Bottling Tips for the Homebrewer
- Thread starter Revvy
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agenthucky
Well-Known Member
i fill it anywhere between where the top of the label or bottom is. some labels are worn off, but it;s usually the lower middle part of the neck.
rico567
Well-Known Member
1. An inch of headspace is fine, about the amount left by a bottling wand.
2. 70°F or more. I have to leave the bottled beer upstairs in our house for a few weeks, because the basement where it'll be stored is too cool for proper conditioning.
2. 70°F or more. I have to leave the bottled beer upstairs in our house for a few weeks, because the basement where it'll be stored is too cool for proper conditioning.
Andynewbom
Member
good tips!
jeffjjpkiser1
Well-Known Member
For those of you that compete frequently in competitions, what is the proper fill level in 12 oz bottles? How far down from the top of the bottle? 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, 1 inch or 2 inches?
OP
OP
Don't you use a bottling wand to fill your beer? It's made to set the proper amount of head space in bottles, no matter what sized bottles. You fill the bottle til it starts to over flow and pull the wand out, the displacement from the wand sets the headspace. Which is around 1.25 inches iirc.
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jeffjjpkiser1
Well-Known Member
I have one but it doesn't fit my tubbing setup or the nozzle on the bucket. 1.25 inches sounds right. Thank you
Brewnicorn
Member
Sorry to post and not add anything to the thread, but I just wanted to thank Revvy for this thread. Everything I had read about bottling thus far made it seem like bottling was the worst thing ever. Attaching the bottling wand to the spigot made bottling super easy. Thanks!
lgilmore
Well-Known Member
Have to say thank you for this post. I went through this post a day before bottling for the first time and found so many really good ideas. Thank you guys for making my first home bottling effort almost completely perfect. No back strain, no mess and no wasted beer, except for.....
My second bottle I felt I wasn't was capping as well as I should. I pressed down and popped the neck of the bottle right off. Dammitt. Had to pour out one beer. Other than that I had about 2 tablespoons of spilt brew on the dishwasher door.
The actual bottling took around 30 minutes for 50 bottles. But again, it wouldn't have gone so well without so many of you guys contributing such good ideas to this forum. I took a little here and a little there and ended up excited about bottling again. It turned out to be fun, rather than a chore. thanks.
My second bottle I felt I wasn't was capping as well as I should. I pressed down and popped the neck of the bottle right off. Dammitt. Had to pour out one beer. Other than that I had about 2 tablespoons of spilt brew on the dishwasher door.
The actual bottling took around 30 minutes for 50 bottles. But again, it wouldn't have gone so well without so many of you guys contributing such good ideas to this forum. I took a little here and a little there and ended up excited about bottling again. It turned out to be fun, rather than a chore. thanks.
OP
OP
Lgilmore, glad this thread helped. Don't stress the broken necked bottle, every not and then one will do that. More than likely a flaw in the bottle.
30 minutes? Was that including sanitizing the bottles? Or just filling them? If you can do everything from boiling your priming solution, through bottle sanitization to capping your last cap, I want YOUR system. You got me beat!
30 minutes? Was that including sanitizing the bottles? Or just filling them? If you can do everything from boiling your priming solution, through bottle sanitization to capping your last cap, I want YOUR system. You got me beat!
lgilmore
Well-Known Member
No the 30 was the bottling and capping. I did a two step sanitizing. I had already cleaned the bottles when delabling. This time I hooked up a inner bottle washer to the sink next to the dishwasher. Gave the bottles a good inside wash then finished in the dishwasher for another rinse and hot dry.
I liked your idea of raising the bottling bucket up higher and using the spring loaded filler right off the on/off valve on the bucket. So I was able to sit comfortably and fill bottles perfectly and then set them off on another counter without having to strain or twist. The counter space held a case and a half of filled bottles.
I did the siphon assist like you and another person pointed out. I went the plumbing parts at home depot. Spent like a buck fifty for a hose adapter and elbow that sat great in the bucket, other than cleaning really good, just had to screw it on and go. It left about an ounce of beer in the bucket.
If you went from prep to finish maybe two hours. I try to get everything set up to need before I start the process. the process took 30 minutes. The other time was setting up and cleaning up, which while part of the activity, really isn't the activity it's self.
Again, thanks for the great ideas. Bottling didn't turn out to be a chore or something just to get through. I also cold crashed my secondary and had a little left over that wouldn't quite fill another bottle. So I filled up a glass, held it up to the light, smelled the brew , admired the color and gave it a taste. Even though not carbonated yet, a nice smooth Irish Red Ale. If carbonated now, already drinkable. I plan on opening the bottles up when my kids come home for thanksgiving so 4 weeks in the bottles should be just about right.
Thanks again.
I liked your idea of raising the bottling bucket up higher and using the spring loaded filler right off the on/off valve on the bucket. So I was able to sit comfortably and fill bottles perfectly and then set them off on another counter without having to strain or twist. The counter space held a case and a half of filled bottles.
I did the siphon assist like you and another person pointed out. I went the plumbing parts at home depot. Spent like a buck fifty for a hose adapter and elbow that sat great in the bucket, other than cleaning really good, just had to screw it on and go. It left about an ounce of beer in the bucket.
If you went from prep to finish maybe two hours. I try to get everything set up to need before I start the process. the process took 30 minutes. The other time was setting up and cleaning up, which while part of the activity, really isn't the activity it's self.
Again, thanks for the great ideas. Bottling didn't turn out to be a chore or something just to get through. I also cold crashed my secondary and had a little left over that wouldn't quite fill another bottle. So I filled up a glass, held it up to the light, smelled the brew , admired the color and gave it a taste. Even though not carbonated yet, a nice smooth Irish Red Ale. If carbonated now, already drinkable. I plan on opening the bottles up when my kids come home for thanksgiving so 4 weeks in the bottles should be just about right.
Thanks again.
Jester
Senior Member
Just got through reading all of the pages in one day....
I have been brewing for a decent amount of time now, but I have never bottled. I went straight to kegging since I already owned a few old-school keggerators. Now I have moved into an apartment and my whole brewing system has been altered. One change is that I am now bottling.
I love the idea of the dip-tube on the bottling bucket. That was the most puzzling part of looking at the bottling setup. I think I am going to try the 3/4" PVC... One thought/question. I have read a few posts of people loosing siphon when the level gets to the spigot. Are people using Teflon tape of the threads when installing the PVC elbow?
I have been brewing for a decent amount of time now, but I have never bottled. I went straight to kegging since I already owned a few old-school keggerators. Now I have moved into an apartment and my whole brewing system has been altered. One change is that I am now bottling.
I love the idea of the dip-tube on the bottling bucket. That was the most puzzling part of looking at the bottling setup. I think I am going to try the 3/4" PVC... One thought/question. I have read a few posts of people loosing siphon when the level gets to the spigot. Are people using Teflon tape of the threads when installing the PVC elbow?
Thanks for the tip Reevy and Brian. I screwed the female 3/4 90 degree PVC to the spigot and worked like a charm. Mine left 6 oz liquid, I can live with that, no more tipping. Thanks guys
lgilmore
Well-Known Member
"Are people using Teflon tape of the threads when installing the PVC elbow?"
I used a combination of parts to make mine work great. I took the spigot with me to home depot. With mine the threads were more like a garden hose than a plumbing one. So I found a attachment that was designed female female of different sizes. The one side screwed onto the spigot and the other side took a male elbow piece and fit perfectly inside my bucket. No need to tape. Cost? under two bucks.
I used a combination of parts to make mine work great. I took the spigot with me to home depot. With mine the threads were more like a garden hose than a plumbing one. So I found a attachment that was designed female female of different sizes. The one side screwed onto the spigot and the other side took a male elbow piece and fit perfectly inside my bucket. No need to tape. Cost? under two bucks.
darn. took me two.
on to the point....
i don't use a vinator, i want to get one, but other expansions to the brewery always seem to come first.
i just run my bottling line backwards, kinda.
i have the bottlign bucked directly in front of me on the counter. I'm on a barstool, dishwasher to my right, clean but not sanitized bottles to me left (in cases)
bottling bucket gets filled with a gallon or so of starsan. install bottling wand. put autosiphon in starsan and fill spray bottle with starsan using autosiphon (sanitizing the inside of the autosiphon) spray the dishwasher racks with starsan. grab a bottle from the case with my left hand, and start filling it with the bottling wand. grab the filling bottle with my right, and grab another empty with my left. take the 1/3-1/2 full bottle off the wand, and put the empty on. dumb the fuller bottle back into the bottling bucket (swirling it while i go) once it is empty, i put it in the dishwasher, and the process repeats. once the all the bottles are sanitized, i spray them all down for good measure, as well as the counter and the outside of the autosiphon. swirl and dump the bottling bucket, rack, and bottle.
Jester
Senior Member
I wanted to say "Thanks" for the great thread!!!
I have been brewing for a decent amount of time, but I finally bottled for the first time tonight. This thread put me on the right page and kept me there the entire way through bottling.
I have been brewing for a decent amount of time, but I finally bottled for the first time tonight. This thread put me on the right page and kept me there the entire way through bottling.
Great thread, I just finished bottling my first batch. I've very glad I read through this thread first.
I ended up using most of the methods and tips laid out here. I bought a Vinator, skipped the drying tree and put the sanitized bottles in the dishwasher racks to dry instead. I used the bottle wand directly connected to the spigot over the dishwasher. I made a diptube with a 90 degree pvc elbow which worked great, pulled all but a couple ounces.
Bottling went smoothly SWMBO helped by capping. Now I just have to wait a few weeks before I can enjoy. I'm not skipping a beat with the brewing, I started a stout a week ago and an Apfelwein today in the fermenter I freed up from bottling.
I ended up using most of the methods and tips laid out here. I bought a Vinator, skipped the drying tree and put the sanitized bottles in the dishwasher racks to dry instead. I used the bottle wand directly connected to the spigot over the dishwasher. I made a diptube with a 90 degree pvc elbow which worked great, pulled all but a couple ounces.
Bottling went smoothly SWMBO helped by capping. Now I just have to wait a few weeks before I can enjoy. I'm not skipping a beat with the brewing, I started a stout a week ago and an Apfelwein today in the fermenter I freed up from bottling.
HItransplant
Well-Known Member
Has anyone had problems with infections using this system (with the spigot)? My LHBS strongly recommends against using the spigot, but I absolutely lament bottling with a autosiphon.
OP
OP
If you clean and sanitize the "system" should be no more risky or not then using the traditional hose between spigot and wand OR siphon and bottle wand.
If bottling spigots were so terrible to use, then we wouldn't use them...
rico567
Well-Known Member
Did your LHBS happen to mention WHY they find the spigot so objectionable?
HItransplant
Well-Known Member
Revvy said:
That's what I was thinking, but they said there are a lot of nooks and crannies in the spigot that makes it harder to clean properly...basically, you can't take it all the way apart.
I'm wondering if they just tell everyone this in case they are the type that doesn't clean/sanitize very well or in a timely manner. Kind of a "better safe than sorry" policy
OP
OP
The wonderful thing about starsan, and oxyclean for that matter, is the foaming bubbles can get into most nooks and crannies.
HItransplant
Well-Known Member
Revvy said:
Yeah, I figure there are thousands on this forum and this thread is 3 years old with only good comments...I'm probably safe.
Thanks guys
i don't know about yours, but the "valve" on mine just pulls straight out. [i don't take advantage of that often, i just run a bunch of starsan thru while sanitizing bottles and figure the starsan will get anywhere the beer will.]
When I bottled I always used a bottling wand plugged into a spigot on my bucket, never had an infected bottle.
Like pretty much every phase of brewing, it's all about scrupulous sanitation...
Cheers!
tennesseean_87
Well-Known Member
Here's a question--the info in this thread states that
1. a dunkelweizen should be carbed to 3.5-4.8 volumes CO2.
2. a standard bottle can only take 3 volumes.
Is an undercarbed DW still tasty? Has anyone carbed at higher levels? I've got one in primary now and am trying to decide what to do with it (kegging not an option). Thanks!
1. a dunkelweizen should be carbed to 3.5-4.8 volumes CO2.
2. a standard bottle can only take 3 volumes.
Is an undercarbed DW still tasty? Has anyone carbed at higher levels? I've got one in primary now and am trying to decide what to do with it (kegging not an option). Thanks!
rico567
Well-Known Member
That's a LOT of carbonation. My guess would be a mistake.
Well I just wanted to say thanks to Revvy for all of the great tips in bottling. It used to take me atleast 2 hours with my old setup and I always hated "bottling day" for just that reason. Last night I got it all done in just over an hour. If you bottle then I think the best investments you can make are the Jet Carboy Bottle Washer along with the Vinator. You can find them just about anywhere and boy does bottling day move along so much easier/faster with just those two things. Also, making my own dip tube has allowed me to get atleast 3-4 more 12oz bottles filled each batch. So thanks again Revvy, great stuff!!
Bottle Washer
Jet Carboy and Bottle Washer Company
Vinator
Vinator Bottle Rinser : Northern Brewer
Bottle Washer
Jet Carboy and Bottle Washer Company
Vinator
Vinator Bottle Rinser : Northern Brewer
Oh and I almost forgot.... attaching my bottling wand directly to the spigot of my bottling bucket has saved my back plenty of aches and pains!!
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