Bottling Tips and Pics
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Here is an overview of how I bottle. If anyone has another way or something that makes their bottling day go easier please post it here I'll continue to edit this first post to include as many good tips as we come up with (buy some kegs is not a valid tip).
HBF Bottling Tips
-Give your beer plenty of time to carb properly. Three weeks at 70 degrees is a rule of thumb I use as a MINIMUM. Bigger beers may take longer.
The following is a brief overview of how I bottle."On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants -
On the left is a double chocolate stout, the right is the Wicked Angel IIPA from Brewkit Quarterly here on HBF and in the middle is an oatmeal stout (yum). Normally I keg but the IIPA I wanted to send around to some of HBF and the double chocolate stout is bigger than I want to have on tap, more of a long age grab a bottle now and then kind of beer.IMAG0516.jpg2560 x 1440 - 586K"On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
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I bottle over the open dishwasher door. This way the mess is contained and the bottles are right there on the door handy. After a clean load is unloaded I spray the bottom rack with sanitizer and put the freshly sanitized bottles on the rack to drip. I only sanitize twenty bottles or so at a time so that I can fill and cap them while they are still wet. With the bottling wand attached to the spout with a trimmed piece of racking tubing leaves plenty of room to slide a bottle under the wand.IMAG0518.jpg1440 x 2560 - 596K"On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
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Now that I've made sure everything is sanitized and in working order I'll rack the black gold. I don't bother cooling off the priming solution. I just pour it down the side of the bucket right when I start racking. That little bit of hot sugar water won't raise the temp on five gallons much at all. And the swirling action from racking mixes everything together very well.IMAG0522.jpg1440 x 2560 - 629K"On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
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Here is why I do a quick check and wet run with sanitizer before I rack the beer. Every other time I have bottled the wand fit tightly enough that I didn't need a clamp of any type. This time I kept falling out so I zip tied it.IMAG0521.jpg1440 x 2560 - 540K"On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
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Thanks. I hate bottling. Especially since I have 10 damn kegs. Well, nine now, the one has been haranged by the wife's root beer... But I like having bottles around. Once I get the taps built I'll probably just bottle form there, but in the mean time...."On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
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Your counter tops were put in the year I was born ......
I have thought about doing a similar method .... but I am too lazy to put a valve on my bottling bucket ......
Nice write up ... and pics. Well doneNever attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.