Bottling Direct From Better Bottles

[oceanselv]

I am thinking of getting a ported better bottle for my ale fermenter, http://cgi.ebay.com/BETTER-BOTTLE-p...ultDomain_0?hash=item5884239c6c#ht_515wt_1165. Typically for an ale I will ferment for 8-10 days, crash cool and rack to my bottling bucket. With a ported better bottle can I skip the racking to the bottling bucket stage?

 

[Revvy]

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.

 

[oceanselv]

Thanks Revvy, I hadn't thought this one all the way through.

 

[Revvy]

Thanks Revvy, I hadn't thought this one all the way through.

Yeah, most who ask this don't.

 

[bigjoe]

This post is a little dead, but you don't really know how much beer your priming. Even if your primary or secondary vessel is marked I usually have a 1/2 gallon of trub in my primary, but it varies. I did bottle from my primary once and learned my lesson when drinking a case of over carbed beer.