Bottling without tap or bottling wand

[liammiller]

When it comes to bottling my beer I have a bottling bucket with no tap and I don't have a bottling wand that I can fix onto the end of my siphon. How much difficulty will I have siphoning from my bottling bucket to the bottles? If I can get a tap fixed into my bottling bucket for cheap will that be worthwhile?

 

[wheazy_joe]

All I have is a syphon made of soft rubber material with a small 'clip switch' at the end of it to stop the flow. It is really basic but it works for me. I have bought more sophisticated syphons but this basic one is really easy to use and control so I always go back to it.

I will eventually get an auto-syphon with bottling wand.

So you should be ok, just try to fill the bottles over the sink as you will probably have some spillage until you get used to using it.

 

[wheazy_joe]

Also, why not try filling the bucket with water and practise filling a couple of bottles before you get to bottling day?

 

[HarrowBrewer]

I've recently started using a jug and a steady hand to bottle, with no problems. I was using the tap on my bottling bucket but it was oxidising the beer and I had some off-tasting bottles. I've used a bottling wand but found it a bit slow.

 

[DoctorMick]

Use plenty of kitchen roll, when I just had the syphon I used to make a right mess.

 

[HebridesRob]

Try filling some bottles with a syphon tube from a bucket of water. It isn't easy, you need four arms, one to hold the syphon tube steady in the bucket, one to hold the tube in the bottle, one to keep the bottle steady, one for the next bottle.

I use these (others are available from other suppliers). Last time I bottled 28 500ml bottles I spilt less than a teaspoonful of beer.
http://www.geterbrewed.com/homebrew-bottle-filler/
http://www.geterbrewed.com/homebrew-tap/
Drill your own hole.

 

[clibit]

I use a sterilized glass jug to fill bottles. It's quick and easy, no spillage, and my beer doesn't get oxidized. Just pour carefully with the bottle at an angle, like pouring a beer into a glass. Siphoning is such a messy faff.

 

[Cwrw666]

I'd fit a tap if I were you - or buy another FV with a tap already fitted.
I've started using a bottling wand attached to the tap but as others have said it is a bit slow. Also find it leaves too big a head space in the bottle so then have to top up from a jug.
Prior to this I've always filled a jug from the tap and then filled bottles via a funnel held at an angle so the beer runs down the side of the glass to avoid foaming. Always get a bit of foam though so then have to top up the bottles after it's settled. Bit of a pain in summer when there's flies about.

 

[clibit]

Foam on top is good. It excludes air from the bottle. Cap on top of foam. :thumb:

 

[Simonh82]

I bought one of these recently http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002H42I9I/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 which I only use to attaches to my auto syphon. I'm going to cut a hole for the tap in one of my FVs as the syphon was still quite messy.

 

[wheazy_joe]

I use a sterilized glass jug to fill bottles. It's quick and easy, no spillage, and my beer doesn't get oxidized. Just pour carefully with the bottle at an angle, like pouring a beer into a glass. Siphoning is such a messy faff.

How do you fill the jug clibit? from a tap or do you dunk it in the FV to fill?

 

[Racinsnake]

I wouldn't recommend putting a tap in an FV after my experience, unless you happen to have the correct drill bit. An afternoon drilling sanding smoothing and swearing and leak testing bought me to the conclusion it would have been quicker, easier, stress less just buying a ready made one.
Btw my bottling routine consists of FV on work top, syphon in FV, trap the hose under the handle, in line tap (99p) Suck. Turn tap off quick, bottle ready, then turn on. Two handed bottling!

 

[clibit]

How do you fill the jug clibit? from a tap or do you dunk it in the FV to fill?

I dunk it, gently. This is not best practice! But it seems to work fine, I've bottled many many batches and never encountered oxidation problems, and I've drunk beers two years old.

It's a pretty quick, mess free process. I have pyrex jug that pours really smoothly down the side of the bottle. I've always had an aversion to technological progress! All I have is pans and sieves and plastic buckets and stuff. No fancy gear whatsoever. I think the key to good beer is learning - reading, and experimenting. And attention to detail, methods, temperatures, cleanliness etc.

 

[MyQul]

I dunk it, gently. This is not best practice! But it seems to work fine, I've bottled many many batches and never encountered oxidation problems, and I've drunk beers two years old.

It's a pretty quick, mess free process. I have pyrex jug that pours really smoothly down the side of the bottle. I've always had an aversion to technological progress! All I have is pans and sieves and plastic buckets and stuff. No fancy gear whatsoever. I think the key to good beer is learning - reading, and experimenting. And attention to detail, methods, temperatures, cleanliness etc.

Clibit's a beer luddite ( I heard he went 'round a heineken factory once and chucked his clogs into the mash tun :lol:)

Tbh I'm the same 20L pot, jugs, buckets and a seive. Technology costs money it also often takes up space neither of which I really have.

I was round London Beer Lab once and a customer was there to bottle his beer. I was astonished to see the two owners pick up the FV and simply tip it into the bottling bucket. When I asked whether they were worried about oxidisation they said for the most part all about time. Oxidisation takes times and most of the beer brewed there wouldn't see more than a month conditioning. He also said he'd never tasted an oxidised beer in all the time he'd been brewing

 

[liammiller]

Ok thanks for the advice. I'll practice with some water and see if I need to get any new kit

 

[Fil]

most brew shops including wilco will have a syphon tube tap for sale, both ends can have tube slipped on for a friction fit so u can extend a length of tube to the bottle bottom too for an easy on/off during filling, and using agitated out of suspension co2 to blanket the beer in the bottle..

siphon filling is a 3 handed job you need an extra hand and a pair of eyes on the beer bucket end of the siphon tibe while you focus on the beer n bottle end.. If you dont have that luxuary you will need a secure syphon clip to secure the beer bucket end, the usual semi rigid pvc tube will lever the sucking end when moved between bottles if care is not taken.