First Brew - Bottling Time...

[Craig311]

Hey everyone. I' ve been reading this forum for countless hours (whenever I've had some free time) for the past couple of months in preparation for my first brew. Of course, I read a couple of books also and made a trip to my LHBS, talked to the experts there, and got my starter equipment. I just need to say up front how much the knowlege shared here has helped me and is much appreciated!

So, 2 weeks ago I brewed a Newcastle clone using a kit from Maltose Express (my LHBS in CT). It contained some grains to steep and sparge along with some dry malt, 2 hop varieties for bittering and flavoring, irsh moss, and priming sugar. The boil and transfer to the primary went considerably well for my first time. I had a vigorous fermentation that settled down in about 3 days. A week later I racked to a 5g glass carboy.

It's been in the carboy for 2 weeks now and hasn't changed gravity for a week or so (at 1.013 right now). I also have a good inch or so of settlement at the bottom and it looks clear. That said, I think I'll be ready to bottle sometime next week and am a bit unsure (and scared) of the exact process. Here's what I know...

I don't have a bottling bucket. So, my plan is to rack from the carboy back into my sanitized primary. Of course, I'll add the sugar solution before racking and let the swirling motion mix it up for me. Since I don't have a bottling bucket with a spigot, I suppose I'm stuck starting a syphon and using my bottling wand (the kind with the spring) to get the brew in my bottles. The question I have is how to get that syphon started and how much of a problem I might have keeping it going throughout the entire bottling process. I had a difficult time getting the syphon started from my primary to secondary and ended up sucking on the hose. From what I've read, it seems I might want to fill the hose (and racking cane?) with water to get the syphon going. I'd just hate to experiment with my 5 gallons of brew and risk ruining it. Any detailed explanation of how I should approach this would be much appreciated!!

Wow. Sorry for such a long introductory post! I look forward to "relaxing and having a homebrew". I just need some first!!!

- Craig

 

[Yooper]

Well, since you have so much time and energy invested in this, I'd recommend a bottling bucket. As you know, the siphon is a bit of a pain anyway, and to try and bottle and keep the siphon would really suck. (get it- siphon, suck? Never mind). Anyway, a bottling bucket is like $9 and is well worth it.

Now, as for siphoning easily, there are a couple of ways. One way is to do what you described and fill the tubing with water and/or sanitizer and put the carboy onto a higher surface and the receiving vessel on the ground and allow the liquid to flow into a third until beer flows and then put the tubing tip into the bottling bucket. I did that for at least a year. It takes some practice, but is doable.

Or, get an autosiphon. One pump and it flows. Or, get a carboy cap for your carboy. Put your racking cane through the middle hole and blow into the other hole. Instant siphon. I now either use the autosiphon or carboy cap all the time. If you're transferring from a bucket, you're kind of stuck with the autosiphon, but from a carboy I use the carboy cap.

And, by the way, welcome to HBT!

 

[Blender]

Is there no way that you could go back to the LHBS and purchase a bottling bucket? It will really make things a lot easier and will be money well spent. It's not like it will be one time use either if you stay with the hobby.

Sorry if this is not real helpful.

 

[Craig311]

Thanks for the quick replies and warm welcome...

It sounds like a bottling bucket is well worth the small investment. I'll get one when I go pick up my bottles and some more sanitzer this week.

And, yes, this isn't a "one and done" type deal. I'm a huge fan of beer and this is something I've wanted to do for a while. I couldn't even imagine how much I'd enjoy the process as I have and look forward to moving on to bigger and better things.

Again - Many thanks and I look forward to sharing my experiences and (hopefully) some knowlege as I get brewing on a consistent basis.

Cheers!!

 

[Blender]

Thanks for the quick replies and warm welcome...

It sounds like a bottling bucket is well worth the small investment. I'll get one when I go pick up my bottles and some more sanitzer this week.

And, yes, this isn't a "one and done" type deal. I'm a huge fan of beer and this is something I've wanted to do for a while. I couldn't even imagine how much I'd enjoy the process as I have and look forward to moving on to bigger and better things.

Again - Many thanks and I look forward to sharing my experiences and (hopefully) some knowlege as I get brewing on a consistent basis.

Cheers!!

You don't want your first bottling experience to be a drag so the bucket will let you concentrate on bottling instead of managing the siphon. I would suggest that you check to make sure the spigot is sealing well before filling with the precious beer. Mine leaked the first time and made an undue mess.
The auto siphon is also very handy to have as well, it will make your transfers easier and less of a hassle. Good luck your beer looks as though it is ready to bottle.

 

[PseudoChef]

You can always use a bulb turkey baster to suck start a siphon without actually sucking on it.

I vote again for investing in a bottling bucket. I bottled my very first batch without one and it definitely makes like much easier.

 

[beerdad]

Yep definitely bottling bucket + auto siphon. Later on you might want to get the bottle tree and vinator. This makes sanitation much easier. The bench capper is also a major improvement over the wing capper. Of course kegging makes it all a snap, but is expensive.

 

[Liquidicem]

I agree with the others. Also, pick up an auto siphon while you at the LHBS. It is well worth the money.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

On your way back from the LHBS, stop at the hardware store and pick up a wallpaper tray for $2-$3. It makes sanitizing long items such as racking canes and autosiphons a lot easier.

Stick around, I'm sure we can come up with a lot more ways to spend your money.

 

[twocylndr]

Kids.
Suck it!
Bottling bucket...turkey basters??? Suck it!!!
Been sucking the the bottling wand for 15 years!
I rack it back into my primary bucket with priming sugar waiting be be mixed by the swilling motion as you described.

 

[Craig311]

Thanks again for all of the replies. I went to my LHBS with a list of things to get - bottles, more sanitizer, a bottling bucket, and a carboy cap and a smaller diameter piece of hose to help start syphons into and out of the carboy.

The guy there immediately recognized what I was trying to accomplish and strongly encouraged me to stay away from a bottling bucket and the use of a carboy cap as a means of syphoning - mostly because of sanitary reasons. He said the blowing in or sucking from the carboy as well as the potential buildup of of crap around the spigot of a bottling bucket wasn't worth it. He told me instead to rack back into my sanitized primary and to simply use an auto syphon with my bottling wand for bottling.

Realizing this is a long term obsession with brewing and that I'll have time to try many different processes to see what works best for me... (not to mention his option was cheaper and the wife was on my case ; ) ).... I went with the auto syphon and racked back to my primary instead of a bottling bucket.

That said, everything seems to have gone extremely well. The auto syphon kept the beer flowing without any intervention throughout the entire bottling process. I've got a couple of cases that have been sitting for 5 days now in brown bottles. If I hold them up to the light I can see a small amount of sediment at the bottom.

Seems like everything is on track! My intent, again, was to thank everyone for their input. Can't wait to try one of these. The Sierra Nevada Porter in my fridge will get me through the next couple of days. After that - I clearly need to "check my progress after a week". Cheers!

 

[Craig311]

So, as mentioned above, I have some sediment in the bottom of my bottles and none have exploded yet. I'm anxious to refridgerate one and pop it open to see if they are carbonating at all (I suppose I'll have to taste it too). How much carbonation should I expect to see in a week? They've been sitting at about 70 degrees.

 

[Chad]

Craig, it sounds like things are going great. I realize it's too late for this first batch, but in the future take a sanitized 500ml bottled-water bottle and fill it when you do your bottling. Squeeze all of the air out until the beer is at the very top and screw the cap on tight. As your yeasts eat the priming sugar and carbonate the beer, the increasing pressure will fill out the bottle and create headspace. As carbonation continues, the bottle will become harder (but never as hard as an unopened soda bottle, for example). This will give you a day-by-day indicator of the level of carbonation in your beer.

With that said, I have a batch that has been bottled for a week as of today and the temptation is strong to see how they're progressing. My plastic bottle is filled out and firm but not hard, so I suspect it'll take at least two weeks to get where I'd like them to be but I'm having trouble not rationalizing the need to check.

Take care,
Chad

 

[Yooper]

Try it already! Put it in the fridge for several hours first, (or overnight if you can wait!) so the co2 in there will dissolve into the beer. You can expect either very little carbonation, or it might be fully carbed! I've had some take less than a week, and some take a month. The only way to know for sure is to try it.

And then let us know how it is, ok?

 

[Bobby_M]

Kids.
Suck it!
Bottling bucket...turkey basters??? Suck it!!!
Been sucking the the bottling wand for 15 years!
I rack it back into my primary bucket with priming sugar waiting be be mixed by the swilling motion as you described.

You can suck it.

Not me.

 

[Craig311]

Chad - That sounds like a great idea. I'll definitely keep that in mind for my next batch.

As for this one, time to open one up! Hopefully I'll have good news to report.

Thanks again!

 

[Craig311]

Holy crap my beer is GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:rockin:

 

[Gedvondur]

Kids.
Suck it!
Bottling bucket...turkey basters??? Suck it!!!
Been sucking the the bottling wand for 15 years!
I rack it back into my primary bucket with priming sugar waiting be be mixed by the swilling motion as you described.

I've been smoking for fifteen years, doesn't make it a good idea.

Just because you can do a thing, doesn't mean you should.




Gedvondur

 

[Yooper]

Holy crap my beer is GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:rockin:

Wow- glad to hear it. Congrats!

 

[DUCCCC]

Maybe this has been beat to death already somewhere, but can't you also use the carboy cap to rack to the carboy, by sucking on the other cap spout? I would assume one can use the same inline filter and hose that one would blow with...

 

[Craig311]

Thanks YooperBrew. I'm going to need to get my next batch going soon (I'm thinking Porter) and get a decent stock built up. I can see these going rather quickly!