Bottling battle

[FlyoverDweller]

I am encountering a problem while bottling. I am blind in one eye and so have lousy depth perception. Getting the end of a bottling wand into the bottle without starting flow on the outside of the bottle is a problem. Is there another way to fill bottles? Kegging is not something I am interested in, nor larger bottles. These may be fine solutions for some folks, but not what I choose. So if someone has a clever method of filling bottles that doesn't rely on a physical ability I no longer have, I would appreciate hearing about it. Thanks for any help in advance.

 

[IvanTheTerribrew]

Hey, so my understanding is that you are putting a bottle on the ground/counter and bringing the bottle wand to the bottle. If that's true, one solution could be for you to do the opposite and being the bottle to the wand.

The way I bottle is I put my bottling bucket on a counter with the spigot over the edge. I have a 1-2" cut piece of tubing connected to the spigot which then the bottling wand goes on the other end. This essentially fixes your wand to the spigot. Now you only bring the bottle to the wand and it only engages (flows beer) when you press the bottle of the bottle against the wand. This could work for you.
I'll try to think of any other ideas. And if my assumption about how you're already doing it is wrong let me know.


- ISM NRP

 

[GenIke]

I do it like Ivan and raise the bottles to the wand.

 

[FlyoverDweller]

I'm using a bottling bucket with the wand attached to a short length of tube. The bucket sits on a short ladder, I sit on a chair. The bottle is raised from the case to the wand, and when lucky the tip of the wand enters the bottle. When not, I dispense beer on the outside of the bottle. The problem is with lousy depth perception, I cannot tell is the wand is centered on the opening of the bottle. I can move my head, which helps depth perception, but both the bottle and wand are close to stationary objects when attempting to put the wand into the bottle. I've been thinking about some sort of cage that would slide up the wand after centering the wand over the bottle opening, but haven't come up with a good solution.

 

[BrewWNC]

I may have a solution. You will need a to buy a the pvc water shutoff adapter ($2) at a home supply store and some PVC piping. This way you can shut the beer off completely between beers by merely moving the switch from on to off. I have made and used one of these. I no longer have it (I keg) or would take a picture.

Now in my version, I bought a small section of PVC piping that would fit into my hose and into the on/off switch and cut two pieces. One very short piece that went front the hose the the on/off switch and a longer piece that went from the on/off switch to the bottom of the bottle. It worked great and allowed me take my time with having to worry about beer randomly flowing if I hit the bottling wand.

 

[LakeErieMonster]

Maybe my engineering brain trying to oversimplify this, but you could keep your current method but put a funnel in the mouth of the bottle. This way when you are not perfectly accurate with the wand, the funnel will guide the want where you want it as well as catch any dripping.

Just a thought.

 

[Trox]

Well if you are a DIY type of person and have a few dollars to put into it, you could probably rig a scissor lift type of system with a holder designed to hold a bottle in place. Then once you line it up once you can switch out the bottles as they fill up and should stay lined up as long as you don't bump the lift.

That or set-up a rail system that you can set down over the neck of the bottle and it will keep the wand centered as it slides up and down the rail into and out of the bottle.

Or just shut the bottling bucket spigot off in between switching out the bottles; will take a bit longer but less beer will be loss.

 

[Renoun]

Have you optimized the ergonomics of the situation? I'd suggest raising the bottling bucket above eye level so that don't have to manipulate it in so many dimensions. Try a low chair with the bucket raised up on a second bucket or milk carton on your counter top , hopefully positioned so that your open dishwasher door can catch any drips/spills. If everything is positioned so that you have better cues rather than looking down to the tip of the bottle at arms length it may be easier, especially if you can rely on proprioception for at least one axis of movement.

I'm seeing so much better now three years after a corneal transplant into my bad eye. Anyone can be an organ donor for corneas even if we're ruining our livers. Please consider being an organ donor and if you choose to do so discuss your intention with your family.

 

[Sbarnard80]

Maybe my engineering brain trying to oversimplify this, but you could keep your current method but put a funnel in the mouth of the bottle. This way when you are not perfectly accurate with the wand, the funnel will guide the want where you want it as well as catch any dripping.

Just a thought.

I was thinking the same thing. Probably one of the simpler solutions. Getting more elaborate you could build some kind of two rod backing, such that when you press the bottle against them and slide it up. The wand goes right in there.

 

[FlyoverDweller]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. The funnel seems to be the place to start. It's a bit embarassing to realise the old rule of thumb for building a water resistant building, "Make it easy for water to move down and out", just needed to be re-thought. Make it easy for the beer to move down and in.

I second the tissue/organ donation sentiment. Where I live, you can select donation on your drivers liscense. Easy and effective.

 

[robertus]

Maybe my engineering brain trying to oversimplify this, but you could keep your current method but put a funnel in the mouth of the bottle. This way when you are not perfectly accurate with the wand, the funnel will guide the want where you want it as well as catch any dripping.

 

[freisste]

I like the funnel idea. But one thing I would try first (only because if it was me I would drop the funnel at least a dozen times and have to re-sanitize each time):

Instead of having the bottle upright and bringing it vertically to the bottling want, hold the bottle horizontally (or nearly horizontal) on the opposite side of the bottling wand tip. Line up the center of the mouth of the bottle with the tip of the bottling wand, almost like lining up the rails on an open sight gun. Then bring it directly toward your eye until it touches the edge of the wand. While in contact, rotate the bottle to vertical and lift.

This way you shouldn't engage the valve by accident.

 

[LakeErieMonster]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. The funnel seems to be the place to start.

No problem, let me know how it works for you!

 

[charliehorse]

Maybe my engineering brain trying to oversimplify this, but you could keep your current method but put a funnel in the mouth of the bottle. This way when you are not perfectly accurate with the wand, the funnel will guide the want where you want it as well as catch any dripping.

Just a thought.

This is exactly what my thought was when I read the OP.