Who doesn't feel like bottling?

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McCall St. Brewer

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Am I alone here, or is bottling day a big PITA? I have a batch that's ready to go (and, worse than that, I'm almost out of homebrew that's ready to drink), but I just don't feel like going through the whole sanitizing, filling, capping ordeal.

I don't have the funds right now to invest in a kegging system, so I guess I'm stuck.

The last time I bottled my father-in-law was here and we did it together. That made a big difference. He went back home to Louisiana, though. (Maybe I could fly him up here to help? :) )

I use my dishwasher to sanitize the bottles and it make a pretty good rack for them while they're waiting to be filled. A bottling wand was among my first brewing equipment acquisitions.

Anyone have any good suggestions on how to make bottling less tedious?
 
Well, I have to say by far the best piece of equipment I have for bottling is the Super-Agata bench capper. It makes it go like lightning (at least the capping). It does help a huge bunch to have an assistant filling, that's for sure.
 
mmditter said:
Am I alone here, or is bottling day a big PITA? I have a batch that's ready to go (and, worse than that, I'm almost out of homebrew that's ready to drink), but I just don't feel like going through the whole sanitizing, filling, capping ordeal.

I don't have the funds right now to invest in a kegging system, so I guess I'm stuck.

The last time I bottled my father-in-law was here and we did it together. That made a big difference. He went back home to Louisiana, though. (Maybe I could fly him up here to help? :) )

I use my dishwasher to sanitize the bottles and it make a pretty good rack for them while they're waiting to be filled. A bottling wand was among my first brewing equipment acquisitions.

Anyone have any good suggestions on how to make bottling less tedious?


The way I see it, it's just another part of the process that has great rewards. I grab a homebrew, turn up The Hold Steady, and crank 'em out. I actually kind of enjoy it...gives me time to ponder things. Things like, man, I can't wait until this beer is carbonated.

In my opinion, if you didn't come into this hobby ready to work, then you should just go buy a sixer off the shelf. Half of the joy of this hobby is the hours, the work, that you put into this, the sweat and blood (not literally), that come together to make a piece of art that you can be proud of.

The only time that I've gotten really frustrated was when I was straining the wort of my Pumpkin brew. I strain my stuff through a funnel with a screen on it...and stir it with a butterknife to keep the flow steady. Well, pumpkin solids kinda screw that up. I put on Dr. Strangelove on my iPod...and when the movie was over, and I realized that there was still about 6" of wort to be strained...THAT is frustration. But...at the end of the day, the beer tastes that much better because of the crap that I had to go through to make it.

So just enjoy it...even the tedious parts. Because, if making good beer was easy, then anyone could do it, and we wouldn't be the rock stars that we are. :mug:
 
Having a helper is huge.

My son sanitizes bottles while I siphon into the bottling bucket. Then he fills and I cap.

I have two batches to bottle this weekend. That would be a daunting task without help.
 
Evan! said:
the sweat and blood (not literally)

Have you ever made a SS braid for a mash tun? If those little wire bits get stuck in your hand while you're cutting and assembling it I can guarantee there's blood involved :p
 
I don't like bottling either. It is a necessary evil. cleaning bottles, removing labels, drying bottles, then filling them and capping them is a pain. I would love to keg but I just can't do that right now.
 
todd_k said:
I don't like bottling either. It is a necessary evil. cleaning bottles, removing labels, drying bottles, then filling them and capping them is a pain. I would love to keg but I just can't do that right now.

Can you get the ghost to help?
 
mmditter said:
I don't have the funds right now to invest in a kegging system, so I guess I'm stuck.

?

It's really not that terribly expensive to keg. You can get a cornie for $18
You'll need a regulator. That will be your biggest expense, a dispenser, the hoses and cornie connectors are all fairly inexpensive as well. You'll save some money on sugar for bottle conditioning but you'll spend most of it on CO2.

Just don't make the mistake I made and pay for a brand new CO2 tank that will just be exchanged for an old one. From what I've now gathered you are better off renting a tank.

Look at it this way, what's your time worth? Especially if it's something you don't enjoy doing.

You can always get 1 part at the time until you have everything you need.
 
Buy a sirius radio and listen to some howard stern, youll be wishing you had more bottles to fill when you done. I enjoy bottling
 
I am proud to say that I haven't bottled in 6 months. Maybe even a bit longer. Now when its time to keg, it takes me all of 20 minutes. Now if only I had a beer gun.
 
I actually kind of like bottling. I put it off, yeah, but I enjoy being able to pop one bottle of the good stuff.

On the practical--you could use minikegs. It's like bottling, except you'd only use about 4 "bottles" for your 5 gal batch. The setback is you've gotta knock that minikeg out in a couple 2-3 days or it gets pretty flat. Also, though I've never tried, I've heard they don't allow for a huge amount of carbonation. I use them for all my english styles: stouts, milds, brown, bitters.
Good luck!

cheers,
Monk
 
I think I'm going to bottle my first batch on saturday. Word up to the Hold Steady and Howard Stern fans! The girl singing on the track "Chillout Tent" on the Hold Steady's "Boys & Girls In America" is actually a friend of mine. Actually, my brother played drums in her band for the last few years, but they just broke up a few months back. Anyway... my plan is to crank something up on the ipod and SWMBO (my first time using that one) has agreed to help me out. Should be an adventure.
 
i used to love to bottle - i did it so often i had a system down pat.

i started kegging because i scored 3 cornies and a tank/regulator/party spigot off of freecycle ... for free
 
Try some 32 ounce E-Z Cappers, i got em for 25 a case at my LHBS and it is a lot easier than doing all 12 oz bottles. Its perfect 2 beers in each, all you need is the pint glass.
 
I really enjoy bottling...either alone or buzzin' with friends. Cleaning up after bottling, that's a whole other story.
 
Buford said:
Have you ever made a SS braid for a mash tun? If those little wire bits get stuck in your hand while you're cutting and assembling it I can guarantee there's blood involved :p

Indeed - both my GF and I bled during that process. :rockin: Bleed for your beer!
 
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