Tomorrow is Bottle Day - FIRST EVER!

[mfink519]

I am very worried about getting the beer in the bottle. We didn't have luck with your siphon the first time. I have it in a bucket now with the spicket. What is the advantage of using the bottling siphon over the spicket????

Please HELP!!!!

 

[NSMikeD]

the advantage of the siphon is that it goes deeper than the spigot (which is fixed above the bottom) so you can transfer the last ounces before sucking up the trub, but that is minor.

The spigot is much easier in that so long as the trub is below the spigot, you need only concentrate on the bottle end. If you watch you tubes of bottling, you'll notice the brewer will be holding the siphon tube lowering it as he/she goes along. Even today, I forget and suck up air into the siphon (bad) or dip to low and suck up trub in the last bottle (also bad).

 

[Sadu]

The spigot is also a PITA to clean and sanitise properly - lots of little cracks for bugs to grow if you aren't careful. When I started brewing I loved the simplicity of having it there, now with more experience I prefer using the siphon in exchange for more reliable cleaning / sanitising.

 

[Rockn_M]

I like the bucket with spigot. You do need to be careful not to break the tip. I've broken a few that were just a little to long or sat the bucket down on the spigot side. To sanitize I clean thoroughly after each use then right before I bottle or transfer to a keg I'll spray star starsan up inside the spigot part. Agent had any issues.

 

[flars]

I am very worried about getting the beer in the bottle. We didn't have luck with your siphon the first time. I have it in a bucket now with the spicket. What is the advantage of using the bottling siphon over the spicket????

Please HELP!!!!

I find using an auto siphon to rack the beer from the fermentor to a bottling bucket is rather trouble free. Add the cooled priming sugar solution to the bottling bucket and rack the beer on top of it to get a good mix. Using a spring tip bottling wand on the bottling buckets spigot fills each bottle to the same level.

 

[kh54s10]

Add a pickup tube to the inside of the spigot and you will leave almost no beer behind. I found a threaded PVC elbow that screws on the spigot in place of the nut and trimmed the down side to 1/16" above the bottom of the bucket. Attach your bottling wand to the spigot with a short piece of vinyl tubing. (I assume you are using a bottling wand) If not, get one before you try to bottle.

 

[andrewmaixner]

Options I've used that work well:

1) Bottle from spigot. Set the bottling bucket on top of another 5 or 6 gallon bucket, on a table. Then it's at a convenient height for you to bottle from, one at a time. fill 1, cap 1.
Tip the bucket when almost empty, to get it all out.

2) autosiphon with bottling wand. Still need to get the bucket far above your work surface level, set ~6 bottles in a 1gal pail so you can't knock them over by accident. fill 6, cap 6.

I have also goofed around with attaching a bottling wand directly to the spigot (not movable), but it was not convenient.

Tip for a first-timer: Remember to leave most of the bottle neck empty, you do not want to fill to the top. This headspace helps with proper carbonation level, and prevents agitation when you pour from a bottle to a glass, which stirs up yeast/sediment from the bottom.

 

[flars]

Thought I would post a picture of my bottling set up. Might be better than a few words of advice.

 

[Revvy]

There's an ENTIRE sticky of bottling tips right at the top of the beginner's section.... Here.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

Honestly? I don't even cool the boiled priming sugar. I just throw it in the beer (already in the bucket). When 1 cup of hot liquid hits the cool beer, it will cool down the sugar solution in about 2 seconds without affecting the beer.

 

[wstcstnative]

three tips:
1. Sanitize your bottles AND your caps! And the capper too, never hurts to be safe.
2. Measure your priming sugar! There are several online calculators that will help you with the correct amoutn for your beer style and ambient room/storage temp. too much and your bottles will explode. too little and you'll have flat beer
3. Give it time to develop. sometimes it takes more than the recommended 2 weeks to properly carbonate. and depending on the style a month or more of aging is appropriate.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

Tip:
Sanitization.
I fill my sink with starsan. Soak all my caps and other bits and pieces.
I sanitize my bottles on Hi temp scour setting in dishwasher. Then just befor bottling I dunk the bottle in the starsan and empty it then fill with the finished beer.

Some people go way overboard but as long as you pay attention you'll be okay.
There are horror stories but I think most people are trying to bottle with mud and dog poop on their hands.

Out of the 30+ batches I've brewed, I've had zero problems with my method.

Good luck. And don't over think it.
Just be clean.

 

[mfink519]

I was gonna ask if anyone just throws the sugar right in the bucket.

Honestly? I don't even cool the boiled priming sugar. I just throw it in the beer (already in the bucket). When 1 cup of hot liquid hits the cool beer, it will cool down the sugar solution in about 2 seconds without affecting the beer.

 

[flars]

I was gonna ask if anyone just throws the sugar right in the bucket.

You could do that but may have to stir a lot to make sure it is dissolved and mixed throughout. Stirring too much risks oxidizing the beer. A solution with the sugar in it can mix with just the action of siphoning.

 

[flattie]

I've only bottled 2 5 gallon batches so far. I use the spring loaded bottling wand that I attach to the spigot with a short piece of vinyl tubing. I put a chair on top of my picnic table and the bottling bucket goes on top of the chair. That leaves the bottling wand at a height that doesn't force me to bend too much. I like using the wand - fill to the top and when you remove the wand it leaves the right amount of headspace.

Remember to take apart both your wand and the spigot for cleaning when you are done. I had no idea either came apart until reading through some threads on here.

 

[mfink519]

We disolved it first but didnt cool it. Worked out well!

You could do that but may have to stir a lot to make sure it is dissolved and mixed throughout. Stirring too much risks oxidizing the beer. A solution with the sugar in it can mix with just the action of siphoning.

 

[mfink519]

Ty everyone! All you tips helped. We used the wand. For some reason the siphon worked well this time. Maybe bc were werent under the influence LMAO!

But at anyrate, we sampled and it tasted so good! So we must have done something right. Now as long as they make it though the bottle phase I will be happy. It is gratifying to brew from our own hop yard!

We want to share this first sample with friends at the superbowl. Fingers crossed!