Bottling questions

[ohemmings]

Hi guys

I’ve got a brew kit on that should be ready for the next stage by this Friday. I’ve got the bottles and caps ready, my question is how do I sterilise them, is there a particular thing that everyone does? The bottles are new.

Do I need to buy another separate container to put the beer in before bottling or can I siphon straight from the fermenter bucket into the bottles?

Also how does one sterilise the siphon?

 

[Charles Stanley-Grey]

Just buy a sterilising powder/liquid. Mix up an amount of it and pump it through the siphon and back again between a few containers. I would also recommend a bottle rinser. You can bottle straight from the FV, but I would recommend racking, it will reduce the amount of trub that comes through to bottles and also enable you to batch prime your brew, rather than have to add to individual bottles. I put mine back into my kettle as it has a valve so I can control everything in combination with a bottling wand, which I would also recommend.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=brewin...refix=Brewing+san,aps,149&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_11
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bottle-Rin...ords=brewing+sanitiser&qid=1589140433&sr=8-26
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magiin-Sta...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

[terrym]

In my view here is no real need to rack off to secondary vessel at bottling time.
If you have a clip which secures the siphon tube to the FV rim (mine is made from two plastic clothes pegs and garden wire much better than the one I bought for the job) and chock under the opposite side of the FV base (I use a block of wood) you can get more or less all the beer out of the FV using a siphon tube without disturbing the trub. You don't need specialist stuff just a bit of patience and ingenuity. And the more times you do it the easier it gets.
But if you feel the need to transfer to a second vessel that's fine although some would have you believe it increases the risk of oxidation and infection.
So In the end the choice is yours.

 

[dwhite60]

If you have a clip which secures the siphon tube to the FV rim (mine is made from two plastic clothes pegs and garden wire much better than the one I bought for the job)

You got to post a picture of this! I'm real curious how this works.

 

[dwhite60]

Like teerym said, just bottle from the fermenter. Keep it simple. You can add your priming sugar right to the bottle then fill it. THINK it's about a teaspoon per 500ml bottle. Check the amount yourself. I use small sugar cubes so it's easy.

If your bottles are new all they need is sanitizing. I use a product called OneStep. I fill the bottle about half full, shake it around a bit, then dump that solution into the next bottle and so on. I put my caps in a bowl with enough solution to cover them.

If I'm reusing bottles I'll fill them with OneStep a couple nights before and let them soak thirty minutes. I move the solution from one bottle to another. Dump half out, give the bottle a good shake to get loose anything that may be remaining inside the bottle, then dump that into the next bottle. I rinse my bottle WELL after pouring. Usually NOTHING stuck in my bottles.

I used to use iodophor in the same way and had good results with it too.

This hobby like any other, there's as much stuff available to make it as complicated as you want it to be.

 

[MickDundee]

I’m another one who bottled straight from primary. You can batch prime in primary if you really want (I’m sure someone on here will be able to give you tips) but I never bother I just put sugar in each bottle.

 

[terrym]

You got to post a picture of this! I'm real curious how this works.

One looks nice but doesn't grip the wall of the FV properly, nor the siphon tube.
The other both grips the FV and the siphon tube, so that you can position it exactly as you want it.
Which is which in the photo?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I use an extended racking cane which i made myself with two standard canes joined with a section of syphon tube, i use the red bucket clip below and keep the end of the racking cane off the bottom of the bucket using a clothes peg, you can buy extended racking canes like the one below in home brew shops.

 

[dwhite60]

One looks nice but doesn't grip the wall of the FV properly, nor the siphon tube.
The other both grips the FV and the siphon tube, so that you can position it exactly as you want it.
Which is which in the photo?

View attachment 25749

Thanks!

That's simple. I like it.

 

[ohemmings]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the replies and thanks for putting my mind at ease that I can get away with filling bottles from the fermenting tank, I aim to fashion something out of clothes pegs as well!

In terms of sanitising the bottles, I have Bruclens Cleaner and Steriliser that I used to Sterilise the bucket and utensils, would this be suitable to sanitise the bottles?

Also with the conditioning does one have to add sugar, as in is this essinatial? Or is this just to give them a fizz? If its is needed does any sugar do the trick?

Thanks again

 

[dwhite60]

Your cleaner and sanitizer should be fine.

If you want carbonated beer you have to add some sugar to the beer in the bottle to get it.
Regular white table sugar will do it. One half teaspoon for a 355ml bottle. Adjust to bottle
size.