Bottling Tips for the Homebrewer

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That ^^^ is WAAAAAY cool! And I just got rid of a 4-drawer full-suspension filing cabinet! Dayum, I wish I would of kept it!

glenn514:mug:
 
Pappers said:
That's a great temp for bottle conditioning.

Currently, I get my bottles at a local pub - the young folks who work there as back bar and waitstaff are, as are many young folks, quite taken with green issues and love the notion of reusing the bottles. The pub doesn't even recycle, so they like this arrangement.

Also, a while ago, I put a notice out via facebook about needing some bottles and few responded. Also, I put a note on the local Craigslist and ended up trading a six pack of beer for two cases of bottles.
Click to expand...

This is a great way to get all kinds of bottles. Go into the pub & drink a few occasionally, and after the bartender recognizes your face, they'll save bottles for you. Most any bar these days has at least some pry-off bottles in the can. Bud/InBev/Whateverbrew puts up the Bud American Ale in pry-offs, and all the Michelob "crafts" are in pry-offs. Nice bottles.

Somewhere on this forum is a list of a lot of breweries that use pry-offs. I picked up a six of Goose Island Harvest Ale the other day, and it was in pry-offs. That's a switch, because GI had been using screw-offs....
 
great thread! helped quite a bit (and took few days to read all of it). i have one singe question.

someone recomended to bottle whole batch and put crowns on loosely then wait 5-10 minutes before capping them of. that suppose to release some co2 locked in the beer and since co2 is heavier than air it should push the air out hence leaving none in the bottle.

does anyone hear about this?

cheers Dziugas
 
Not enough CO2 will be generated in that time to make a difference, and the amount of O in the headspace also will not make a difference. Since the caps are pretty much blocking any airborne particles, it will not hurt, but will not help.
 
Starderup said:
. . . it will not hurt, but will not help.
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And you know this how?

Please link to where this was tested and proven to be true.

Or did you forget the, "My best guess is . . ."?

Not trying to be a dick, but this is a valid theory and I'd be interested to hear if anyone has actually tested it. It could be good to know for long term storage, because over time head space O2 will make a difference in flavor stability.

Oxygen absorbing caps are and alternative.
 
rico567 said:
This is a great way to get all kinds of bottles. Go into the pub & drink a few occasionally, and after the bartender recognizes your face, they'll save bottles for you. Most any bar these days has at least some pry-off bottles in the can. Bud/InBev/Whateverbrew puts up the Bud American Ale in pry-offs, and all the Michelob "crafts" are in pry-offs. Nice bottles.

Somewhere on this forum is a list of a lot of breweries that use pry-offs. I picked up a six of Goose Island Harvest Ale the other day, and it was in pry-offs. That's a switch, because GI had been using screw-offs....
Click to expand...

I am really fortunate, Rico, to have a pub that sells alot of international and craft beers. They are a soccer bar, voted best soccer bar in the country for a few years running - the Globe Pub, run by two expats, one english and the other scots. http://www.theglobepub.com/ If they are not busy, of course, then there's not many bottles. But I usually go there to watch a game and there will be lots of other people watching a game.

Last week, there were a group of guys only drinking Chang http://www.changbeer.com/ Not great beer, imho, but great bottles LOL! Heavier than the normal beer bottle and no shoulders. Chang sponsors Everton in the EPL, so these guys were drinking Chang. I brought home two cases of bottles, including an entire case of Chang bottles.

I get a lot of Duvel bottles, too, and Hoegaarden, which I like. Its an eclectic mix.

pasteurize_all_done.jpg
 
AnOldUR said:
And you know this how?

Please link to where this was tested and proven to be true.

Or did you forget the, "My best guess is . . ."?

Not trying to be a dick, but this is a valid theory and I'd be interested to hear if anyone has actually tested it. It could be good to know for long term storage, because over time head space O2 will make a difference in flavor stability.

Oxygen absorbing caps are and alternative.
Click to expand...
Maybe you are not trying, but.....
Ok, if it will make you happy, "My best guess is . . ."? You type the rest.
I don't have the lab equipment to make empirical measurments, but use your head. How long does it take to carbonate a bottle of beer vs five or ten minutes after they are fed new sugar.
Common sense indicates it is not going to be a fountain of CO2.
Notice that I didn't ask you to cite your references and lab data over your claim that over time head space WILL make a difference in flavor stability.
 
Dziuggy said:
.

someone recomended to bottle whole batch and put crowns on loosely then wait 5-10 minutes before capping them of. that suppose to release some co2 locked in the beer and since co2 is heavier than air it should push the air out hence leaving none in the bottle.
Click to expand...

I talk about it in the initial discussion of my process, I fill and loosely cap a case and leave them til I finish and then cap them. Papazian talked about it. Because you are filling from the bottom to the top, and have co2 that is being produced and also already in solution, is pushing the remaining 02 our of the tiny headspace. That's one of the reasons why we fill from thhe bottom anyway to lift the 02 out.

I've had enough bottle caps fly off the bottles before I get around to capping them to lead me to believe that some gas is escaping out of the bottles in that time period to lead me to belive there is some merit to it. It may not created a total vaccuum free of oxygen but it's a start. (It's either that or beer gnomes escaping out of there...but I'm betting it's oxygen.)

Plus, and maybe AnOldUR can validate it, but isn't any unwanted 02 left in the head space going to be consumed by the yeast as they're carbing?
 
Starderup said:
Maybe you are not trying, but.....
Click to expand...
You'll just go and make the explicit implication that I am a dick. Thank-you for that. :cross:

Starderup said:
I don't have the lab equipment to make empirical measurments, but use your head. How long does it take to carbonate a bottle of beer vs five or ten minutes after they are fed new sugar. Common sense indicates it is not going to be a fountain of CO2.
Click to expand...
Common sense tells me that it takes a good amount of CO2 under pressure to carbonate beer. Observation shows me (like Revvy already said) that enough CO2 is either coming out of suspension or being produced to push a loose cap off a bottle. Common sense says that this may be displacing the O2.

Starderup said:
Notice that I didn't ask you to cite your references and lab data over your claim that over time head space WILL make a difference in flavor stability.
Click to expand...
I could be wrong, but I thought that eventual oxidation in beer was common knowledge. Your statement was pure speculation.
Beer Flavors #4: Oxidation
 
Revvy said:
Plus, and maybe AnOldUR can validate it, but isn't any unwanted 02 left in the head space going to be consumed by the yeast as they're carbing?
Click to expand...
Going to have to look into this more. I was under the impression that the only time yeast took up O2 was during reproduction and that a diet of the simple sugar like used to prime was not conducive reproduction. Could be totally wrong, but isn't this why we don't aerate our wort after fermentation starts. Anybody?
 
AnOldUR said:
Going to have to look into this more. I was under the impression that the only time yeast took up O2 was during reproduction and that a diet of the simple sugar like used to prime was not conducive reproduction. Could be totally wrong. Anybody?
Click to expand...

It would be interesting to know if the yeast at carbonation are going through the same basic processes they do during fementation, (lag, reproduction, etc) because, in a sense bottle carbing IS fermentation. Or because it is a simple sugar present do they not turn on the reproduction m echanism.

I wonder how one could figure it out? Measuring the amount of sediment in the bottom of a bottle? For example, if you killed off the fermentation yeast before you bottled, then introduced a measured amount of yeast and sugar, and after fermentation measure the sediment. That would tell you if they reproduced or not.

My understanding about oxygen caps is that they don't really absorb any o2 in the beer, they form a tighter barrier to prevent o2 from getting in during long term storage. I know there was a discussion on basic brewing radio about them, in terms of wetting them to sanitize them, and how long before they take effect.

James Spenser contacted the maker of Oxygen Absorbing Caps (Crown Beverage), and actually recommended you santize them quickly, evidently the "Oxygen Absorbing Effect" of the caps is not immediate and they need to be wet for a period of time before the magic happens, like days.

Click to listen

It's within the first few minutes of the podcast.

That leads me to believe that most of the 02 would be pushed out before they seal up. But I don't know. I haven't made much attention to that since I've never made anything for real long term aging til now with this 5 year barleywine I'm brewing. I am definietly going to use them for that batch.
 
I just bottled my first batch (the Oktoberfest) this past weekend (on 9/11) and this thread was a huge help. It still took about an hour and a half, but I'm sure it would have taken all day without the tips here. I know this time will go way down as I get more familiar with the whole process and don't have to run to the computer and re-read parts as I'm going. :drunk:
That's the best sound (next to the airlock bubbling!) to hear the occasional 'plink' of the bottle caps that are just laying on top of the bottles as the first bit of air escapes before crimping the caps onto the bottles.
Thanks Revvy (and everybody else who has contributed)--this place rocks!
:mug:
 
Revvy said:
I talk about it in the initial discussion of my process, I fill and loosely cap a case and leave them til I finish and then cap them. Papazian talked about it. Because you are filling from the bottom to the top, and have co2 that is being produced and also already in solution, is pushing the remaining 02 our of the tiny headspace. That's one of the reasons why we fill from thhe bottom anyway to lift the 02 out.
Click to expand...

This is how I bottle. Works fine if you don't degas first.
 
Revvy said:
Revvy's Blog, Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning.

Then leave a bottle stashed away for 6 months...chill that and taste it..
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This is something that I've been wondering. How long would a homebrew last (in a darker, cooler environment of course)? Would one kept bottled for a year still taste as good as one that's been bottled for 2 months?
 
johnlindgren said:
This is something that I've been wondering. How long would a homebrew last (in a darker, cooler environment of course)? Would one kept bottled for a year still taste as good as one that's been bottled for 2 months?
Click to expand...



Some will be better....It all depends on the beer, and how it's stored.

In the Dec 07 Zymurgy Charlie Papazian reviewed bottles of homebrew going back to the first AHC competition that he had stored, and none of them went bad, some had not held up but most of them he felt were awesome...We're talking over 20 years worth of beers.

Since nothing pathogenic can grow in beer, there's no worry needed about getting sick from them. All that can happen is that they may not have held up over time.

This is a great thread about one of our guys tasting 4-5 years of his stored brew.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/revisiting-my-classics-160672/

Beer's like wine, a lot of them improve with age....That's why stone has "vertical epic" with vintage, and people have vertical tasting parties...Our beer is really no different, it's not something "less than." Or isn't "real beer" it really is no different, just becuse you make it at home. High grav beers can last a long time...even lower or medium grav ones can, though they will loose some of their "oomph" over time. For example a really hoppy IPA might end up being a pretty tasty pale ale in a year or so. Still drinkable, still good, but not the same.

I made a beer that won't even be opened before 5 years go by on Sunday. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/he...emorial-5-year-aged-barleywine-recipe-195096/
 
Question about the vinator for anyone who has one:

Can this be used *without* a bottle tree? I'm weary about buying too much new equipment as funds are limited, but I'd love to use a vinator like Revvy mentions, since my first bottling experience tonight was really exhausting due to the sanitizing process.
 
borden said:
Question about the vinator for anyone who has one:

Can this be used *without* a bottle tree? I'm weary about buying too much new equipment as funds are limited, but I'd love to use a vinator like Revvy mentions, since my first bottling experience tonight was really exhausting due to the sanitizing process.
Click to expand...

Definitely. I use a vinator to sanitize and store the bottles in my dishwasher. Works great.
 
I store my bottles in milk crates. I drain most of the sanitizer out except for the foam, and put them back in the crate. And I just go down the row of bottles until I finish a crate, then do the next one. It's a quick process. Under 10 minutes for 48 bottles. 2-3 pumps, drain, replace, grab fresh bottle, repeat.....
 
EvilGnome6 said:
Definitely. I use a vinator to sanitize and store the bottles in my dishwasher. Works great.
Click to expand...

Same for me, I also dip the top of the bottle in the vinators reservoir just to make sure the outer part of the bottle lip gets sanitized. BTW, the vinator is also great for pushing sanitizer through tubing/hose.
 
camiller said:
Same for me, I also dip the top of the bottle in the vinators reservoir just to make sure the outer part of the bottle lip gets sanitized. BTW, the vinator is also great for pushing sanitizer through tubing/hose.
Click to expand...

I do the same thing with the bottle lips. I also drop my crown caps in the reservoir to sanitze, and grab them from there.

Never thought about hoses before...cool tip! :mug:
 
Thanks for the responses, all. I look forward to picking up a vinator shortly, so that I don't tweak my back bending over a couple of buckets in my bathtub trying to sanitize two cases of bottles. I'm hurting just thinking back to it!

Actually, while I'm in this thread, I do have another bottling-related question: after the bottles are amply carbed (so 3 weeks, presumably), should I move them to my basement to avoid overcarbing? I don't have a big enough fridge to conveniently fit all the beer I bottled. I live in an 1920s-built apartment building and have a storage locker down there, and while I haven't measured the temperature I would guess low-to-mid 60s and very dry (I'll verify temp). The caretaker told me there typically isn't too much variation.
 
borden said:
Thanks for the responses, all. I look forward to picking up a vinator shortly, so that I don't tweak my back bending over a couple of buckets in my bathtub trying to sanitize two cases of bottles. I'm hurting just thinking back to it!

Actually, while I'm in this thread, I do have another bottling-related question: after the bottles are amply carbed (so 3 weeks, presumably), should I move them to my basement to avoid overcarbing? I don't have a big enough fridge to conveniently fit all the beer I bottled. I live in an 1920s-built apartment building and have a storage locker down there, and while I haven't measured the temperature I would guess low-to-mid 60s and very dry (I'll verify temp). The caretaker told me there typically isn't too much variation.
Click to expand...

Once a beer reaches the maximum level of carbonation as determined by the amount of priming sugar added, there will be no more carbonation and the yeast will flocculate down (and be your bottling sediment) there's no need to do anything else. Just store them however you want. I leave mine in the closet taking and chilling only a few bottles down at a time in my fridge.
 
Revvy said:
Once a beer reaches the maximum level of carbonation as determined by the amount of priming sugar added, there will be no more carbonation and the yeast will flocculate down (and be your bottling sediment) there's no need to do anything else. Just store them however you want. I leave mine in the closet taking and chilling only a few bottles down at a time in my fridge.
Click to expand...

Excellent. I'd seen allusions to cooling your beer once it's all carbed up, but wasn't sure if that was a necessary precaution or just sort of a 'filler' step (ie "You're done! Now get your beer ready to drink"). Being the first batch I've brewed, I'm obviously pretty nervous about getting this right.

And by the way, a big thank you to Revvy and all others who have spent so much time contributing to these forums. I feel like I've made a thousand mistakes in my three batches I've brewed so far, but I know it would've been at least a million without the advice and wisdom I've encountered here. :mug: Salud!
 
No. This is a dip tube for the bottling bucket, which should have no (or minimal) sediment in it.
 
Built my dip tube out of an angled pvc cut with the drimmel that screwed onto the plastic faucet. There is maybe 2-3 mm of space between the bottom of the bucket and the bottom of the dip tube. It worked great. I did tip the bucket slightly just to make sure I got the most out of it. Less then 1 ounce left in bucket. I got 47 full bottles which was very good since I didn't have a full five gallons due to a lot of blow-off.

I also shortened my bottling hose to 1 foot which made things much easier.

Does anyone see a problem with using latex hosing? It is about $1.50 a foot at Lowes and I figured having a very flexible piece of tubing would be nice, but i don't know if the Latex could have a negative effect at all.

Thanks for the ideas. Bottling was much more pleasant.
 
Revvy,

I'm a Noobe! From what I've found lurking on HBT is that you are the guy to answer any questions I might have, good or bad. So my questions is about conditioning, I have my first two batches bottled (Ale's, 1056) and they are conditioning but my temp is only 63-65 degrees. Will they still condition properly?
 
Tagez said:
Revvy,

I'm a Noobe! From what I've found lurking on HBT is that you are the guy to answer any questions I might have, good or bad. So my questions is about conditioning, I have my first two batches bottled (Ale's, 1056) and they are conditioning but my temp is only 63-65 degrees. Will they still condition properly?
Click to expand...

They will condition fine, they just will take longer.
 
I couldn't find any of those drilled stoppers at either Ace Hardware or a plumbing store. does anyone know anywhere that sells them? i want to bottle soon and want to build a dip tube
 
sportscrazed2 said:
I couldn't find any of those drilled stoppers at either Ace Hardware or a plumbing store. does anyone know anywhere that sells them? i want to bottle soon and want to build a dip tube
Click to expand...

I've only seen them at homebrewshops and scientific supply stores. You could just buy a rubber one froma hardware store and drill it yourself if you can find any around you. Every homebrewshop I've been in carries various sizes of drilled stoppers.

If you are abosutely out of luck, look at some of the other variations in this thread. A couple people use little pvc pipe bends instead.
 
FYI, I added some info on alternative priming "sugars" based on some info I gleaned on basic brewing and elsewhere. I explain how to figure out how to use different things beyond the usual using the nutritional label on most products.

Using this I explain how I am going to prime my Sri Lankin Stout wit JAGGERY MOLLASSES I got at a Bangladeshi market.

Link to that post.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/#post1030376
 
sportscrazed2 said:
I couldn't find any of those drilled stoppers at either Ace Hardware or a plumbing store. does anyone know anywhere that sells them? i want to bottle soon and want to build a dip tube
Click to expand...

I see you are in Dyer. If you want to drive into the southwest side of Chicago, BevArt carries a supply of them. http://www.bev-art.com/
 
MajorTom said:
Well I never have used a dip tube on my bottling bucket and haven't even thought about it until I saw this thread today. Only I didn't like the idea of a bubble of air being trapped inside the spigot, and see no way to avoid this with such a small diameter tube going into a large chamber on its way to another small tube. So, I came up with this piece of PVC elbow that is the same diameter, if not larger, than the back of the spigot, and it is threaded so it screws on easily. It sits maybe an eighth of an inch off of the bottom so I will never have to tip the bucket again! This modification costs a whole 58 cents.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33697914@N08/3258371355/

Elbow Attached on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Click to expand...


Just found this thread, and I've been reading through a lot of it and want to avoid the turbulence by going the pvc elbow route.

My main question (and excuse me if someone answered it, but I read through a lot of this and didn't see anyone worrying about it) is that if the PVC elbow is food grade. I know it cannot be heated, but for bottling, is there any danger in using PVC? Are there any off flavors? I couldn't find cpvc or anything else at Lowes.

Anyone know for sure (and not guessing)?
 
agenthucky said:
Just found this thread, and I've been reading through a lot of it and want to avoid the turbulence by going the pvc elbow route.

My main question (and excuse me if someone answered it, but I read through a lot of this and didn't see anyone worrying about it) is that if the PVC elbow is food grade. I know it cannot be heated, but for bottling, is there any danger in using PVC? Are there any off flavors? I couldn't find cpvc or anything else at Lowes.

Anyone know for sure (and not guessing)?
Click to expand...

The thing to remember is that in the case of bottling your beer is only in contact with the bottling bucket for a short time, less than an hour. So honestly I don't think anyone worries about it.
 
Revvy said:
The thing to remember is that in the case of bottling your beer is only in contact with the bottling bucket for a short time, less than an hour. So honestly I don't think anyone worries about it.
Click to expand...

I wasn't sure if the alcohol in the beer would start to dissolve the toxic chemicals that is found in PVC piping.
 

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