Quick question about bottling

Hi all and Merry Christmas!!

I just transferred my wort to the bottling bucket. I must have disturbed the trub because I noticed a fair amount of particles coming through the tubing in the first half minute or so. My plan now is to let the wort rest in the bottling bucket for a while to let the solids settle before transferring to the bottles. My question: How long does it need to rest to make sure the solids have settled?

Thanks
timo

Once that crap makes it into the bottling bucket, I've found that I'm pretty much doomed to get a bunch of it in the bottles (sometimes I can hold it off until the last few bottles, sometimes not.) I use a spigot, though. Are you using a spigot or a cane to bottle the beer?

timo944 said:

Hi all and Merry Christmas!!

I just transferred my wort to the bottling bucket. I must have disturbed the trub because I noticed a fair amount of particles coming through the tubing in the first half minute or so. My plan now is to let the wort rest in the bottling bucket for a while to let the solids settle before transferring to the bottles. My question: How long does it need to rest to make sure the solids have settled?

Thanks
timo

Click to expand...

Even if it rests, running it through the spigot (presuming you have one) on your present bucket is going to transfer the trub to your bottles. You could use an auto-siphon with a clamp for bottling, but it's almost a 2-man operation. If you didn't cold-crash, now would be the time to do it and then in a couple of days, rack it again to another bottling bucket. Did you already add priming sugar?

An auto-siphon was possibly one of the single best items I recently purchased, and they are quite affordable. I move my FV to a nice high counter top a day or so before I know I am going to bottle and then when I auto-siphon to the bottling bucket, I manage to miss the majority of the big stuff.

Or just don't worry about it. Make sure you leave the trub in the bottle when pouring a pint. Next time you can use a cheese cloth over your siphon when racking the beer. This normally works well for me.

I always rack my beers to leave all that stuff (or 95% of it or so) in the primary so there is less chance it will get into the bottling bucket. HOw long did you let it sit in the primary before bottling? Another good thing to do (which I learned the hard way) was to move my secondary (or in your case primary) to where I would be bottling the DAY BEFORE I bottle - that way if you do stir up any stuff while moving the container, it has another 24 hours to help settle and not get into your bottling bucket.

For those of us that bottle, I think we'll always have some of the trub getting into the bottles. Using some type of filter [cheesecloth???] may help. I just don't worry about it, and leave about 1/4 inch of liquid in the bottles when I pour. I do rack to secondary, just to keep the fermenter free for another batch. That may help me in reducing the trub in my brews.

glenn514

glenn514 said:

For those of us that bottle, I think we'll always have some of the trub getting into the bottles. Using some type of filter [cheesecloth???] may help. I just don't worry about it, and leave about 1/4 inch of liquid in the bottles when I pour. I do rack to secondary, just to keep the fermenter free for another batch. That may help me in reducing the trub in my brews.

glenn514

Click to expand...

I have had one bottle conditioned beer that was clean enough to drink from the bottle. I lagered a doppelbock for 4 months, after which I bottled. Incredibly clear, small yeast layer at the bottom that was sticky enough none of it gets picked up short of shaking the bottle.

I cannot duplicate this feat. :cross:

Pete_WNY said:

Even if it rests, running it through the spigot (presuming you have one) on your present bucket is going to transfer the trub to your bottles. You could use an auto-siphon with a clamp for bottling, but it's almost a 2-man operation. If you didn't cold-crash, now would be the time to do it and then in a couple of days, rack it again to another bottling bucket. Did you already add priming sugar?

Click to expand...

I used a siphon to get it into the bottling bucket. The bottling bucket has a spigot about an inch and a half from the bottom. Yes I have added the priming sugar already.

I had to look up cold-crashing....

I don't have a good place to cold-crash. Fridge does not have room and outside temps (should I put it in the garage) are in the 50's today. Overnight temps are in the 37-38F range tonight and low 30's tomorrow night. So I could:

- put the bucket in the garage where it gets pretty chilly
- wait two days
- rack back to the fermenting bucket
- rack from the fermenting bucket into the bottling bucket
- then bottle using the spigot

The cold-crash would only be overnight for maybe a few hours, and it would occur twice. I don't know them temps in there but maybe in the 40's when it gets cold.

My only concern is if the temp moves around but I'd think it's fairly stable (within 10F)....

Any further advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks - timo

glenn514 said:

I just don't worry about it,

glenn514

Click to expand...

Or, I could do that!!

skunkfunk said:

I have had one bottle conditioned beer that was clean enough to drink from the bottle. I lagered a doppelbock for 4 months, after which I bottled. Incredibly clear, small yeast layer at the bottom that was sticky enough none of it gets picked up short of shaking the bottle.

I cannot duplicate this feat. :cross:

Click to expand...

I bottle all of my beers and they are drink-straight-from-the-bottle clear. Although I usually pour into a glass --- I like seeing the color, head, carb, etc. --- and they are 99% trub-free. What microscopic amount of trub that might be in there, I don't see it in the bottle or the glass. I cold-crash for 24 hrs in the fridge (around 34F), add gelatin, and leave it another 3-4 days. And rack very carefully to bottling bucket.

Ferm. in wide 'boy to lessen overflow, do secondary ferm. in keg which you may tilt if you wish; it won't break. swirl and tilt to get sed. on one side. I use homemade hop oil which seems to cause yeast to paint themselves to bottom of bottle.

Bottle with siphon higher than sed., slowly lowering it as liquid is withdrawn. Remember, don't stuff the tube into the dimple in bottom! Sometimes I have to blow it out if it's too gassy- a PITA but doable. You may lose a bottle to sed., but others will be clear. If all sed. in one 22oz., you can cold-crash and decant.

I prime by pipetting a solution of dextrose a few cc's into each bottle.
Advantages: sol'n can be prepared hot(pasteurized), and stored in freezer(mine did NOT freeze!) till ready. No concern if sugar homogeneously distributed in batch. Can be added beforehand and loosely capped. No need to stir, shake or risk contaminating entire batch.

Disadvantages: got to do some math and measuring; got to use a pipet with a rubber pipettor, available at sci. supply shops.

timo944 said:

I used a siphon to get it into the bottling bucket. The bottling bucket has a spigot about an inch and a half from the bottom. Yes I have added the priming sugar already.

I had to look up cold-crashing....

I don't have a good place to cold-crash. Fridge does not have room and outside temps (should I put it in the garage) are in the 50's today. Overnight temps are in the 37-38F range tonight and low 30's tomorrow night. So I could:

- put the bucket in the garage where it gets pretty chilly
- wait two days
- rack back to the fermenting bucket
- rack from the fermenting bucket into the bottling bucket
- then bottle using the spigot

The cold-crash would only be overnight for maybe a few hours, and it would occur twice. I don't know them temps in there but maybe in the 40's when it gets cold.

My only concern is if the temp moves around but I'd think it's fairly stable (within 10F)....

Any further advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks - timo

Click to expand...

I cold crash outside in the winter all the time. But I usually do it before I transfer to the bottling bucket. That way I don't have to bottle right away. I can just leave the bottling bucket outside, priming sugar and all. if its sunny I throw a coat over it so the UV's don't skunk it.

If you can get it cold fast enough the yeast wont start eating the priming sugar. Once you have it bottled and it warms up they will do their thing.