Bottling with no bottling bucket!

Hi all. I have been using carbonation drops (Cooper) in my bottles for priming. In Palmer's "How to Brew" book he writes:

"If you don't have a bottling bucket, open the fermenter and gently pour the priming solution into the beer. Stir the beer gently with a sanitized spoon, trying to mix it in evenly while being careful not to stir up the sediment too much. Wait a half hour for the sediment to settle back down and to allow more diffusion of the priming solution to take place. Use a bottle filler attachment with the siphon to make the filling easier."

Makes things easier for me (I have a bunch of swing-top bottles that are too small for 2 coopers drops and too large for one drop so I thought I would just do as Palmer suggests above.)

What do you think?

Grab ya a siphon from your HBS, its so worth it, when you pour, you oxidate you brew, and cant control how much of the trub you put in your bottles ... is so worth the 10 bucks to get one.

If you like cloudy beer, then do it.......[/sarcasm]

The problem with bottling from a primary or secondary instead of using a bottling bucket, is that since you have patiently gone and let your beer settle and clear, in order to mix the priming solution and beer effectively, you would have to stir it in the carboy..which would a) kick up all that nice sediment you have patiently let fall, b) possibly oxydize the beer.

Go to a hardware store and get a translucent or white bucket...but look for one where the 5 gallon mark falls way below the top of the bucket. Usually it will say 5 gallons at 3rd band from the top. (oh get the lid too....I totally regret not getting it when I did.)

Then get a spigot and make a dedicated bottling bucket. It really defeats the purpose of both a long primary/no secondary or a secondary if you have to stir up all the nice sediment you patiently waited to settle just so you can have consistent carbonation.

Mine is the translucent Leaktite brand 5 gallon container with the gallon and liter markings from Homedepot.



Here's a pic of mine from my bottling thread.



https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/revvys-tips-bottler-first-time-otherwise-94812/

But if you try directly from the primary/secondary you will have unsatisfactory results and possibly even cardboard tasting beer.

probably better off pouring the sugar water into another fermentor/carboy and racking wort on top of it and off the trub. That will mix it up. Then bottle with cane and wand.

EDIT: or do what Revvy said. Damn you type quickly, Rev.

annasdadhockey said:

probably better off pouring the sugar water into another fermentor/carboy and racking wort on top of it and off the trub. That will mix it up. Then bottle with cane and wand.

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I do that when I bottle. Works every time...

annasdadhockey said:

EDIT: or do what Revvy said. Damn you type quickly, Rev.

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Who says I type? I search for a previous of mine answering the same question, then cut and paste.

I probably search myself on here a dozen times a day.

Revvy said:

Who says I type? I search for a previous of mine answering the same question, then cut and paste.

I probably search myself on here a dozen times a day.

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That explains it. I though "Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc" meant "I type faster than you type"

annasdadhockey said:

That explains it. I though "Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc" meant "I type faster than you type"

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No, it means "there's no beginner question that I haven't answered 100 times already, and there is no new question ever asked.

Actually it doesn't but it should.:fro:

OK thanks for the thoughts! The fermenter I have is the Coopers one http://homebrewandbeer.com/productreviews/coopersmicrobrew/fermenter.gif, it has a tap on the bottom with a "sediment reducer" attachment which apparently draws liquid from the top minimizing the amount of sediment transfered during bottling. I attached the bottle hose thing to the tap for filling my bottles. I was thinking that if I poured the priming sugar into this fermenter, stirred and waited 30 mins like Palmer suggests, then filled the bottles, the sediment reducer would eliminate the cloudy factor?

I'm cool about getting a bottling bucket of course. I am just trying to minimize the additional equipment I need for this new hobby!

Thanks for your answers!

Steve

stevedasleeve said:

I am just trying to minimize the additional equipment I need for this new hobby!

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Give it awhile, that'll change.

stevedasleeve said:

OI am just trying to minimize the additional equipment I need for this new hobby!

Thanks for your answers!

Steve

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annasdadhockey said:

Give it awhile, that'll change.

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Oh the young ones are so cute, are they 'hockey. Wanting to minimize equipment and all...You're right, just wait. I thoug I would have the zen brewing approach as well..













But somehow I ended up with 9 primaries....

Ahhh, those early days of homebrewing, when I had to think twice about buying another piece of equipment. Now all I think twice about is whether I need a separate outbuilding for my equipment.

JKoravos said:

Ahhh, those early days of homebrewing, when I had to think twice about buying another piece of equipment. Now all I think twice about is whether I need a separate outbuilding for my equipment.

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LOL...I live in what amounts to an urban, downtown loft...with two long rooms, a bathroom and a kitchen...with two closets...and yet I still have 9 fermentation vessels. It's amazing what we do for our obsession. LOL

I have been into this hobby a very short time..matter of a few months... I have so far collected CORRECTION, I HAVE SIX 5 gallon glass carboys....a 7 gallon fermenting bucket.......... 5 4 gallon fermenting buckets...a keggle...another huge stainless boil pot....a 12 qt atainless pot...10 1 gallon glass jugs......about 300 beer bottles.....a kegerator( that isn't getting cold)....a 20 pound co2 tank....cases and cases of wine bottles....a turkey fryer burner and stand....an unfinished mash tun....bottling bucket....capper...corker...racking cane...bottling wand.....hydrometer....caps ...corks...tubing....various wine making additives....and probably stuff I am forgetting.