Filtering beer into bottles

So we're about to start our 5th homebrew now, this time we've made sure we will fit the little bottler tap, so we no longer need to syphon it out.

Previously we would use a syphon hose (attached to the little bottler wand), with a muslin cloth over the end in the beer (sterilised of course) to filter it a little. This works well until the end of the FV, as it tries to suck up so much sediment.

So, with the little bottler, we're hoping we won't disturb the beer that much, but we still think we'd like to filter the last few bottles (at least) to ensure not much sediment gets through.

I've seen people use paint strainers in a funnel, to bottle the beer. With this, we wouldn't use the valved bottler wand, but just open the tap into a large funnel until the bottle is full.

It seems a bit of a work around, so is there a better solution out there?

You are asking for oxidation and possible infection by running it into a funnel first before the bottle. Oxidation is your mortal enemy when handling beer post fermentation. I tend to just leave some beer behind when doing transfers and/or bottling. It is just the cost of making the best beer possible.

Oxidation by it falling into a filter you mean?

Is there any other ways to do it?

samg said:

Oxidation by it falling into a filter you mean?

Is there any other ways to do it?

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When you bottle, you normally rack to a bottling bucket (out of the fermenter), and leave the trub and floaties behind. That's why many of us do that. Then the clear beer is mixed in with the priming sugar solution, during the racking, and bottled with a bottling wand.

The reason for the bottling wand (and/or tubing) is so that the beer doesn't splash or pour or otherwise get unduly exposed to oxygen. Transferring with a siphon or tubing means that there isn't as much chance for the beer to have oxygen pickup. Putting it through a strainer or filter after fermentation (when the beer is vulnerable to oxidation) would ruin it.

I have seen a few people put a sanitized paint straining bag over the racking cane, inside the fermenter, to avoid sucking up floaties. I've never had luck with that, as it clogged my siphon, but others have. Careful racking is the best and easiest way to avoid floaties in the beer.

If your beer isn't clear and it needs to be filtered or strained at bottling to be clear, there is an issue with the transferring techniques so I'd look at how the beer looks (should be clear) before transferring, and I'd consider working on better siphoning techniques instead of risking oxidation.

If you carefully rack from the fermenter into your bottling bucket, the amount of trub should be minimal. I wouldn't advise passing the beer through any filter, as that will aerate the heck out of it. Having a bit of sediment on the bottoms of bottles is normal and not harmful. When decanting to a glass, pour all but the last 1/2 ounce or so.

Edit: What Yooper just said. (In with my reply 1 minute late!)

Yooper put it beautifully, but I’d like to add a couple of things.

Before I bottle I move the fermentor to the counter. I’m not very strong and it gets all shook up (insert Elvis joke). I let it set there for a few hours to settle before racking. I use carboys, so it’s a good idea to put a t-shirt on it to prevent skunking.

Re priming sugar be sure to dissolve the priming sugar in a cup of boiling water first, then add it to your bottling container. Set the hose to provide a gentle swirl, I find that’s all the mixing I need.

I heartily agree about the bottling wand. You’re filling from the bottom, much more gentle than glugging it in from a stupid spigot. I think bottling buckets should have a warning label, something like “Not to be used for bottling”.