bottling question why use a bottling wand?

Hi, I'm pretty new to brewing and just have a general question about bottling. I have been using an auto-siphon and bottling wand for my bottling, and was wondering why this is done in this way. After fermenting in primary, I rack to a pot with priming sugar, then use the auto-siphon and wand to bottle from the pot. Why is using a wand preferred over just pouring the wort into the bottle using a funnel? I'm just curious what effect this would have on the finished beer.

my 2 cents...

#1 = convience
#2 = (only guessing), less agitation therefore reducing chances of oxidation
#3 = takes the guess work out of headspace...when bottle full remove wand and wahlaa, perfect amount of headspace.

The real answer is: filling the bottles from the bottom up reduces the risk of oxidation.

The other answer is: Try filling bottles without a bottling wand.

When you fill the bottles from the bottom up, it won't splash and oxygenate the beer. You COULD pour the beer into the bottles if you wanted to but you would need to pour slowly down the side of the bottle to keep it from splashing.

Thanks bferullo, robbiex0r and bknifefight, you guys completely answered my question.

You would also need Popeye arms to hold a 5 gallon batch while pouring into those tiny bottles slowly.

mainly because you don't want to oxidize your beer when its going into the bottles. Plus, it just simply makes sense... I couldn't even imagine putting a funnel into each bottle and pouring or siphoning/stopping it in each bottle. That would make a mess and take forever!

robertvrabel said:

mainly because you don't want to oxidize your beer when its going into the bottles. Plus, it just simply makes sense... I couldn't even imagine putting a funnel into each bottle and pouring or siphoning/stopping it in each bottle. That would make a mess and take forever!

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I don't have a wand or a spigot on my bottling bucket. I do plan to get that sorted out eventually, but for the time being I bottle by pinching off my siphon. By myself it would be either impossible or very slow going, but with a friend we can get into a pretty smooth rhythm and keep the mess to a minimum.

Lep said:

I don't have a wand or a spigot on my bottling bucket. I do plan to get that sorted out eventually, but for the time being I bottle by pinching off my siphon. By myself it would be either impossible or very slow going, but with a friend we can get into a pretty smooth rhythm and keep the mess to a minimum.

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My hat goes off to you man! I am a complete slob when I use a bottling wand I could not imagine if bottled using your method but hey, if it works then more power to you!

Best advice I've found in using a bottling wand, is to just attach it directly to the spigot (just cut like a 1-2 inch piece of tubing and connect it right up to it). This way you just simply put the bucket at the edge of a table with the wand pointing down, then place your bottles up into the bottle wand... and pull down when done.

So much easier than using 6 feet of hose

robertvrabel said:

Best advice I've found in using a bottling wand, is to just attach it directly to the spigot (just cut like a 1-2 inch piece of tubing and connect it right up to it). This way you just simply put the bucket at the edge of a table with the wand pointing down, then place your bottles up into the bottle wand... and pull down when done.

So much easier than using 6 feet of hose

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Yep, my method which I discovered totally by accident is to take the same cork that I use to put my airlock in, and just stick the spigot in the top and the bottling wand in the bottom. It pretty much fits perfectly, you just have to be careful not to pull the wand out or you get a nice beer waterfall.

I agree with what someone said before about headspace. It is really convenient to just fill the bottle right to the top and then pull the wand out, leaving you with a really consistent 1 inch headspace on all your bottles.

robertvrabel said:

Best advice I've found in using a bottling wand, is to just attach it directly to the spigot (just cut like a 1-2 inch piece of tubing and connect it right up to it). This way you just simply put the bucket at the edge of a table with the wand pointing down, then place your bottles up into the bottle wand... and pull down when done.

So much easier than using 6 feet of hose

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Even better is to put your bottling bucket on the counter above the dishwasher. Open the dishwasher door and pull up a chair. Bottle away. To clean up the drips.... just close to dishwasher door.

This is one of the best tips I picked up from this great forum/

A bottling bucket makes it easier you don't have to siphon.

Lep said:

I don't have a wand or a spigot on my bottling bucket. I do plan to get that sorted out eventually, but for the time being I bottle by pinching off my siphon. By myself it would be either impossible or very slow going, but with a friend we can get into a pretty smooth rhythm and keep the mess to a minimum.

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Ive been doing it the same way , I do make a little mess but I do it by myself. Bucket on the counter and the bottles on an end table in front of it. So far it has worked fine but I have been thinking there has to be a better way.

robertvrabel said:

Best advice I've found in using a bottling wand, is to just attach it directly to the spigot (just cut like a 1-2 inch piece of tubing and connect it right up to it). This way you just simply put the bucket at the edge of a table with the wand pointing down, then place your bottles up into the bottle wand... and pull down when done.

So much easier than using 6 feet of hose

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THIS, big time.

The first time I used my bottling bucket I had just used my only wand for bottling up an Oud Bruin (sour beer). Not wanting to contaminate my RIS I took a 10" piece of hose and attached it to the spigot, opening and closing the valve for every bottle, NEVER AGAIN. Not only increased risk of aeration but just a general PITA.

Blake

Dont forget the dip tube mod from revvys beginner bottling thread! Say bye bye to bucket tipping.

All you need is a few inches of rigid tubing (cut piece of racking cane) and a small drilled stopper or wine cork to fit it to the spigot.

I tried using the spigot on my bottling bucket (Brewer's Best) but for some reason it mixes air in with the beer and I end up with foamy beer in the bottles so I have just switched to autosiphon/bottling wand. Anyone else have this problem?

I also should add that I used the dip tube method mentioned above, so I don't know if that added to the problem or not. Either way, bottling wand works great for me.

My system doesn't produce foam in the bottle. Is there air in the tubing between the racking cane and spigot? If so, you can pinch it at the end to force out the air bubble, just like you can with a siphon setup. That'll stop it from dancing around so much in the tubing.

saluki_brewer said:

I tried using the spigot on my bottling bucket (Brewer's Best) but for some reason it mixes air in with the beer and I end up with foamy beer in the bottles so I have just switched to autosiphon/bottling wand. Anyone else have this problem?

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You're sucking air, either through the joint in the spigot/tubing, a crack in the tubing or through a gap in the spigot. You can try adjusting the spigot if that's it but they're cheap enough to replace.

Anybody got a tip for the end of the bucket, other than tilting?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/ The Revvy bottling thread should help

robertvrabel said:

Best advice I've found in using a bottling wand, is to just attach it directly to the spigot (just cut like a 1-2 inch piece of tubing and connect it right up to it). This way you just simply put the bucket at the edge of a table with the wand pointing down, then place your bottles up into the bottle wand... and pull down when done.

So much easier than using 6 feet of hose

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I don't recall where I read about this method, but it really works well. One of the best, easy to follow tips that I have ever read.

I put the bucket on my kitchen counter above the dishwasher and open the dishwasher door. I can keep sanitized bottles on the dishwasher rack and the door catches any drips.

I just spent the last ten minutes trying to hook up the wand to the spigot. Thanks to all who suggested ideas, but are there any good step by step instructions for connecting the bottling wand to the spigot on the bottling bucket. I am not handy. I have a Brewers Best set and obviously the want an spigot don't hook up like I wanted them to. I still have a few weeks until bottling.

daveyo33 said:

I just spent the last ten minutes trying to hook up the wand to the spigot. Thanks to all who suggested ideas, but are there any good step by step instructions for connecting the bottling wand to the spigot on the bottling bucket. I am not handy. I have a Brewers Best set and obviously the want an spigot don't hook up like I wanted them to. I still have a few weeks until bottling.

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Just take an inch of the flexible tubing, slip one end over the spigot, stick the wand in the other end.

seamusfm said:

Just take an inch of the flexible tubing, slip one end over the spigot, stick the wand in the other end.

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Or do it x2. Yes, you must have dabbled in the dark arts to make this work. It makes bottling twice as fast!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/double-barrel-bottling-now-twice-fast-257264/

Lep said:

I don't have a wand or a spigot on my bottling bucket. I do plan to get that sorted out eventually, but for the time being I bottle by pinching off my siphon. By myself it would be either impossible or very slow going, but with a friend we can get into a pretty smooth rhythm and keep the mess to a minimum.

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A bottle filler is like $3, seriously just buy one...i understand being cheap, trust me im the cheapest person ever but god damn your spending so much more time for $3.

Look into Revvys sticky on bottling. It will save you time, money and hassle. Inside the bottling bucket you can attach some plastic pipe elbow that will create a siphon so you never have to tilt the bucket when bottliing. Mine leaves a 1/16th layer on the bottom when bottling is finished.

Actually Revvys sticky post on bottling should be a manditory read on this site. it is that good.

in my experience, oxygenation is a myth; you don't need a bottling wand, unless you find it more convenient. I bottle directly from a spigot (no wand) into the bottles. I've never noticed an issue. I don't age my beer so that might help. I drink it fresh. onepotbrewing.wordpress.com

I think its necessary, I cannot comment on oxygenation issues and the like, but for the simple convenience factor.

I have it set up with a short tube from my bottling bucket spigot that holds the wand pretty steady. I can start filling one bottle with my right hand, have a sanitized cap ready in my left, bottle finishes, set aside and rest a sanitized cap on the bottle after passing the cap to my right hand while my left hand goes to grab another empty bottle. Pass the empty to the right hand, start filling, repeat.

If you are filling directly from the spigot, ignoring the potential for oxygenation (why risk it when a bottling wand is a couple bucks) you have to use both hands for the filling process (you have to control very carefully when to shut off the spigot). Bottling is already a slow process, why make it slower?

FuzzeWuzze said:

A bottle filler is like $3, seriously just buy one...i understand being cheap, trust me im the cheapest person ever but god damn your spending so much more time for $3.

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Money isn't the point. Do you really need one? that's the point. The answer is no, you really don't need one. One less piece of equipment. That is a useful thing to know for a beginning brewer. I see on these blogs constantly "just get one man, it's only like 10 bucks, or 5 bucks, or 20 bucks." That adds up. Still, your point about time is totally valid.

For example, I bottle directly from a spigot attached to my fermenter (above the trub line). It works just fine and I've never noticed oxidation issues. Con: as you point out, it does take a little bit longer without one, although not much. Con: you have to bend over much lower, or Con: you have to place your bucket up high. Having said all that, I'm considering getting one!

onepotbrewing.wordpress.com

OnePotBrewing said:

in my experience, oxygenation is a myth; you don't need a bottling wand, unless you find it more convenient. I bottle directly from a spigot (no wand) into the bottles. I've never noticed an issue. I don't age my beer so that might help. I drink it fresh. onepotbrewing.wordpress.com

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This is the only reason you are not drinking Wet Cardboard Ale!!!!!!!

I found the mentioned sticky thread on bottling before my first batch. I seriously cannot think of a better way without buying an automated bottling machine!

One process that people do that really boggles my mind is priming each bottle individually?!?!! Carb tabs maybe, but adding measured sugar to each bottle??? How can that possibly be considered easy, and how uneven are the different bottles carbonated.

Read the sticky and just because you don't get oxygenated beer pouring from the spigot, don't try to pass that off as proof that you don't need a bottling wand.

I found a threaded CPVC elbow that fits the inside of my spigot. I just screw it on in place of the nut that holds the spigot tight. I had to trim the down side a little so the elbow rests about 1/16 inch above the bottom of the bucket. I leave less than 4 ounces in the bucket. NO TILTING!

Painter said:

I put the bucket on my kitchen counter above the dishwasher and open the dishwasher door. I can keep sanitized bottles on the dishwasher rack and the door catches any drips.

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That's pretty smart. I don't keep mine in the dishwasher though so I would have to alter this a bit. I put aluminum foil over the bottles mouth and bake them, obviously after cleaning them though

OnePotBrewing said:

in my experience, oxygenation is a myth; you don't need a bottling wand, unless you find it more convenient. I bottle directly from a spigot (no wand) into the bottles. I've never noticed an issue. I don't age my beer so that might help. I drink it fresh. onepotbrewing.wordpress.com

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Umm, I entirely disagree. Oxygen is a huge, huge issue for homebrewers. Espeically with hop foward beers. My early IPAs would taste good after a week in the bottle or so, but a month later the hop character would be muddled and it was basically a higher gravity pale ale. If you dont think oxygenation is an issue, id be willing to be that your beer is pretty oxygenated even at bottling. The second I started kegging and was able to purge things with CO2, the quality of my IPAs went trough the roof immediately.

I would never, ever bottle straight from a spigot.

robertvrabel said:

Best advice I've found in using a bottling wand, is to just attach it directly to the spigot (just cut like a 1-2 inch piece of tubing and connect it right up to it). This way you just simply put the bucket at the edge of a table with the wand pointing down, then place your bottles up into the bottle wand... and pull down when done.

So much easier than using 6 feet of hose

Click to expand...

You know, I actually tried that on my last batch and found it way less convenient than just using a length of hose with the wand attached to that. The reason being, with the way you describe I have to support my arm and the bottle, while pressing up on the wand tip, for 50 bottles. It got very tiring. With the tube+wand, I just had to press down on the wand. My 2c.

Calypso said:

You know, I actually tried that on my last batch and found it way less convenient than just using a length of hose with the wand attached to that. The reason being, with the way you describe I have to support my arm and the bottle, while pressing up on the wand tip, for 50 bottles. It got very tiring. With the tube+wand, I just had to press down on the wand. My 2c.

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I had the same issue until I set my bottling bucket up on a counter/work bench thats higher than waist level. Set down a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, sit on the bucket, then rest my elbow on my knee. Then I only need to gently hold the bottle up so it depresses the spring and starts filling.

Rather than outstretching my arm and holding the bottle onto the wand. I use about a 12" section of tubing with the wand attached and the tubing is generally stiff enough with cool (60F) beer traveling through it that just pressing the bottle up ever so slightly depresses the spring in the wand (though I cannot account for if your bottling wand has a very stiff spring in it).

What about when you decide to stick a filter in the middle of your bottling bucket and wand?

I've had better luck bottling from a keg faucet into tipped bottles(swing tops) and cranking up the carb (a little) so that the foam purges the headspace in the bottle. I did have some cardboard flavored bottles from a bottling wand prior to getting a keg that I attribute to the air let in by the mass of the wand being removed from the bottle after filling. The headspace looked just right but tasted like cardboard.

MrFancyPlants said:

I did have some cardboard flavored bottles from a bottling wand prior to getting a keg that I attribute to the air let in by the mass of the wand being removed from the bottle after filling. The headspace looked just right but tasted like cardboard.

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How long did it take for your beer to taste like cardboard?

OnePotBrewing said:

....oxygenation is a myth...

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That's an interesting view.