Primary to Bottle

[konaniko]

Brewing my first batch. Fermentation seems to be going ok my question is how to go from primary to bottle? I purchased the minimum equipment I could; bottling bucket, airlock, siphon hose and bottling wand. I want to make sure this is for me before I buy anymore equipment. I know other equipment is nice to have like a carboy or secondary bucket but don't want to buy those yet.

How can I go from primary fermenter (bottling bucket) to bottle without another bucket? Can I siphon from the bucket to the bottle?

All the other posts similar to this says you need other equipment. I know it is easier with other equipment but can you do it without?

Thanks for the input!

 

[Chudz]

Well, you would need to get your priming sugar mixed in there gently first. After that, and seeing as you are stating you have a bottling bucket, I'm hoping it has the spigot on it. You just connect the tubing to the spigot and the bottling wand to the other end. If you just have a regular bucket fermenter, I've read about people siphoning before. You may want to see if there are any videos on Youtube about the best way to do it, though, before trying.

 

[BuonAnno]

So if I'm reading this right you only have one bucket which you are using as a fermenter and it will double as your bottling bucket, right?

If so you’re going to have to get the beer out of your fermenter so you can clean the bottling bucket out and prep it for bottling. Personally I would siphon the beer off the trub into a cleaned and sanitized stock pot (or food grade bucket from a big box hardware store), gently scrub the bucket clean, boil up you priming sugar, siphon the beer back into the bottling bucket and gently swirl in the cooled priming mixture.

Good luck!

 

[konaniko]

Yes I was planning on using about 3/4 of a tsp of dextrose and adding it per bottle (i know it will be time consuming) The bucket does have a spigot but from what I have read the bottom is full of stuff you don't want in your bottle. Can I use the spigot anyway?

 

[FreeM80s]

Yes I was planning on using about 3/4 of a tsp of dextrose and adding it per bottle (i know it will be time consuming)

just put the priming sugar into the bucket(after you clean it) before you bottle. add it all at once

 

[Gremlyn]

Adding sugar to each bottle isn't easy and will probably result in uneven carbonation. You can get carb tabs, which a premeasured sugar blocks and add those to each bottle.

You can and should use the spigot for ease of bottling. You'll want to run off some beer until it comes out clear, and then you can start bottling. In the future, don't use a bottling bucket to ferment in. Not only does it present logistical issues for bottling, they're harder to clean due to the spigot and can be a source of infection if the trub (crap at the bottom of the fermenter) gets stuck in the spigot and you don't know it.

 

[mikeerich]

Just bottle straight from the primary, and use carb tabs. Don't let anyone tell you can't. It's not ideal, but you can do it that way.

 

[BuonAnno]

Just bottle straight from the primary, and use carb tabs. Don't let anyone tell you can't. It's not ideal, but you can do it that way.

If you do choose to do this be sure to tilt the bucket away from the spigot for a day or two before bottling. This will ensure you get as little trub as possible.

 

[Gremlyn]

Just bottle straight from the primary, and use carb tabs. Don't let anyone tell you can't. It's not ideal, but you can do it that way.

I would call bottling from your primary fermenter that is a bottling bucket far less than ideal, and it should be avoided at all costs. It greatly increases chances for infection to use the bottling bucket as a primary and makes it very difficult to get consistent carb results from the bottle. Why wouldn't people recommend he do it a much better, cleaner, and less risky way? He can stir sugar into that beer in the primary fermenter that is a bottling bucket and just dunk his hand in with the bottle, it's not ideal, but you can do it that way...

 

[konaniko]

Thanks for all the input! I know it is not the best way to do it but there are some good ideas in the posts. I am prepared to not get the best beer in every bottle. So here is what I'm thinking about doing:

Tilt bucket away from spigot for a couple days
Let it drain for awhile until it gets less cloudy
Hook tube up to bucket and use bottling wand to Bottle as many beers as I can (using measured sugar in each bottle I have a 3/4 tsp that I will use to even the amount there is not a home brew shop within 45 min so it would be hard to get the tabs in time to bottle)
Cap and Let them sit for a couple of weeks
See what I have and then go to Home Brew shop to pick up a primary without a spigot!!!!!!!!

Anyone see anything majorly wrong with this?

 

[seabrew8]

Yes I was planning on using about 3/4 of a tsp of dextrose and adding it per bottle (i know it will be time consuming) The bucket does have a spigot but from what I have read the bottom is full of stuff you don't want in your bottle. Can I use the spigot anyway?

Thats how i put up kit beers when i was younger. I done over a hundred batches that way. It works but there are easier and better ways to do it.