do i have to bottle from bucket

first timer getting ready to bottle...i am currently in a secondary fementer(carboy) the kit says to rack back in bucket and add the dextrose...then rack it with the bottle filler into the bottles....question one...whats the point of the spignot on the bucket?.... question two.....can i just add dextrose to carboy then rack into bottles?

thank you for your help.............luke

You want to put your bottling sugar solution in the bottling bucket and rack to that to ensure that the sugar is evenly mixed in. Do this without introducing air into your brew too.
The purpose of the spigot is so that you can attach a tube to it and then to your bottling wand to fill the bottles.
Remember to sanitzie everything your beer is going to touch.

When you add the sugar, you have to mix it in well. If you do this in the secondary, you will mix up all the sediment on the bottom, making the secondary pointless, and leaving your bottles full of trub. You can bottle directly from the secondary if you prime each bottle individually, but this can be problematic.

gasman said:

first timer getting ready to bottle...i am currently in a secondary fementer(carboy) the kit says to rack back in bucket and add the dextrose...then rack it with the bottle filler into the bottles....question one...whats the point of the spignot on the bucket?.... question two.....can i just add dextrose to carboy then rack into bottles?

thank you for your help.............luke

Click to expand...

You should boil up the dextrose in 2 cups water, and allow to cool. I am a big believer in using a bottling bucket, though. Here's why: You have the beer in a secondary. It's nice and clear with a layer of trub on the bottom. You are going to mix the priming sugar evenly with the beer, so that the bottles carb up. If you add the priming solution to your carboy, and stir, you'll a) possibly aerate the beer, b) stir up all the crud that you just spent weeks allowing to settle out. You'll have uneven priming from inadequate mixing, and possibly oxidation from stirring, and you'll have more sediment in your bottles.

If you pour your priming solution into the bottling bucket, rack the beer into it so that it swirls without splashing (putting the tubing tip on the bottom) and then attach a bottling wand to the spigot, all you have to do is hold the bottle up to the bottling wand and fill the bottles. Even carbonation, clear beer, less sediment, and no aeration.

I've never used my bottling wand. I think I will try it next time. I always just hold the bottle at an angle and fill up the bottle then cap.

You learn something new here everyday.

If you attempt to bottle from the secondary you will disturb all the nicely settled yeast and gunk that you patiently waited to settle...That's the point of a long primary or using a secondary to let stuff settle...mixing the dextrose will disturb that...


you will not have clear beer...

The spigot is to help you bottle easier than trying to do it from a siphon.


Why don't you read this thread...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/revvys-tips-bottler-first-time-otherwise-94812/

you dont have to, nobody is gonna come beat up up if you dont... but it is advisable... It does not have to be a bucket... it just has to be a container which the sugar can be mixed in properly and might have a spigot to aid you in you bottle filling, it doesnt have to... Most people use buckets becaue of the ease of acess for transfering the brew, and because it allows an easy gravity sample to be taken for final testing... Now if you bottle from secondary and acidently fill and entire bottle with turb and give it to sombody bigger then you whom your trying to make friends with, they may beat you up because of the stomic ake and trots they get from the turby beer... so be careful

Cheers

you have to

When I saw the Fermtech bottle wand that came with my kit, I scoffed at it. But then I used it to bottle and it is really convenient. You can leave the spigot in the 'on' position the entire time.

Talloak said:

When I saw the Fermtech bottle wand that came with my kit, I scoffed at it. But then I used it to bottle and it is really convenient. You can leave the spigot in the 'on' position the entire time.

Click to expand...

By far the best $3 piece of equipment I own.