Bottling From MrBeer

I should have perhaps posted this in the Mr Beer thread, but wasnt sure how often it's checked for new questions.

Anyhow, I want to bottle my beer tomorrow afternoon and was thinking about what sort of stuff I need to bottle.

The instructions lead me to believe that I could pour the beer from the tap on the mrbeer keg into the bottles and cap em... sounded easy enough but now I'm reading the forums and bought a book and I see stuff about using racking canes (how does this thing work?) and other stuffs. Is it essential to have a cane or tube that will fill be bottles from the bottom up to avoid oxygen if I just tilt the bottles and pour slowly?

Also, as a second question i went to Austin home brew yesterday and picked up some priming tabs that you put into the bottles individually. Anybody got any advice as far as if they're good to use, or how many to use? Says 2-3 for less carbonation, 4 for normal carbonation, 5 tabs for extra carbonation. I dont want any beer bombs.

erkem121 said:

I should have perhaps posted this in the Mr Beer thread, but wasnt sure how often it's checked for new questions.

Anyhow, I want to bottle my beer tomorrow afternoon and was thinking about what sort of stuff I need to bottle.

The instructions lead me to believe that I could pour the beer from the tap on the mrbeer keg into the bottles and cap em... sounded easy enough but now I'm reading the forums and bought a book and I see stuff about using racking canes (how does this thing work?) and other stuffs. Is it essential to have a cane or tube that will fill be bottles from the bottom up to avoid oxygen if I just tilt the bottles and pour slowly?

Also, as a second question i went to Austin home brew yesterday and picked up some priming tabs that you put into the bottles individually. Anybody got any advice as far as if they're good to use, or how many to use? Says 2-3 for less carbonation, 4 for normal carbonation, 5 tabs for extra carbonation. I dont want any beer bombs.

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It's not really a good idea to bottle straight from the spigot, the falling beer will touch the air and could become oxydized...traditionally you fill beer bottles from the bottom up instead of top down, usually with a wand that touches the bottom...

One easy way to do it, and since you already have the prime tabs, is to find a vinyl tube that fits over the spigot. Cut it so that it is a couple of incehel longer than a beer bottle. sanitize it when you saitize the bottles (also sanitize the spigot as well)

I have read that 1/2 ID vinyl tunbe will fit, but I'm not sure...

Attach the hose to the spigot, then stick it in the bottle til it touches the bottom, and push the spigot..and slowly fill the bottle til it starts to overflow and quicky pull the hose out, which whill then reduce the level of the beer in the bottle to it's proper size. Put the amount of prime tabs you want to use for yor beer in the bottle and seal..

Then stick them aside for 3 weeks at 70 degrees.

Or you can make a bottling bucket with a spigot and do what most of us do and siphon it to the bucket. In theis case you would use 2.5 ounces of corn sugar boiled in a cup of water. You and that to the bucket and siphon the beer on to that...then use a bottling wand with a spring to fill from the bottling bucket.

There's some other tips in the Mr Beer sticky..

Also here's some other suggestions...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/revvys-tips-bottler-first-time-otherwise-94812/

Thanks friendo!

A short message to all new brewers with questions. Revvy's answers are always well thought out and articulated well in his posts. Take his advice to heart because he is not just typing down some things he thinks are correct. Revvy you da man.

That link to the bottling tips that Revvy gave you is golden. You should really read it. I used it recently for my first bottling session. Thanks a lot for that post Revvy. You are da man!

EXACTLY the method i used when beginning, the tube can be bought at home deport... buy a few yards because after your a freaking beer brewing addict you use it... hehehehe

Brewmasters Warehouse said:

A short message to all new brewers with questions. Revvy's answers are always well thought out and articulated well in his posts. Take his advice to heart because he is not just typing down some things he thinks are correct. Revvy you da man.

Click to expand...

WoW...Thanks BW!!!
May you prosper in your business!!!

timgman said:

EXACTLY the method i used when beginning, the tube can be bought at home deport... buy a few yards because after your a freaking beer brewing addict you use it... hehehehe

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Ting, what's the diameter of the hose? Is it 1/2"?

I just finished bottling a batch from the Mr. Beer and I used my auto-siphon ($7.00) and a bottle filler which worked out great. I sat the mini keg on the countertop and filled the bottles from bellow. Worked out great and I was able to get 21 full bottles and enough to do a final gravity test. The yeast didn't stir up much and the poor was fairly clear. Not a bad way to go if you use the Mr. Beer kit much more.