OK... how long SHOULD bottling take?

The reason I'm asking this... is it always seems to take me 3 hours (or more)... between cleaning bottles, sanitizing bottles, siphoning, filling, then cleaning up. I'm borderline OCD with the sanitizing and cleaning using extremely hot water and star san.

I want more than anything to switch to kegging... but that just isn't in the cards with the condo I currently live in with my girlfriend.

I typically use 500mL flip top bottles and usually throw in a few 1L bottles. I couldn't imagine how much longer it would take to bottle 12 fl oz. bottles.

12oz bottles with a 5 gallon batch took me about 1.5 hours including sanitizing. Took my time while having a few brews.

Gotta quit keeping track.
It takes some time...to do all of that.
IF you remember to rinse when drinking, sanitizing goes a little faster. Get one of those squirt deals and a bottle tree, you will save a lot of time.
I sanitize in the dishwasher before bed, then bottle in the morning. or Vice-Versa.

About an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half using 12 oz bottles. With flip tops I bet I could do it in about an hour.

I must be making the process harder than it needs to be. I do rinse out the bottles after I drink out of them... here's my current process.

-Fill sink with hot soapy water
-Fill bottling bucket with hot water and star san
-Scrub bottles in sink using bottle brush
-Rinse bottles
-Soak bottles in bottling bucket and sanitizer
-Drain bottles and put on bottle tree
-Then I perform the rest of the bottling steps which only takes another 40 minutes or so...

So, is my cleaning and sanitizing a little over-kill? Can I get away with not using the bottle brush... just spray and rinse with sanitizer?

brewmeone said:

I must be making the process harder than it needs to be. I do rinse out the bottles after I drink out of them... here's my current process.

-Fill sink with hot soapy water
-Fill bottling bucket with hot water and star san
-Scrub bottles in sink using bottle brush
-Rinse bottles
-Soak bottles in bottling bucket and sanitizer
-Drain bottles and put on bottle tree
-Then I perform the rest of the bottling steps which only takes another 40 minutes or so...

So, is my cleaning and sanitizing a little over-kill? Can I get away with not using the bottle brush... just spray and rinse with sanitizer?

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I may be a little under-cleaning, but if my bottles were rinsed after drinking I don't do steps 1-4. I just soak in sanitizer and let them drain while I'm siphoning to my bottling bucket.

A very small thing that I've learned, but that helps a ton is to put the bottles in the 6-packs (or whatever) that you're going to store them in before you fill them. Then it's easy to handle them while filling. You just have to be kinda careful about not spilling too much, cardboard carriers don't like even a drop of spilled beverage (and neither do I).

Yea, if you already rinsed the bottles before hand, and they are clean, then you shouldn't need to worry about washing them in soapy water and scrubbing. Just sanitize and drain.

I personally don't like my bottling wand. I've tried it a couple of times and for whatever reason I just prefer to fill straight from the spigot of my bottling bucket. But that's just a preference thing.

Are you using a 1-2 minute contact time no-rinse sanitizer?

Ooompa Loompa said:

I personally don't like my bottling wand. I've tried it a couple of times and for whatever reason I just prefer to fill straight from the spigot of my bottling bucket. But that's just a preference thing.

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Man, I love my bottling wand. It's so simple, but very effective. Gives a perfect amount of beer in the bottle and the pressure-thingy at the end is wonderful. But like you said, it's a preference thing.

The only problem with filling from the spigot is oxidation. Although it's not too bad, I prefer to eliminate any sources of off-flavors and such.

I've been making about 12 bottles per batch and kegging the rest (kegging is soooooo much easier). For bottling, I follow some advice I'd read earlier on here (no scrubbing or brushes needed):

1) submerge bottles in a bucket of Oxyclean and hot water. Let soak over night.
2) next day, rinse well
3) then shoot a few squirts of StarSan in from a spray bottle
-bottles then rest inverted in the dishwasher
4) add beer (via bottling wand)
5) cap

I often add ascorbic acid (1/4-1/2 ts) in the bottling bucket to help scavenge O2 that may enter the beer during the bottling/kegging process.

Simple process, quick too. more time to drink.

When I'm finished with a bottle it gets an immediate rinse. It then goes into a bucket filled with bleach. When the bucket is full, I rinse each bottle with hot water through my bottle washer jet.
It then gets a star-san jet from my vinerator and placed on my tree to drain. Then it is stored until ready to use, in which case it gets a futher star-san rinse before using.

I keg, but still do an occasional bottle batch, and bottling isn't the pain ( to me ) that everyone else make it out to be.

I rinse my bottles immediately after pouring, and skip 1-3.

Just before sanitizing I blast out each bottle with the bottlewasher thingy on a water hose, then sanitize and bottle.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/jet-washer.jpg

I also like the wand. It makes one-handed filling possible, while giving a pretty consistent headspace upon removing the wand.

I've been bottling for 25+ years and just started kegging but continue to bottle about 1/2 my batches. Heres what I do.

All new bottles get hot PBW for several hours and then bottle brush and rinsed with a jet washer.

Immediately after pouring out a beer I rinse well 4 times to get all the yeast out.**

Every few days I take those bottles and blast them a few moments with hot water with the jet washer and put them away in cases.

The day before I bottle I set up my bottle tree and using a pump sanitizer spray the inside of the bottles with Star San and leave to drip dry o/n.

Bottling day then takes me 1 hour, start to finish.

GT

** This is the most important step. Leaving them for a day or more without rinsing creates exponentially more work later.

All "new" bottles soak overnight in a bleach solution and get scrubbed the next day and labels removed, rinsed twice with clean water and then packed back in the case and covered with plastic wrap. After draining filled bottles, I rinse each 4 times and then place on my bottle tree. Bottling day I fill my bottling bucket with a 5 gal solution of Star-san and fill every bottle and set them on the counter, then empty back into the bucket and put the bottles on my tree. I then use the star-san to sanitize everything else. For a typical session using 16 oz. Grolsch flip-tops, about 1 1/2 hours including breaks.

Last week when I bottled this is what I did. **Rinse all bottles after drinking really well**
Place foil over bottle openings and secure. Place bottles in oven. bake at 350* for 1 hour. before going to bed

Next morning. Rack beer to bottling bucket on top of priming solution.
While that's settling (with saran wrap over opening), I take out all my bottles from the oven and place them neck up on the dishwasher. Then clean and sanitize Siphon and wand. Then start removing foil caps and filling bottles.
The baking more than sanitizes, some say sterilizes, but sterilizing is not important and it definitely sanitizes.

what i do to save time is i fill a 5 gal carboy with starsan and then syphon it into each of the bottles. When i finish filling the last one, the first one i filled is sanatised and i dump out the star san and fill it with beer. It doesnt have to dry because its a food grade sanatiser. Oxyclean helps for any of the bottles that are icky. I wash them days ahead of time and rinse the day of bottling.

If your worried about the time, you can always buy some 1/2 gal or even 1 gallon growlers which makes things go by much faster. Personally i usually go with the 22oz bottles and ill do about 12 of those and 24-36 of the 12 oz ones. Obviously the bigger the container the less sanitising.

It takes me about 2 hours to do 50 12-oz bottles.

I wash my bottles before I put them away, but I always wash them again on bottling day before I sanitize (Star San). I could cut the time down considerably if I omitted the washing step, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

+1 on the bottle blaster. Use that and skip steps 1-4.

Also, I oven sterilize my bottles because IMHO it takes less effort and produces a better result.

Here is a thread with ample explanation and arguments from both sides of the isle.

Last time we bottled we did 4 batches in about 3 hours from set up to having everything put away.

Once I have a decent amount of used/rinsed bottles, and soak them in water in a small garbage can. When I have an extra half hour or so, I scrape the labels off, rinse with hot water, and let dry on a bottle tree. At this same time, I'll replace the water in the garbage can, and refill with other used/rinsed bottles.

The next day, or whenever I am going to be around the house, I bake the dried bottles after I've put foil over the tops. Once cooled, I store the now-sterilized bottles and they're ready when I'm ready to bottle.

When I actually bottle, I soak my wand, tubing and bottling bucket in one-step..rack to bottling bucket and then bottle. This seems to take about an hour once I'm set up..less if I have an extra hand. I personally prefer this way because:

-I don't need to worry how nasty the trash can/soaking vessel gets with moldy yeast scum or disolved glue and labels. The bottles will eventually be nuked anyway.

-I can do the initial bottle prep whenever I have a little extra time, each individual step doesn't take that long.

-The bottling process does not take as long, and is easier because your bottles are not wet and slippery with sanitizer. You also save a lot of sanitizer since the oven is doing the bulk of the 'work' of germ killing.

-In all, it seems pretty fool-proof. I even did an experiment and left a little residue from a previous batch in the bottle before baking. The high temps must have reduced the residue to carbon because the beer tasted just as good as beer from a bottle that was squeaky clean to begin with.

I never use sanitizer when bottling. I rinse them out very, very well after drinking, and store them upside down. When it's bottling time, put them thru the dishwasher cycle, then bottle directly out of the dishwasher. Never had an issue.

Got Trub? said:

I've been bottling for 25+ years and just started kegging but continue to bottle about 1/2 my batches. Heres what I do.

All new bottles get hot PBW for several hours and then bottle brush and rinsed with a jet washer.

Immediately after pouring out a beer I rinse well 4 times to get all the yeast out.**

Every few days I take those bottles and blast them a few moments with hot water with the jet washer and put them away in cases.

The day before I bottle I set up my bottle tree and using a pump sanitizer spray the inside of the bottles with Star San and leave to drip dry o/n.

Bottling day then takes me 1 hour, start to finish.

GT

** This is the most important step. Leaving them for a day or more without rinsing creates exponentially more work later.

Click to expand...

I am also super diligent about rinsing my bottles immediately after I pour them. 3 times with hot water, never any residue, just sanitize with Star-San for the next batch.

+however many as far as spreading the work out.

I did all that stuff in one day, and regretted it too. Many of the bottling chores are things that can be done while you're doing other stuff (i.e. soaking bottles to remove labels). Yesterday while I was helping SWMBO plant her garden, I had two cases worth of bottles soaking in PBW in the sink. This weekend I'm bottling two batches, so all I've got to do is dip them in sanitizer and et voila!

+1 on the washing once poured. Even the next day is okay if you *forget*.
+1 on the bottle jet, and the bottling tree.

I sterilise my bottles when I can and cap them ready for bottling day. Bit of a hassle but speeds up bottling. Gotta grab the time when I can!

About an hour, start to finish. Less if my SWMBO fills while I cap.

I rinse all bottles immediately after pouring 3x with really hot water, visually inspect to see there is no yeast residue left. Drain dry and store upside down in their holders.

On bottling day, I use a vinator to spray the inside of each bottle with starsan and drain on a clean and sanitized upper and lower rack of my dishwasher.

In advance I boil up some corn sugar, cover and allow to cool, rack into the bottling bucket, mix the sugar, sanitized caps in starsan, etc.

+1 on the bottling wand. I connect mine to the spigot with a 2" length of tubing so I don't have to sit the wand down between fillings.

blacklab said:

I never use sanitizer when bottling. I rinse them out very, very well after drinking, and store them upside down. When it's bottling time, put them thru the dishwasher cycle, then bottle directly out of the dishwasher. Never had an issue.

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Oh good, I was just wondering if the dishwasher cycle was a bad idea.

I need to change up my routine... my first two bottling sessions I soaked the bottles in bleach water to make the labels come off better. They still sucked (Saranac especially) and that was an entire morning of scrubbing... but now that I have the blank bottles, I may not do that. Hopefully my rinsing 3-4 times in the sink after I pour was good enough, but they've been stored upright. We'll see I guess.

I usually take 4-5 hours, but that includes soaking the labels off. I also try not to use any bottles that are gunky at the bottom. I really need to try using PBW and StarSan. They sound awesum.

Anyway, I usually soak the bottles in hot water to remove labels, and wash them inside and out. Then dip in sanitizer and drip dry (or just start using them).

Now, if I have clean bottles, and I use the sani-rinse on my dishwasher, I could REALLY cut my time down. I could run the sani-rinse while boiling my priming solution, and maybe could be done in less than 1 hour, start to cleaned up.

Many of you are much more efficient at this than me. It takes me 2 to 2.5 hours to bottle up a batch. Between bringing everything upstairs, sanitizing, transfering the beer to the bucket, filling, capping, labeling and clean up it seems to take a full evening.

It would probably help if I didn't have to make a dozen trips between the basement and kitchen in the process

I have saved some time by skipping the washing step and just ensuring the bottles are clean before I store them.

Craig

I just figured I'd throw in my two cents.

Before Bottling Day
- Wash each bottle after pour.

Bottling Day
- Fill bottling bucket with warm water and sanitizer
- Dunk each bottle till full and dump...possibly about 10-20 seconds contact time.
- I do not drip dry on bottle tree, I put them straight back into the box standing upright. I figure let the remaining sanitizer foam remain in their and increase contact time.

Now all my bottles are sanitized and my bottling bucket is sanitized. Havent had an infection after 19 brews of doing it that way. Takes me an hour and a half to sanitize/bottle/clean.

Took me 1.5 hours this afternoon, while getting an all grain batch started.

brewmeone said:

I must be making the process harder than it needs to be. I do rinse out the bottles after I drink out of them... here's my current process.

-Fill sink with hot soapy water
-Fill bottling bucket with hot water and star san
-Scrub bottles in sink using bottle brush
-Rinse bottles
-Soak bottles in bottling bucket and sanitizer
-Drain bottles and put on bottle tree
-Then I perform the rest of the bottling steps which only takes another 40 minutes or so...

Click to expand...

I follow the exact same routine as brewmeone minus the bottle brush. It usually takes me anywhere from 1 - 2 hours depending on how motivated I am and how many beers I have had.

i read on another thread to soak bottles in oxiclean to help get the labels off. I tried it the other day with 4 cases of bottles, and didn't have to scrape a single label off. After only 1 hour sitting in a bucket of oxiclean, the labels fell off. I had to scrub a little to get the glue off, but not hard at all. After i was done, i had most of the labels sitting in the bottom of the bucket. I have read of people having problem with residue on bottles if they let them soak overnight, so in my limited experience, it doesn't seem neccesary, just an hour or two will do.

I also rinse after use, rinse with hot water on bottling day, put in dishwasher on a hot rinse cycle, then bottle right on top of the dishwasher door, no mess to clean up if you spill a little!!

Sigafoos said:

Oh good, I was just wondering if the dishwasher cycle was a bad idea.

I need to change up my routine... my first two bottling sessions I soaked the bottles in bleach water to make the labels come off better. They still sucked (Saranac especially) and that was an entire morning of scrubbing... but now that I have the blank bottles, I may not do that. Hopefully my rinsing 3-4 times in the sink after I pour was good enough, but they've been stored upright. We'll see I guess.

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Thought it was just me...those Saranac bottles are a huge p.i.t.a.

I've gotten my whole process down to less than 2 hours now...however:

Has anyone else had any "accidents" with oxyclean? The last thing I clean is the secondary carboy. I had it clean as a whistle with oxyclean. It works as well as everyone here says it does, but wow is it slick. I guess you get in a hurry when you're ready to be done, but long story short, the carboy slipped out of my hands. Chipped the neck and my tile kitchen floor. I'm still going to use it, but I'm going to be a lot more careful; even if it takes 3 hours.

The vinator saves a ton of time on bottling day. No need to spend all that time dunking/filling each bottle. Just use a low contact time, no-rinse sanitizer like starsan and it's well worth the price.

http://www.weekendbrewer.com/images/vinator.jpg

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=1322

takes me 1 to 1 1/2 hours to bottle a 5 gallon batch

All bottles are rinsed after pour. Mix 3 gallons on sanitizer (BTF) fill bottles in bucket let sit for a few a minute drain and set on bottle tree. My racking items soak in BTF in a wallpaper tub with caps. Use the dishwaser door as a shelf bottle and close door no mess to clean if I overfill a bottle or two.

Somebody send me a dang wallpaper tray already. I've looked in about 5 HDs & Lowes & the only one I could find is only about 2 ft. long...just about 2" short of what I need for the autosiphon. Grrrr!

Soperbrew said:

Somebody send me a dang wallpaper tray already. I've looked in about 5 HDs & Lowes & the only one I could find is only about 2 ft. long...just about 2" short of what I need for the autosiphon. Grrrr!

Click to expand...

Try Benjaman Moore paint store. That where I got mine its about 30"

jzal8 said:

I just figured I'd throw in my two cents.

Before Bottling Day
- Wash each bottle after pour.

Bottling Day
- Fill bottling bucket with warm water and sanitizer
- Dunk each bottle till full and dump...possibly about 10-20 seconds contact time.
- I do not drip dry on bottle tree, I put them straight back into the box standing upright. I figure let the remaining sanitizer foam remain in their and increase contact time.

Now all my bottles are sanitized and my bottling bucket is sanitized. Havent had an infection after 19 brews of doing it that way. Takes me an hour and a half to sanitize/bottle/clean.

Click to expand...

So not drip drying the bottles won't harm the taste of the beer? I would think that the sanitation solution would add a funny taste. But I guess you are right!

I also rinse after each pour, but only a couple of shots of water. I then walk over to the oven and turn on the florescent light and inspect them for any residue (and clean them again if there is). It's amazing what you can see with a good strong light.

For new bottles I give a 1hr soak in oxyclean and hit them with a wide bottle brush. Then I 1/2 fill with oxyclean solution, plug the neck and then shake for about 10secs. After checking each bottle with a florescent light, I soak any ones that still have residue with hot water for an hour.

As for bottling, I give each bottle about 3secs of water blast with the bottle rinser and then a few pumps with some iodophor in the vinator and onto the bottle tree (which I give a few sprays of idophor before I use).

+1 on the bottling wand, it makes it so damn easy!

Unfortunately I can't say how long it takes from start to finish, I'm having to much fun to keep track

I do the same thing as springer except a bottle tree/dish washer and starsan. an hour to an hour and a half.

BTW on sanitizers contact time includes any time that the bottle is wet, not just dunked in the solution.

I get my bottles from recycling centers, soak in oxyclean for an hour the labels fall off or only need a minor rub with a green pad, rinse and put in the case ready for sanitizing.