How long to bottle 5 gal. batch (50 bottles)

I tried to use the "search" function but...

Anyway, I was just wondering about how long it will take me to bottle 50 beers? First time, if that matters much? How much faster with a second person helping out?

Not too long, maybe 15-20 minutes at the most, excluding cleanup. I've never timed it, myself, but that's an educated guess. I've never had someone helping me with it either.

It really depends on how you develop your process. I have tweaked my OWN system, as outlined in my bottling sticky, to where it takes about 45 minutes to bottle 5 gallons of beer.

But that came with practice.....if you use the tips in there, you should be able to get it down to a reasonable amount of time.

15-20 minutes? Do you have a bottling line? It take me about an hour.

MeatyPortion said:

Not too long, maybe 15-20 minutes at the most, excluding cleanup. I've never timed it, myself, but that's an educated guess. I've never had someone helping me with it either.

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15-20? That includes sanitizing the bottles and the gear, boiling and adding the priming solution, racking, filling and capping?

It take me about an hour and a half from start to clean.....

I have done it only 6 times but you will get a routine down.

I could probably get it down toless time but I prefer not to rush to avoid mistakes.

It does have a lot to do with how you streamline your own setup... For me, most of the actual time is setup. The actual bottling process is fast. I use either Grolsch or Belgian bottles. Grolsch are faster than either capping or corning (Belgians)...

If you're capping, then having someone ready to take the bottle you just filled, and put the cap onto it will speed things up. Same if you're using Belgians. Having someone to cork, and cage, them will speed things along.

I've not timed how long it takes me to actually bottle... I might when I do the next batch (most likely tomorrow) to see how long each stage takes. I would guesstimate that I'm not taking more than an hour, or so...

I've got a really solid system. I fill up a large plastic bin with starsan and throw in as many bottles as possible. That sets on a chair on my left. Anymore bottles that don't fit in the bin set on the counter directly above it.

Right next to that on my counter is my bottling bucket. Two feet down is my bench capper with a cup of caps in starsan. Then on another chair to my right is an empty case.

Then working from left to right I fill 6 bottles, cap all 6, load into the box and repeat.

Not including setup and clean up I can be capped in under 20 minutes. About an hour including the set up and clean up.

Bottling sober or bottling otherwise?

There is a difference, but in one method you don't give a rat's ass how long it takes

Homebrewtastic, your setup makes mine seem downright simple...

Bottling bucket on small table in front of me. Bottle tree with all sanitized bottles on it to the right. Step stool in front of bottling bucket with towel on it (to catch drips). Towel to my left for filled bottles to go onto.

With all Grolsch bottles.. Pull a few off the tree, fill one, move it to the left, while capping it, while putting the bottling wand into the next bottle to be filled. While that one is being filled, grab a bottle from the tree... Repeat...

Belgian bottles are a little different only in that once they're filled, I bring the floor corker over, take the sanitized (soaked) corks, cork the bottle and then put on the cage. Setting them to the right of the corker (typically into boxes for storage). Corking and putting on the cage maybe takes about 30 seconds a bottle... A full batch is no more than 24 bottles though.

I do agree with the statement about not caring how long it takes... I don't plan to do anything else either that afternoon, or evening, when bottling a batch. Taking your time, doing it right, is important IMO... I don't care if it takes me 2-3 hours from the time I move the batch to the table (to rack to the bottling bucket) until I'm done with the cleanup. I know I'll have great brew to drink in just a few weeks...

BTW, I always bottle sober... You can have a pint when you're done.

Revvy said:

15-20? That includes sanitizing the bottles and the gear, boiling and adding the priming solution, racking, filling and capping?

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I wish. No, like in my post that was excluding clean-up. With sanitizing add in another 10 minutes. Clean up, add another 10. So I think I'd be about where you're at: 35-40 minutes.

Get two friends to help

1-filles bottles
2-passes them to capper
3-caps and puts in empty case

That should take bout 20 minutes.

Usually takes me an hour. That includes setup, bottling and cleanup.

MeatyPortion said:

Not too long, maybe 15-20 minutes at the most, excluding cleanup. I've never timed it, myself, but that's an educated guess. I've never had someone helping me with it either.

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Holy crap you must be a bottling god. It takes me at least an hour.

C-Rider said:

Get two friends to help

1-filles bottles
2-passes them to capper
3-caps and puts in empty case

That should take bout 20 minutes.

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Friend #2 seems he'll be doing nothing. #2 and #3 will always be waiting for #1 filling the bottles. I don't think it will cut down the time that much.

I can do all 3 at the same time:
1. Bottle with my left hand
2. Place a sanitized crown from my vinator basin (full of starsan) on top of bottle with right hand
3. Bench cap with my right hand
4. Place it into empty case with right hand

It's pretty easy to do everything before the bottle is done filling. The only problem I run into is that it's rough on my back. I do it on a workbench with the capper screwed into the bench and I'm sitting in a chair in front. I'm constantly leaning left and right, reaching up and down. Bottle tree is on the ground to my left and cases are on the ground to my right. I'm thinking of getting a rolling chair so I can roll instead of leaning. And also elevating the empty case on top of an upside down recycling container. Maybe I'll try elevating the tree too.

If you go no-stop on average it takes 20 seconds to pick up the bottle, insert the wand, fill it, and put it down somewhere safe, it's still going to take you 17 minutes without capping, cleaning, or mixing your sugar.

For your first time, I would allow yourself at least 2 hours. By the time you clean, boil the sugar mix, rack onto it in your bottling bucket, fill your bottles, cap em, put them away and clean up, it could take a while. I wouldn't want to start a like 3 if you have to leave at 4. I've seen a few threads about people leaving half way thru brewing or bottling. I would assume you could still get it done in around an hour by yourself, but don't rush.

Do yourself a favor and get a 3/4" pvc elbow from the hardware store and attach it to the spigot. This can serve as a dip tube and will remove the need to tip the bucket to get the last bits of liquid out. I just bottled for the second time on Sunday and it made it much easier than my first time. Give yourself an hour for the entire process. I found that putting the bucket on the fridge and attaching a racking tube and bottling wand was the perfect height for my counter.

I'm finding that retirement has caused me to care less about how long it takes me to do something. Bottling a 5 gallon batch of beer doesn't really take too long, and I enjoy doing it because I've invested time, energy and part of myself into that liquid I'm bottling. To bottle the batch takes about an hour, but that does NOT include sanitizing the bottles in the dishwasher. I do other things while that is going on.

glenn514