bottling process?

[matt78]

I'm currently brewing my first basic homebrew using brewpacks brubox, everything seems to be going ok so far. I intend to add some sugar to the bag as soon as I have 3 stable readings on the hydrometer. I then intend to bottle my beer a week or so later. I plan to prime my bottles with a half tspn of sugar and will be using a knock on type crown capper with the hammer:pray:
As I will be doing about 20 bottles and using the knock on capper should I be thinking of only filling 1 or 2 bottles at a time so that I don't let all the fizz out, as I imagine bottling this way could be a lenghty process?
I'm trying to learn as much as I can from this forum and think it is great by the way:hat:

 

[zed0]

I wouldn't add any sugar to the bag directly. It will carb in the bag and probably stir up the sediment when you open it for bottling which as you suggest will release most of the carbonation anyway. Leaving it a week after fermentation is complete will allow it to settle and clear some. If you can cool it easily during this period it will also help. Then bottle priming and filling will be fine although you will have to leave it for at least a week after bottling to carb in the bottle.

 

[matt78]

Thanks for your advise Zed0. I will give that a go.

 

[Just]

When bottling I use a bottle filler on the end of a tube and they are a great time saver and allow accurate head space each time. For caps, remember to sterilise them as you use them and best practice is to fill a bottle and lodge the cap on the top while filling the others. Then go back to the start with the capper and secure the cap. The thinking is that as the brew and sugar start carbonation the small amount of air in the head space is pushed out of a loose cap by CO2 protecting the bottled beer. It may or may not work each and every time, but if your using a bottling wand you can get into a rhythm of filling, dropping a cap on, move to the next bottle, fill, drop a cap on etc and then 'batch' cap all the filled bottles at the end.

 

[matt78]

When bottling I use a bottle filler on the end of a tube and they are a great time saver and allow accurate head space each time. For caps, remember to sterilise them as you use them and best practice is to fill a bottle and lodge the cap on the top while filling the others. Then go back to the start with the capper and secure the cap. The thinking is that as the brew and sugar start carbonation the small amount of air in the head space is pushed out of a loose cap by CO2 protecting the bottled beer. It may or may not work each and every time, but if your using a bottling wand you can get into a rhythm of filling, dropping a cap on, move to the next bottle, fill, drop a cap on etc and then 'batch' cap all the filled bottles at the end.

ThanksJust, that all makes sense to me. I didn't want to go through the bottling process and then find that I had taken too long in capping resulting in my beer being spoilt. I think I might bottle in batches of 10 using the method you have said. Thanks again for your advice

 

[matt78]

I'm thinking of using half a t spoon of normal sugar that I put in the wifes coffee for priming my bottles. I'm using pint bottles. Does this sound ok or do I need to part with some cash and get some priming sugar? Thanks folks.

 

[Slid]

I'm thinking of using half a t spoon of normal sugar that I put in the wifes coffee for priming my bottles. I'm using pint bottles. Does this sound ok or do I need to part with some cash and get some priming sugar? Thanks folks.

Table sugar is fine for priming.

 

[matt78]

My brew seems to be sticking at 1014 on the hydrometer for a couple of days now.
I'm brewing a london beer in a 20ltr polypin from a brubox kit. It has only been fermenting for 12 days so far and as it is in a poly I can see some bubbles still rising through it but only at a very steady pace.

I intend to leave it a few days longer and although I would really like to bottle it. If the gravity doesnt go any lower might I be safer to carbonate it in the polypin were I can let some gas out through the tap and forget about bottling but preventing exploding bottles?
Could this be drinkable if it stays at1014?

I think I may need to work on patience before starting my next brew. Its definatly a learning curve. Thanks folkes!

 

[welshboy]

mat78 I used a knocking capper at first and as careful as I was ended up smashing a few bottles and some took 2 goes. I can highly recommend this capper it has speeded up the process of botteling for me I now fill a bottle and as the next one is filling I cap the full one. A bargin at £7.50 not worth spilling the beer!

http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/wilko-capper-boxed/invt/0191082?VBMST=homebrew

 

[Just]

I'd highly recommend this stand capper if you're going to bottle all or most of your brews. It's lightning quick and reliable. It feels like it will last forever too.

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk%2f&WD=capper&PN=Automatic_Bench_crown_capper.html%23a101331#a101331

 

[penguinarmy]

instead of starting a new thread for the same question im going to ask it on here.......

im planning on bottling half and kegging half of my next brew,
do i either

Batch prime in the Keg and then syphon from the keg to the bottles OR

add 1tsp (550mils) and 1/2 tsp for (500mils)????? of sugar to 20 bottles for priming and then work out the batch prime amount for the remaining beer in the Keg?

thank you :hat:

 

[Just]

I'd batch prime the lot in the keg, then fill as many bottles as you'd like. Then gas the Keg and cap the bottles.