Bottling via a second bucket

[Ian Piper]

I've just set my next kit going (Festival Suffolk Old Ale). In the destructions it says that at the end of fermentation I should syphon the beer from the fermentation vessel into a second bucket, then dissolve the priming sugar, and finally syphon it into bottles.

I'm a bit concerned about whether this double syphoning risks bringing air into the beer, with consequent oxidation.

Can anyone advise on this?

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

I always batch prime from a bottling bucket. As long as you have a hose or auto syphon that reaches the bottom of the bottling bucket from the FV, oxidation should be minimized and you are good to go. My bottling bucket has a tap which I connect the bottling wand to.

 

[Drunkula]

And dissolve the sugar first in boiling water, put that in the bucket then syphon onto it.

Here's your friend for the future : https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

 

[terrym]

@Ian Piper
You can prime direct into the bottles using sugar and a funnel (say) or use a bottling bucket and sugar syrup.
Each has its merits.
I use both methods and tbh I don't have a preference.
Neither way is right or wrong
In the end it's up to you to decide which you feel most comfortable with.

 

[Cwrw666]

I used to prime each bottle but have switched to batch priming. But just do it in the FV. Dissolve the sugar in boiling water and dribble this straight into the FV. 20 minutes later I bottle straight from the tap and there doesn't seem to be a problem with it not having mixed itself evenly.

 

[Ian Piper]

Thanks for the replies. I'm planning to bottle my Suffolk Old Ale tonight, so I'll try the double bucket method.

 

[MmmmCitra]

I use to syphon from the fermenting bucket to a secondary bucket, very carefully, as little added air as possible, then bottle from that after putting 1 carbonation tablet into each bottle first, always worked perfectly.
I then did the same but with a level teaspoon of sugar in each bottle instead of the carbonation drop, still worked perfectly.
However, since then i've been keen to try my version of a NEIPA, twice i've done the same and although doing my utmost to avoid adding air both batches in the bottles have been oxidized, maybe it's the added wheat and oats, still taste great but looks like light brown ditch water, not aesthetically appealing.
I decided to cut out the transfer from one bucket to the other and having added a tap i'm going to bottle straight from the original fermenter, no added air hopefully means no oxidation.

 

[BradleyW]

I'm about to try bottling with a second bucket for the first time. I'm splitting a batch between bottles and a 5L can, shall I avoid using the second bucket for the can and just go straight from FV? And then use the second bucket for the bottles?

 

[MmmmCitra]

I think it's near on impossible really but only really matters if you're trying a NEIPA style beer.
Just keep your syphon tube under the beer as the bucket fills up and don't splash when bottling, don't leave too much room in the bottle when you cap and never shake the bottle.

 

[BradleyW]

I think it's near on impossible really but only really matters if you're trying a NEIPA style beer.
Just keep your syphon tube under the beer as the bucket fills up and don't splash when bottling, don't leave too much room in the bottle when you cap and never shake the bottle.

I also have one of those things you put over the neck of a wine bottle and then use it to suck the air out. Not sure if that would be worthwhile whilst bottling??

 

[terrym]

If you use PET bottles fill as normal then squeeze the air out before you put the cap on. Bottle shape will recover during carbing.

 

[MmmmCitra]

BradleyW.............Don't know how that would work, you'd suck out the air, then what, how would you get the cap on without the air rushing back in ?

 

[BradleyW]

BradleyW.............Don't know how that would work, you'd suck out the air, then what, how would you get the cap on without the air rushing back in ?

true.

 

[hedgerowpete]

a second bucket is how i bottle my beers. if your worried about the O2 why not give a small squirt of gas into the top of the bottle to flush out any spare O2 left in there before capping it

if your really sad and lonely i know a method of CO2 immersion for bottle filling but you do need to be really sad to hear it let alone to try it

 

[MmmmCitra]

a second bucket is how i bottle my beers. if your worried about the O2 why not give a small squirt of gas into the top of the bottle to flush out any spare O2 left in there before capping it

I think the problem occurs when you syphon from one bucket to the other, no matter how careful you are to avoid splashing just the fact that the liquid is exposed to the air seems enough to 'turn' certain styles of hoppy beer

 

[Drunkula]

I batch prime in the primary fermenter now. Give it a gentle stir FIRST, not later, then pour the priming solution over the back of a spoon and move it all about. If you make up a priming solution and pour it in first it sinks like a stone and needs much more stirring than the gentle one of doing it first. I reckon you get far less oxygen pickup than doing going to a second bucket, which I've always done until recently.

 

[BradleyW]

I've always bottled straight from the FV but thought maybe a second bucket would mean less "bits" in the bottles. But after reading this from much more seasoned brewers, reckon I'll stick to the straight from the FV method!

 

[The Baron]

Just add the sugar to the bottles stops any chance of oxidation and make sure you use a bottling wand below the level of the beer in the bottle

 

[eyuptm]

Talking about syphoning etc I've just revisited Graham Wheeler's Bible, and he writes:
"If we British are renowned for our inventive genius, our scientific accumen and our brilliant application to all things technical, why is it that our Syphon tubes float?"
Amusing words, but he does have a point. He goes on to suggest that you can use a stainless steel or copper pipe to alleviate this, but I was always told that copper is not safe to use for finished beer...
Your thoughts, genii of this forum, tia.

 

[Slid]

All my fermenters have taps. I ferment in the two with quite long, narrow taps, for 14 days.
From these I just use a long piece of tubing to rack the beer straight into the bottom of the bottling bucket. I add some sugar to the bottling bucket and leave it for a further conditioning week. The sugar at this stage just blows out any air through the airlocks that all 3 FV's feature.

Then bottle straight into the PET bottles, primed using a small bowl of sugar, a spoon and a small funnel, from the bottling bucket, via the tap. I really should do what @terrym suggests and squeeze the air out of the PET bottles, but don't, up to now, that is!