Few bottling Questions

[chris_newton]

Hey all

Just want to pick all your brains on a few bottling questions if i may

I prefer my home made brew in a bottle i have never really gotten away with kegging...i am basically just after some tips on speeding up the time it take to bottle the lager i make.

At the moment when my brew has finished doing its stuff in the fermenter i get a basic syphon tube and attach it to the fermenter just above the sediment and keep it in place with a crocodile clip, then fill my bottles...this is ok but gets a bit tricky when it gets to the bottom of the brew and u try and get as much as you can without any sediment,

Anyways is there an easier way to do this?? i have noticed some gadgets that might help and just need ur advice if anyone uses them:

http://www.hopandgrape.co.uk/catalog/de ... GEN2147353

is this any good and do you simply just attach it to the syphon tube??

Also is there a better way of stopping the sediment from getting in through your tube??

one more question (thanks for putting up with these lol) i seen a syphon tube that you pump action to get the beer to come through instead of sucking, are these any good??

Thanks all

Chris

 

[llannige]

Yeah the bottling stick will do the biz for you.Would'nt bottle without it. :grin:

I 1st transfer to a bottling bucket to which my priming solution is added.(This method should also get rid of most of the sediment)
My bottling bucket has a tap to which the bottling stick can be attached.

Easy as. :thumb:

 

[dandan]

I use a Little Bottler which is similar to your link but it attaches to a tap (included with the little bottler) on the back of the tap there is a red thing that stops sediment going into bottles but I dont use that as I, rack into a bottling bucket!

I also have a pump action syphon, two half pumps is all it takes and it flows!

 

[chris_newton]

many thanks for your help here, can i just ask a few more questions about this?

Firstly i like the idea of a bottling bucket to reduce sediment so think i will choose this route, i have a beer barrel that i do not use anymore would this be ok to use as a bottling bucket?

Also when your transferring into this what is the best possible way of doing this without transferring any sediment into the bottling bucket?

When you do this, and you add the primary soloution, do you mean the sugar? that your supposed to put in the bottles to give it a head etc? and if so do you do all this in one go? ie, take from fermenter, into bottling bucket, add sugar and then from there into bottles all in same go??

my barrel that i am thinking of using for my bottling bucket has a removable tap, so if i plumped for the little bottler would this fit onto my barrel? and if it did would i need a syphon tube at all??

sorry if all these are basic questions i am just trying to get it all sorted in my head before i go and but the gear tomorrow

Thanks again

Chris

 

[llannige]

Your barrel(keg?) will be O.K.to use.
On bottling day I 1st heat up my primer which is malt extract(sugar is O.K.)
Whilst its cooling I prepare my bottles and then transfer my ale to the bottling bucket using a tube fixed to the tap on my FV.The tube should be long enough to reach the bottom of your bucket as you don't want to splash it all over the shop.When its half full I then add the cooled priming solution and by the time its full the solution will be well mixed in.
You will not need to use a tube for bottling as you just fix the bottling stick straight on to the tap of your bottling bucket

Hope this is clear enough if not ask away. :thumb:

 

[chris_newton]

Again many thanks for your reply, you have no idea how much your helping me !!

when you say prepare your bottles do you mean clean them? or put more sugar in them as well as your priming sugar??

Also you say your tube has to go right to the bottom of the fermenting bucket when you transfer, but would this not bring all the sediment with it when you do this??

Thanks again

chris

 

[llannige]

Again many thanks for your reply, you have no idea how much your helping me !!

when you say prepare your bottles do you mean clean them? or put more sugar in them as well as your priming sugar??
Just clean and sanitize them that's all.No more sugar needs to go in the bottles.
Also you say your tube has to go right to the bottom of the fermenting bucket when you transfer, but would this not bring all the sediment with it when you do this??
Sorry I never made myself clear.The tube fits on the tap of the FV and then goes to the bottom of the Bot. bucket.

Thanks again

chris

No prob. :thumb:

 

[chris_newton]

Again sorry for asking one more question

am still not clear on how i avoid getting sediment into the 2nd bucket, do i place the syphon tube just above the sediment in the FV, and if so what the best way to do this as my tube does not fit onto anything it just dangles in the vessel.

thanks mate

Chris

actually just re - read your reply, my fermenting vessel does not have a tap on it

 

[llannige]

Right what you need is an attachment that fits on the bottom of your tube.
I'm not sure what they are called but they are rigid about 300mm long with a upturned piece of plastic at the bottom to stop the sediment from flowing into the tube.

A tap fitted to your FV is the easiest solution. :thumb:

 

[chris_newton]

Thanks mate i appreciate all your help if anyone knows the name of this thing let me know

cheers buddy
:

 

[corby_brewer]

Thanks mate i appreciate all your help if anyone knows the name of this thing let me know

cheers buddy
:

Think your after one of these -
http://www.homebrewcentre.co.uk/product ... 21&cID=125

 

[chris_newton]

yes i think i am just found one on the net, gunna get one now, just out of curiosity how does this stop the sediment coming through?

Thanks

Chris

ps last question i promise lol when i put my priming sugar in bottling barrel, how much do i put in for a 40 pint kit??

Thanks AGAIN !!

chris

 

[ano]

It's like a u-bend so if you gently lower that to the bottom and don't disturb the gunk at the bottom only beer will be pulled through, rather than lowering in a straight pipe... it'll become clearer if you get one.

Also priming is to your taste, but around 55 - 70 grams of sugar for 40 pints is the starting point.

 

[chris_newton]

Thanks mate for your answer, was just reading my instructions and it says "prime bottles at a rate of 4g per pint" so that would be 160g in 4o pints roughly, will this be too much in your opinion? and cause the bottles to go pop??

I just want enough to give it a good chance of getting a good head when poured etc

Chris

 

[ano]

That's too much for me, I'd say 80g maximum (unless you're going for belgian style heavy carbonation) - I've used less in all my brews and found the head formation to be fine. You sure it wasn't 4g per litre? Anyway it probably wouldn't make your bottles explode but seems a little much.

 

[chris_newton]

no it says 8g per litre but am going to go with what you say mate, 80g tops! just want a good head is all :)

 

[ano]

Mind you, it is a lager... maybe 100 ha. You can give it a decent head by pouring from higher, it's just whether it's 'fizzy' enough for you.

 

[chris_newton]

so you reckon i should try a 100g?

 

[Frisp]

Use this link to work out how much sugar. I like a ratio if 1.5
http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/brew/widgets/bp.html

 

[Aleman]

I prefer a maximum of 1.2. . . . If you guys have never had a pilsner serverd under gravity from the cask you will never know why