Tips on bottling. Or alternatives to bottling

Hey guys im just wondering if anyone has any tips for bottling wine. I have a 6 gal batch that I plan in bottling within 10 days and I'm just wondering if anyone has any good tips or methods. Ways to make it more simple. I know that this kit is gonna take up to 30 bottles. Cleaning and sanitizing 30 bottles seems like its going to be a real pain.


Are there any easy alternatives? I've heard about kegging but I have absolutely no idea about any of that. Can anyone fill me in on how much this equipment cost. The keg the co2 and all of that. Or I'm open of any other suggestions.

Soak the bottles in hot Oxyclean. That will clean them nicely. For sanitizing, a vinator with Starsan is worth its weight in gold. Use a bottling wand. If you are going to siphon, get an autosiphon.

Make an assembly line. Sanitize as many as you can at once. Move on to filling them all. Then cork. Repeat until you run out of wine. Lay out towels so you don't have to worry about spills. Spills are going to happen. It might be a drip here and there or it might be a bottle. Rinse the bottles when your done.

Any scrubbing or bottle brushing needed to be done or is soaking in oxy clean sufficient?

Oxy should do all of the work. It even takes off labels. Hot water really helps the oxy do its magic.

This is my method, I take all my old bottles and toss them in a garbage can full of water and cleaner. Then I run each one under the tap to clean the outside and then use my water jet bottle washer on the sink. If there is still stuff in the bottle I use a bottle brush.

After they are all thoroughly rinsed they go in a big rubbermaid bin.

Next I have a pump style bottle sprayer ontop my bottle tree I fill with starsan. I give every bottle 3 pumps and set it on the tree.

I have a drink while they drain.

Then I put my auto-syphon with botteling wand in my demijohn half way, and plunk the wand in a bottle to trip the filling valve. I hold it half way in to not disturb the lees. When it starts to fill I slowly lower the wand in on an angle until it rests on the bottom. I then secure the hose to the basket so I don't knock the wand and disturb the lees.

I know everyone is going to chime in about how I should really rack it before bottling to avoid sucking up gunk by accident....but I've done it this way for ages and I'm not about to change.

Alright, so I set up about 20 bottles vertical in a rubbermaid bin so any spillage won't result in the loss of half my house. I then fill up each bottle, then top up each one to the correct amount. Then I set the wand sideways in an empty bottle and cork one batch.

Then I restart with another 20 bottles.

So you clean and sanitize your bottle tree also? But thanks a lot. that helps. Any info on how kegging works?

Yes, you can sanitize your bottle tree by either using a spray bottle of starsan or disassembling it and dunking the peices. I have never heard of anyone kegging wine...

My local homebrew guy told me he kegged his wine sometimes. Unless I misunderstood him.

The way I sanitize is twice. As soon as I get beer bottles or wine bottles, I fill my sink full of warm water, and put two caps of my sanitizer in it. I let the bottles soak for 1 or 2 hours, then let them air dry. Then on the day of bottling, I use my bottle cleaner, that shoots sanitizer into the bottles when you push down, then use the jet bottle cleaner on the sink to shoot hot water into them to rinse.

Not the exact ones i bought but similar.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D6FUDC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003H84UD0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Ridenour64 said:

So you clean and sanitize your bottle tree also? But thanks a lot. that helps. Any info on how kegging works?

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I've had it for a dog's age and never cleaned it, I just spritz it with acid sanitizer.

Kegging wine is hardly unheard of. One stainless vessel to fill. What a breeze. Nitrogen would be a good way to go with wine but CO2 is good enough I'm sure. Keep the pressure down or off and it won't carb up.

Yeah that's what I was thinking it would be alot easier. I thought it would be more common.

itsme6582 said:

Kegging wine is hardly unheard of. One stainless vessel to fill. What a breeze. Nitrogen would be a good way to go with wine but CO2 is good enough I'm sure. Keep the pressure down or off and it won't carb up.

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That's kind of cool. Just a question because I've never heard of this (and I don't currently keg anything) - would you just keep the pressure off until you were ready to dispense it, and then turn it off again say, at the end of the night? Would you have to bleed some pressure off also so it didn't carb? I'm just curious because my wife makes wine and once I start kegging beer, it might be cool to try having a wine tap as well. Thanks for the idea!

I don't make wine so I don't know, but...

I would put a blanket of CO2 over the wine when I first kegged. Hit it 20 psi, bleed, and repeat. This should be good enough to keep it super fresh. Store with zero pressure and serve with low pressure. I think pushing with 12 psi would be too fast for a wine glass. I'd probably start with 6 psi and see how that went. I can't think of anyone specific that kegs wine. Yooper may do it but I might be pulling that out of nowhere.

I think you could maintain wine slightly pressurized with nitrogen. Nitrogen doesn't effect flavor like CO2 does. If your keg can hold it without leaking, you might be able to store it at 6 psi. I work with a guy who proved this to me. He had a keg of Miller light and put it on nitrogen. It tasted like water.

This is all educated bs. I have no idea if this will work. It's just how I would try it.

How much does keg equipment cost. Not to the penny. But ball park. The actual keg the gas and all of that?

I'm just thinking having some edworts apfelwein in a keg would be cool. And some people carbonate that anyways so I don't think it would hurt it all that much?

Ridenour64 said:

How much does keg equipment cost. Not to the penny. But ball park. The actual keg the gas and all of that?

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Personally, I've spent around $1200 on my kegging set up. But it is all stainless, a keezer w/ collar, quite a few kegs, etc, etc, etc. You could probably get a system for $300 on craigslist with the basics.

Bottling is really not that hard or time consuming. Especially with ~30 bottles. Once you get an assembly line set up, it's not that bad.

Just what I was looking for. Thanks a lot. But yeah I'm just trying to learn a little about everything.

Ridenour64 said:

Just what I was looking for. Thanks a lot. But yeah I'm just trying to learn a little about everything.

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If you consider a vacuum pump, look at the All In One setup. Has a fabulous vacuum bottling adapter & I love bottling with mine. Not to mention the great benefit of racking without ever having to lift a heavy carboy and vacuum degassing is easy-peasy!

What is the purpose of the vacuum pump Sara? For degassing? like a mityvac? Also about the kegging. All you need is the keg and the gas right? How much does it cost to fill the cylinder of gas?

Ridenour64 said:

Also about the kegging. All you need is the keg and the gas right? How much does it cost to fill the cylinder of gas?

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Short answer, no.

Kegs are around $40-50. A CO2 cylinder can run from free to $140, depending on size, condition, etc. You'll need a regulator, which is from $40-180. You'll need all the fittings, hoses, taps, etc which can be from $50-$200 depending on your setup. And if you want to keep all of that cold, add in the cost of a fridge/freezer and temp control.

Filling the CO2 tank varies by your location. I've paid $15-45 depending if I was in a rural or suburban area.

Just started kegging Price list was this:
Used fridge donated by friend - Free
Used refurbished corney- 65$
Kegerator conversion kit 300$ (5# CO2 tank, gas and beer lines with ball connectors, stainless tap shank, stainless perlick tap with handle and CO2 regulator)
CO2 fill-25$
Beer line cleaning kit- 25$
Drip tray- 25$
Knowledge to put MY beer on tap- FREE just a quick search on the forum and GTG! Kegging to bottling hassle difference worth 450$ ABSOLUTELY