Bottling day! Am I the only one who enjoys it ?

Bottled my second batch today. T-Can & Bearcat wheatin beatdown from NB. Used 1L and a few 12oz to squeeze the last bit. 24 1L and 5 12oz. 4.5 oz of priming sugar for 5 gal using tasty brew calc. Having a Autumn ale HB to boot !
am i the only one who doesn't mind bottling ? I find it just as enjoyable as the rest of the process . I didnt take me all that long to "git er done".

I'm with you - I like the process too. I do both kegging and bottle conditioning.

I think you're the only two.

I've been bottling since I started two years ago. I still really enjoy it. My wife and I seem to get into some pretty deep conversations while bottling for some reason. I think I'd like to get into kegging for the convenience, but I don't want to spend the money yet. Plus, I end up giving at least half of my batches away, so bottles make it easier.

I think the people that hate bottling are doing it wrong. I know I was having no fun with a bottling bucket and a wing capper.

I bottle about 48 bottles in an hour, after bottles are ready and the sugar solution has cooled.

I'm bottling tonight! Very excited, I don't think it's such a bad thing

The wing capper scares the hell out of me. I managed to break at least one bottle per batch. I was so afraid of getting sliced by the broken bottle.

The bench capper is faster and easier. I place the cap while filling the bottles, so crimping the caps takes like ten minutes.

I think using a bottle filler is faster and easier than the stupid bottling bucket. I took the spring out so I don’t even have to push it down.

I use the dishwasher as a bottle tree, and bottle over it so there’s no mess.

I like bottling, but I've only done a couple of batches.

I enjoy "Drinking Day" more...

But it is good to get htose things out of the fermenters and into bottles... I makes me feel like I am accomplishing something...

I have to say I am with you on this one! I find the bottling process to feel like such a great accomplishment just to get to that point. I also have a pretty quick system in place and I have not really made a mess yet. I typically bottle my home brews in 22oz bottles, it just seems to work our easier and I can fit more beer in the fridge that way also. Happy brewing to you!

Bottling is ok by me too. I have bottled into 12 oz, 16 oz, 22 oz, half gallon growlers and 1 liter soda bottles. It's all good.

bottling never bothered me much, but I never looked forward to it. I've switched to kegs, and I can't see myself ever wanting to bottle again hahaha

I don't mind the bottling process, but I need a few more times to practice and get my system down. Getting ready to do it still takes me far too long.

Personally I love bottling. A few things have made it easier (and therefore more enjoyable) along the way:

On my first batch, giving up and calling my buddy to ask how the hell the bottling wand attached to the spigot
Bottle tree
Bottling over the dishwasher
Getting SWMBO involved with the process, she loves it just as much as me and now it is twice as fast!

In fact, when we made the move to kegging, we promised eacho ther that we would continue to bottle.

Bottling is good because the brew closer to being carbonated/drinkable and critiqued by friends.

I hated bottling, and switched the kegs recently. It was the worst part of brewing. I'll have to bottle soon for a wedding, and I'm not looking forward to it. Even getting a plan together, the wife helping, the whole nine yards.. I just hated it. Maybe the 3 weeks to wait sucked, and the sediment from yeast.. Don't miss it!

I've bottled a little off my kegs, and the clear beer, the quick to drink.. It's just the best I think.. Beer taste so good, so fast, to hell with sharing!

+1 for enjoying bottling. I bottle or keg depending on where the beer is going. I like the feeling of accomplishment that I get after I've got 50+ bottles of beer on the wall. Wing capper is all I have ever used for bottling, I have no complaints.

I’ve sorta gotten used to trolls thinking the answer to every bottling problem is “bottling sucks, you should keg.”

It is amazing that anyone would think the answer to “bottling is fun” would be “bottling sucks, you should keg.”

Why would anyone think that we would want to throw hundreds of dollars at a problem that doesn’t exist? And of course, picking up a whole new set of problems.

Isn’t it odd that nobody posts with “kegging sucks, you should bottle?”

I look at bottling as part of the process. I tell people I love my beer three times, once when I brew it, once when I bottle it, and once when I drink it. I don't count sharing as a separate event from drinking it, but I love to share good brew with friends. if you count sharing as a separate event you love your beer 4 times!

It's not my favorite thing to do, but yeah, it can be relaxing and gratifying to get to crack open that bottle when it's ice cold and ready to pour. I've also recently switched to kegging and am glad I did though

Wynne-R said:

I’ve sorta gotten used to trolls thinking the answer to every bottling problem is “bottling sucks, you should keg.”


Isn’t it odd that nobody posts with “kegging sucks, you should bottle?”

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Not odd.. You won't hear it because I don't think anyone that kegs feels that way. Most do both in some cases. Bottling from a keg is a whole 'nother mess of trouble as well.

But the real reason you won't hear anyone say that, is because it's simple true that kegging is easier if most of the consumption is for you, or if you entertain and have people pulling their own pints.

Bottling is definitely rewarding, as with all the brew steps putting the labor into it. It however, isn't for everyone.

I keg and bottle. What I like about bottling is that I can have a variety of beers that I have brewed and kept to age without having a lot of kegs.

I don't mind bottling. I like knowing exactly how many beers I have left. It makes me feel like I have something more significant than just one keg. I also love bottling for beers that I don't expect to finish off as quickly. I love the kegs for my beers that get consumed quicker and it's got to be 100X (maybe 54X) easier to keg than to bottle.

I effing hate bottling. Such a hassle to me. Brewing is fun, and drinking your own beer is really fun but man, bottling. Not a fan. Just kegged up my first batch. I think I'll like it a lot better.

I hear you keg guys if I had the room and time I might keg too ! For me bottling brings to close the prossess . Something about hearing the PIiffftt! When opening a bottle does it for me. Knowing its me and not machine "outside forces" sorta speak. I'm in no rush since the pipe line is flowing. Knowing that a little bit of me is in every bottle/pour.

Brew on guys

I can't say that I really enjoy bottling but I don't mind it either. I've bottled over 125 batches now and I find that bottling day is quick and easy compared to brew day. Sometimes I brew and bottle on the same day. I think that bottled homebrew tastes better and ages better than kegged and bottles have several other advantages for me besides the obvious huge cost savings.

I really don't mind bottling beer. I hate cleaning and sanitizing bottles though.

I thought I hated it before but now I wait till the family goes to bed, slip out to the garage get the music going pull up a stool and get it done, gets relaxing.

Getting a batch of my own homebrew bottled gives me a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

I have a bench capper...I believe it is the Super Agata...but I would often have the bottle NOT centered and end up ruining several bottle caps. I went back to the Red Baron wing capper with good success. In fact, I didn't ruin a single cap in the most recent batch I bottled.

Bottling, for me, is simply part of the entire process of brewing. Some parts are more interesting than others, but that is true of any process.

glenn514

YulebeHoppin said:

I really don't mind bottling beer. I hate cleaning and sanitizing bottles though.

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Thats how I feel. Bottling and capping really isn't hard at all. It's enjoyable in some form and fashion of getting a good pace going.

Cleaning and sanitizing all those bottles, just sucks, period. It's an hour build up before you start to bottle, pulling all the crap out and getting started.

Since my very first batch, I have always used the dishwasher to sanitize my bottles. Getting 54 bottles in the bottom tray is kind of a *****, but I "git 'er dun" and that takes care of it.

glenn514

Bottling goes quick if you have the system down. I just hate the cleaning process. I am working on piecing together a keg system to cut back the amount that I have to bottle

Bottling is fine, but I don't like the hand-washing of the bottles.

I have a dishwasher. I give a lot of beer away. People bring me more bottles and I have to remove the labels.

If you have the labels off already, rinse them well after you pour your beer, next use - can you just sanitize in the dishwasher?

I can't imagine much water actually gets in through the neck of the bottle.

Well you guys make me feel better I use Oxyclean for labels so that's not a problem. From the start I also use 22oz and 1L bottles. I have two cases of each. Wash my bottles right after the pour. I also have a bottle brush with in reach to make life easy. The dish washer is also my friend on bottling day. Not only to sanitize but also use the door to bottle fill on. When all is done just close the door and done. Using a red Barron capper also. I got the black one with my starter but there in no comparison. My SHMBO thinks its cool to boot.:rockin:

I'll find out what's it's like next weekend. I brewed my first batch last Saturday and spent this Saturday removing labels and hand washing about 40+ bottles. Still have a few more to go, but I have to drink the beer in them first (that I do enjoy).

I think I'll like kegging better in the end. I have 6 cornies I bought from an eBay seller and a free chest freezer coming to me, but until I get the freezer converted and all the goodies that go with draught systems (temp controller, disconnects, CO2 cylinder etc.) I'll be bottling for a while. Good thing is I'll have some bottling experience under my belt.