I love bottling

[LTownLiquorPig]

It hit me this fall, while bottling, that bottling isn't so bad. 500ml and 650ml bottles speed things up. I have a system, I put some extra time getting ready so that when I do the deed it goes pretty fast. I can sanitize, bottle, cap and clean up 23L in 60-70 minutes.

 

[HollisBT]

I never sanitize the caps. How much can be on them if you keep them in a ziplock and handle them carefully. They don't touch the beer either.

I would hate to have a whole batch ruined just because I didn't take 30 seconds to sanitize my caps...

Also curious as to how you never let your beer come in contact with the caps...

 

[Frogmanx82]

I would hate to have a whole batch ruined just because I didn't take 30 seconds to sanitize my caps...

Also curious as to how you never let your beer come in contact with the caps...

The bottles are stored upright, so the beer doesn't touch the cap. and it is a very small surface. And really, what can be growing on the caps. They sit in a ziplock bag. I just recall the one time I did sterilize some caps and a did a few too many and when I put them away they ended up rusting.

Am I the only one?

 

[HollisBT]

The bottles are stored upright, so the beer doesn't touch the cap. and it is a very small surface. And really, what can be growing on the caps. They sit in a ziplock bag. I just recall the one time I did sterilize some caps and a did a few too many and when I put them away they ended up rusting.

Am I the only one?

Your beer doesn't move when you move the bottles?

You have to let them dry before you put them back in the bag, it really isn't hard work. Pint glass full of sanitizer and caps, pull cap out place on bottle. The piece of mind alone is worth it IMO. You wouldn't put your bung in your carboy without sterilizing it, would you?

 

[BadgerBrigade]

I would hate to have a whole batch ruined just because I didn't take 30 seconds to sanitize my caps...

Also curious as to how you never let your beer come in contact with the caps...

I just throw my caps in a bowl full of water....
Am I not supposed to be sanitizing my caps?
The ones that have my logo on them Are fine.... It's not like the custom caps have ink or anything...
Why aren't you guys just putting them in a little bit of water in star San?

 

[Calichusetts]

I sanitize my caps but this got me thinking about the oxygen absorbing caps that activate with water...how are you suppose to sanitize them? Maybe you don't NEED to do it, but I do.

 

[passedpawn]

Sanitize your caps people. There is no difference between the caps and the bottle. If you sanitize the bottle, you should sanitize the caps.

If you use a vinator to sanitize the bottles (which I highly recommend), just toss the caps into the bowl of starsan solution at the top of the vinator.

 

[Frogmanx82]

OK, I see I'm in the minority on this. I use a vinator so yeah I can toss some caps in the solution. I haven't had any issues with off tasting beer so far though there is no point in risking it for a measly cap.

 

[HollisBT]

OK, I see I'm in the minority on this. I use a vinator so yeah I can toss some caps in the solution. I haven't had any issues with off tasting beer so far though there is no point in risking it for a measly cap.

I was by no means saying "you're doing it wrong", if it works for you then it works . It's just worth the piece of mind IMO, it's a good 6 hours worth of work and one months patience before your brew is complete, for me, I'll take most precautions to make sure that it comes out well

:cheers:

 

[Frogmanx82]

I was by no means saying "you're doing it wrong", if it works for you then it works . It's just worth the piece of mind IMO, it's a good 6 hours worth of work and one months patience before your brew is complete, for me, I'll take most precautions to make sure that it comes out well

:cheers:

If a bunch of people posted they skipped sanitizing the caps and had no issues, I wouldn't change. Since no one else seems willing to cap without sanitizing then it's a bit riskier for me to be doing all the testing.

 

[TNGabe]

If a bunch of people posted they skipped sanitizing the caps and had no issues, I wouldn't change. Since no one else seems willing to cap without sanitizing then it's a bit riskier for me to be doing all the testing.

I've never sanitized a cap or cork.

 

[BullGator]

I would say that a majority of homebrewers sanitize everything that could contact beer. Although beer is a lot less susceptible to contamination due to the alcohol (compared to wort). My point is, its so easy. So why not?

 

[lgilmore]

"I've never sanitized a cap or cork."

and I didn't always use a condom.... we all have our own level of risk taking don't we?

 

[TNGabe]

"I've never sanitized a cap or cork."

and I didn't always use a condom.... we all have our own level of risk taking don't we?

Although with 2 other homebrewers I know who don't santize caps we're well into the 1000's of bottles and no problems. While I'm at it, I'll venture to say there's no reason to sanitize a clean bottle, we just do it as a force of habit.

 

[Yesfan]

I too enjoy bottling. After you get some batches built up in the pipeline, I just fire up the stereo, open a home brew or three, and start bottling the current batch.

 

[scoundrel]

When I brew 10 gallons, I clean 2 kegs, sanitize them, then purge with CO2 and fill them with beer. Works every time. The caps and bottles I have stay in a bag or box and are unsanitized every time. Actually they're quite dirty

 

[smokinghole]

I love bottling because many of my favorite styles of beer need bottles for proper carb without having a 200ft serving line. Plus it just looks so much cooler when you show up to a party with a 6L champagne bottle full of saison and pop the cork.

 

[boscobeans]

I like being able to go down and pick from about ten different ales. All similar but different. Drier, sweeter, more hops, different hops, maltier...etc. I do not have the room or the patience to keep ten or so different kegs at the ready.

OMO

bosco

 

[Bulls Beers]

Bottling sucks..Why fill 50, when you fill one. I have a bottle filler and fill some once in a while, but Kegging is where it's at....

 

[divrguy]

I love bottling because many of my favorite styles of beer need bottles for proper carb without having a 200ft serving line. Plus it just looks so much cooler when you show up to a party with a 6L champagne bottle full of saison and pop the cork.

That would be awesome!

I like being able to go down and pick from about ten different ales. All similar but different. Drier, sweeter, more hops, different hops, maltier...etc. I do not have the room or the patience to keep ten or so different kegs at the ready.

OMO

bosco

I agree, I have 9 brews to pick from now and I'm hoping to add more as time goes on. But, I also small batch so I can have that kind of variety and I love popping open a bottle whether its a 12 oz 16.9oz Swingtop or 22 oz bomber

 

[atreid]

When I drink a beer, I always rinse it like mad 3-4 times with hot water and check it for stuck debris or yeast. This way I never have to clean them and I can use the Vinator with a bottle tree in about 15 minutes for 45 bottles. I use OxySan and push the Vinator at least 5-6-7 times per bottle.

500ml bottles are heavy enough to let the filler in without fear to tip it off and big enough to leave me enough time to take the previous bottle, pick a SANITIZED cap from a little 2-cup tupperware full of OxySan, and bench-cap the bottle before the filling is over on the next one. Of course that implies my bottling bucket is on a higher ground so that I can work at my level and let the filling bottle sit on the table.

It works with 330ml bottle but I have to work very fast and the bottle can tip off so I'm thinking of something to secure the bottle being filled. A simple rolled towel might do the trick...

I don't like the action of bottling but I love bottled beers and how much better a strong beer can age in bottles...

B-)

(for the few "unproper" bottles, I just clean them with a 24h soak in oxyclean like everyone else)

 

[smokinghole]

Bottling sucks..Why fill 50, when you fill one. I have a bottle filler and fill some once in a while, but Kegging is where it's at....

How well does your keg system serve saison at 3.5-4 volumes CO2? My bottling routine is rather streamlined and I can keg up 12 gal of a beer with a friend in VERY short order. Then again I use pressurized bottling with a keg and turn my regulator way down and keep a constant flow on my bottling wand. In addition I use a bottling tree with a vinator for sanitizing the bottles which makes bottling that much easier. I use kegs for bottling and I have found that cleaning the keg and ensuring it's properly sanitized/clean is a majority of my setup for bottling. Plus bottling makes it easier to age beers longterm.

 

[Bulls Beers]

How well does your keg system serve saison at 3.5-4 volumes CO2? Plus bottling makes it easier to age beers longterm.

If I ever serve that style, I'll let you know..I have a chest freezer for conditioning 6 kegs at a time. No worries about aging. Plus, the beers I brew don't need to be lagered longer that 2 or 3 months..

 

[TNGabe]

If I ever serve that style, I'll let you know..I have a chest freezer for conditioning 6 kegs at a time. No worries about aging. Plus, the beers I brew don't need to be lagered longer that 2 or 3 months..

Decoctions are easy but bottling is a PITA? Different strokes for different folks.

 

[smokinghole]

Well that does illustrate a huge difference between the "I hate bottling" crowd and the "I love bottling crowd". I have a feeling the keggers most typically make standard English, German and American styles of beers. I make lots of Belgian beers and sours. So bottling is almost a necessity to me because I don't need/want a keg of 11% dark strong. However having three cases of bottles is just fine in my book.

 

[scoundrel]

How well does your keg system serve saison at 3.5-4 volumes CO2?

Secondary regulator


Set one to 3.5-4 and the other to your normal carb level, maybe 2.5ish.

 

[Yesfan]

I ordered me three cases of 22 oz bombers, so I should be in good shape for my next two batches to bottle next weekend.

 

[jammin]

I started off keggging and have really got into bottling lately.

I agree with the OP, there is something very satisfying about bottling. It's quite rewarding to patiently let the bottles carb and condition. Hearing that hiss when they open. Every bottle seems like a little bit more of a treat than pulling a pint from the keg. It's a bit of an art to nail the carbonation as well.

Cheers!

 

[beaksnbeer]

Well that does illustrate a huge difference between the "I hate bottling" crowd and the "I love bottling crowd". I have a feeling the keggers most typically make standard English, German and American styles of beers. I make lots of Belgian beers and sours. So bottling is almost a necessity to me because I don't need/want a keg of 11% dark strong. However having three cases of bottles is just fine in my book.

I have a couple 5 Belgian beer 1 lambic, 2 saisons, 1 double, 1 triple. Not a issue as I have 12 taps. Not against bottling just have things I would rather do then bottle, as long as your making beer that's what matters

 

[amandabab]

I bottle a lot more than I keg