Bottling from glass carboy

[HopHead10]

Hi guys,

I have a batch fermenting in my ale pale and a batch fermenting in my carboy. I want to bottle from my glass carboy and transfer my other batch from the ale pale to the glass carboy.

Just wondering if any of you could elaborate on the process of bottling from the carboy. Can I just pour the sanitized/cooled corn sugar into the carboy, give it a stir, and bottle from there?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

Don't you have a bottling bucket? You should be using that.

 

[HopHead10]

only other bucket I have is my ale pale, which I have been using for primary fermentation. I have a batch currently in that pale, with nothing to transfer it to because I'm trying to bottle the batch in secondary fermentation (and in my Carboy).

 

[nebben]

You *can* do this, but if your carboys are like anyone else's, then you'll stir up all sorts of trub and crap that will end up in your bottles. The preferred method is to rack from carboy (assuming you're doing primary in it) into a bottling bucket or some other sanitized vessel, then add priming sugars and mix, then rack to bottles.

I wouldn't recommend it.

If you really want to do it though, you shouldn't stir it up since it will just make the beer cloudy and put tons of trub into the bottles. GENTLY start an autosiphon or racking cane with a clamp or having a friend hold it steady so it doesn't disturb the trub on the bottom of the vessel. Get a bottling wand and attach it to the other end of the tubing. While your friend gently gets the suction going and pumps the beer down the tube to the bottling wand. It will need to be in a bottle or something in order for it to work since it wont open unless it is pressed onto the bottom of a bottle or something. Everyone needs to be gentle here or else you'll just pick up trub and/or make a mess on the bottle side! Bottle below the level of the carboy so gravity is always helping, and the person holding the autosiphon/racking cane should always keep it above the trub but below the beer surface in the carboy. Restarting an autosiphon near the bottom of a carboy can be impossible. Keep bottling steadily and have all your bottles ready ahead of time. If you can get through all the bottles without sucking up trub, then congratulations- you've done it. Afterwards, carefully measure about 3/4 tsp sugar per 12oz bottle, or get carb drops from your LHBS.

Or, spend $5.00 on a bucket from Home Depot or something and rack clear beer into that, then mix in priming sugar in bulk (mix it well!), and bottle from there. Much easier, less mess, and no trub.

 

[passedpawn]

Don't.

Leave it in the carboy and find yourself a bottling bucket. With a spigot. And a bottling wand.

 

[AnOldUR]

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

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

Don't.

Leave it in the carboy and find yourself a bottling bucket. With a spigot. And a bottling wand.

+1. Bottling buckets are great. Does your ale pail have a hole and a spigot? If so, then that's your bottling bucket, and I wouldn't suggest using it for primary anymore.

 

[octo]

if you have a spare spigot, go to lowes and get a 2$ 5 gal bucket, bore a hole for the spigot towards the bottom of the bucket and just use that as a bottling bucket. the grey buckets at lowes are 5 gallons.

 

[HopHead10]

Welp, I bottled from the carboy and all my bottles are blowing up. EFF!

 

[jldc]

Welp, I bottled from the carboy and all my bottles are blowing up. EFF!

Did you add sugar to each bottle individually? If not, then you probably didn't mix the priming sugar equally - some bottles got not enough and some (the exploding ones) got too much.

You shouldn't bottle from your carboy. If you must, then you need to prime each bottle individually. Either measure sugar into each bottle, or use something like Cooper's Carbonation Drops.

L

PS Just buy a bottling bucket - they're less than $20.

 

[jfr1111]

Next time get another bucket. You've wasted way more $ in ruined beer now than you would have had you bought another bucket.

 

[brrman]

I have bottled from the carboy a few times. It can be done, but you will get more sediment in the bottles than normal, and you obviously need to use carb drops/tab for each bottle. Other than that don't let everyone scare you.