Bottler's: I commend you all

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rcrabb22

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I think I make this same post every year, or at least feel the sentiment.

I bottle once a year, at Christmas time, to give my beer to family and friends as gifts. This year my gift list has increased to 6.5 cases and yesterday I washed every stinking bottle for the chore, actually 160 to have a few extra.
I used a bottle brush in each bottle and then thorough rinse. The activity took almost 5 hours and my hands and back were killing me by the time I finished.

It only took an hour or so to remember why I keg!

Bottle people: I COMMEND YOU FOR YOU EFFORTS! :mug:
 
If it's that hard for you, and that time consuming, then it's simple, you're doing it wrong. People like to blame bottling, and say kegging is so much better, when in reality if done right, with a process that works for us, it takes no more time than kegging. It takes me an hour to do either.

Rather than a bottle brush, you could have knocked the bottles out with a soak in oxyclean and hot water, even just leaving it overnight,followed by a rinse with a set bottle washer. I haven't touched a bottle brush in years. And then using a bottling process that is streamlined like I outline here.

with a soak, the time to rinse and bottle should have taken no more than 2 hours......

*shrug*
 
I might actually be switching back to bottling soon. I need to downsize big time again, and even though bottle take up room, I can stack them much differently that I can stack my kegs and related equipment with the space I have. I prefer kegging, but bottling has its advantages. It is much easier to gift beer and bring it places in bottles IMO. I have growlers, but they never keep the right carbonation IMO.
 
While I salute you Revvy on your speed I will say I cannot even come close to washing and bottling 6+ cases in 2 hours. It takes me 2 hours with clean up to bottle 2 1/2 cases.

But I put my headphones on and listen to some Pink Floyd or Led Zep and enjoy a few beers while I do it so speed is not important to me just having some me time.

Sigh any more the only time I get to brew or bottle is after 10 at night
 
Maybe I was doing it wrong - but.........

1) I do not have a vessel large enough to soak 160 beer bottles at one time so it would have taken longer to soak and rinse in batches assuming a soak was an hour. I can fit 17 bottles in a 5 gal bucket and I have 2.

2) Most of my bottles are returns from previous gifting and I can't be sure all were rinsed. Some had some pretty nasty "debris" in them.

AND 3)

I was trying offer a compliment to those of you (including you!!!) that bottle. Based on the tone of you response, I guess that was lost in translation and for that I apologize
 
I'm careful to clean them out well before I put them away after I use them. Then all they need is a quick shake with some star san. Takes me ~2hours for 4 cases with no fancy equipment, from taking out the equipment to cleanup. And moving at a slowish pace
 
Revvy, it takes me about 10 minutes to fill two 3 gallon corny kegs, and maybe another two minutes to purge them. How long for you to fill, and cap, six gallons of brew? I clean and sanitze the kegs when the kick, then seal them off. So not doing that on kegging day. Sanitizing the rest of the gear, and setup is maybe five minutes more. So, well under 20 minutes from start to finish. A bit better than the hour (for either) you posted. Granted, with my system, I can (and do) do everything at ground level (in the basement). I only lift the filled kegs and move the empty fermenting vessel over to the sink to be cleaned.
 
Revvy, it takes me about 10 minutes to fill two 3 gallon corny kegs, and maybe another two minutes to purge them. How long for you to fill, and cap, six gallons of brew? I clean and sanitze the kegs when the kick, then seal them off. So not doing that on kegging day. Sanitizing the rest of the gear, and setup is maybe five minutes more. So, well under 20 minutes from start to finish. A bit better than the hour (for either) you posted. Granted, with my system, I can (and do) do everything at ground level (in the basement). I only lift the filled kegs and move the empty fermenting vessel over to the sink to be cleaned.

I'm counting cleaning and sanitizing, and lubing the keg (and sanitizing the autospiphon) in the same timeframe (which you're doing when the keg is kicked). Just Like I count sanitizing bottles in the same timeframe of bottling. I'm still new to kegging so I know my process is rocky, but it's still between 45 minutes to an hour from start to finish for me to do either.
 
I was trying offer a compliment to those of you (including you!!!) that bottle. Based on the tone of you response, I guess that was lost in translation and for that I apologize

Sounded like a backhanded compliment. Don't worry about it; it's the internet, tone is tough. I'm sure you're a great guy.
 
It takes me longer to take the labels off and clean the bottles, than brew the beer. I think I am doing it wrong, because it's as much fun as shoving a screw driver in my eye.
 
I bottle during the boil...about an hour including everything...getting the bottles from the basement, cleaning, etc. I like bottling, its relaxing. I might even stop bottling during the boil just to make it a separate thing. Every aspect of brewing is fun and relaxing to me. Brewing is such a great experience to me...its not work. No aspect of it.

I like bottles better so I bottle, nothing about time or effort or price or whatever. If any aspect of homebrewing took me 5 hours...I bet those would be a very relaxing and worry free period of the day, probably the best part of it.
 
I've never used a keg, so I can't comment too much on that. I can clean, sanitize and bottle a 5 gallon batch in under two hours, provided that they're all my bottles, which I've delabeled and rinsed properly before. If they've still got labels and/or haven't been rinsed properly it's more like three hours, counting the soak, scrub and acetone to get the label goo off the glass.

As a side note, if you want something that can soak 50-60 bottles at a time, check out these wash tubs. They're cheap, you can store them outside and they'll hold a ton of bottles.

Also, I'll second the point that I find bottling soothing. I've always liked repetitive, non-engaging tasks like that--probably why I was so good in the military! I always liked ironing my uniform, polishing my shoes, etc. I spend the whole day obsessing over data & reports, so there's nothing more relaxing than soaking, scrubbing and santizing a bunch of bottles and then filling them full of my favorite elixir...
 
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I bottle when I brew.

When the strike water is heating I rack to the bottling bucket. After I start my mash I sanitize and bottle. I am always done before the mash is finished. I do rinse my bottles very well after I pour them, so they are stored clean. Then at bottling time, just a quick squirt of starsan and they are ready to fill.

EAsy.
 
I packaged 2 5 gallon lagers yesterday (both vienna lager). I bottled the first (53 bottles), took me 64 minutes. Kegged the 2nd, took me 32 minutes from start to finish.

No way bottling is faster than kegging, no way. I do both (bottled and keg) and I actually use Revvy's bottling how-to and it still takes me over an hour each time to bottle. How could inspecting, cleaning and sanitizing 50+ bottles be the same time amount cleaning and sanitizing one keg. NO WAY! :)
 
If you can spare a few bucks pick up a vinator and bottle tree if you don't already have them. The process outlined in this video works really well for decreasing bottling times after soaking your bottles. Looks like the method in Revvy's thread with using the dishwasher too (which is sweet)

[ame]http://youtu.be/vh9Efa0Yjxg[/ame]
 
241 said:
If you can spare a few bucks pick up a vinator and bottle tree if you don't already have them. The process outlined in this video works really well for decreasing bottling times after soaking your bottles. Looks like the method in Revvy's thread with using the dishwasher too (which is sweet)

Video Link: http://youtu.be/vh9Efa0Yjxg

^this, I bought a Vinator and made a bottle tree. I can bottle 5 gallons in 45 mins and 10 in just over an hour. The Vinator cut my time in half, it is so simple to use.

And +1 to the bottle washer and Oxyclean, I use a 18 gallon tote (it holds 2 cases) and soak and delable before bottling day. I borrowed a bottle washer and went out and bought one when I gave it back, one of my favorite time saving brew gadgets.
 
I've only just begun brewing, have only bottled six cases thus far, but don't find it all that difficult.

I put a case of empties on top of my clothes washer to my left, with a utility sink in front of me, and a small table to the right of me with a 19 gallon tub about 1/2 full of oxyclean-free solution.

I have a jet bottle washer attached to the utility sink, with the hot water on full.

Take two bottles out, rinse the insides with the jet bottle washer, and then lay them down on their side in the tub of oxyclean, making sure both bottles are filled with the solution.

I lay a whole row of bottles on their side pointing one direction, and then another row of bottles on their side pointing the opposite direction. I can fit a whole case of bottles in that tub, with every single bottle filled and submerged. I put the top on the tub and wipe out the now-empty case.

Then I have a beer.

A few days later, the labels are nearly falling off all by themselves. I pull a bottle out, peel off the labels and toss in the garbage can, use a scotchbrite pad to clean the glue off the outside and scrub the mouth, with a bottle brushing to clean the inside.

These get stacked in the utility sink.

Once the whole case of bottles is de-labeled and clean, I turn on the hot water and rinse off the outside of each bottle. Then I attach the jet bottle washer, grab two bottles and rinse out the insides of each bottle, and place them onto a bottling tree sitting on my clothes washer.

Then I have a beer.

The next day the bottles are dry, and are put back into the case, and put on a shelf to wait for bottling day.

Then I have a beer.

On bottling day, each bottle gets sanitized using a Vinator and placed onto the sanitized bottle tree.

I rack the beer to the bottling bucket, place the bucket on top of a small table I've put on top of my kitchen counter, with a bottling filler attached to the spigot with a 2 inch piece of hose.

Take bottle off of tree, fill, and hand to the person doing the capping (who now has the Vinator dish filled with caps submerged in starsan.

Then I have a beer.

Also, when it comes time to clean out a carboy, I siphon the oxyclean solution out of the tub and into the carboy. When the carboy is clean, I dump most of the solution back into the tub, dump out the dregs, rinse out with the jet bottle washer, put it on the carboy dryer, and drink a beer.

I've seen youtube videos of bottles soaking in bathtubs followed by having to scrape off each label. I can see if those bottles are occupying a bathtub why you might not be able to let them soak for days, and why you might not want to dump all of that barely used oxyclean down the drain.
 
I think I make this same post every year, or at least feel the sentiment.

I bottle once a year, at Christmas time, to give my beer to family and friends as gifts. This year my gift list has increased to 6.5 cases and yesterday I washed every stinking bottle for the chore, actually 160 to have a few extra.
I used a bottle brush in each bottle and then thorough rinse. The activity took almost 5 hours and my hands and back were killing me by the time I finished.

It only took an hour or so to remember why I keg!

Bottle people: I COMMEND YOU FOR YOU EFFORTS! :mug:

Thanks for your condescending "compliments". They are really appreciated. Sweet blog. Have a Merry Christmas.
 
The whole time spent de-labeling thing need only be a one time investment.

I washed and collected empties until I had a ridiculous amount, more than I would ever need, something like 15 cases. OCD was kicking in :eek:

Now I just reuse the same bottles. No need to ever de-label again. As long as you stick to the program and rinse/soak em out as soon as their emptied, there's no reason they should ever get crudded to the point where it's not worth the risk of reusing. If I get an obvious infection, then I'll toss em to be on the safe side. I don't do sours, but if I did, I'd segregate those bottles.

Your PBW bath will last a lot longer too without label residue and glue floating around. If you pre rinse shake the dregs out with tap water prior to your PBW soak, it goes even further.
 
Like many others I do a soak in Oxyclean of all my bottles overnight.

Once they are all soaked, a good swish of each and rinse then drain on bottle rack.

Oven sanitize at 190F for 20 minutes.

I use 2 bottling buckets going at the same time to bottle 110 bottles myself in just about 1 hour.

Why I prefer bottling to kegging? a. easier to store for long aging of big beers b. to distribute to friends/family c. to have 10 different beers in storage when 10 kegs is not feasible d. MUCH less investment cost (my bottles were free).
 
I have growlers, but they never keep the right carbonation IMO.

Was this directed at the swing top bottles? I acquired a recycle bin full of Grolsch 16 oz bottles and I was gonna use em for a blonde ale I plan to brew, but not if they don't stay capped tight like a crown top.

I think it would be sweet to have kegs with my beers on tap at home. I bottle because I don't have a ton of space or the extra money for the kegging equipment, but really the grab-and-go convenience of bottles is key. If you're heading out, and you decide you want to bring beers, it takes 5 seconds to grab a six pack and get out (if not, you're doing it wrong).
 
Was this directed at the swing top bottles? I acquired a recycle bin full of Grolsch 16 oz bottles and I was gonna use em for a blonde ale I plan to brew, but not if they don't stay capped tight like a crown top.

I think it would be sweet to have kegs with my beers on tap at home. I bottle because I don't have a ton of space or the extra money for the kegging equipment, but really the grab-and-go convenience of bottles is key. If you're heading out, and you decide you want to bring beers, it takes 5 seconds to grab a six pack and get out (if not, you're doing it wrong).

I've noticed swing top bottles don't hold the same carbonation/pressure as crown tops (at least not for me) and are a little more flat in general. I prefer the crown tops, in 22 oz if available.
 
Thanks for your condescending "compliments". They are really appreciated. Sweet blog. Have a Merry Christmas.

I am a Newbie here, and to brewing, but a vet to online forums and someone has to bash you.......come on man lighten up, go have a beer.
 
I am a Newbie here, and to brewing, but a vet to online forums and someone has to bash you.......come on man lighten up, go have a beer.

Oh, dear vet - I am as light as they come. Thank you for your concern. Have a Merry Christmas!
 
I have rigged a way to fit almost 2 cases of bottles in my dishwasher mouth pointed down. bottling day i thrown them in and run it in the am with cleaner. Take them out look in them to make sure no gunk(usually not a problem because I rinse right after I pour a beer, but I do sometimes get some bottles from other people) anyway they usually come out of the dishwasher fine. So I hit them with star San and put them back in the cases upside down. Then they are ready to go when I am, and I have been able to do any number of things while the bottles were being cleaned. (Usually kegging the first five gallons of the batch for myself at home) but I don't mind bottling the last 10, The bottles are easier to bring with me to drink somewhere or to share. Also if you can recruit SWMBO to operate the capper while you fill, this cuts down time significantly. Disclaimer: (This can be difficult or even hazardous to your health depending on your swmbo. So do suggest this at your own discretion. I am not responsible) Otherwise offer a friend a few bottles to do the capping.
 
Taking labels off is the only time-consuming part of bottling for me now. I used to save up a bunch until my wife got to the breaking point and then I soaked them in a tall kitchen trash can. Usually a couple of batches.

Now I try and soak 10-12 bottles in a spare bucket. Hot water and Oxyclean for several hours to overnight usually takes the labels right off. I have a mental list of certain brands that do not come off easily. I usually don't buy that brand, or return to toss accordingly. They are not worth the effort.

The Vinator is something I really need to pick up. I spray starsan into each bottle, swirl, and place on the bottle tree now. I think it could go faster to use a vinator, not sure.

At bottling time I sanitize the bottles and bucket, rack the beer and start filling bottles. I usually have a young person to take the filled bottles and cap them for me. Really, with an assistant, it doesn't usually take much more than 1/2 hour.

If I included the time for cleaning the bottles/kegs, kegging it MUCH faster. If it's only fill time, it's usually pretty close, with kegging being somewhat quicker, but not by a ton.

I usually take my kegs completely apart after each beer and clean and reassemble. This goes MUCH faster than the equivalent number of bottles being delabeled. However, once the bottles have been delabeled and washed, they go FAST.

I just can't stop buying commercial bottles and saving them for future use. It makes giving beer away to friends so much easier, and it's actually often easier to do this than to return the fancy beer bottles to the fancy beer store with the Mother$#&*%ing bottle machine. You know the one. The one that doesn't seem to take ANY frigging bottles?? I end up literally having to show the bag of rejects to the person behind the counter to get my money. They ought to just have someone quickly look over the returnables and throw that POS machine away. Whew! I don't feel better, but that did feel good.
 
The part of bottling that sucks for me is waiting till I have enough empty to bottle. I got 12 cases full right now and only one case empty with a Irish red ready to bottle now. Good thing it is beer and cigar night
 
I was told that if you are sure to rinse well after finishing one off, then running through the dishwasher as hot as you could get it cleans/sanitizes pretty well. This was from a local homebrew shop.

I like bottling 1 liter bottles, and I can fit more than a full 5 gallon batch with it.
 
I've noticed swing top bottles don't hold the same carbonation/pressure as crown tops (at least not for me) and are a little more flat in general. I prefer the crown tops, in 22 oz if available.

I like the 22s but you gotta buy em ($10 for 12 at my LHBS). The 12s are free when you drink a beer and get the labels off. I usually just put 2 cases into a plastic bin with sanitizer water and let it sit there for several days, and when I get around to it the labels are falling off.

I use the Avery 5164 (Staples brand) sheets to print beer labels if I'm gifting, and usually I give the growlers. Unless its my dad, I'll give him a six pack of 12s. Growlers make a nice presentation as a gift but they never come back so I'm using more and more 12s as time goes by.

I'll probably unload the Grolsch bottles. If anybody in the RI/MA area wants them for brewing, send me a message. I have a full green bin of them and you can come get em free any time.
 
CheshireCat said:
I like the 22s but you gotta buy em ($10 for 12 at my LHBS). The 12s are free when you drink a beer and get the labels off.

So are the 22s.....
 
The monotony of bottling sucks. Stuck, at the sink, repeating the same thing over and over. Or, stuck at the bottling bucket, repeating the same thing, over and over. I tend to get antsy if I sit too long... :)
 
@ rcrabb22: Use Revvy's bottling techniques and it will go by A LOT quicker and easier. I actually enjoy bottling now that I follow his advice. Of course, It doesn't hurt to have some tunes playing and a homebrew in hand!
 
CheshireCat said:
I guess I deserved that. But have you noticed how many "fancy growlers" are out there. As in 22s with a non-conforming top? Usually a 12 crown top is a 12 crown top.

Yeah I was just bustin balls man, but actually it is getting ridiculous the tops, and keep an eye out on the 12s now too. I de labeled before I bottled the other day and then filled a 12oz bottle only to find out the ring my wing capper grabs onto under the mouth to crimp, was too thin on a bottle. Had to drink it flat :-/ haha, so then I looked and found 3 more like this in the bunch of bottles, wish I knew what company it was. Anyone else run into this / know what ring I'm talking about?
 

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