Bottling Sucks!

So I managed to get the beer into the bottles but it was pretty brutal. Lots of spills, a few capping mishaps, leaky tubing, tons of cleanup... when do we start kegging???

Speaking of cleanup, how do you guys dispose of your trub? I went down the sink with it (figured it would help clean out the pipes) but I didn't know if there was a better method.

TheJadedDog said:

So I managed to get the beer into the bottles but it was pretty brutal. Lots of spills, a few capping mishaps, leaky tubing, tons of cleanup... when do we start kegging???

Speaking of cleanup, how do you guys dispose of your trub? I went down the sink with it (figured it would help clean out the pipes) but I didn't know if there was a better method.

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I dump it in the bushes unless it has a lot of hops in it. If it has hops in it, I dump it down the drain (b/c hops are poisonous to dogs, and I have a boxer that eats plants).

-walker

So far each of my brews has been extract, lme/dme. I just save the empty lme can and dump my trub back in it. Then I just place it in a bag, tie it off, and drop 'er in the garbage.

I put all the extras from the brewing process onto my compost pile. My flower beds love it.

Mine goes right into the compost pile too, though I do throw out the whole hops when I strain them, as they are not good for the chocolabs...

TheJadedDog said:

So I managed to get the beer into the bottles but it was pretty brutal. Lots of spills, a few capping mishaps, leaky tubing, tons of cleanup... when do we start kegging???

Speaking of cleanup, how do you guys dispose of your trub? I went down the sink with it (figured it would help clean out the pipes) but I didn't know if there was a better method.

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The best recommendation I got was to put the empty bottles upright in the top rack an empty dishwasher. My top rack holds almost enough 22oz and 16oz bottles for a 5 gallon batch and most spills go right in the dishwasher.

My trub goes in the garden

I did not know hops are bad for dogs. Wow, I don't have to learn anything else today.

Yes, bottling is the least fun part of homebrewing.

I dump the trub in the toilet - just don't forget to flush! If I was not in an apartment I would dump it in the woods.

feedthebear said:

The best recommendation I got was to put the empty bottles upright in the top rack an empty dishwasher. My top rack holds almost enough 22oz and 16oz bottles for a 5 gallon batch and most spills go right in the dishwasher.

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seems like a great idea! last time i bottled i ended up with a large towel nearly soaked in beer. maybe im just messy, but the dishwasher idea seems golden.

Wheat King said:

seems like a great idea! last time i bottled i ended up with a large towel nearly soaked in beer. maybe im just messy, but the dishwasher idea seems golden.

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I line my bottles up on the inside of the dishwasher door...bucket on the counter above them. Works like a charm. Any spills are on the door where they can be washed off next time I do dishes.

I then bottle on top of a towel and rinse the bottles after capping.

Oh how I wish I had a dishwasher, just another reason to move out of my apartment and into a house, that and having space to store all my brew.

You know a good substitute for a dishwasher would be to get a cutting board, tray, or bucket the size of the bottom of your sink (so it sits relatively flat), and putting your bottles in it for filling. Spills are still contained.

I looked up hop toxicity for dogs. It causes, “malignant hyperthermia”: heavy panting, rapid heart beat, high fever, and carbon dioxide increase in the blood stream. Treatment: cold water baths to keep temperature down and a trip to the vet for temperature control and antibiotics.

Greyhounds and similar breeds seem to be at the highest risk.

no way. bottling is great. i can do 20 gallons in just under 2 hours. i personally love it.

fezzman said:

I line my bottles up on the inside of the dishwasher door...bucket on the counter above them. Works like a charm. Any spills are on the door where they can be washed off next time I do dishes.

I then bottle on top of a towel and rinse the bottles after capping.

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dude thats genius....

I enjoy bottling also... ...but then again, unbottling is more fun...

aekdbbop said:

dude thats genius....

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Glad ya like it. It came from the mind of a genius. Oh wait, I read about it in someone else's thread. It works great though.

I after I fill the ones on the door, I just pull more empties out of the dishwasher and line them up.

My mulch pile is also enriched with trub.

Oh yeah, you do have a bottling wand and an autosiphon don't you? If not, I'd highly recommend it. They help a lot. Definitely get a wand.

I absolutely love bottling day nowadays. Im done in about 15 minutes.

Of course, I should rephrase that, and say I love kegging day now.

Bottling was the only thing I really disliked about brewing. I may bottle again, but not anytime soon.

I use the dishwasher door also. Easy peasy with the clean up and all the bottles are right there. Then I stack them on the kitchen couter, seal them and then wipe them down.

The kegging thing is making me jealous. I just don't have a kegorator

Chimone said:

I absolutely love bottling day nowadays. Im done in about 15 minutes.

Of course, I should rephrase that, and say I love kegging day now.

Bottling was the only thing I really disliked about brewing. I may bottle again, but not anytime soon.

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I'm with you. I'm starting my Christmas beer this week, and the only thing I dread about it is having to bottle it so I can give it away.

I eat my Trub

55 12 oz bottles staring at me every time I check the Secondary.

I can hear them laughing at me...

pbowler said:

I eat my Trub...

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"Waste not want not" I guess... At least it's high in protien.

Here is the answer:

Stop Bottling, cause you know it is not an addiction

Start kegging and carbonatin! You will be glad you did, and if everyone started kegging in the first place there would be more homebrewing goin on!

I don't mind the actual bottling. My next-door neighboor absolutely loves capping bottles for some reason (he says it makes him feel like part of the process), so that helps ease the pain a bit. But actually I don't mind bottling at all. I like to crank my stereo up, drink some beers and bottle. Quite therapeutic actually.

Now cleaning and sanitizing all those bottles is another story. I don't like doing that very much.

MrEcted1 said:

Now cleaning and sanitizing all those bottles is another story. I don't like doing that very much.

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amen brother. amen.

I dislike bottling too, but I cheer myself up with the thought of "next time I see you, my dear sweet beer and yeasties, you'll be getting me drunk"

My wife's getting mad about the collection of bottles in the garage, so I she's forcing me into getting a keg system some day. Isn't she just a battleaxe?

eviltwinofjoni said:

I dislike bottling too, but I cheer myself up with the thought of "next time I see you, my dear sweet beer and yeasties, you'll be getting me drunk"

My wife's getting mad about the collection of bottles in the garage, so I she's forcing me into getting a keg system some day. Isn't she just a battleaxe?

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Wow, you've got it rough. I've completely taken over the spare bedroom with full and empty bottles. Oh, I certainly hope my wife doesn't force me to keg.

I wish I could keg, but I don't have the $$$ for it right now, plus SWMBO is starting to get that look that says, "I'm glad you found a hobby you like, but when will this insanity end?" so I'm thinking it's probably not the right time to start buying corneys and kegging equipment.

But oh how I would love a kegerator...sigh...

MrEcted1 said:

Now cleaning and sanitizing all those bottles is another story. I don't like doing that very much.

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I think thats the part everyone dreads. Bottling is actually kind of fun, it's the cleaning, scrubing, sanitizing, & drying of those 55 bottles everytime that sucks.

Well, there's always party-pigs. Fill 2 of those bad-boys up and you're set.