Simplifying brewing

[jtgoral]

I still consider myself a novice brewer, but I've made 9 batches, now, all IPA's. Each batch gets better, and the last few have been excellent. Lately, I've simplified things greatly yet the beer continues to improve, and I find myself wondering if the things I've eliminated are more in the category of tradition.

1. I use all malt extract--no grains.
2. I put the hops in a couple of mesh bags while boiling, then remove them, so there is almost nothing in the trub except yeast.
3. I don't use whirlfloc or isinglass. The beer is clear anyway (not that I personally care much).
4. No wort chiller. I put the boiling pot in a sink with ice water, but it may take 30 minutes to cool down. I pour into the fermenting bucket and add water to 5 gallons and may leave it to cool more to the yeast-pitching temperature.
5. I don't fool with a hydrometer. After three weeks in the fermenter it's done (high initial gravity, so three weeks instead of two).
6. I no longer rack to a second fermenter, and don't dry hop. The beer is hoppy and aromatic anyway.
7. For priming, I use the table sugar we always have on hand rather than buying corn sugar.

I'm not trying to be a troll, but am interested in your comments.

1. I use both. Beer quality the same. Grains are cheaper when buying 55lb bag but take longer to make the wort. BIAB only in my case.
2. Home grown hops in a bag, pellets no.
3. I do use. In addition 1 campden tablet per batch.
4. I use a wort chiller.
5. I love my TILT. I can enter OG and FG into my BeerSmith recipe and know how much alcohol my beer has. I go for <5% in my recipes. For more I go with wine
6. Only primary fermentation.
7. No priming, just kegging.

 

[doug293cz]

The only problem I have with bottling is my consumption lags behind production so storage can be an issue. I have a 5 gallon batch ready for the bottle next week so need to find some friends to help out.
View attachment 837677

Why is the "Beer Cave" sign on top of a wine rack?

Brew on

 

[RyPA]

It's possible that approaches for packaging beer in bottles have changed since 2009.

---

And, to balance the relentless repetition of replies that readily recite

"Bottling bad, kegging good":​

consider Dumbest things you have done while kegging

#2: "There are many threads about this."​

​

#4: And the ever-popular "Don't do that" thread.​

​

---

I have nothing against kegging or people who keg. OTOH,

simplifications in home brewing often come when people talk about ways to simplify (or otherwise improve the process) rather than the (often shallow) "ford vs chevy", "apple vs microsoft", etc 'debate'.

I'm not intending to be a negative nancy on bottlers... was just intending to share that kegging simplifies a lot and is overall an easier packaging process. Those who have done nothing but bottle may not be aware of how easy it is to keg.

 

[mac_1103]

Those who have done nothing but bottle may not be aware of how easy it is to keg.

I really think this is highly unlikely. I suspect that most people who don't keg can't keg for various reasons, the most common probably being lack of space for a kegerator or keezer. I would also wager that a lot of small batch brewers don't see much point to kegging.

 

[ba-brewer]

If you don't drink much and want a variety of beers on hand bottling could be a good way to go.

I keg my beer but had bottled in the past.

 

[RyPA]

I really think this is highly unlikely. I suspect that most people who don't keg can't keg for various reasons, the most common probably being lack of space for a kegerator or keezer. I would also wager that a lot of small batch brewers don't see much point to kegging.

Valid point, I suppose I'd be in that same boat had I not found my kegerator for a good deal at home depot in 2009.

I bought it before I began brewing to be able to buy a sixtel of whatever, or some Yeungling. Then around 7 years later I decided to start brewing and found 2 corny kegs and a glass carboy at a yard sale down the street for around $20. 5 years later I converted it to a 2-tap and here we are today.

Where do you guys get volumes of bottles? I usually hand out a few bottles of my latest batches to guys at work. To do that I have to buy a 6 pack of beer just to be able to re-use the bottles for packaging.

 

[bike2brew]

Why is the "Beer Cave" sign on top of a wine rack?

Brew on

The "cave" is multi purpose

 

[Yesfan]

It's not a big deal really. I've been kegging for years, but I also bottled for years.

Agreed. It's not a big deal, but it is tedious. I'm not a "bottling hater" by any means but that's why it's never going to be as quick and easy as kegging imo. That said..........

The biggest advantage to bottling is it makes for some good quiet time to one's self. Being downstairs bottling a 5 gallon batch with some tunes in the background (and not a care in the world) is very hard to beat imo. That is the one thing and only thing I miss about bottling.

Plus that collection of bottles is just some nice eye candy. Peep @bike2brew's brew porn bottle pic above for an example.

 

[fluketamer]

this is a great thread. its hard not to reply because everyone does everything different yet somewhat the same, or at least we all end up with beer in the end.

all above are very valid points. its hard not for this to devlove into a kegging is better thread. i had a problem getting bottles. after the tri state implemented bottle returns i could only get them by buying them for 5 cents each at bars and that supply ran out quick. i usually ended up buying beer for the bottles which is costly.

i brewed for years without hydrometer . now i always check my sg with a refractometer to make sure im in ballpark.
yeast plus sugar and water will equal alcohol 99 percent of the time or more in my experience. ( failed fermentations are rare imo)
so you dont really need a hydrometer but it is reassuring.

 

[mac_1103]

Where do you guys get volumes of bottles?

Same place you get used buckets, kegs, etc - from people who gave up brewing. I got about 125 swing tops on Craigslist for twenty bucks. People who don't return them don't get any more beer. Most of the friends that I share my brews with actually return the bottles with "interest." That is, they bring me back my bottles, plus the empties from beers that they buy.

 

[Yesfan]

......Where do you guys get volumes of bottles? I usually hand out a few bottles of my latest batches to guys at work. To do that I have to buy a 6 pack of beer just to be able to re-use the bottles for packaging.

If you're not in one, join a brew club. There's always someone in my club getting rid of their bottle collections. I was one of them at one point. The guys at work you give out your brews to, tell them to start saving your bottles and/or other bottles they might have (the interest Mac 1103 mentioned). You'll be surprised how quickly you'll get what you need. Since Mac mentioned buckets, if you need more of those, bakeries and the bakery departments at supermarkets always have those icing buckets they throw away. You can get those for free and the nicer employees may rinse them out for you. The only con is the buckets are no larger than 5 gallons.

.......Most of the friends that I share my brews with actually return the bottles with "interest." That is, they bring me back my bottles, plus the empties from beers that they buy.

Nice!

 

[bike2brew]

Once in awhile I buy beer in bottles to use them in packaging. However, I have become selective lately in favor of canned beer for variety outside of my preferred HB. My f-in law and I double team the bottling. He looks forward to the shared activity as his contribution to production.

 

[beren]

If you don't drink much and want a variety of beers on hand bottling could be a good way to go.

I keg my beer but had bottled in the past.

I keg my daily drinkers but for Tripels and other Belgians bottles are nice. Also easier to take to travel to parties and such, can grab a six pack or 2.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I'm not intending to be a negative nancy on bottlers... was just intending to share that kegging simplifies a lot and is overall an easier packaging process. Those who have done nothing but bottle may not be aware of how easy it is to keg.

Maybe next time, wait a couple of days (and a couple of pages of replies) before reminding readers that kegging is an alternative?

This topic got to "[Kegging is] the single most effective way to simplify your brewing process" (emphasis added) in reply #5 based on OPs comment on table sugar vs corn sugar for bottle conditioning.

Reply #12 seems to offer enough information to suspect that discussion on a quality bottling process would be an interesting topic for OP.

I have no desire to start that discussion - as in the past "quality bottling processes" topics also digress quickly into "kegging is _____". Maybe someone else will "pick up the torch" in this topic.

 

[InspectorJon]

Apparently the OP bottles using table sugar for priming. So do I. Bottling is an honorable undertaking, though some apparently think it to be stupid or foolish. Table sugar has proven to be just fine.

Where do you guys get volumes of bottles?

I have never bought a bottle that didn't come with beer in it. I have been given some. All one has to do is ask around. A local tap house sells a lot of beer in .5L bottles. Some imports and some from a local brewery that uses those bottles. I asked the owner what he does with the bottles...trash can. I asked if he would save me some. Now I have a bunch of new .5L bottles and SWIMBO is shaking her head. I like that bottle size.

 

[LostHopper]

I sometimes use a 6.5 gallon fermenter and I hate to waste space so my batches end up being a "keg+" where I bottle usually a six pack after doing the closed transfer to the purged keg.

Depending on the style there can be a very noticeable difference in the beers (bottle vs keg) coming from the same batch. This is both appearance and flavor. I'm sure it's oxidation and before I started kegging I just never knew any difference. If I researched this website I could find a way to reduce the oxygen exposure by purging bottles but it's not worth it for 6 bottles that my freeloading friends and son inlaws will gladly drink.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

For repackaging into bottles (from kegs), check out this Russian River Vinnie Cilurzo video.

For bottle conditioning, without being able to measure beer quality at the start of packaging, it is challenging to quickly confirm what works (or what doesn't work).