bottling Tips for the Homebrewer - Page 25

pinkfloyd4ever · 01-08-2010, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinkfloyd4ever

Ok so I found an unopened bag of Brewers Best crowns in the basement, but they're probably around 10ish years old.

Is it a bad idea to use them?

anyone, anyone?

Apparently david_42 uses some that are 8 years old, http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/first-timer-sort-looking-non-boring-recipe-153478/#post1774178 though he wouldn't really give an opinion

someone has to have some thoughts/opinions on this...I would've already bought some new ones to ease my mind, but both LHBSs pretty far out of my way.

BioBeing · 01-08-2010, 04:51 AM

As long as they aren't rusted, and the little bit of plastic in them looks OK, what else can go wrong...

coach · 01-24-2010, 02:54 AM

bottled my first batch today. this thread helped tremendously. thanks Revvy!

the actual bottling/capping process only took about 45 minutes, but the with all the prep work and clean-up, it was more like 2.5 hours. not that i'm complaining. it's all part of the process. i just need to hone & streamline my procedures.

on the agenda for next bottling... dip tube.

jrss13 · 02-06-2010, 03:28 AM

I just bottled my first batch of beer last week Monday (1/25/10). It was a coopers Pilsner pre-hopped kit, and according to the info I read in this thread, I decided to test one after roughly a week . I set a bottle in my fridge Wednesday and decided to taste it this evening (9 days conditioning and 2 days in fridge). There wasn't much of a noise when I popped the cap... and there wasn't much head... but holy cow it is carbed like champagne at this point. I poured the glass about 15 minutes ago, and it is still bubbling like crazy.

I measured out the priming sugar by weight according to the recipe... and it has been conditioning in a closet at about 62 degress. I figured if anything it would take longer to build up the carb because my temp isn't at the desired 70. I know people generally get grief for posting that their beer is too flat before they wait a full 3 weeks... but mine is the opposite after only 9 days.

Should I be concerned that these have built up champagne style bubbles by only 9 days conditioning and 2 days in the fridge? Will this mellow out, or should I put them all in the fridge at this point? The beer was at 1.006 when I bottled it (according to recipe)... so I don't think it is an issue of bottling too early.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

JimE · 02-07-2010, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sigmund

I don't clamp mine, it's just a slight interference fit. I just slide the tube onto my bottling bucket and over my wand and off I go. No issues with air getting in.

I do this, too.

JimE · 02-07-2010, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBBaron

I label all my beers on the cap only. Instead of trying to write something legible and meaningful on the cap I use some colored Avery 3/4" round labels. you can download a template from Avery for the label sheets so that you can use your computer to print out the label. I am able to find a beer name and brew date. This means I don't have to come up with some kind of code and even people who receive gifts from me have some idea what the beer is.

Craig

+1 for the Avery Labels

JimE · 02-07-2010, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dextersmom

kinda curious. does anyone (or did i just miss it) bottle by using their autosiphon with the bottle filler attached to the and of the hose? I've bottled two batches that way and i think i like it better than my old method (bottle filler, bridge, spigot) but i'm not sure yet.

I did that once. I found it to be a PITA. I figured out this spigot method, after which I've not spilled hardly andy beer during bottling. I want to try the dip tube.

imperial · 02-07-2010, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bernerbrau

I'm having some trouble getting consistent carbonation in my beers lately. I've recently switched to doing long primaries followed by long secondaries (1-2 months). Common wisdom says there's enough yeast left in the carboy to carbonate the beer. Well, with priming sugar I wasn't getting consistent carbonation (some carbed, some flat) so I switched to muntons tabs. No change.

I've read that if you let your beer sit for over two months (or maybe it was a month) in primary and secondary, you should add some yeast when bottling. I generally follow this rule and it works well. I too had beers that would not bottle condition after months in a fermentor, but now I rehydrate some US-05 and put a little (I'm going to start measuring it soon) in the bottling bucket with the priming sugar right before I add the beer.

jrss13 · 02-07-2010, 01:54 PM

Anyone have any input for my over-carbed here after 9 days conditioning and 2 days in fridge? Should I just move all of them to fridge now? 9 days to over-carb seems fast

northernlad · 02-07-2010, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrss13

Anyone have any input for my over-carbed here after 9 days conditioning and 2 days in fridge? Should I just move all of them to fridge now? 9 days to over-carb seems fast

Did you try just the one? I'd bet a sixer it was a fluke and the rest are right on schedule. The first few batches I did I had a few gushers. Then I stated gently stirring in the priming sugar and they have been consistently carbed.