Bottling time this evening...

[Bobtheblob]

I'd better have a beer or two.

 

[MartinHaworth]

Podcasts. That's what gets me through bottling.

 

[-Bezza-]

Bottling time is what convinced me to buy kegs.

I think "one for me, one for the bottles" is a good mantra to adopt.

 

[MmmBeer]

Bottling time is what convinced me to buy kegs.

Just finished bottling 5 gallons worth. The actual bottling only took 30 minutes, which I think is fine......

.....It's just the 2 hours spent soaking, rinsing, sanitising, drying and priming the bottles that winds me up.

 

[Harbey]

Why are bottling wands so slow? They're a great idea but surely they could have a faster flow rate.

 

[Bobtheblob]

Got Planet Rock on. and having a 10 minute break. It's the bottle cleaning that is the main faff.

 

[Harbey]

I just give them a hot rinse immediately after pouring. Then a sanitise before bottling.

 

[phildo79]

Sooner or later, it really starts to wind you up and you buy a keg. I've had my legs about 2.5 years now and I'd never go back to bottles. I even detest filling the odd bottle with the dregs. But I mean, it's not like I'm going to chuck beer down the drain. My dream brew is when I end up with a perfect 19L.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

I've gone to kegs due to my dislike of bottling day. Even before filling my first one they have multiplied. It's becoming a bit of a problem for me. The other day I had to buy a couple of disconnects (£10 in total). I then thought rather than pay P&P, it made sense just to add a keg to the basket to get the free shipping

 

[GerritT]

I rinse the bottles the day before, the real bottling day is way less stressful.

 

[An Ankoù]

I don't understand why so many dislike bottling. Sure, if you have to clean the bottles from scratch on bottling day it's a pain in the cheekbones, but otherwise it's just a rinse and a fill and a cap (as the actress said to bishop, but in reverse order) while listening to Planet Rock.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

I think it depends on a number of things:
How you clean you bottles
How you sanitise your bottles
Whether or not you have time to perform each stage/prepare over different days
What sort of things get you stressed
Whether or no SWMBO is breathing down your neck

As with most things home-brewing, people do things in a way that best suites them, but it doesn't mean it can't be stressful. What is stressful to some may not be to others. I, for example, don't find taking exams stressful but appreciate that others do, and I don't have a problem recognising that.

 

[Banbeer]

I, for example, don't find taking exams stressful

Do you rinse them out the night before?

 

[Drunkula]

.....It's just the 2 hours spent soaking, rinsing, sanitising, drying and priming the bottles that winds me up.

Yep. I found this helped - swill the bottle as soon as you've poured it and push the cap back on. That, star san, batch priming in the fermenter and a bottling wand really sped up bottling. I can cap the bottles as the next one is filling when using a bottle wand.

I still hate it, mind.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Yep. I found this helped - swill the bottle as soon as you've poured it and push the cap back on. That, star san, batch priming in the fermenter and a bottling wand really sped up bottling. I can cap the bottles as the next one is filling when using a bottle wand.

I still hate it, mind.

Ok, so having slated bottling day, I shall give this a go.

 

[Drunkula]

Why are bottling wands so slow? They're a great idea but surely they could have a faster flow rate.

Get it as low from the fermenter as you can. If you're attaching straight to the tap get the fermenter on a chair on a table and get a hose from the tap to the wand. Same if you're syphoning.

 

[Harbey]

Get it as low from the fermenter as you can. If you're attaching straight to the tap get the fermenter on a chair on a table and get a hose from the tap to the wand. Same if you're syphoning.

Oh, does that help? I guess more gravity at work or other scientific stuff? I just attach straight to the tap of my bottling bucket. I'll give this a go although lifting 20L of beer to a decent height is making me feel a little nervous .

 

[Chris_S]

Can they be cleaned then sanitised and sealed back up ready for bottling even if it’s a few days away, or do you need to it just before bottling.

 

[starseeker]

As others have said ,i rinse my bottles after a days/ evenings drinking ,then give them a couple of sprays of chemsan and put on the lids (screw caps)then bottling day is sanitise them, prime them using a funnel and measuring spoon ,put on some pink floyd and enjoy :)

 

[Mavroz]

I find bottling relaxing after work...
My bottles are prewashed, dishwashered on a sanitising program the day before then given a rinse with starsan before bottling.
Plan, take time and it is.soothing, especially the end product.