Bottled my third batch and my first with the tree and vinator. This easily cut very close to an hour off bottling time. It only took about an hour and half from starting to sanitize to completely finished cleaning buckets and was definitely under two hours and I could count on 2.5-3 hours before these. To me this is the best optional piece of equipment unless you consider a hydrometer optional.
Bottle tree and vinator - how have I bottled without these?
- Thread starter homebrewdad
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
OP
OP
homebrewdad
Well-Known Member
Yep, I have easily saved an hour, as well.
OK, reviving this dusty thread...
I just picked up a bottle tree and vinator and have a continuation of the above question.
So, you need to sanitize the tree...got it.
Now, about the bottles, do you take them off the tree, sanitize with the vinator, then fill each bottle repeating that sequence, or do you typically sanitize all the bottles using the vinator, return them to the tree, then start filling after all have been sanitized?
CGVT
Senior Member
When I bottle I spray the bottle tree with Starsan then sanitize the bottles and put them on the tree. I take the bottles from the tree and fill them. I sometimes sanitize the bottles and stand them up on the bottom rack of the dishwasher and fill them from there, too.
Sometimes I store the bottle tree full of bottles, but I'll sanitize them before I bottle so the Starsan is wet when I bottle.
Sometimes I store the bottle tree full of bottles, but I'll sanitize them before I bottle so the Starsan is wet when I bottle.
I got about 2 years with mine. Cracked on the threads. I couldn't find a glue that would hold it.
In assembling the vinator I see the spring doesn't go all the way to the top of the cavity inside the spray nozzle, and that a fair portion of the spring isn't guided. I may see if I can find a different spring and or come up with some sort of spring guide, prior to cutting off some coils as others have done.
Ivypunx
Well-Known Member
I have been looking at those wondering how much they actually do
IMO they are a must-have for bottlers.
What do you mean,how much they actually do? They shoot a stream of sanitizer up inside the bottle. I pump it maybe 3 times,drain & onto the peg. I've had mine over two years & hasn't failed yet.
Vinator is a godsend. Blew my buddy's mind when he saw it in action. He'd been struggling a bit with his bottling process. I have a pass-through above my sink (where the bottling bucket sits). Vinator to my left full of sanitized bottles. Sink in front of me. Small bowl of starsan w/caps soaking on right of sink.
1) pull bottle off tree
2) fill bottles in sink
3) place sanitized cap loosely on each bottle as I go
4) fill sink with bottles, when sink full get out capper
5) cap bottles
6) repeat until done!
Its a solid process, much less risk of spillage on floor.
1) pull bottle off tree
2) fill bottles in sink
3) place sanitized cap loosely on each bottle as I go
4) fill sink with bottles, when sink full get out capper
5) cap bottles
6) repeat until done!
Its a solid process, much less risk of spillage on floor.
With 2 buddies helping, I can bottle a batch of beer between 30 and 60 minutes. As for prep, assuming no labels, I just soak my bottles over night, have two people rinsing and sanitizing, I fill and cap.
This is with no extra equipment
This is with no extra equipment
OP
OP
homebrewdad
Well-Known Member
Except 2 extra buddies
No kidding. There are many tasks in life where the addition of one person's labor will cut the total time needed to less than half.
With the vinator and bottle tree, I can bottle five gallons in less than an hour by myself, assuming bottles are already delabeled.
Found a spring of the same OD, made with slightly lighter gauge wire and a few less turns at the local Fleet and Farm type store in their slide out tray assortments. It cost $1.80.
Next, I found that if I cut off the two ends of the plunger from a 6cc syringe I got from the same store, it fits almost perfectly inside the spring but the plunger stem's thin "+" shape cross section doesn't impede the flow and seems to keep the spring from buckling/bending quite nicely. The syringe was $0.65 or something like that.
This is how you halve your bottling time. Takes a little coordination, but it really does speed things up.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/double-barrel-bottling-now-twice-fast-257264/
Similar threads
