Bottling From The Spigot?
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likwidbliss
Well-Known Member
I use a bottling bucket with a cane attached to a bottling wand. The spigot may be too hard to control.
alaskanmoosehunter
Well-Known Member
I took about a 2" piece of tubing and connected it to the spigot and bottling wand. Works great. Takes up no space and working with un-needed tubing to get in the way.
I have a bottle filler that has a stopper on the end. When you put the wand all the way down into the bottle the stopper comes up allowing the beer to flow through. It works so well and they're inexpensive. I suggest getting one.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/bottling/bottling-accessories/fermtech-bottle-filler.html
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/bottling/bottling-accessories/fermtech-bottle-filler.html
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/
READ IT....LEARN IT....USE IT.... seriously this is as easy as can be.
I think the only thing I do diferently is I sanitize each bottle and fill it right away rather than sanitize a bunch then fill em.
READ IT....LEARN IT....USE IT.... seriously this is as easy as can be.
I think the only thing I do diferently is I sanitize each bottle and fill it right away rather than sanitize a bunch then fill em.
Redpiper
Well-Known Member
I'm with alaskanmoose - a little bit of tubing and a bottle wand. Set the bucket high enough on a counter with something under it, and complete control with no crouching.
sounds like its all just comfort and preference. Get the beer in the bottle however you like.
No?
A friend and I bottled our first batch last night. One of us with a bottle in one hand and the other on the spigot. Going slow to not aerate and foam up the beer, the other capping.
Yeah, sounds like a wand would be a bit easier than gauging when to close the spigot. But no right or wrong, just preference is what I am gathering here.
No?
A friend and I bottled our first batch last night. One of us with a bottle in one hand and the other on the spigot. Going slow to not aerate and foam up the beer, the other capping.
Yeah, sounds like a wand would be a bit easier than gauging when to close the spigot. But no right or wrong, just preference is what I am gathering here.
pretty much whatever YOU like to do. I still highly recommedn revvys method however. As for the bottling wand it makes it a million times easier. no turning the spigot on and off...no guessing on volume , just fill o the top and when the wand is removed VIOLA perfect head space!
Hermit
fuddle
If you are not filling from the bottom of the bottle, you ARE doing it wrong. If you don't have a wand I hope you at least have some tubing down to the bottom of the bottle?
Here is my setup: bottling bucket + tubing + bottling wand - all done over the dish washer:
I would advise investing few $ into getting at least bottling wand that you can attach to spigot - less mess and more accurate bottling. I have bottled few times directly from spigot in cases of emergencies - like leaking kegs/etc, but I end up with way bigger mess than it already is.
With my setup I just sit on the bench and bottle away.
I would advise investing few $ into getting at least bottling wand that you can attach to spigot - less mess and more accurate bottling. I have bottled few times directly from spigot in cases of emergencies - like leaking kegs/etc, but I end up with way bigger mess than it already is.
With my setup I just sit on the bench and bottle away.
It's not just a matter of comfort, or preference in this case....there is a specific reason that you use a bottling wand, and don't go directly from the spigot...You really shouldn't fill directly with the spigot. You don't want the beer falling through the air into the bottle which will possibly oxydize the beer. The purpose of the bottle filler (or even just a hose) is to fill the bottles, from the bottom up which will push any 02 out of the bottles as the beer rises up and over the neck. This an loosely capping the bottles for a few minutes before crimping them allows any 02 to be voided out.
There's really no "careful" way to have beer falling through the oxygen inside the bottle withing possibly oxydiziing it. It's why once a beer is fermented we don't just pour it into a secondary or a bottling bucket, but move it with a spiphon.
The wand also helps to set the proper amount of headspace in the bottle. When you fill it till it it overflows slightly, then when you pull it out, the displacement by the wand drops the beer to about 1.5-2 inches from the top.
There are plenty of tips in my bottling thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/
Your beers probably won't have a long shelf life this time. But since it is more than likely your first batch they won't stick around too long to begin with. But if you are brewing beers that need some conditioning time, or are planning to cellar. Or just want a beer to last months instead of weeks, the spigot is NOT the way to handle your beer. They will more than likely turn wet cardboady in a few weeks to a couple months.
Even going slow, it'll be likely to aerate a bit when you open the spigot and let it fall in. It's not the best way to prevent oxidation of the beer. If you drink it within two weeks or so, it might not have time to oxidize.
Usually I agree that there is no right or wrong about many things in brewing, but opening the spigot and pouring the beer in would be something that I would consider wrong. We're always so careful when transferring the beer by siphoning quietly, and protecting the beer from aeration, to just bottle without siphoning or using a bottling wand just seems silly to me.
good to know.
Here's another example of why did I waste money on this particular book...
Fill to 3/4" it says...
Bottling bucket with spigot it says... No mention of anything else.
Ahhh well. Can't do anything about it now. Though I gotta say its frustrating.
Here's another example of why did I waste money on this particular book...
Fill to 3/4" it says...
Bottling bucket with spigot it says... No mention of anything else.
Ahhh well. Can't do anything about it now. Though I gotta say its frustrating.
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Unfortunately eighteez, there is a lot of outdated and just plain bad information out there. Stick to these forums and you'll be golden. Like mentioned, if this is your first batch, it'll get drank quick and you likely won't notice the issue this time and now you know. 
What book? Every book I've come across says/shows a hose attached to the spigot and a bottling wand on the end. Not filling from the spigot. As to 3/4 of the way, I guess if you aren't using something that displaces enough to give you headsapce, I guess 3/4 of the way is a good rough guess. Usually the books say, "fill to about an inch and a half to two inches from the lip."
COLObrewer
Well-Known Member
Here is my setup: bottling bucket + tubing + bottling wand - all done over the dish washer:
I would advise investing few $ into getting at least bottling wand that you can attach to spigot - less mess and more accurate bottling. I have bottled few times directly from spigot in cases of emergencies - like leaking kegs/etc, but I end up with way bigger mess than it already is.
With my setup I just sit on the bench and bottle away.
I dunno dude, looks like you've wasted about a half bottle there, that simply won't do.
I dunno dude, looks like you've wasted about a half bottle there, that simply won't do.
That's why I like mounting my spigot on the bucket, and raising it up so I'm filling at near eye level. I get most of the beer in the bottles. Though I get dribbles on each bottle since I fill to the top of the bottle and then lit it spill out a bit, but that is mostly starsan foam and not actual beer.
How To Brew - Palmer
The good news, hopefully, is we took it very slow. Had the bottles cocked to the side so it ran down the inside of the bottle. Just a few bubbles at the top on some of them. It was a gentle process.
Tube and wand. Add to cart...
It seems the RIGHT BOOK is right here on this site. Its just a matter of organizing it into a single document. Revvy, ever thought of making a downloadable e-book pdf or something? Who wouldnt pay ya $5 for it...... Or $10.
Someone didn't read it too thoroughly did they?
He didn't say spigot. Oh well you know from next time.
Maybe someday. I've got a book I'm already working on about the breweries of Michigan's Thumb to complete before I would ever consider writing a brewing book. Plus I think the market is really saturated, and despite what you may think, how to brew is one of the best beginning brewing books around.
How to brew said:
He didn't say spigot. Oh well you know from next time.
Maybe someday. I've got a book I'm already working on about the breweries of Michigan's Thumb to complete before I would ever consider writing a brewing book. Plus I think the market is really saturated, and despite what you may think, how to brew is one of the best beginning brewing books around.
REVVY- How important is loosely capping the beers and letting them set a bit before crimping them down? i USUALLY do this by filling a case and laying the caps on as I fill them then going back and capping them starting with the first filled....My last batch ( first with the bench capper) I filled and capped and crimped each bottle before moving to the next.....any issues?
Hermit
fuddle
My theory is that any little oxygen left probably gets used up by the yeast. You should be good.
By letting it sit for a few minutes it helps void out any o2 in the headspace. Displaced co2 and newly created co2 will push out the top and move any o2 out of it.
I've even had some caps even pop off the bottles, which proves it's doing it.
I dunno dude, looks like you've wasted about a half bottle there, that simply won't do.
its the bloody bottling wand - if you bottle heavier brews, little valve in there tends to get sticky and starts pissing beer all over! Shaking and hitting and abusing it does not have too good effect... And you never know if the valve is closed when you pull it out. Oh, and its not a big mess for me, you should have seen how it looked when I started transferring Stout and forgot to close tap on bottling bucket
Any ideas btw? Anyone else have this problem that towards the end of bottling session, bottling wand starts to leak beer all over?
Hermit
fuddle
its the bloody bottling wand - if you bottle heavier brews, little valve in there tends to get sticky and starts pissing beer all over! Shaking and hitting and abusing it does not have too good effect... And you never know if the valve is closed when you pull it out. Oh, and its not a big mess for me, you should have seen how it looked when I started transferring Stout and forgot to close tap on bottling bucket
Any ideas btw? Anyone else have this problem that towards the end of bottling session, bottling wand starts to leak beer all over?
Tried the spring loaded yet?
if I'm getting a bottling wand we may as well talk about which one to get. The fermtech was linked on page 1 here.
Someone else is having trouble with that one it seems.
There is a spring loaded one too.
Anyone here used both?
Preferences?
Someone else is having trouble with that one it seems.
There is a spring loaded one too.
Anyone here used both?
Preferences?
COLObrewer
Well-Known Member
I have ones with rubber o-ring and conical valve - they tend to drip a bit and after you are about half way through your batch, if brew is heavy, they start leeking beer because valve gets sticky. Havent tried spring one yet. Any good? Does not drip?
The only issues I have had is that occasionally they get filled with hops gunk, but careful racking to begin with usually prevents that. Or I accidently grind up the spring loaded part of it in my garbage disposal.
The springloaded works great 99.9% of the time.
The springloaded works great 99.9% of the time.
Thanks Revvy, will try get one. Hope someone sells and ships overseas on amazon
Guys, you do have to realize that you brew in "homebrew heaven" - have a shop in almost every village where almost everything is available. I do envy you from time to time cause home brew here is like baby in planning and I dont see how that will change anytime soon unless I get chunk of money to start decent shop.
Then again, having stuff in short supply, I do have to come up with some street-smart stuff. Oh well, sorry for bit of off-topic, I just cant stop drooling browsing USA homebrew stores
Guys, you do have to realize that you brew in "homebrew heaven" - have a shop in almost every village where almost everything is available. I do envy you from time to time cause home brew here is like baby in planning and I dont see how that will change anytime soon unless I get chunk of money to start decent shop.
Then again, having stuff in short supply, I do have to come up with some street-smart stuff. Oh well, sorry for bit of off-topic, I just cant stop drooling browsing USA homebrew stores
I have both the regular and spring loaded wands and do not like the spring loaded one. It takes so much pressure to activate it that when my bottling bucket gets almost empty the pressure to activate the wand tips the bucket over backwards. I also use them to fill wine bottles nd it is nice to drop the wand in the bottle and get the next bottle ready while it is filling. with the spring one you have to be pushing down for it to work.
yeah I have em do that. I tell my wife they are burping themselves ( I guess they kinda are) funny to see the cap flip up nd down on its own.
It's funny when you have 2 or 3 happen at the same time. I think that's only happened once, it was like "Plink, Plink, Plink..."
I use the spring loaded type because it leaks less. I also use about 4 feet of hose... I don't have to push up on the wand and tip my bucket over. I prefer to have my empty bottles already in their carry cases on the floor, with the bucket on the counter, and bring the wand to the bottles rather than bring individual bottles to the wand. It's also safer for me to push down on the wand than to push up on the bottle. I'm not always a klutz, but it can appear at any time, with no notice.
I can then move the cases to the counter for capping. I know me.... and this is a safer method to keep the bottles secure from... well me.
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