Little Bottler

[Halfacrem]

I used my new little bottler over the weekend. It comes with a red plastic plug that fits into the back of the tap, inside the FV. It has a small opening which lets the wort through (I fitted it with the hole pointing upwards). I'm not really sure what It's meant to do? May not be related, but I found I lost quite a bit of wort at the bottom of the FV because even though I tipped the bucket a bit, the beer was only dribbling through.

My thought is if I remove the red plug, it would allow a far better flow. I'm batch priming, so not concerned about getting a load of dead yeast from the bottle of the yeast (if that's what it's meant for). However, not certain if it serves any other, more important purpose?

 

[PD]

its there so you can point it upwards and the wort leaving the bucket is not sucked up while pointing downwards, thereby reducing the sediment lifted ( if that makes sense )
You can dispose of it but I like to keep it on the tap,it doesn't cause me any problem. Tipping your vessel forward to cover the tap exit should not make your wort flow slower.

I also find a piece of 2 inch x 2 inch piece of wood under the back edge of the vessel saves you having to hold the bucket with one hand and bottle with the other.

 

[jonnymorris]

I always rack to my bottling bucket and batch prime prior to bottling and thus have no sediment at the bottom. I've never used the red thing you're on about.

 

[Duncs]

I use a bottling bucket too. I removed the red thing as I didn't know which way round to fit it

 

[BrotherMalice]

Dont think I got a red thing with mine?!

I have taken to using the LB attached to a length of syphon hose as I can then have the bottles all setup below the level of the beer and fill them all rather quickly and then cap them afterwards, worked well for me last week :)

Still hate bottling though! - My delivery of polypins came yesterday though so wont have to bottle much from now on :thumb:

 

[31bb3]

I fitted mine facing downwards as I always transfer from fermenter to the racking bucket I also fitted my tap as close to the bottom as possible but have to have the tap overhanging the unit as its lower then the bottom

 

[Duncs]

Dont think I got a red thing with mine?!

I have taken to using the LB attached to a length of syphon hose as I can then have the bottles all setup below the level of the beer and fill them all rather quickly and then cap them afterwards, worked well for me last week :)

Still hate bottling though! - My delivery of polypins came yesterday though so wont have to bottle much from now on :thumb:

It occurred to me last week that that may be a better way of using the little bottler, up until now I've been using it attached to the tap on the bottling bucket. Next time I bottle up, I'll be trying that.

 

[SloeBrewer]

If you look at the picture on the packaging, it's supposed to point upwards. I believe this is, as others have said, to act a bit like a sediment trap, so that you don't suck sediment off the bottom of the FV. However, if you place it pointing upwards, then I think it will fill up with sediment as the yeast settles out of the wort during the fermentation period.

I positioned mine pointing sideways, but as my tap is quite high up (I didn't realise it rotated when I drilled the hole for it, so positioned it high enough not to touch the floor), I have a fair bit of deadspace, even with the FV tilted. I may just use a racking cane with sediment trap attached to the little bottler with some syphon tube, as this is how I bottle from my Demijohns of wine.

 

[PD]

It has its advantages/disadvantages either way...................unless.




I try and collect my wort from the boiler into a plastic bucket which has no tap or air lock hole just a tight fitting lid... It ensures I don't knock the tap and cause a leak etc when moving it around...yes I have knocked the tap completely off in the past...4 litres of sticky wort doesn't do your slippers much good !
I then ferment my brew in this bucket...no protrusions, things sticking out etc and the yeast can fall nicely to the floor.
I then rack this off into a fermenting vessel that has little bottler attached, the red hat pointing " uppards " .
Fermentation is completed in this and as most sediment has been left behind in 1st vessel the hat does not get clogged when its time to bottle.
My lhbs sells these 33 litre plain buckets for £8 ( after a price rise ! ) and I've now collected 5 of them, very handy around the brewery.

 

[LeedsBrewer]

My lhbs sells these 33 litre plain buckets for £8 ( after a price rise ! ) and I've now collected 5 of them, very handy around the brewery.

:shock: my lhbs has them for £12.99. :sulk:

 

[boozy_shoes]

It has its advantages/disadvantages either way...................unless.




I try and collect my wort from the boiler into a plastic bucket which has no tap or air lock hole just a tight fitting lid... It ensures I don't knock the tap and cause a leak etc when moving it around...yes I have knocked the tap completely off in the past...4 litres of sticky wort doesn't do your slippers much good !
I then ferment my brew in this bucket...no protrusions, things sticking out etc and the yeast can fall nicely to the floor.
I then rack this off into a fermenting vessel that has little bottler attached, the red hat pointing " uppards " .
Fermentation is completed in this and as most sediment has been left behind in 1st vessel the hat does not get clogged when its time to bottle.
My lhbs sells these 33 litre plain buckets for £8 ( after a price rise ! ) and I've now collected 5 of them, very handy around the brewery.

Is that Brewmart in Woodseats by any chance PD??

 

[PD]

No its Homebrew Supplies in Doncaster.

 

[Halfacrem]

Thanks for your replies,

I can't quite understand why my little bottler started dispensing so slowly. I reckon I must have lost a good couple of bottles, even though I had tipped the FV so that the wort cover the back of the tap. I assumed it might have been because of the red plug, but maybe not. Anyway, we'll see next time around.

 

[Baldbrewer]

+1 to the red bit opening being uppermost,
I find that with the little bugger sorry bottler if you have too much upward pressure it almost closes again.
A little pressure is best for a good dosing
Remember to fill bottles to completely full as when you remove bottle from bottler you are left with the correct amount of head space for carbonation to occur.
:

 

[WelshPaul]

I fitted mine facing downwards as I always transfer from fermenter to the racking bucket I also fitted my tap as close to the bottom as possible but have to have the tap overhanging the unit as its lower then the bottom

I do the exact same thing: there's no sediment and I want to save as much beer as possible!