Things I learned tonight

[garguy]

My second batch finished fermentation in the secondary tonight, and I became enlightened to a few things...

1. Fermenter's Favorites bottling wand is a POS
2. Beer caps do not fit on all bottles
3. Bottling sucks
4. I need to find a few more kegs
5. Wasting beer REALLY sucks
6. Bottling sucks
7. Beer on tile = sticky
8. Beer on wifes new rug = pissed off wife
9. Bottling sucks
10. Hand capping tool is worthless
11. I am on the hunt for ball lock kegs on sale
12. See numbers 3, 6 & 9

 

[feinbera]

Eh, it'll get easier. Stick to 12-oz longnecks and 22-oz bombers, they've nearly universally got the right distance between the top of the bottle and bottom of the little flangy bit the hand-capper grabs. Or get a bench capper and don't worry about the flange. And some painter's plastic you can cut into a couple 4'-by-8' pieces you can throw down, pull up, and wash with a hose. And, dear gawd, SWMBO's rug? You really should've known better on that one, sorry.

 

[enkamania]

Bench capper and someone to help make bottling easy. My bottling assistant quit, so now I keg

 

[garguy]

Eh, it'll get easier. Stick to 12-oz longnecks and 22-oz bombers, they've nearly universally got the right distance between the top of the bottle and bottom of the little flangy bit the hand-capper grabs. Or get a bench capper and don't worry about the flange. And some painter's plastic you can cut into a couple 4'-by-8' pieces you can throw down, pull up, and wash with a hose. And, dear gawd, SWMBO's rug? You really should've known better on that one, sorry.

I used longnecks at first, the caps would not fit. Ended up using new 22 oz bombers and St Arnolds bottles that I saved.

I was in the kitchen bottling, the stupid bottling want was leaking everywhere so I raised it above the spigot. When I did that, the little air hole in the spigot shot pumpkin ale across the kitchen and onto the new rug in the dining room.:smack:

 

[Paps]

3. Bottling sucks

6. Bottling sucks

9. Bottling sucks

12. See numbers 3, 6 & 9

I agree.

If you look to the right under "Latest sponsor deals" you would notice that one is selling refurbed ball lock kegs for about 60 bux

Right now several supply shops are selling brand new ones for 75 bux.

When the missus is mad say "Here honey, have some wine."

:turtle:

 

[garguy]

I agree.

When the missus is mad say "Here honey, have some wine."

:turtle:

That's exactly what I did!

 

[flars]

Does the bottling wand have a spring loaded tip? Make sure the tip is seated on the wand all the way, or the spring pressure will be weak. Also make sure the spring has not been inserted upside down. The cross piece, at one end of the spring, should contact the flat of the plunger.

My spring loaded bottling wand was leaking for a bottling session. I found I had inserted the spring upside down after the last cleaning. Turned it around and working fine ever since.

 

[garguy]

Does the bottling wand have a spring loaded tip? Make sure the tip is seated on the wand all the way, or the spring pressure will be weak. Also make sure the spring has not been inserted upside down. The cross piece, at one end of the spring, should contact the flat of the plunger.

My spring loaded bottling wand was leaking for a bottling session. I found I had inserted the spring upside down after the last cleaning. Turned it around and working fine ever since.

I pulled it out of the plastic and gave it a dip in starsan, then away we went. i would hope that it wasn't sent improperly assembled.

 

[mullet6577]

The Fermenter's Favorite wand isn't a spring tip and it does indeed suck. I picked up a spring tip bottling wand after losing about a 12 ouncer worth with the FF wand.

 

[SquidPope]

For your bottling woes, I recommend switching to swing-top bottles if you can.

 

[CJ-3]

Bottling gets easier. Chalk it up to a bad session. Next time will be much better.

But if you plan to keep bottling you may want to invest in a bench capper they are much better than a wing capper.

 

[Remmy]

For your bottling woes, I recommend switching to swing-top bottles if you can.

We're obviously not on the same page. I recommend he have 3-4 beers instead.

 

[SquidPope]

I recommend he have 3-4 beers instead.

I can get behind that.

 

[Spartan300man]

Does the bottling wand have a spring loaded tip? Make sure the tip is seated on the wand all the way, or the spring pressure will be weak. Also make sure the spring has not been inserted upside down. The cross piece, at one end of the spring, should contact the flat of the plunger.

My spring loaded bottling wand was leaking for a bottling session. I found I had inserted the spring upside down after the last cleaning. Turned it around and working fine ever since.

If those things get a bit of hops stuck in them, they can malfunction and leak. I have a 2-quart sanitized plastic bucket that mine sits in during down-time just in case.

 

[dstockwell]

Bottle over the dishwasher, will need to run at sometime anyway.

 

[ThomasPaine]

I bottle over an igloo cooler. It drips a little but not enough to worry about

 

[ThomasPaine]

Also a little food grade silicone lube works well with the hand capers

 

[Murphys_Law]

I find you have to get into a zen like trance and then bottling becomes...not as bad! I switched to kegs but bottle some still and every time my wife says she'll help and every time...nope. No help!

I picked up a cheap shoe matt from home depot that I set on the floor under my wand. Does a good job of keeping me out of trouble with the Mrs.

 

[arnobg]

Bottle over the dishwasher, will need to run at sometime anyway.

Exactly!

What I do:

Sanitize bottle and top dishwasher rack, place sanitized bottles on top dishwasher rack to drain as I start prepping the priming sugar and bottling bucket. Remove bottles from rack and start bottling using dishwasher door as my platform for bottling on. close door and run dishwasher once full! No mess...

Also if you get caps with good reviews from fitting bottles you should't have issues. I buy all of mine in any color imaginable on Amazon and test fit them to bottles before using. Never have I had a fit issue.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I only need to fill one bottle. one 5 gallon stainless steel bottle! back up son, gimme room! gimme room!!

 

[Gerry_P]

2nd batch and you're already complaining about bottling? Pssshhhh....

Btw, you shouldn't be having any trouble getting the caps on longnecks, they usually work better than other types of bottles. I assume you're not trying to use twist-off bottles and you're using the correct size caps. What brand of capper are you using?

I still bottle my beer, and it does get easier after you develop a routine. It takes me about an hour to bottle a batch using a hand capper. Nevertheless, I've found myself shopping for keg setups more and more frequently.

Now, the main question here is...why are you using a secondary?

 

[drainbamage]

7. Beer on tile = sticky

You must not have a dog. They clean that stuff up.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

You must not have a dog. They clean that stuff up.

my dog and I fight over the spilled stuff.

 

[Beernik]

2nd batch and you're already complaining about bottling? Pssshhhh....

I agree completely. I've been bottling 9 years. The only part I find tedious is sanitizing them. Filling and capping is easy and zen-like.

On the other hand, cork 5 gallons of wine with one of these suckers. You'll have forearms like Popeye afterwards.

 

[Gerry_P]

On the other hand, cork 5 gallons of wine with one of these suckers. You'll have forearms like Popeye afterwards.

Wow, that's quite a contraption! It looks like some kind of medieval torture device.

"So, you won't recant? Igor, bring out THE CORKER!!!"

 

[Gerry_P]

my dog and I fight over the spilled stuff.

 

[Singletrack]

Also a little food grade silicone lube works well with the hand capers

Would like to hear more about this.

Not -- Where are you trying to shove this thing?

Rather -- Are you lubing the bell or the "gears?" Why?

 

[b-boy]

I usually keg, but when I bottle I just rack to a keg and then bottle using low pressure CO2, a cobra tap, and a bottling wand attached to the cobra tap. It gives you full control over the entire process. It works really well.