First bottling tonight - any last minute advice/tips

Schedule change means that I'm going to bottle my first brew tonight.

I've read through Revvy's bottling sticky and a couple of books/instructions, I just wondered whether there were any "why didn't someone tell me...." comments or tips to make life easier or the beer better.

Just that you probably don't HAVE to bottle tonight.. It can be put off for a week or more in many/most cases. In fact, it might be helpful for cleanup of the beer.

When I bottle, I set the bottling bucket on the counter over the dish washer with the door open, so any drips I don't have to worry about. I just close and the next wash cleans it up.

You mean besides an ENTIRE STICKY of bottling tips?

No....

IXVolt said:

When I bottle, I set the bottling bucket on the counter over the dish washer with the door open, so any drips I don't have to worry about. I just close and the next wash cleans it up.

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Same here.

Most people don't ( and I cannot figure out why) purchase the vinator bottle rinser. It's 20 bucks tops and saves so much time effort and sanitizer that the device is easily worth double.

I thought bottling was pretty much ok, so much so that I had to be convinced to keg, and I guarantee it's because of the vinator. I can't imagine dunking and then watching 50 bottles glug glug out sanitizer. Either way though, revvy's thread is largely exactly what I did and it worked great.

Thanks all.

HbgBill said:

Just that you probably don't HAVE to bottle tonight.. It can be put off for a week or more in many/most cases. In fact, it might be helpful for cleanup of the beer.

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Unfortunately not an option. Leave the country on Saturday morning for three weeks. Although it does mean I won't be tempted to open the bottles too early!

unionrdr said:

Watch my bottling video in my profile. I give some tips & show how to do it sitting down with everything in arm's reach.

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Thanks. Always helps to see what you've read in action.

Revvy said:

You mean besides an ENTIRE STICKY of bottling tips?

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That was the one I meant in my first post. I was hoping for "I knew what I was doing but the easiest thing to forget is...." type posts. Or anything so obvious that no one ever writes it down but that is often forgotten.

IXVolt said:

When I bottle, I set the bottling bucket on the counter over the dish washer with the door open, so any drips I don't have to worry about. I just close and the next wash cleans it up.

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That's the plan. I think I picked it up from Revvy's sticky.

Tiredboy said:

...I've read through Revvy's bottling sticky and a couple of books/instructions, I just wondered whether there were any "why didn't someone tell me...." comments or tips to make life easier or the beer better.

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Revvy said:

You mean besides an ENTIRE STICKY of bottling tips?

No....

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Um...me thinks perhaps he's already been there....

Bottle away and enjoy the process. Boredom will most likely be your biggest bane.

Try to get a flow going. I actually enjoy doing it and find it to be kinda Zen to just go through the motions of bottling a whole batch. I'm one of those people that doesn't understand why everybody knocks on bottling so hard.

Partner, vinator and bench capper.

OK, so it is done. I have made beer!!

Doing it over the dishwasher was great. dishwasher also acted as a bottletree after I sanatised bottles before filling them.

Wife as assistant was a great help too (although she did comment that I obviously wasn't used to cooking as I wasn't planning 2 steps ahead each time!).

Cloudier beer than I would have liked so I hope it cleans up in the bottle a bit. Took a tip I heard somewhere and bottled one in clear glass so I can see the progress.

All bottles in a dark box. Will be bottle conditioning a bit warm (high 70s, possibly reaching 80) but it the only option for this brew - temperature control and chest freezer to be ordered before the next batch!!

Tried it from the bottling bucket and quite impressed. Not the best beer I've had but way better than the worst (and anything I can get here). Quite hoppy and you can subtley taste the spices (it is a christmas beer). I can't wait for it to carb now. Good job I go away on saturday for 3 weeks so I can't open them too early (then again, I may crack a small one on friday night just because i can - who knows magic may have carbonated the beer and cleared it up by then!).

Congratulations.

zepolmot said:

Try to get a flow going. I actually enjoy doing it and find it to be kinda Zen to just go through the motions of bottling a whole batch. I'm one of those people that doesn't understand why everybody knocks on bottling so hard.

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Me too. I bottle while am brewing so it really takes not time at all. I like having different brews around all the time. I counted the other day and I have in varying quantities 14 different beers in bottles. It is great to be able to grab a few different beers every once in a while and throw them in the fridge. Variety is great.

unionrdr said:

I try to get'em as clear as I can going into the bottles. Less trub on the bottom that way. But they should clear while conditioning at room temp. Boxing them is a very good thing. By the time they're ready for fridge time,they should be carbed,conditioned,& settled out clear. Give'em at least 1 week in the fridge to give time for co2 to go into solution & settle any chill haze. 2 weeks gives thicker head & longer lasting carbonation.

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Any particular reason that boxing is good? I did it to keep them dark and also to contain any bottle bombs - thought that my usually patient wife might not be overly impressed having to clean that up while I'm away and it might jeopardise my freezer purchase!

The instructions say that the beer will be best after 3 weeks. Based on your post, do you mean 3 weeks in box then another 2 in fridge?

For what it's worth, I quite enjoyed bottling and if the beer had been clear enough to confidently drink while doing it, I would have enjoyed it even more!

unionrdr said:

...... 5 weeks before fridge time of 2 weeks. The 2 week fridge time makes noticeable improvements in carbonation & head quality.

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I can have willpower when I'm not in the country. Not sure I will have willpower when I'm in the same building as the beer!

The rule of thumb is to always have a batch in the frementer.....if you did, when you got back after 3 weeks it would almost be time to rack it.

BamaRooster said:

The rule of thumb is to always have a batch in the frementer.....if you did, when you got back after 3 weeks it would almost be time to rack it.

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If only! I intend to pick up some more ingredients while travelling and once I have the fermentation chiller sorted I expect to always have one on the go. Three weeks in the fermentation bucket while I'm away would be good. 3 weeks sitting at 85F as the AC won't be one, not so good!!

Just wanted to say thatnsk for all the advice. All went well and beer turned out fantastic (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/getting-started-small-batches-caribbean-273914/#post3552917)