Bottled first batch - easy peasy

[fatmoose]

Finally got around to bottling my first batch that I brewed back in April, at long last a hobby where procrastination is OK Of course now the problem is that I've gotta wait another three weeks, darn it. I guess procrastination only has so many benefits :cross:

The process went really well in my opinion, all the threads I read regarding bottling really helped out. I used the approach of setting my bottling bucket on top of another bucket on my chest freezer in the basement with my bottle filler attached to the valve on the bottling bocket with a short piece of 3/8" hose. I think this was an idea that I read about in one of Revvy's posts, apologies if I'm mis-attributing that. You can see my bucket of bottles to the right, on the left side I've got a table set up that I put the filled bottles on and did my capping. Just put the bottle up under the filler until it topped off and boom, on to the next one.

I remember helping my dad bottle back many years ago, bottling was what I think killed the hobby for him. I recall him struggling with just a length of hose for filling, dropping a pinch of sugar in each bottle. There's a lot more handy tools and valuable knowledge available to home brewers these days and I'm thankful for it.

Three more weeks and I can RDWHAHB.

 

[mgortel]

Grats on your first bottling mission!

Tomorrow will be my first bottling experience.....a Kolsch thats been in the fermenter for 3 weeks. Wish me luck....oh yeah, and after I bottle...I am brewing up a batc of Centennial Ale.....cant wait for tomorrow...nothing like Bre Day on a Friday before a long weekend.....

I just wish I had some home brews ready for the holiday weekend....

 

[jonbomb]

Finally got around to bottling my first batch that I brewed back in April, at long last a hobby where procrastination is OK Of course now the problem is that I've gotta wait another three weeks, darn it. I guess procrastination only has so many benefits :cross:

The process went really well in my opinion, all the threads I read regarding bottling really helped out. I used the approach of setting my bottling bucket on top of another bucket on my chest freezer in the basement with my bottle filler attached to the valve on the bottling bocket with a short piece of 3/8" hose. I think this was an idea that I read about in one of Revvy's posts, apologies if I'm mis-attributing that. You can see my bucket of bottles to the right, on the left side I've got a table set up that I put the filled bottles on and did my capping. Just put the bottle up under the filler until it topped off and boom, on to the next one.

I remember helping my dad bottle back many years ago, bottling was what I think killed the hobby for him. I recall him struggling with just a length of hose for filling, dropping a pinch of sugar in each bottle. There's a lot more handy tools and valuable knowledge available to home brewers these days and I'm thankful for it.

Three more weeks and I can RDWHAHB.

My favorite way to bottle is to open my dishwasher and do it right over top of it so nothing gets on the floor. Not to mention I just pull the bottles right out of the dish washer rack and there ya go fill them up.

 

[fatmoose]

My favorite way to bottle is to open my dishwasher and do it right over top of it so nothing gets on the floor. Not to mention I just pull the bottles right out of the dish washer rack and there ya go fill them up.

That seems like a slick way to do it, only thing for me would be that SWMBO would probably get cranky at all the commotion in the kitchen. I try to keep it a borderline guerilla operation so as to not arouse any queries regarding how much time and/or money I'm spending on this matter. I had a little catch basin underneath my bottle filler, that served nicely to keep the floor clean. I'm going to have to do something different to make holding my bottles more convenient.

 

[mgortel]

Get yuorself a bottle tree!

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/economy-bottle-tree.html

 

[BendBrewer]

Bottled first batch - easy peasy

I bet you thought is was fun too didn't you?

It's the 12th batch that gets you...........

 

[dorklord]

Honestly, for me it wasn't the bottling that was all that bad, it was making sure all the bottles were clean, sanitizing them, sanitizing the bottling bucket and tubing, the caps, boiling up priming sugar, all that...Not that it is bad, it just takes a while, and makes it hard to bottle a batch on the spur of the moment, in between other things I'm trying to get done.

I was like, if only i could just sanitize one container, then put all the beer in here, and just have a little spigot so I could fill up glasses...

 

[NuclearRich]

I dont look at it as a chore liek a lot of people seem to do. I see it as another piece of the puzzle... just a part of the process. It is as much of a chore to me as filling my kettle with wort is. If you are incredibly lazy (like me), you can look on every task as a chore. Everything is is another thing to do. If you enjoy the tasks then you enjoy the hobby.
Its all about attitude.

 

[mgortel]

My philoshophy has always been that nothing is a chore as long as I am drinking some beers while doing it......i.e. cutting the grass (beer in hand), cleaning the garage (beer in hand), brewing (beer in hand).....

No chores....just "excuses" to drink beer.....hahah