help bottles

[abi]

when i come to bottling my 1st ever batch in a weeks time, whats the best way once my wort is ready?

 

[calumscott]

Glass or PET?

I use glass for my beers - how I do it is here: Clicky

 

[Dave1970]

Little Bottler makes life a lot easier.
I have an spare FV with the Little Bottler tap attached. Sterilise & transfer into this a couple of days before bottling. Chill to encourage the yeast to drop (easy at this time of year just put it in shed/garage) for a couple of days and then bottle.

 

[abi]

Little Bottler makes life a lot easier.
I have an spare FV with the Little Bottler tap attached. Sterilise & transfer into this a couple of days before bottling. Chill to encourage the yeast to drop (easy at this time of year just put it in shed/garage) for a couple of days and then bottle.

do i just syphon the fermented beer into the other fv, what about air getting into it?

 

[jonnymorris]

Yes, siphon it in. keep it steady and try not to splash and you'll be OK.

+1 for the little bottler. I wouldn't try without it.

p.s. if you rack it to a 2nd FV as suggested you can batch prime it too. Less fiddly.

 

[abi]

Yes, siphon it in. keep it steady and try not to splash and you'll be OK.

+1 for the little bottler. I wouldn't try without it.

p.s. if you rack it to a 2nd FV as suggested you can batch prime it too. Less fiddly.

should i rack it to a 2nd fv, does everyone do it? what is the benefit? if i prime batch do i just put it into the main fv and let it dissolve just before bottling?

 

[Moley]

If you batch prime, I believe that's usually around 80g sugar for an ale and maybe a bit higher for a lager. Dissolve it in a mug with a splash of boiling water, and gently stir that into the brew.


I'm probably going to upset a few people here, but I bottle from the primary FV using a large jug, through a tea strainer (to get rid of any floaters), through a bottling funnel, which has a short piece of silicone tubing attached and which reaches to the bottom of the bottle.

I dip the jug very gently into the FV so as not to stir up the sediment, then when I am getting down towards the bottom of the bucket I very gently pour the last few litres into the jug, getting almost all of the beer out of the bucket.

I never have any help with bottling, and am unable to be at both ends of a syphon tube at the same time, so this method works for me.

 

[eggman]

should i rack it to a 2nd fv, does everyone do it? what is the benefit? if i prime batch do i just put it into the main fv and let it dissolve just before bottling?

If you've got an empty fv or a keg then you can batch prime into that and then syphon your beer in with the sugar, if you haven't got an empty vessel then you will have to add the sugar directly to the bottles prior to syphoning. I find half a teaspoon for an ale is just right for me but it's down to personal preference how fizzy you like it.
I don't rack off to a second fv i just keg or bottle direct from the original fv, i just give my brew long enough to clear first
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