Switching to bulk priming - what do I need exactly?

[Rev2010]

I've been using Cooper's carb drops successfully but am mostly bottling 500ml bottles now and cutting the drops is a PITA. I'm looking to get with the program and bulk prime but want to make sure not to leave anything out so as to avoid a second round of shipping costs. Here's what I'm at so far:

1 Auto Siphon - 5/16" racking cane
5/16" ID Siphon Hose - guessing 6 feet should be ok?
1 3/8" Auto-Siphon Clamp

Anything else I'd need?


Rev.

 

[Yooper]

I assume you already have a bottling bucket with a spigot and a bottle wand to fill the bottles?

 

[zickefoose]

What we do is rack from our carboy and use a bottling bucket for a secondary. We also buy our priming sugar in bulk, saves us a trip every time we bottle.

 

[weirdboy]

If you don't have one already, buy one of those Escali digital scales so you can weigh your priming sugar accurately.

It is also good for hops and grains, so you can buy in bulk.

 

[Rev2010]

I assume you already have a bottling bucket with a spigot and a bottle wand to fill the bottles?

Ah yes, forgot to mention that. I do have an Ale Pail with garden hose style spigot and I do have a bottling wand, two actually (have two Cooper's kits). I also do have a nice sensitive digital scale that I use to measure grains and hops, etc.

Just wondering if there's anything else needed than the auto-siphon, tubing, and clamp.


Rev.

 

[KevinW]

Weighing the sugar +1
Letting the beer settle before siphoning +1
Gentle but very thorough stirring of the priming sugar to completely mix PRICELESS!

Good luck!

 

[ongreystreet]

Step one: Boil sugar and about 2 cups of water for 5 minutes or so.
Step two: Put mixture into bottling bucket.
Step three: Rack beer onto sugar mixture.
Step four: Connect small piece of tube(maybe 2 inches) to spigot.
Step five: Connect spring loaded bottle filler to spigot with other end of short hose.
Step six: Open door to dishwasher, place bucket above dishwasher with bottle filler hanging over open door (stack bucket on top of something if it helps raise the height.
Step seven: Fill your bottles.
Step eight: Notice how much beer you've split on dishwasher door, and how little you've spilled every where else.

The dishwasher door idea is the best piece of advice I've found on this forum.

 

[TheSeether]

Ah yes, forgot to mention that. I do have an Ale Pail with garden hose style spigot and I do have a bottling wand, two actually (have two Cooper's kits). I also do have a nice sensitive digital scale that I use to measure grains and hops, etc.

Just wondering if there's anything else needed than the auto-siphon, tubing, and clamp.


Rev.

If your spigot can connect to a bottling wand without introducing air bubbles or leaking then you are golden.

Actually getting the beer into the bottling bucket requires nothing more than tubing. An auto-siphon ostensibly reduces the opportunity for contamination so I use one. I don't use a clamp and am not sure why you would. All of it is going to go in the bucket in one transfer. There is no rational reason to limit flow with a tubing clamp assuming a sane tubing size. I've not seen a edge clamp that secures an auto-siphon to a bucket or carboy wall, they fit normal racking canes.

Finally, I suggest doing a mock run with water before the day of bottling in case you need to get something like a rubber washer for the spigot. Run through your technique again on bottling day using sanitizer so you are ready to roll with fresh muscle memory and clean kit.

 

[weirdboy]

Step six: Open door to dishwasher, place bucket above dishwasher with bottle filler hanging over open door (stack bucket on top of something if it helps raise the height.

I use a baking sheet, but the concept is the same. Put something under the area where you are bottling. You WILL have drips, overfilled bottles, etc. and it is better to just plan for it.

 

[weirdboy]

Also I cannot stress the ease of use that a bottling wand provides over a clamp and tubing.

Also if you really want to ease your bottling time you can use a vinator for sanitizing your bottles and caps.




I don't do the bottle tree, personally.

 

[mixedbrewer]

After priming with about 5oz of dextrose or DME dissolved in boiling water, I put my bottling bucket on a chair or table. Then I run a hose, about 2 ft long, off the spigot to a spingless bottling wand. I set up newspapers on the floor and mist the one I will be laying the wand on when I have to put it down. Then I set up my bottles in rows of 6, 2 rows. I fill twelve, cap, fill twelve cap etc...

 

[weirdboy]

Then I run a hose, about 2 ft long, off the spigot to a spingless bottling wand. I set up newspapers on the floor and mist the one I will be laying the wand on when I have to put it down.

Instead of doing this, try using a much shorter hose, like a couple of inches. Just enough to go between the spigot and the wand and give you a bit of flexibility. Then you can use the wand just like an extended spigot that automatically turns on and off for you, and raise the bottles up to fill them.

 

[Rev2010]

Heh, maybe I should've posted more. I've bottled several batches so am not new to bottling. I do already know how to bulk prime, I just wanted to be sure I wasn't forgetting anything that might cost me more shipping to order after realizing I forgot something.

The bottling bucket is sealed we'll, I got an extra rubber spigot gasket. The clamp I mentioned earlier is not to regulate flow, it's just to hold the auto siphon clipped onto the bucket, nothing too special.

My bottling wands fit the bucket spigot as we'll perfectly. So all I really was shooting for was to make sure I'm not overlooking something for the upcoming order.

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips so far.


Rev.

 

[mixedbrewer]

Instead of doing this, try using a much shorter hose, like a couple of inches. Just enough to go between the spigot and the wand and give you a bit of flexibility. Then you can use the wand just like an extended spigot that automatically turns on and off for you, and raise the bottles up to fill them.

You raise the bottle. I lower the wand...

 

[weirdboy]

My point being you don't have to set aside the wand or worry about picking up an infection if you never even have to touch it during bottling. And you you also have an extra free hand during the process so you can multitask, like by getting a cap ready to stick on there. Heck I have seen some setups with two spigots and wands like that so you can fill two bottles at once.

 

[mixedbrewer]

Point taken. Perhaps I will try it.

 

[Rev2010]

I do it the way the Cooper's kit has it - bottle wand attached into the spigot and I just bring the bottles up until the wand touches the bottom and starts filling. Don't have to deal with holding the wand or anything. Works great.


Rev.