OK... how long SHOULD bottling take?

[Jared311]

I must be making the process harder than it needs to be. I do rinse out the bottles after I drink out of them... here's my current process.

-Fill sink with hot soapy water
-Fill bottling bucket with hot water and star san
-Scrub bottles in sink using bottle brush
-Rinse bottles
-Soak bottles in bottling bucket and sanitizer
-Drain bottles and put on bottle tree
-Then I perform the rest of the bottling steps which only takes another 40 minutes or so...

I follow the exact same routine as brewmeone minus the bottle brush. It usually takes me anywhere from 1 - 2 hours depending on how motivated I am and how many beers I have had.

 

[comj49]

i read on another thread to soak bottles in oxiclean to help get the labels off. I tried it the other day with 4 cases of bottles, and didn't have to scrape a single label off. After only 1 hour sitting in a bucket of oxiclean, the labels fell off. I had to scrub a little to get the glue off, but not hard at all. After i was done, i had most of the labels sitting in the bottom of the bucket. I have read of people having problem with residue on bottles if they let them soak overnight, so in my limited experience, it doesn't seem neccesary, just an hour or two will do.

I also rinse after use, rinse with hot water on bottling day, put in dishwasher on a hot rinse cycle, then bottle right on top of the dishwasher door, no mess to clean up if you spill a little!!

 

[engine3lt]

Oh good, I was just wondering if the dishwasher cycle was a bad idea.

I need to change up my routine... my first two bottling sessions I soaked the bottles in bleach water to make the labels come off better. They still sucked (Saranac especially) and that was an entire morning of scrubbing... but now that I have the blank bottles, I may not do that. Hopefully my rinsing 3-4 times in the sink after I pour was good enough, but they've been stored upright. We'll see I guess.

Thought it was just me...those Saranac bottles are a huge p.i.t.a.

I've gotten my whole process down to less than 2 hours now...however:

Has anyone else had any "accidents" with oxyclean? The last thing I clean is the secondary carboy. I had it clean as a whistle with oxyclean. It works as well as everyone here says it does, but wow is it slick. I guess you get in a hurry when you're ready to be done, but long story short, the carboy slipped out of my hands. Chipped the neck and my tile kitchen floor. I'm still going to use it, but I'm going to be a lot more careful; even if it takes 3 hours.

 

[AnonyBrew]

The vinator saves a ton of time on bottling day. No need to spend all that time dunking/filling each bottle. Just use a low contact time, no-rinse sanitizer like starsan and it's well worth the price.

http://www.weekendbrewer.com/images/vinator.jpg

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=1322

 

[springer]

takes me 1 to 1 1/2 hours to bottle a 5 gallon batch

All bottles are rinsed after pour. Mix 3 gallons on sanitizer (BTF) fill bottles in bucket let sit for a few a minute drain and set on bottle tree. My racking items soak in BTF in a wallpaper tub with caps. Use the dishwaser door as a shelf bottle and close door no mess to clean if I overfill a bottle or two.

 

[AnonyBrew]

Somebody send me a dang wallpaper tray already. I've looked in about 5 HDs & Lowes & the only one I could find is only about 2 ft. long...just about 2" short of what I need for the autosiphon. Grrrr!

 

[springer]

Somebody send me a dang wallpaper tray already. I've looked in about 5 HDs & Lowes & the only one I could find is only about 2 ft. long...just about 2" short of what I need for the autosiphon. Grrrr!

Try Benjaman Moore paint store. That where I got mine its about 30"

 

[mbrady64]

I just figured I'd throw in my two cents.

Before Bottling Day
- Wash each bottle after pour.

Bottling Day
- Fill bottling bucket with warm water and sanitizer
- Dunk each bottle till full and dump...possibly about 10-20 seconds contact time.
- I do not drip dry on bottle tree, I put them straight back into the box standing upright. I figure let the remaining sanitizer foam remain in their and increase contact time.

Now all my bottles are sanitized and my bottling bucket is sanitized. Havent had an infection after 19 brews of doing it that way. Takes me an hour and a half to sanitize/bottle/clean.

So not drip drying the bottles won't harm the taste of the beer? I would think that the sanitation solution would add a funny taste. But I guess you are right!

 

[vfinch]

I also rinse after each pour, but only a couple of shots of water. I then walk over to the oven and turn on the florescent light and inspect them for any residue (and clean them again if there is). It's amazing what you can see with a good strong light.

For new bottles I give a 1hr soak in oxyclean and hit them with a wide bottle brush. Then I 1/2 fill with oxyclean solution, plug the neck and then shake for about 10secs. After checking each bottle with a florescent light, I soak any ones that still have residue with hot water for an hour.

As for bottling, I give each bottle about 3secs of water blast with the bottle rinser and then a few pumps with some iodophor in the vinator and onto the bottle tree (which I give a few sprays of idophor before I use).

+1 on the bottling wand, it makes it so damn easy!

Unfortunately I can't say how long it takes from start to finish, I'm having to much fun to keep track

 

[knarfks]

I do the same thing as springer except a bottle tree/dish washer and starsan. an hour to an hour and a half.

BTW on sanitizers contact time includes any time that the bottle is wet, not just dunked in the solution.

I get my bottles from recycling centers, soak in oxyclean for an hour the labels fall off or only need a minor rub with a green pad, rinse and put in the case ready for sanitizing.

 

[kappclark]

I have found that using 22 oz bombers really saves time, since you deal with half as many bottles ..

YES- bottling is a chore which is why Pres Bush is sending emergency funds to start Operation KEG !

 

[BigKahuna]

YES- bottling is a chore which is why Pres Bush is sending emergency funds to start Operation KEG !

Good Crap That's funny.
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