First Bottling Day!

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jacketsfans

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...And so giddy/nervous. I really don't want to screw this up. I've read Palmer over and over. I've invested in an autosiphon and a bottling bucket with a spigot. I've scrubbed the bottles 'til doomsday. I've watched videos on YouTube. I swear, I think my first day in the Army was the source of less anxiety! :drunk:
 
If you're worried about an infection don't be. At this stage in the game its highly unlikely and atleast if the bottle is the cause it's isolated. Just make sure to sanatize your gear before transfering to the bottle bucket and you're good to go. My first time I was more concerned about priming sugar than anything. It will be fine jacketsfan, RDWHAHB. And try to do it sitting on a stool or something, it can get a little rough after the 3rd sixer.
 
Thanks, Thumper. I'd actually read Revvy's thread and followed quite a bit of it. The actual bottling went OK, I think. I'd like to give a shout out to the Autosiphon right now, which made racking easier than walking.

What an anxiety-producing hobby this is! My original kit did not include a hydrometer, so I don't know what the OG was. I bought one in the meantime and took a reading right after bottling and it appeared to be 1.1:eek: Now I have something new to worry about...:(
 
Thanks, Thumper. I'd actually read Revvy's thread and followed quite a bit of it. The actual bottling went OK, I think. I'd like to give a shout out to the Autosiphon right now, which made racking easier than walking.

What an anxiety-producing hobby this is! My original kit did not include a hydrometer, so I don't know what the OG was. I bought one in the meantime and took a reading right after bottling and it appeared to be 1.1:eek: Now I have something new to worry about...:(

This is only an anxiety producing if you let it be!

If you lose sight of the fact the the yeasties have been doing this pretty much on their own for over 3,000 years, and in some pretty primitive conditions...And they still made beer. And it must have been pretty tasty even then or beer would have gone the way of pepsi clear or new coke...And anything we have done since then is an improvement on what was done back then...

But the yeasties are in charge and they are the experts. It's really hard to "f-up" our beer...usually our beer get's messed up because WE don't just relax, but decide to monkey with it instead....

Our beer is really hardier than we give it credit.

While you're waiting the 3 weeks for this batch to carb and condition, start another batch, and read some "stories."

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/wh...where-your-beer-still-turned-out-great-96780/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/has-anyone-ever-messed-up-batch-96644/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/ne...virtue-time-heals-all-things-even-beer-73254/

This ain't rocket science or brain surgery...It's a hobby. And Hobby=Relaxation...Not worry. Or as we, and Poppa Charlie Papazian say, RDWHAHB.

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:D
 
my first real bottling day today as well. going to bottle up my american wheat in about 20 minutes, then brew a red ale!
 
This is only an anxiety producing if you let it be!


Amen.

Now, how to stop letting it be? I'm old enough and have learned too many new jobs and hobbies to know better than to get all wrapped around the axle over anything this latest nonsense that is HB'ing tosses my way. Especially after being reminded to RDWHAHB ten thousand times a day. And yet still I find myself tensing up at critical junctures and have to almost physically rap myself over the head to remind self that this is FUN. :eek:

Things are looking up, however, and suddenly I'm on my way to becoming a major guru. I've actually started reading Palmer's book instead of just looking at the pictures over and over.
 
I think I sound more like a worry-wart on here than I actually am. I am a little concerned, however, about the final gravity reading I took. Should I be? BTW, I'm starting another batch next weekend. :ban: ;)
 
I assume you meant 1.010 for your final gravity. If that is the case, you are fine. If you really meant 1.10, you are in serious trouble. :D
 
I think you are reading your hydrometer wrong because it's really hard to get a beer that big to begin with. Don't worry, I was just giving you a little crap. You would have had to have about 10 pounds of fermentables to have that high of gravity.
 
You made me re-check what I was looking at, and 1.1 is the right number I remember. Perhaps I just don't know how to use my hydrometer yet. It was my first time using one. :drunk:
 
Are you pitching your red ale on the old cake??? Prepare for big blowoff!!!

no, not at that level of brewing yet, going to use the yeast i bought! i need to research that a little more before im going to take that step.
 
I managed to screw up dang near every hydrometer reading I've taken so far -- all four of 'em -- and I'm not the least bit worried. Brewing from extract kits doesn't strike me as cutting edge stuff that must be closely monitored, just give due attention to the instrux sheet and RDWHAHB. I'll get it figured out one of these days, and in the meantime I'm sure my brews will turn out just dandy. I see using the hydrometer more as practicing for future advancement than anything.

Yes, I'm going 'round and 'round with my stupid lousy nemesis hydrometer . . . now you know how it became my avatar. :drunk:
 
what kind of beer is it? like they said 1.1 is pretty hard to achieve. i bottled mine at 1.019 which is about .004 above where it should have been, but i was .002 above on my OG. It was in primary for 3 weeks so im not worried, if i get a bomb or two oh well, i expect to be fine though.
 
This is a Brewer's Best English Amber Ale. I had a (very) little boil-over just before the hot break, so I'm not worried about that. Spent 3 wks in primary before I bottled it.
 
I just finished up bottling the first brew I have done in over 8 or so years.

Looked and smelt pretty good. Now the hard part of waiting for it to condition.

I didn't have a hydrometer at the start or the finish, I just left it in the primary for 3 weeks at 70oF. No worries!:rockin:
 
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