Transfer from fermentor to bottles

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someara

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Alright, here's the deal. This is my first batch to cook off and im curious how to get the beer to the bottles! The valve on the bottom of the fermentor tells me that this is what it is for. However, i've also read to siphon it. I have yet to put the sugar in, in which requires stiring which tells me that siphoning would have no advantage over just using the valve. (because stirring would mix all the sediment around)
So, could I just use the valve and run it through a coffee filter before putting it in bottles? Are there any other methods from the pros out there? Im looking to bottle today.
Thanks!
 
Typically you would transfer it to a bottling bucket. Do you only have one bucket? If so, see if you can find a large stock pot, cooler, etc. Sanitize that, transfer the beer to that (using either the drain at the bottom if you have one, or siphoning it out). If you siphon make sure not to suck up the yeast and trub on the bottom. If you have a drain, then it's above all that so no worries.

Clean out your fermenter and put the beer back in it to bottle. Or if you are siphoning, bottle from whatever you put the beer in. You really want a spring loaded bottle filler though, otherwise bottling can be a pain...
 
Well, I do only have one bucket big enough and that's the fermentor bucket. (it has the spout) So you're saying I can just use the valve on the bucket to bottle and be safe from the sediment?
 
You have to add priming sugar to carbonate the beer in the bottles, and that requires you to stir. You don't want to do that with the trub still in the fermenter. That's why you need a bottling bucket. I'd get something big enough to hold it all, clean out your fermenter, siphon it back in, add sugar, then bottle.
 
When I did my first batch, I added a small measured amount of sugar to each bottle with a measuring spoon. Then siphoned from the primary directly in each bottle. Sometimes we forgot which bottle had had sugar added to so that I got totally flat bottles (oops no sugar in that one) and double primed bottles (oops get a towel!).

This was the old fashioned way and a pain in the butt as you can imagine. Then someone turned me on to the idea of boiling all the sugar in a little pan and adding to the beer in another bucket. Ah so!!! The light bulb went on and things were a lot easier.
 
I'd go invest in another bucket, preferably one without a spigot, siphon to that, clean the bucket with spigot, siphon back, and bottle from there with some tubing and a spring loaded bottling wand (you cant just turn on the spigot and start filling the bottles or you'll get oxidation).

Then, going forward, use the bucket without the spigot as your primary and come bottling day you can just transfer once to your bottling bucket.
 
My first batch of beer done transfered from bucket into bottles. I filled the pint bottles leaving a gap at the top dropped the half tea spoon into the pint bottle n capped it straightaway left to stand for 2 days and on instructions it says leave in a cool dark place. Cool meaning ? Temp. I have it in a cupboard and temp is about 18 is this to warm
 
Derekgraham74 said:
My first batch of beer done transfered from bucket into bottles. I filled the pint bottles leaving a gap at the top dropped the half tea spoon into the pint bottle n capped it straightaway left to stand for 2 days and on instructions it says leave in a cool dark place. Cool meaning ? Temp. I have it in a cupboard and temp is about 18 is this to warm
Click to expand...

18 celsius (65F) sounds ok, but usually it takes a week or 2 (or 3) to carbonate in the bottles.
 
TheJadedDog said:
I'd go invest in another bucket, preferably one without a spigot, siphon to that, clean the bucket with spigot, siphon back, and bottle from there with some tubing and a spring loaded bottling wand (you cant just turn on the spigot and start filling the bottles or you'll get oxidation).

Then, going forward, use the bucket without the spigot as your primary and come bottling day you can just transfer once to your bottling bucket.
Click to expand...

This. Get yourself a fermenter or a bucket. I'd let your beer sit till I got one, wont hurt anything. Trying to bottle from the fermenter is going to be not good, just saying.
 
I bottled a couple of batches straight from the fermenter, came out fine, but you have to be careful. Using a bottling bucket is definitely better so you should get one for next time, but you can bottle from the fermenter if you are stuck.

One option is to use carbonation drops for the priming sugar, then bottle from the tap on the fermenter, no stirring needed. This gives you less/no control over the amount of carbonation and the carbonation drops are kinda expensive for what they are.

The other way is to gently add your priming solution to the top of the fermenter and gently stir. You want to give the sugar a good mix through but you don't want to disturb the sediment. Then leave it for an hour to settle anything you disturbed and the sugar to move around the solution, then bottle. I did this with extract batches, the sediment seems to be more tightly packed than all-grain batches.

This is definitely not ideal - but transferring to a spare pot then back into the clean fermenter then into the bottle isn't ideal either as that's an extra step where oxygen can get into the beer. So the dedicated bottling bucket is the way to go for next time.
 
You could try adding the carbonation to each bottle using the little fizzy drop things. that way you don't have to prime in bucket and stir or mess around with pouring sugar into bottles.

Edit: the guy above me posted same idea. I should read more.
 
Sadu said:
I bottled a couple of batches straight from the fermenter, came out fine, but you have to be careful. Using a bottling bucket is definitely better so you should get one for next time, but you can bottle from the fermenter if you are stuck.

One option is to use carbonation drops for the priming sugar, then bottle from the tap on the fermenter, no stirring needed. This gives you less/no control over the amount of carbonation and the carbonation drops are kinda expensive for what they are.

The other way is to gently add your priming solution to the top of the fermenter and gently stir. You want to give the sugar a good mix through but you don't want to disturb the sediment. Then leave it for an hour to settle anything you disturbed and the sugar to move around the solution, then bottle. I did this with extract batches, the sediment seems to be more tightly packed than all-grain batches.

This is definitely not ideal - but transferring to a spare pot then back into the clean fermenter then into the bottle isn't ideal either as that's an extra step where oxygen can get into the beer. So the dedicated bottling bucket is the way to go for next time.[/QUOTE
Thanks for the helpful tips I have now got a pressurised keg and other bits for my next batch looking forward to getting it better as I go. ]
Click to expand...
 
Hi I have got 40 pints of berry cider on the go coming up to adding the berry concentrate. Should I syphon cider into pressure keg n add or add in fementing barrel. If I do that will it stir up all sediment at the bottom . If I do that do I wait to let it settle before transfer it to pressure keg and how long usually.
Thanks to any reply I am new to this and find ya advice very helpful.
 

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