First brew bottled...lessons learned.

Well, I successfully bottled my first batch tonight. In the process, I learned a few things that I thought could be useful, some may be obvious.

1. It's hard to do with a cracked valve. Mine had a crack in it that I didn't notice until it was too late. Beer leaked pretty steadily and went everywhere. I lost probably 3-4 bottles in the process because of the steady leak. At that point it was too late to stop, I'd passed the point of no return.
2. Check all of your equipment beforehand. See #1
3. It's pretty messy (could be because of #1)
4. It would be easier with 2 people.

I guess the real lesson it to check everything out first. Overall it went OK but clean up took almost as long as the bottling process (I had to haul rear to get it in bottles so I don't lose too much. I ended up with 28 12oz bottles and 2 36oz bottles.
I tasted some of what was left in the bucket and it was actually pretty good. It's smells awesome.

This weekend I start a spiced ale hopefully ready for the xmas/new years time frame..

buraglio said:

It would be easier with 2 people.

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+1! I bottled my first batch on Sunday, and it took hours just doing it myself. Next time I'm going to give someone a couple of bottles of brew in return for helping out with bottling. If one person just filled and the other person just capped it would be so much quicker and easier.

Sounds like you've got a nice beery treat waiting for you in a few weeks time - nice job

Some pics from the process. I was too busy with the initial brew to get images from that stage=(

http://buraglio.com/nick/gallery2/v/Beers/English-Brown-Ale/

nb

Congrats on getting the first brew in bottles!

The bottling process can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but after you've done it a few times you'll get your own system and it will just become automatic. I've got it down to the point where I'm done in just about an hour from bottle sanitizing to labeling and putting away.

I'm sure you'll be much happier if you enlist help. I always bottled with at least 1 other person, if not 2. Splitting up filling and capping between two separate people helps a lot.

I have to bottle by myself. I've found that placing the bottles in a rubber maid tub sort of affair works to keep the mess down- I fill the bottles while they're sitting in the tub. I keep some clean, damp cloths to wipe down the bottles before putting them in their boxes. Good idea to check all equipment beforehand!

Junebug said:

I have to bottle by myself. I've found that placing the bottles in a rubber maid tub sort of affair works to keep the mess down- I fill the bottles while they're sitting in the tub. I keep some clean, damp cloths to wipe down the bottles before putting them in their boxes. Good idea to check all equipment beforehand!

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That is a really, really good idea. I think I'll buy a rubbermaid container or two before the next bottling.

thanks!

A tip I picked up here (I think) is to use your dishwasher as a bottling platform. I run mine to ensure that it's clean (it has a sanitize cycle), empty it and use it as a bottle rack for the sanitized bottles coming out of my StarSan dunking tub. Then I bottle on the open dishwasher door. Most of them have a large flat area that is just about ideal. I sit my bottling bucket on the countertop above the dishwasher, pull 10-12 bottles out of the racks and place them on the door then fill with the bottling wand. Any spills or drips are taken care of by simply raising the door to drain the beer into the dishwasher.

The process goes much faster with 2 people. My son helped last time. He filled while I wiped and capped. It took less than half the time it usually does. He did manage to pull the hose off the spigot and spilled a pint or two of beer but it was all contained on the dishwasher door, so no big deal.

Chad

Thats what family is for. One son brings the bottles, I fill the bottles, SWMBO caps, and one of my sons wipes the bottles down and puts them back in the box. Works great.

Chad said:

A tip I picked up here (I think) is to use your dishwasher as a bottling platform. I run mine to ensure that it's clean (it has a sanitize cycle), empty it and use it as a bottle rack for the sanitized bottles coming out of my StarSan dunking tub.
Chad

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Since your dishwasher has a sanitize cycle, coulnt you skip the starsan dunk and just run your bottles through the dishwasher with no soap? or is this more of a "better safe than sorry" approach?

But this is a great idea, much better than balancing 48 upside down bottles on the counter as i did my last batch, i will give this method a try for my next bottling session.

jjmadden08 said:

Since your dishwasher has a sanitize cycle, coulnt you skip the starsan dunk and just run your bottles through the dishwasher with no soap? or is this more of a "better safe than sorry" approach?

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In theory that would work. The general consensus is that the spray from a dishwasher doesn't work very well with the narrow neck of a beer bottle, so it won't clean them effectively. However, the steam sanitizing step is all about heat so it should kill off any nasties. However, I already have 5 gallons of StarSan made up for each brew day anyway and it's much faster just to dunk the bottles rather than running them through a washer cycle.

I run the washer beforehand, though. That way I know that the drying racks are also sanitary and can't somehow contaminate my bottles. I do make sure there's a full load of dishes so I'm not wasting water.

Chad

GaryA said:

Thats what family is for. One son brings the bottles, I fill the bottles, SWMBO caps, and one of my sons wipes the bottles down and puts them back in the box. Works great.

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Wow. I bet bottling takes a lot less time with a team effort!

Junebug said:

Wow. I bet bottling takes a lot less time with a team effort!

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Not including bottle cleaning time (which I usually get help with also), I think we bottle 5 gallons in about 10 min. :rockin: