Bottling Day Any Advice

[DPS412]

Well today's the day I bottle my first batch anyone have any advice?

 

[andy6026]

Make sure you tilt the fermenter a bit when you get down to the bottom to get the remaining beer out, otherwise you'll lose some. Do the same with the bottling bucket when you get below the level of the spigot. I didn't do this with either in my very first batch and only noticed later during cleanup that I must have wasted about 2-3 liters if not a bit more.

 

[pannell77]

sanitize your bottles and caps and everything else that touches the beer. Don't cap on a slippery surface, learned my mistake quickly when a bottle shot out from under the capper and took out 3 others making a huge mess.

 

[BrewerinBR]

Focus.... Make everything a deliberate move and do not try to hurry or rush. Make a process of it, step by step. If possible put the bottling bucket over the open door of the dishwasher so the drips can be easily taken care (remove all clean dishes first). It was the drip drip drip of the bottling bucket spring loaded bottling tip that made the big mess on my first bottling experience.

Good Luck .. enjoy and congrats...

 

[Bordy]

I've found that using the bottle filler, if you have one, is easy and leaves the right amount of room for the CO2 after you pull it out. Supposedly it also helps limit oxidizing your beer.

I had a friend tell me they had better success with the 22oz bottles, but I've only used 12oz bottles. Anyone have similar experience? I was going to mix a few in on my next bottling.

 

[BrewerinBR]

I use a bottle filler and love it. Good consistency in filling 12 OZ and 16 OZ and 22 OZ and even 1 liter bottles. What I do not like is the drip drip drip its not a lot but even a little dripping is annoying

 

[beergolf]

Read this thread

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

Lots of good tips in there.

 

[cageybee]

boil the priming sugar and put it in the bottling bucket first thing, then add the beer from the fermenter. i never remember to do this so I have to stir quite a bit. I bottle on the open dishwasher door with the bucket on the counter directly above....sitting on a chair that's the right height. since I put my clean bottles through a dishwasher cycle (letting them cool down a bit), this is quite convenient.

 

[Pelican521]

Like others mentioned...If using a bottling wand, just be careful if you decide to rest it in a bottle to take a break to cap. I put mine very carefully in a bottle that was about a quarter full (so it wouldn't tip) and went to bottle the 12 or so I filled, when I went back to bottle it leaked about 1 half gallon out.

Use an auto siphon and get the auto siphon plastic clamp that clips to your bucket. Best $4 bucks I've spent. It will eliminate the need for another person to help hold the siphon.

There was another really important thing but I can't remember...

just kidding

 

[Effingbeer]

Invite a friend! Feed them beer for the work. An extra person is invaluable for bottling day.

 

[BansheeRider]

Ensure your beer is at FG.