Good old bottling day

[Sbond10]

She a gardener for Council? :wink:

I'd say a specialist rhubarb grower as she always dissappear late at night rhubarb has to grow in the dark don't it ?

 

[BeerCat]

Its a lot better now i have some crates. I thought 20 would be enough but i need more. :)

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Sanitising bottles is very easy and quick if you know what your doing. If your AG its even easier.
Lay out 40 x 500ml bottles
1/4 fill each bottle with boiling water.
leave for 4 mins
empty each bottle and fill with beer.
The priming method is up to you...ie batch or individual
Sanitising caps....never (why, they are dry)
Thousands of bottles done this way and the only ones I have ever lost are the ones that I havent capped correctly

 

[GHW]

I recently discovered something and it's made bottling so much more easier and no its not

Starsan
Or
A bottling wand
Or
A bottling tree
Or
A bottle washer
Or
A bench capper

Yes those things are great but the one thing you need is comfort. If your comfy your happy if not your frigging miserable. I was walking thru poundland the other day and I discovered comfort in a one pound foam board to rest my knees on when I'm filling.
My 39 bottles went so much bloody easier with a one pound foam board.
So ypu can have all the shiney gizmos in the world if your uncomfy you'll be miserable.

Plus
Missus doesn't get gravel rash when she's down local car park now....

Totally agree with this. The only bit I don't like is bending over the bath, kills my back (I put fv of star San in the bath and fill bottles from it, stand them in bath and drain), then crouching down by the bottles while they fill. By halfway through I've usually got cramp somewhere

 

[Cwrw666]

Sanitising bottles is very easy and quick if you know what your doing. If your AG its even easier.
Lay out 40 x 500ml bottles
1/4 fill each bottle with boiling water.
leave for 4 mins
empty each bottle and fill with beer.
The priming method is up to you...ie batch or individual
Sanitising caps....never (why, they are dry)
Thousands of bottles done this way and the only ones I have ever lost are the ones that I havent capped correctly

This looks easy. I use boiling water as well but what I do is I totally fill 3 bottles, then tip that into another 3, then another three, then another three. Start again. Obviously the last 3 get much less heat treatment than the first though I still have to use a tea towel to hold the bottles as they're too hot for my hands. Might give your method a try next time as it sounds a lot quicker.
I also never sanitise new caps. When I'm re-using caps (tight-wad) I just soak them in a cup of boiling water.
What do you use to remove build up of dead yeast on the walls of your bottles? Most noticeable in clear or green bottles - maybe that's the real reason people prefer brown as you often can't see it!

 

[johnnyboy1965]

This looks easy. I use boiling water as well but what I do is I totally fill 3 bottles, then tip that into another 3, then another three, then another three. Start again. Obviously the last 3 get much less heat treatment than the first though I still have to use a tea towel to hold the bottles as they're too hot for my hands. Might give your method a try next time as it sounds a lot quicker.
I also never sanitise new caps. When I'm re-using caps (tight-wad) I just soak them in a cup of boiling water.
What do you use to remove build up of dead yeast on the walls of your bottles? Most noticeable in clear or green bottles - maybe that's the real reason people prefer brown as you often can't see it!

As long as your bottles are kept at +65oC for 2 mins they will be sanitised.
Rinse your bottle out straight after pouring. I wait until Ive got 6 bottles, then boil a kettle of water and give them a good swill

 

[jayjt29]

I've been bottling this years brews after using corny kegs for the last two years, it takes me around 1 hours to bottle 40 ish bottles, using star san bottle tree and bottling wand and a hand held capper. It used to be a ball ache with just a syphon and Milton!

I'll probably keg the next batch as will be back in the pub shed now the weather has picked up :) and I have about 180 odd full bottles under the stairs!

Cheers
Jay

 

[JFB]

Must admit as the bubbles are slowing down on the ruby mild ive got going the thought of bottling is not filling me with joy.
Like the sound of the boiling water quarter filled bottles though.
And radio 6 music all the way to help me chill.

 

[peteplus1]

And radio 6 music all the way to help me chill.

Amen to that!

 

[neal]

had a session last night, an hour from start to finish. Nice and easy if you find it enjoyable, used these old Bier de Garde bottles for the first time, it would be nice to cork them properly but for now I thought these would do....

tight old fit, got a sore palm from thumping them in, hopefully the're carbed enough to get out :lol:

 

[Notlaw]

had a session last night, an hour from start to finish.

tight old fit, got a sore palm from thumping them in :lol:

 

[neal]

Ha ha ha ha.... Didn't read that through did I ? We'll spotted 😂

 

[DarkHorse]

Genius, I doff my hat to you sir!