Scariest moment of my brewing life

[ChshreCat]

So, I spent the late morning/early afternoon washing and delabeling bottles that'd I'd put in to soak the night before. All went well.

Boiled up my water, added my priming sugar. Went fine.

After it cooled, I poured it into my sanitized bottling bucket and racked my latest batch of oatmeal snout on top of the priming solution. No problems.

Got bottles, caps, capper and all set up and helped my daughter get her wheelchair set up so she could help me bottle. It's the first time since her accident she's been able to help me with a brewing task and she was excited. Went great so far.

We got the first case of bottles filled and back in the box and I needed to move it aside. PROBLEM!

I didn't think about when I washed the bottles and put them in the box that they were wet. Then I sanitized the bottles and I'm sure some sanitizer ran down the sides of the bottles. Then in bottling, a little bit spills out now and then, which runs down the bottles as well.

Soaking the bottom of the box.

Fortunately, when the bottom of the box gave way and all 24 bottles fell out, I was almost ready to set them down and was also over a rug so they bounced around but none of them broke.

Word to the wise.... reusing cardboard cases is fine, but be aware of how wet the bottom might get while you're using them and how weak it might get.

I transferred them to a plastic file box. I think I might save cardboard for empties and plastic for the full ones.

 

[brewagentjay]

Wow....Lucky there I think.....I had my three year old scare me twice last night when I was bottling he kept throwing a football into my bottles as they were upside down drying in my milk crates.......

 

[NorEaster12]

I haven't had any scares like that but I noticed my boxes were starting to look a little ratty so I went to my dad's woodshop and built me some heavy duty wooden beer boxes. They are quite heafty when filled with full bottles but hey, I'm young.

 

[brewagentjay]

I got milk crates I can use if I need too....Right now I'm using cardboard boxes the bottles I purchased came in and a few 18 pack boxes that came with 6 pack carriers...

We'll see but I hope that I can get my milk crates or something working for stacking as I'm starting think I need to find more room for the beer....

Guess time to add on to house or put a temp controller in garage....

 

[ChshreCat]

At least I know my oxy caps were activated after that.

 

[Joker]

My personal routine is take the bottles out of the boxes move boxes far away clean bottles and all that place on bottle tree. Once dry move bottles back to boxes move to bottling area take bottles out place far away, bottle beer and cap then wipe down bottle then place back in cardboard box.

Can't be to safe with precious cargo and helpers.

 

[dougf]

I just wanted to say I hope your daughter is well and happy. Take nothing for granted and spend the time you have with her.

Now about the bottles. Wow! COuld have been a HUGE mess! Got lucky on that one

 

[Beernip]

See, I am lucky as I have two little girls that want to help me out. One dunks the bottles in the starsan bucket and hands it to the other. The second drys the bottles off and puts it in the box. You just need another helper is all.

 

[ChshreCat]

My helper needs a helper. Usually my daughter takes care of all the bottle washing and delabeling.

 

[MacBruver]

I had something similar happen to me, with a few minor differences.

The good:
- it was only 3 bottles

The bad:
- it was over concrete
- they were hot sauce, worcestershire, etc bottles


My garage still smells like someone is cooking something EXTREMELY foul in there.