Bottle Sterilisation

[pearsey99]

Evening all...
Am v excited to be almost ready to bottle my first homebrew batch this weekend...just a couple of pointers needed from the wise sages..

1) Whats the easiest way to sterilize 24 bottles? Use a kettle of boiling water and work my way through them all?
2) Is it easier to put in the dextrose/sugar in all 24 bottles before siphoning in the fluid?
3) When i do manage to siphon the contents from my fermenting bin, should i top/cap the bottles as i go or fill 24 bottles (ish) first and then start capping the first one and working my way to the 24thish bottle?

Simple questions but we all need to start somewhere?

Oh, and when i've bottled, do i still need to keep them somewhere warm-ish (18c-32c) and for how long approx? (2 weeks?)

I'm using the simplest method of Coopers Wheat beer by the way as my first batch - it is my first excursion into hombrewing and i'm hoping to kick-off my next batch straight away once i've bottled the first lot.... and hopefully it'll be drinkable...

Cheers in advance

P.

 

[SloeBrewer]

I would say, get a Ferrari bottle tree and if you don't mind spending a bit extra, a bottle rinser that fits on the top. Use a no-rinse sanitiser like star san. Push the bottle down on the rinser, which squirts the sanitiser into the bottle, then put it on the tree to drain.

There are two ways to prime your bottle: Put sugar in each one with a funnel (usually around 1/2 teaspoon per pint/500ml), or batch priming.

To batch prime you need a second FV or a keg, which you then add the priming sugar to (mix with a little boling water to make a syrup) then syphon your beer onto it. Give it a very gentle stir, or roll the keg, so as not to introduce air, and distribute the sugar. Then bottle from this, either by syphon, or by using a bottling stick on a tap/syphon tube.

By using a bottling stick, you can cap each one as you go.

Common advice here is to allow bottles to carbonate at 18-20 degrees for 2 weeks, then move to a cooler spot for 2 weeks to condition.

 

[the dribbler]

I Use a deep plastic container from Dunelm mill. Its about 18" deep and and can accomadate loads of bottle maybe 30 odd at a go. Fill it with a bleach solution, and sunmurge all the bottles. Rinse the bottle and fill away.

I use a little sugar in each bottle, using a funnel. Less chance of contamination from a secondary.

 

[Rwilts]

My advice would be get some starsan no rinse sanitiser . I fill a spare fv soak my bottles for a minute and then drain. Once all bottles are done use funnel to add sugar to each one and then fill with little bottler. I don't cap until all are done. Give each a shake after capping and the. Put somewhere warmish for two weeks . Then to the garage and after another two weeks good to go :