mixed feelings about bottling

[lupinehorror]

got another day before i bottle my first big brew. 21L of evil dog double IPA.
have only ever dealt with siphoning single gallons before and this is rather daunting.
there's only me and there's very little space.
using mostly 700ml spirits bottles which i've washed and sanitised (too lazy to take the labels off). got mental images of domino effect spillage and the need of a third hand.
prime the bottles first or after they're filled? thinking before.
hoping i can just get in the zone and just find a rhythm.

 

[dad_of_jon]

remember: it's the law to have a HB while bottling. Loud music also helps. I've bottled over 3300 beers (not all at once) so you just need to get in the zone. I batch prime but if not and using a bottling wand i'd add the sugar and then fill bottle.

 

[Arrakus]

My bottling process:
clean and sanitise bottles. Drink 1st pint
prime bottles. 2nd pint.
fill 4 bottles (with bottling wand)
cap first 4 bottles
continue previous 2 steps until finished....can sometimes include 3rd pint.

As above : loud music is required

 

[terrym]

You should only be using bottles that have previously held a fizzy drink or are sold specifically for homebrew beer. So typically good condition s/h glass beer bottles and PET lemonade bottles are fine, but old spirits bottles are not.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

I hate bottling day, except I love the sight of 40 bottles capped and full of beer once all the clearing up is done.
As has already been said, I don't think using spirit bottles is a good idea to be honest.
I'm with you in that I am too lazy to take labels off re-used beer bottles. Whenever I give any beer away, I have to strongly emphasize that it's not what it says it is.

 

[Zephyr259]

You should only be using bottles that have previously held a fizzy drink or are sold specifically for homebrew beer. So typically good condition s/h glass beer bottles and PET lemonade bottles are fine, but old spirits bottles are not.

I was just going to say this, spirit bottles are not going to be safe with carbonated beer inside them.

My routine is to boil my sugar in some water then gently stir it into the FV (I've a conical so I dump the yeast before this). I leave this to mix and settle while I sanitise my bottles then sanitise and attach the bottling wand. Bottles get filled and a sanitised cap placed on them then I crimp all the caps at the end. FOr my 10 - 15L batches I often find the set up takes longer than the actual bottling.

 

[lupinehorror]

thanks for the tips all.
i take it that the spirit bottles lack structural integrity for carbonation?
oops.
i'll just have to go uncarbonated in that case as i have no means of getting alternatives at the moment.

 

[Zephyr259]

How were you planning to seal the spirit bottles? Are they screw caps like Gordon's gin etc? They probably wouldn't hold pressure and if they did they could shatters.

Reusing commercials beer bottles is the cheapest way forward, just need to buy caps and a capper.

 

[Cwrw666]

If you need to bottle soon you could buy some beer bottles if there isn't time to accumulate used ones. Plenty of bulk bottle suppliers on the internet. You'd also need crown caps and a capper.
Alternatively buy 11 bottles of `value' fizzy water from the supermarket - cost you a couple of quid - and tip the water away.

 

[lupinehorror]

How were you planning to seal the spirit bottles? Are they screw caps like Gordon's gin etc? They probably wouldn't hold pressure and if they did they could shatters.

Reusing commercials beer bottles is the cheapest way forward, just need to buy caps and a capper.

yeah. just the regular screw caps. i didn't honestly think it would be an issue but i find that happens often.

If you need to bottle soon you could buy some beer bottles if there isn't time to accumulate used ones. Plenty of bulk bottle suppliers on the internet. You'd also need crown caps and a capper.
Alternatively buy 11 bottles of `value' fizzy water from the supermarket - cost you a couple of quid - and tip the water away.

i may go down the water bottle route. don't have the funds (nor the stamina) to drink 21L of bottled, bought, beer in a short space of time.

cheers, again, all. i keep learning.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

These would be cheaper than glass bottles and would save the cost of a capper.

https://do-it-at-home.co.uk/en/bott...et-beer-bottles-24-coopers-9310441002848.html

 

[AnimatedGIF]

These would be cheaper than glass bottles and would save the cost of a capper.

https://do-it-at-home.co.uk/en/bott...et-beer-bottles-24-coopers-9310441002848.html

I recently tried these out and I really like them - didn't think I would. +1 on this recommendation.

 

[uDicko]

These would be cheaper than glass bottles and would save the cost of a capper.

https://do-it-at-home.co.uk/en/bott...et-beer-bottles-24-coopers-9310441002848.html

Get the brew2bottle ones. Good postage and cheaper than above link

https://brew2bottle.co.uk/products/easy-brew-24-x-500ml-amber-pet-beer-bottles

 

[Richard_H]

If you need to bottle soon you could buy some beer bottles if there isn't time to accumulate used ones. Plenty of bulk bottle suppliers on the internet. You'd also need crown caps and a capper.
Alternatively buy 11 bottles of `value' fizzy water from the supermarket - cost you a couple of quid - and tip the water away.

This will be your quickest and cheapest way to bottle your beer in something designed to take the pressure, I have used this method when taking 6-8 litre's to a BBQ etc. for people to try. I prefer to cold crash them and serve 4 pints in 1 go to minimise sediment but you could always just allow the yeas to settle back down if any gets kicked up when pouring.

 

[lupinehorror]

thanks all. link bookmarked for the 500ml PET bottles.
i had to go ahead and bottle so it's flat IPA for me for a while. lessons learnt.
it's a good brew though which is very pleasing as i've only produced slightly disappointing wine up until now. i'll just have to console myself with the fact that fewer burps is a bonus.
another batch looms and there will be proper bottles to receive it.

 

[lupinehorror]

i've also discovered that after 7 months of remote working my knees are ji**ered and i can't crouch terribly well. may need a bottling recliner.

 

[Zephyr259]

Hope the IPA is good, I feel you pain of "slightly disappointing wine" fortunately I found out that I make pretty good beer to console myself.

I sit my FV on the kitchen table then sit on a chair next to it to bottle, I don't think someone with good knees could crouch for that long...

 

[terrym]

thanks all. link bookmarked for the 500ml PET bottles.
i had to go ahead and bottle so it's flat IPA for me for a while. lessons learnt.
it's a good brew though which is very pleasing as i've only produced slightly disappointing wine up until now. i'll just have to console myself with the fact that fewer burps is a bonus.
another batch looms and there will be proper bottles to receive it.

The best way to use take beer from 2 litre bottles in my experience is to do it in two hits of about 1 litre at a time and poured each time into a serving jug. The first litre is clear and you then quickly recap the bottle. The second litre remains in the bottle, and is allowed to clear from the initial disturbance over a day perhaps two before pouring into the serving jug, leaving the yeasty bottoms behind. If you take more than two hits from the bottle, you will accelerate the oxidation of the beer, which will last two days, but three and beyond is pushing it.

 

[Shaun-p]

Walk round the neighbourhood on recycling day and see how many empty beer bottles you can find.

 

[lupinehorror]

Walk round the neighbourhood on recycling day and see how many empty beer bottles you can find.

most of the bottles around my way contained buckfast and are no longer in one piece