Wow...bottling alone sux!!!

**BrianTheBrewer** · 12-02-2008, 01:06 AM

Today was the first time I bottled a batch of beer without my friends. It was fun at first because I wanted to see if I could do it alone (which I did) but wow what a pain. The clean up was the worst. I started at 2:15pm and finally finished at 6:45pm. Not that bad of time. I see now why I love brewing with the people I brew/bottle with.

How many of you bottle alone and hate it/love it???

billtzk · 12-02-2008, 01:11 AM

I occasionally have "help" (if you can call it that) when I'm brewing. Mostly the help eats my food, drinks my beers, smokes my cigars, and distracts me while I'm brewing. Nice.

I always bottle alone. Funny, no one seems to want to help with that.

Lots of people volunteer to help me drink my brew. They know how much I love to brew, so I guess they think they are doing me a favor?

k1v1116 · 12-02-2008, 01:16 AM

I have always bottled alone maybe 20 or so 5 gallon batches. its sucks but it shouldnt take more than 2.5hours total. there are cheats, like using bigger bottles and/or fliptops.

**Bernie Brewer** · 12-02-2008, 02:13 AM

4 1/2 hrs???

Don't worry, you'll get the process streamlined. Then you'll start kegging.

**Sastrugi** · 12-02-2008, 02:18 AM

I'm a lone bottler and always have been, but I have my system down and it only takes a couple of hours, max. I don't mind it much because it brings me one big step closer to opening the bottles back up and drinking what's inside...

+1 on bigger bottles!

Conroe · 12-02-2008, 02:34 AM

I never timed it but I think I bottle a batch in less than a hour. That is after the dishwasher sanitizes them. I move so fast other people get in my way. With others we talk and drink beer. I don't even have a sip when I'm bottling.

Orangevango · 12-02-2008, 04:00 AM

Luckily my girlfriend loves to bottle. She actualy doesn't want me to start kegging because she likes to bottle.

mattmcl · 12-02-2008, 04:31 AM

I've got it down to about 30 minutes, but I use bombers.

jmartyg · 12-02-2008, 04:59 AM

i'm down to about 30 minuts of the botteling process. Dishwasher sanitizes them in 2 runs of 3 dozen 341ml bottles. I usually find one or two with a cracked or chipped mouth.

here is my process:
- After the dish washer cooks them, i put them in 12 packs and cover with a plastic bag.
- Start the second run of 3 dozen bottles in the dishwasher.
- Boil the priming sugar in 500ml of water.
- Sanitize the bucket, lid, cane and hose
- the sugar water should be cooled enough not to make me think it will melt the bucket. so now I rack to the bucket, insert lid and put in the corner for a few minutes.
- I usually have another 5 gallon batch I need to rack, so I sanitize the carboy I just emptied and rack to that
- the first 3 dozen bottls should be cooled now
- Check the dishwasher; should be on the last leg of the 'drying' process.
- if there is time, i clean up the bucket/carboy I just racked from and put it away.
- START BOTTLEING
- put he botteling bucket on the counter pull up a chair and get the 3 cases in arms reach.
- fill 12 bottles at a time; I leave them in the case when i do this, makes thing faster.
- cap 12 bottles. I use a bench capper on the floor. I get better leverage this way and my shoulder doesnt hurt.
- dishwasher should click itslef off about now. (about 30 minutes total time). Open it up, wait for the steam to clear and pull out the rack.
- fill and cap the remaining 24 clean and cooled bottles.
- smoke break
- empty dishwasher - put the 3 dozen in cases
- the bottles should be fairly warm to the toch, so sometimes i have to kill some time
- fill 12, cap.. repeat 1.5 times.
- clean bottleing bucket, lid, cane, hose and put away.
- if i am starting anoter batch, I just use the bucket I just bottled from, or the one I racked from, depending if I want to use that yeast or not..
- scrub the spill I always make of the floor and counter.

If no one gets in my way, and if i am not starting another batch, it takes about 2.5-3 hours start to finish including cleanup.

**bsay** · 12-02-2008, 05:22 AM

Call me crazy, but I bottle while I brew another batch. There's so much down time in brewing, I might as well be doing other beer related activities.

12-02-2008, 01:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
BrianTheBrewer I have a clue...kinda Recipes Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MA Posts: 679 BrianTheBrewer's Gallery BLOG ENTRIES: 1	Wow...bottling alone sux!!! Today was the first time I bottled a batch of beer without my friends. It was fun at first because I wanted to see if I could do it alone (which I did) but wow what a pain. The clean up was the worst. I started at 2:15pm and finally finished at 6:45pm. Not that bad of time. I see now why I love brewing with the people I brew/bottle with. How many of you bottle alone and hate it/love it??? __________________ No Clue Brewery, Acton MA Primary: Belgian Dubble, Hopzilla IPA Secondary: Conditioning: Oatmeal Stout...Dog Drool Nut Brown Ale...Hopzilla IPA...No Clue Pale Ale...Hopzilla IPA Up next: Belgian White...Kolsch...Hopzilla IPA...Dry Stout...Cream Stout...Porter Past brews: WTF Wheat, Boston Ale, Bare Hill Blueberry, Kolsch, Hopzilla IPA "Kölsch is the only language one can drink" - Anon "Good people drink good beer" - Hunter S. Thompson

12-02-2008, 01:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
billtzk Senior Member Recipes Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,159	I occasionally have "help" (if you can call it that) when I'm brewing. Mostly the help eats my food, drinks my beers, smokes my cigars, and distracts me while I'm brewing. Nice. I always bottle alone. Funny, no one seems to want to help with that. Lots of people volunteer to help me drink my brew. They know how much I love to brew, so I guess they think they are doing me a favor? __________________ Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war.

12-02-2008, 02:18 AM	#5 (permalink)
Sastrugi Member Recipes Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Gabriel Valley, CA Posts: 35 Sastrugi's Gallery	I'm a lone bottler and always have been, but I have my system down and it only takes a couple of hours, max. I don't mind it much because it brings me one big step closer to opening the bottles back up and drinking what's inside... +1 on bigger bottles! __________________ Two Boxer Brewery "When the world is too dark and I need the light inside of me I'll walk into a bar and drink fifteen pints of beer" -Shane MacGowan

12-02-2008, 04:59 AM	#9 (permalink)
jmartyg Member Recipes Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: PEI, Canada Posts: 35	i'm down to about 30 minuts of the botteling process. Dishwasher sanitizes them in 2 runs of 3 dozen 341ml bottles. I usually find one or two with a cracked or chipped mouth. here is my process: - After the dish washer cooks them, i put them in 12 packs and cover with a plastic bag. - Start the second run of 3 dozen bottles in the dishwasher. - Boil the priming sugar in 500ml of water. - Sanitize the bucket, lid, cane and hose - the sugar water should be cooled enough not to make me think it will melt the bucket. so now I rack to the bucket, insert lid and put in the corner for a few minutes. - I usually have another 5 gallon batch I need to rack, so I sanitize the carboy I just emptied and rack to that - the first 3 dozen bottls should be cooled now - Check the dishwasher; should be on the last leg of the 'drying' process. - if there is time, i clean up the bucket/carboy I just racked from and put it away. - START BOTTLEING - put he botteling bucket on the counter pull up a chair and get the 3 cases in arms reach. - fill 12 bottles at a time; I leave them in the case when i do this, makes thing faster. - cap 12 bottles. I use a bench capper on the floor. I get better leverage this way and my shoulder doesnt hurt. - dishwasher should click itslef off about now. (about 30 minutes total time). Open it up, wait for the steam to clear and pull out the rack. - fill and cap the remaining 24 clean and cooled bottles. - smoke break - empty dishwasher - put the 3 dozen in cases - the bottles should be fairly warm to the toch, so sometimes i have to kill some time - fill 12, cap.. repeat 1.5 times. - clean bottleing bucket, lid, cane, hose and put away. - if i am starting anoter batch, I just use the bucket I just bottled from, or the one I racked from, depending if I want to use that yeast or not.. - scrub the spill I always make of the floor and counter. If no one gets in my way, and if i am not starting another batch, it takes about 2.5-3 hours start to finish including cleanup. Last edited by jmartyg : 12-02-2008 at 05:04 AM.

12-02-2008, 05:22 AM	#10 (permalink)
bsay Black Dragon Homebrewery Recipes Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 384 bsay's Gallery BLOG ENTRIES: 1	Call me crazy, but I bottle while I brew another batch. There's so much down time in brewing, I might as well be doing other beer related activities. __________________ Check out my Homebrewery Virtual Tour! Next up: Ó Flannagáin Standard Stout Going: Wheat, Flat Tire Going: Cream Ale, Wit Gone: Stout, Cherry Stout, Oktoberfest

12-02-2008, 01:16 AM	#3 (permalink)
k1v1116 Senior Member Recipes Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 755	I have always bottled alone maybe 20 or so 5 gallon batches. its sucks but it shouldnt take more than 2.5hours total. there are cheats, like using bigger bottles and/or fliptops.

12-02-2008, 04:00 AM	#7 (permalink)
Orangevango Senior Member Recipes Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 119	Luckily my girlfriend loves to bottle. She actualy doesn't want me to start kegging because she likes to bottle.

12-02-2008, 04:31 AM	#8 (permalink)
mattmcl Senior Member Recipes Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Erie, CO Posts: 116	I've got it down to about 30 minutes, but I use bombers.

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