The Domino Effect

Speranza · 07-02-2007, 11:25 AM

Just a word of advice for us newbies about bottling. It may seem easy to just top off a bunch of bottles then cap them. This keeps you from switching back and forth and back and forth. Well having a bunch of uncapped bottles sitting in the floor is a very bad idea. If one falls, they all fall...

Luckily my cat like reflexes saved them but I still ended up with a huge mess. Thankfully I used a towel on the kitchen floor for the first time

heinz57 · 07-02-2007, 01:09 PM

The first time I bottled I had a few curious friends who were there to cap while I filled. I don't plan on having them around every time, but it sure helps if somebody is there to help out.

homebrewer_99 · 07-02-2007, 01:22 PM

Floor? Let me impart some wisdom to you...

On a counter...place your bottling bucket on top of another bucket and leave your bottles on the counter.

**FSR402** · 07-02-2007, 04:07 PM

I did my bottling by myself. I would fill 12, then cap, repeat.

IowaStateFan · 07-02-2007, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebrewer_99

Floor? Let me impart some wisdom to you...

On a counter...place your bottling bucket on top of another bucket and leave your bottles on the counter.

I've got an even better idea that I got from this board. Set your bottling bucket on the counter above your dishwasher. Open the door of the dishwasher, line up your empty bottles and fill away. I get about a case of bottles at time on the dishwasher door. Any spills are contained on the dishwasher door making cleanup easy.

**FSR402** · 07-02-2007, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IowaStateFan

I've got an even better idea that I got from this board. Set your bottling bucket on the counter above your dishwasher. Open the door of the dishwasher, line up your empty bottles and fill away. I get about a case of bottles at time on the dishwasher door. Any spills are contained on the dishwasher door making cleanup easy.

LOL... I believe it was Homebrewer_99 that said that.

Evan! · 07-02-2007, 10:51 PM

So, let me get this straight: if you fill a bunch of bottles, don't cap them, then sit them all next to each other on the floor...you could spill a bunch??!??!!! Who woulda thunk it. You learn something new every day!

homebrewer_99 · 07-03-2007, 02:34 AM

No, I just said they didn't have to be done on the floor.

Not everyone has a dishwasher, but we all should have a second bucket (mush cheaper than buying a dishwasher).

Here's another tip when capping.

Set a couple of bottles (4-5 depending on counter space) in front of you in a straight line going away from you. After the caps are placed on the bottles you can take your Red Baon capper and cap one at a time without moving the bottles out of your way.

teu1003 · 07-03-2007, 10:02 PM

try putting them in 6pack holders

salzar · 07-04-2007, 06:04 AM

I built a rack out of wood. They have two sheets of plywood separated by a few inches, with holes that are bigger then the bottle on the top(2 3/8 i think) and on the bottom holes bigger then the necks(1 7/8) . I use 2x4 for legs. Each one can hold 25 12oz bottles, what I like is that I can wash and then set the bottles to dry upside down on the rack, and then flip the bottle over to fill.