Fermented in bottling bucket...

[Daniel82]

I bought a kit that came with a glass carboy and a bucket with a spigot for bottling. I was planning on using the bucket for my primary fermentation then transferring to my carboy for secondary, but due to some problems I ended up leaving it in the primary for a month. I am planning on bottling this weekend and was wondering if there was a way to get my priming sugar into my bottling bucket without causing any aeration or having to rack it to another vessel then rack it back and add the sugar to the bottom and let it self mix.

Is it ok to just add it to the bucket and gently stir it in? This is my third extract kit and I'm still learning the tips and tricks on the trade. All advice is appreciated.

 

[D0ug]

I bought a kit that came with a glass carboy and a bucket with a spigot for bottling. I was planning on using the bucket for my primary fermentation then transferring to my carboy for secondary, but due to some problems I ended up leaving it in the primary for a month. I am planning on bottling this weekend and was wondering if there was a way to get my priming sugar into my bottling bucket without causing any aeration or having to rack it to another vessel then rack it back and add the sugar to the bottom and let it self mix.

Is it ok to just add it to the bucket and gently stir it in? This is my third extract kit and I'm still learning the tips and tricks on the trade. All advice is appreciated.

No, I don't think you could stir it well enough to mix in the priming sugar thoroughly, yet gently enough to not redistribute the trub and yeast back in to the beer along with the priming sugar.

I would bite it and rack into a clean and sanitized vessel, clean and sanitize the bottling bucket, and go from there.

I've actually had to do this on more than one occasions, for various reasons.

I suppose if you had carb tabs you could use them instead and bottle with an auto siphon and bottling wand, but I hear that's a real PITA.

 

[Revvy]

The problem with bottling from a primary or secondary instead of using a bottling bucket, is that since you have patiently gone and let your beer settle and clear, in order to mix the priming solution and beer effectively, you would have to stir it in the carboy which would a) kick up all that nice sediment you have patiently let fall, b) possibly oxydize the beer.

It really defeats the purpose of both a long primary/no secondary or a secondary if you have to stir up all the nice sediment you patiently waited to settle just so you can have consistent carbonation.

I'd go and make myself a dedicated bottling bucket, and absolutely NEVER ferment in it ever again, so you never run into this situation.

You'll find a ton of good info here to make bottling easier.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/revvys-tips-bottler-first-time-otherwise-94812/

 

[Daniel82]

Ok thanks. I really only do one batch at a time anyway as I'm just getting started. I'll turn my bucket into a pure bottling bucket and just use my carboy for fermentation. I'll eventually get another carboy for adding flavors in second fermentations when I advance that far. Glad I asked now so I can be ready on bottling day and not make it twice as long as a process.