Bottling first batch to, need some advice

I'm finally bottling my first batch today that I brewed two weeks ago. I soaked all my bottles in OxyClean to remove labels and adhesive (worked amazing) and they're in the dishwasher now to just make sure they're clean (might be overkill but better safe than sorry) and I'll sanitize when they come out.

I have a couple questions.

1. Can I use the dishwasher racks as a bottle "tree" after I sanitize them? My dishwasher has a sanitize mode so once the bottles are done, they should be sanitized but I was going to make a sanitize solutions and do them again. If I spray the racks down with solution, can I use them as a bottle rack to dry? Do they need to be totally dry? What's the effect of sanitzer on beer?

2. How far from the bottom mm I siphoning? I know there is dead yeast settle to the bottom and this beer is a stout so I won't have a good gauge to tell whem I' siphoning dead yeast into the bottling bucket.

3. I'm OK on making the priming solution so any other suggestions or pointers?

Thanks

1. You ran the bottles through a sanitizing cycle in the dishwasher, everything in the dishwasher is sanitized, so the the rack should be fine. Good idea to sanitize the bottles with one step just to make sure, water jetting up into the bottles in the dishwasher maybe minimal. One step has no real affect on beer as long as you drain out the one-step.

2. Once you start syphoning out into the bottling bucket and mix your priming sugar, you will start to see the sediment on the bottom as the level goes down. You can adjust from there.

3. Have fun and maybe get some help. An extra hand is alway helpful to reach for caps, set bottles, and help with tilting your bottling bucket.

zonabb said:

I'm finally bottling my first batch today that I brewed two weeks ago. I soaked all my bottles in OxyClean to remove labels and adhesive (worked amazing) and they're in the dishwasher now to just make sure they're clean (might be overkill but better safe than sorry) and I'll sanitize when they come out.

I have a couple questions.

1. Can I use the dishwasher racks as a bottle "tree" after I sanitize them? My dishwasher has a sanitize mode so once the bottles are done, they should be sanitized but I was going to make a sanitize solutions and do them again. If I spray the racks down with solution, can I use them as a bottle rack to dry? Do they need to be totally dry? What's the effect of sanitzer on beer?

2. How far from the bottom mm I siphoning? I know there is dead yeast settle to the bottom and this beer is a stout so I won't have a good gauge to tell whem I' siphoning dead yeast into the bottling bucket.

3. I'm OK on making the priming solution so any other suggestions or pointers?

Thanks

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Howdy, Zo, let's see what I can answer for you. Remember, others might have better opinions, but all I can base this on is my own practice and I haven't had a bad batch yet.

I put my bottles through the dishwasher before bottling. I make sure that they are clean going in, i.e., no crud in the bottom, etc. I just run them through the light clean or rinse cycle. What sanitizes them is the the heat dry. Let them completely dry and you will be fine. I don't do another sanitization step after the heat dry from the dishwasher. I run them through the dishwasher and try to time it so that when I am ready to bottle, all I do is open the dishwasher and pull them out one by one while I am bottling. I fill them all, put them to the side, then cap them all.

Syphoning - put your racking cane or auto siphon (if you don't have one of these get one) in the middle of the fermentor down into the liquid about 6 inches or so and start the siphon. You will be in the middle of the solution, so just guess. As the liquid goes down, move your siphon down. When you start to get down to the bottom, tip the bucket forward so that you can get the majority of your solution. Be careful, if you slip a bit you can spill or you can agitate that solution so that the yeast cake at the bottom gets mixed back into your solution. It isn't the end of the world so don't worry about it.

You will see the trub at the bottom when you get there and I leave about 2 or 3 cups of beer per rack. Some think this is too much to leave, some think not enough, it is your beer so you decide. Then pull your syphon out when you start getting the trub.

Put your priming solution in the bottling bucket first. Boil the water with your sugar or whatever and put it in the bucket. Then rack your beer over it slowly and if you hose is curled a bit at the bottom of your bucket then you will get that slight swirling action when the beer racks into your bucket and the solution will get nicely mixed in.

Soak your bottle caps in a cup with sanitizer in it and just pull them out when you cap.

Anything else I am forgetting anyone?

Awesome guys. Thanks. Everything went well. I think I may have been over-careful trying to avoid sediment because I ended up with two cases plus one bottle and I expected more.

The beer tasted good too and that's what counts!

If you are saying that you got about 49 bottles, you did fine.

How many bottles should you expect? I am have my first batch in the primary. I was thinking between 48 and 54 bottles. Is that about right?