Bottling High ABV beers

[NaymzJaymz]

Any tips on bottling high ABV beers that have been barrel aged? Add extra yeast, ect… Thanks.

 

[gnef]

Do you only bottle, or do you also have a kegging system?

If you have a kegging system, you can simply force carbonate in the keg, and then counter pressure fill the bottles after full carbonation.

If not, what is the ABV of the beer? Some add dry yeast to each bottle to help.

 

[Belton5]

Yes sir, I do have kegs, but I've never counter pressure bottled. The beers are both slightly above 10% ABV. What kind of yeast do you go with in a bottling situation like this? Thank you for your response.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yes sir, I do have kegs, but I've never counter pressure bottled. The beers are both slightly above 10% ABV. What kind of yeast do you go with in a bottling situation like this? Thank you for your response.

When you carbonate in kegs, and fill bottles from there, you don't need yeast for bottle carbonation.
The (now) carbonated beer should be ice cold when filling the bottles. Dispense at less than 10 psi (6-8 psi works great for me).

Use a #2 rubber stopper over your bottling wand/tube to just create a seal on the bottle opening. Squeeze/tilt it to slowly release pressure as the bottle fills. It's even easier than it sounds.

 

[brownni5]

Reyeast with a bottle conditioning strain like CB-1, a couple grams rehydrated and added to the bottling bucket will do it. Barrel aged beers, regardless of ABV, will have a lower starting dissolved CO2, so take that into account when priming.

 

[bracconiere]

Use a #2 rubber stopper over your bottling wand/tube to just create a seal on the bottle opening.

it helps for the tube to go to the bottom of the container also......or fill from bottom up, not top down....

 

[IslandLizard]

it helps for the tube to go to the bottom of the container also......or fill from bottom up, not top down....

Thanks for adding that. It's essential!

You could purge/flush the bottles with CO2, right before filling.

 

[bracconiere]

Thanks for adding that. It's essential!

You could purge/flush the bottles with CO2, right before filling.

i know it from when i travel with brew to drink. i just use vinyl tubing that fits perfectly into my picnic taps, but it works best when the tube goes through the stopper all the way to the bottom of the soda bottle, lol.....being a few liters only lasts a evening, never thought about purging before....

 

[NaymzJaymz]

When you carbonate in kegs, and fill bottles from there, you don't need yeast for bottle carbonation.
The (now) carbonated beer should be ice cold when filling the bottles. Dispense at less than 10 psi (6-8 psi works great for me).

Use a #2 rubber stopper over your bottling wand/tube to just create a seal on the bottle opening. Squeeze/tilt it to slowly release pressure as the bottle fills. It's even easier than it sounds.

Basically you are counter pressure bottling, but with little bit simpler set up than the one you buy?