bottling bucket necessary?

I plan to undertake my first brewing session this weekend and wanted to make sure I had all the supplies. I noticed on the beer kit's instructions it says to rack the beer from primary to the bottle bucket to the bottle. Seeing as I don't have a bottling bucket, can I just go from primary to bottle? Will i lose carbonation or get yeast in the bottles? if yeast/sediment is a concern why not just go through a filter?

I have a wand that would go on the end of the siphon to easily fill up bottles, you push it down and liquid is released, let up and the flow stops. I figured I could use that to easily fill them from the primary.

let me know your thoughts! thanks.

It's worth it to buy the bottling bucket... they're cheap and it is so much easier. I used to fill wine bottles directly from the primary and it is a real *****.

You can do it that way but a bottling bucket has a spiget on the end to attach your wond too. It is going to make the process much easier. Also it would be helpful to move the beer off the yeast cake and cut down on the trub that might get into your bottles.

gawine said:

I plan to undertake my first brewing session this weekend and wanted to make sure I had all the supplies. I noticed on the beer kit's instructions it says to rack the beer from primary to the bottle bucket to the bottle. Seeing as I don't have a bottling bucket, can I just go from primary to bottle? Will i lose carbonation or get yeast in the bottles? if yeast/sediment is a concern why not just go through a filter?

I have a wand that would go on the end of the siphon to easily fill up bottles, you push it down and liquid is released, let up and the flow stops. I figured I could use that to easily fill them from the primary.

let me know your thoughts! thanks.

Click to expand...

+100000000 on getting a bottling bucket. I don't think your idea of using the autosiphon+bottling wand would work....i suspect the siphon would fail every time you stop the flow. Also, you would have to add your priming sugar to each individual bottle (rather than just dumping the sugar in the bottling bucket before you rack from the fermenter). Filtering with a strainer would be a terrible idea b/c it would oxidate your beer (you only want to aerate before pitching your yeast).

Soo....go get the $10 bottling bucket.

In a pinch, you could do it without a bottling bucket, but since you'll need one eventually you might as well start off with one. You will pick up less yeast, there will be less oxidation, and it will be easier to mix in the priming sugar if you have a bottling bucket. Of all the brew items you can skimp on, this would be near the bottom of my list.

You might also have a problem getting the priming sugar mixed in without disturbing too much of the trub. If you don't get the sugar mixed well enough, your carbination will vary from bottle to bottle.

As far as sucking up the trub, Some on this site talk about using a muslin bag over the end of their racking cane to help filter it out, but I have never tried this, and don't know how well it works. I would think that you would have to reposition the racking cane in the bag to keep it from clogging. Whatever you suck up will settle in the bottles, it is just a matter of how much settlement are you willing to have and still be happy with the finished product.

gawine said:

I plan to undertake my first brewing session this weekend and wanted to make sure I had all the supplies. I noticed on the beer kit's instructions it says to rack the beer from primary to the bottle bucket to the bottle. Seeing as I don't have a bottling bucket, can I just go from primary to bottle? Will i lose carbonation or get yeast in the bottles? if yeast/sediment is a concern why not just go through a filter?

I have a wand that would go on the end of the siphon to easily fill up bottles, you push it down and liquid is released, let up and the flow stops. I figured I could use that to easily fill them from the primary.

let me know your thoughts! thanks.

Click to expand...

you don't need to have a bottling bucket with a spigot any bucket will do and you just use your racking cane. The wand works well with a racking cane that's exactly how I did my first 10 batches no fear of losing the siphon .

Also you can't lose carbonation since the beer isn't carbonated yet. When you mix priming sugar with the beer in your bottling bucket and bottle the yeast starts eating the sugar and form Co2 in the bottle

If you do get a bottling bucket you don't need it for your brew session. You need it for a couple of weeks from now.

My first few brews were without a bottling bucket, and I when I finally did get the bucket, it makes a world of difference in being able to stir in the priming sugar and any other things you add at bottling. If you have a spicket on the bucket it makes it even easier too.

HickoryMike said:

+100000000 on getting a bottling bucket. I don't think your idea of using the autosiphon+bottling wand would work....i suspect the siphon would fail every time you stop the flow. Also, you would have to add your priming sugar to each individual bottle (rather than just dumping the sugar in the bottling bucket before you rack from the fermenter). Filtering with a strainer would be a terrible idea b/c it would oxidate your beer (you only want to aerate before pitching your yeast).

Soo....go get the $10 bottling bucket.

Click to expand...

My first brews were without one. The autosiphon+bottling wand does work and keeps the suction. You are going to want to have somebody helping you in order to keep the siphon off of the bottom so you don't get trub in your bottles. Mix your priming sugar in the primary (without scraping the bottom and mixing up your trub), then allow a few minutes for sediment to settle a bit and for the sugar to mix throughout the mixture. Then rack and bottle.

I did this about 5 times without any differences in carbonation from bottle to bottle and minimal sediment in the bottom. People are going to tell you you can't do it, but you can. It's just a pain.

Mountainbeers said:

You are going to want to have somebody helping you in order to keep the siphon off of the bottom so you don't get trub in your bottles.

Click to expand...

This does help, my first brews were bottled with no cane or anything, just a tube going into the fermenter, started a syphon with water in the tube, and just put my thumb over the other end every time in between bottles (horrible brewing technique i know, but it was all I had at the time) but once I got a wand and bottle filler, my life was so much easier. I dont need anyone to hold the cane in there either, mine has the red tip thing at the bottom that elevates the syphon an inch or so above the trub so now I can bottle by myself.

Great, thanks for all the feedback guys, I'll likely just pick up a bucket when I'm at the store this week getting the kit.

I think Freedman mentioned bottling wine? Would you bother using the bottling bucket when bottling wine or is that a different scenario. i have a red in the primary right now. Once that's done I'll get to brewing..

gawine said:

I plan to undertake my first brewing session this weekend and wanted to make sure I had all the supplies. I noticed on the beer kit's instructions it says to rack the beer from primary to the bottle bucket to the bottle. Seeing as I don't have a bottling bucket, can I just go from primary to bottle?

Click to expand...

If you like cloudy beer, then do it.......[/sarcasm]

The problem with bottling from a primary or secondary instead of using a bottling bucket, is that since you have patiently gone and let your beer settle and clear, in order to mix the priming solution and beer effectively, you would have to stir it in the carboy..which would a) kick up all that nice sediment you have patiently let fall, b) possibly oxydize the beer.

Go to a hardware store and get a translucent or white bucket...but look for one where the 5 gallon mark falls way below the top of the bucket. Usually it will say 5 gallons at 3rd band from the top. (oh get the lid too....I totally regret not getting it when I did.)

Then get a spigot and make a dedicated bottling bucket. It really defeats the purpose of both a long primary/no secondary or a secondary if you have to stir up all the nice sediment you patiently waited to settle just so you can have consistent carbonation.

Mine is the translucent Leaktite brand 5 gallon container with the gallon and liter markings from Homedepot.



Here's a pic of mine from my bottling thread.



https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/revvys-tips-bottler-first-time-otherwise-94812/

But if you try directly from the primary/secondary you will have unsatisfactory results and possibly even cardboard tasting beer.