Bottling my first batch soon

[arringtonbp]

I have a few questions about bottling beer.

I use starsan to sanitize the bottles.

My plan is the following:

1. Sanitize the bottling bucket (fill with 5 gal starsan)
2. Using autosiphon and bottling wand, fill each of my 54 bottles with starsan
3. Dump the rest of the starsan out of the bottling bucket and remove starsan from autosiphon/bottling wand/tubing
4. Pour the priming sugar (5oz) into bottling bucket and siphon the beer on top of the sugar. I plan on curving the tubing to be tangent to the bucket so that it creates a whirpool.
5. Pour the starsan out of each bottle into the old bucket just before filling each with beer.
6. Cap each bottle with a sanitized cap.

Any issues with this?
Is it okay if there is some starsan coating the inside of the bottle/sitting in the bottom?

 

[Yooper]

No issues at all, but you're doing it the hard way!

First, you don't need 5 gallons of sanitizer mixed up. I use about one gallon that I save and reuse over and over. I keep it in a one gallon jug. I wash all the equipment, and then use use star-san to santize. I have a vinator, a cool doo-dad that squirts sanitize up into the bottle, and then hang the bottles on a bottle tree. It's great because you hold the bottle upside down, press down twice, and it sanitizes the bottle. It takes about 10 minutes to sanitize 53 bottles that way.

When I sanitize the bottling bucket, I don't fill it up- just make sure the sanitizer coats all the surfaces including the spigot and then pour it back into the container. I dunk all the tubing, and run the sanitizer through the autosiphon and bottling wand and then take it out and set it on a sheet of clear paper towels.

 

[birvine]

And I'd suggest mixing your priming sugar with boiled and cooled water and adding that to the bucket. That is, not simply the sugar alone.

B

 

[arringtonbp]

What's the easiest way without a vinator?
How long does Starsan need to contact the bottles before I pour it out?
Do I need to let them dry, or can I rack on top of whatever is left in there after I shake them out?

 

[Yooper]

What's the easiest way without a vinator?
How long does Starsan need to contact the bottles before I pour it out?
Do I need to let them dry, or can I rack on top of whatever is left in there after I shake them out?

It doesn't need much contact time, as it stays wet long enough to sanitize. You can dunk, dump, and let it sit which will continue the sanitizing.

 

[beergolf]

If you don't have a vinator, the next best option is a Turkey baster. A bowl of starsan, A squirt into the bottle of starsan, let them sit in the diswasher for a minute before filling.

 

[djfriesen]

I find a funnel to be very easy. Make sure it is sanitized. Then, dump enough Starsan into one bottle to see foam out the top. Transfer this same Starsan from bottle to bottle, using the funnel, until everything is sanitized. You can add a little more along the way it you start to run out because of drips, overflow, etc.

Also, +1 to mixing sugar with boiled water. This will sanitize everything (you never know what's been crawling around in that sugar), and since sugar dissolves better in hot water, it will make it easier to get your priming sugar and beer mixed together really well, for more even carbonation.