Never bottled before. Will this work?

[raysmithtx]

I have brewed over 60 batches but never bottled a batch but now I need to bottle a 5 gallon batch for a wedding this coming weekend. Since I can't fit 2 cases of empty bottles in my frig. or kegerator can I put them in a cooler with some water and a couple of bags of ice?

My plan is to add some ice cubes to my vinator filled with starsan. Pull a cold bottle out of the cooler, dump the water and shoot some cold starsan solution into the bottle. Let the bottle drain for a few seconds and then fill from my kegerator using a bottle filler. Put the filled bottle in a second cooler with ice. Repeat for the entire batch.

Is this a feasible plan? Any better suggestions?

 

[max384]

Sure. In my experience, you don't even need cold bottles with a bottle filler... It's just way less messy that way. And after you cap them, it doesn't really matter if you keep them cold or not (other than standard practice of not letting bottles beer stay too warm for too long).

 

[raysmithtx]

Sure. In my experience, you don't even need cold bottles with a bottle filler... It's just way less messy that way. And after you cap them, it doesn't really matter if you keep them cold or not (other than standard practice of not letting bottles beer stay too warm for too long).

Thanks for the prompt response. Apparently I'm being a bit overly cautious.

 

[Grinder12000]

I would not bottle until the very last second to keep the carbing near what it was!

 

[max384]

I would not bottle until the very last second to keep the carbing near what it was!

I'm confused by this. Once bottled, carbonation will remain unchanged, assuming a good seal between cap and bottle is made.

 

[Rcbandl]

I'm confused by this. Once bottled, carbonation will remain unchanged, assuming a good seal between cap and bottle is made.

You will lose a little carbonation to the head space and with warm bottles you will lose a little upon filling. But it really wont make a difference for short term.

 

[max384]

You will lose a little carbonation to the head space and with warm bottles you will lose a little upon filling. But it really wont make a difference for short term.

The amount lost to head space is trivial. Practically speaking, time after bottling doesn't matter, in respects to carbonation.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

So you kegged starting your first batch?!?








I think I found the smartest guy on the forum.

 

[Rcbandl]

The amount lost to head space is trivial. Practically speaking, time after bottling doesn't matter, in respects to carbonation.

Actually no it is not trivial. The headspace will hold quite a bit of co2. You can get alot more co2 in an empty space than you can get in solution.

 

[max384]

Actually no it is not trivial. The headspace will hold quite a bit of co2. You can get alot more co2 in an empty space than you can get in solution.

In an average beer of about 2-2.5 volumes of CO, how much do you think could be lost to the headspace? In my experience, it has been trivial. You'll lose far more to the actual bottling process in carbonated beer than to headspace.

 

[stella_tigre]

Does "prefilling" the bottle with CO2 before adding the beer help reduce the loss of carb?

 

[Yooper]

Does "prefilling" the bottle with CO2 before adding the beer help reduce the loss of carb?

No, but it helps prevent oxidation.

I've bottled with the "Biermuncher Bottle filler" system, as well as a beergun. You fill up to the top, and when you remove the bottling wand, the perfect amount of headspace is left. But it's not like c02 "jumps" out of the beer into that headspace. And then you immediately cap.

There is NO loss of carbonation with either method, at least in my case, but some people do turn up the carb level on the keg 1-2 psi in advance just in case.

 

[raysmithtx]

So you kegged starting your first batch?!?

Yep. I did a LOT of reading (books and on this forum) before I started brewing and since I'm kind of a DIY guy I built my kegerator and stir plate before my first brew.

Since then I have built my second kegerator (gave my first one to my son) and built my EBIAB system (240 volt). Never expected to have to bottle but was asked to brew for a wedding and now I can say I have actually bottled too. The batch I bottled was actually my 63rd batch.

I guess the bonus from bottling is that now I can submit some of my brews to competitions for some feed back.

Thanks to everyone on this forum.