Bottling is ruining my brewing mojo!

[Peatbogbrewer]

Bought some NBS no rinse, cut time drastically, which is good. However I've had the usual bottling nightmare where I've needed 3 hands, contorted myself like hell and stretched muscles i thought i never had. I hold the syphon with one hand and bottle with the wand with the other, then tip to 45 degs for the last lot. I can't afford cornies nor do i have the space. I have a barrel with a s30 valve but my kitchen gets too hot in summer, i don't have the space or cash for a brew fridge set up.
So how do you bottle? A tap and wand? Does this over fizz? Will an FV with tap fit in a 40l trug/ water bath? Do you use a syphon clip? If so which one as the one i got from youngs is shit.
Just finished bottling and nearly threw in the brewing towel....F**k you bottling!

[Pinto]

Tapped secondary fermenter with the lil bottler lance on a length of 10mm silicone tubing - easy as pie

[donchiquon]

Tapped secondary fermenter with the lil bottler lance on a length of 10mm silicone tubing - easy as pie

+1 makes the job almost a pleasure...ok maybe a slight exaggeration!

[AdrianTrace]

I sterilise a demijohn to take the last few litres, so I can concentrate on tipping the bucket without sediment. I can then bottle from the DJ without the cup on the end of the siphon tube with no hassle.

Sent from my thl 5000 using Tapatalk

[injac]

Invest in a bench capper and a mini vinator bottle rinser and you're laughing.

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[jaroporter]

know exactly how you feel! somehow i still mess up and make the same mistakes every now and again! but the trick is obviously to eliminate the need to hold the siphon or FV. tap/bottler works well if you can tilt it on something to get the last bit. i got a siphon clip as well that works well with the stainless racking cane i got, but is too loose on the standard plastic racking cane, though i "solved" this with a few wraps of insulation tape..
i also use table place mats to finetune the angle of the DJ/FV so no need to hold it tilted 'cause i've done that too many times..
setting it up tilted from the start also helps if possible - even time in advance if convenient

[TheSumOfAllBeers]

If you can batch prime into a dedicated bottlin bucket, with tap, the job gets a lot easier.

If you use a plunger arrangement to sanitise your bottles, this helps a lot too.

Also, look at the fastrack bottle drying system

[aamcle]

If you get into it with the right attitude it's a relaxing time.

But first :-
A bottling tree
One of those squirty bottle washers
A bulk priming bucket
A little bottler
A bench capper or swing bottles.

It's all in the setting up and organisation get that right and it's all gravy

Aamcle

[WalesAles]

Peat,
I find bottling my Beers to be therapeutic if I have the right conditions.
Alone in the house, radio on loud, homebrew in abundance for short breaks after so much effort!
Get all your gear ready for bottling, doesn`t matter what time it is, open a HB, Slurp vigourously and say `That`s a nice HB`.
Start bottling, fill 12 bottles, cap bottles, out the garden for 1/2 pint and a smoke.
Fill another 12 bottles, cap bottles, out the garden for 1/2 pint and a smoke.
On the way back from garden another 1/2 is called for. Thirsty work this bottling!
Fill another 12 bottles, cap bottles, should be finished now for 20Lts, out the garden for a pint and a smoke.
Sit in the Sunshine with another Pint and think `Oh Sh%t, Cleaning Gear time now`.
MrsAles comes home from work at 5.30pm, sees me zonked in the garden and says `Been bottling have you`!

WA

And Yes, the lid of the FV is off all the time I am getting zonked, (sorry, bottling)!

[orlando]

Although I posted this 3 years ago now and I no longer bottle like this as I use a Pegas tap for that. The principles in this long thread are still valid.

Take a look at this thread, starts at the 11th post subtitled "Packaging". It reflects a lot of the comment to date with a few more hints and tips to make it a little less than the monumental PITA you are experiencing at the moment.

[WalesAles]

Great post orlando!
I loved the one below it where you were pouting because there were no comments or input.
I will say this, You really should stop biting your nails, your thumb looks terrible.

WA

[orlando]

Great post orlando!
I loved the one below it where you were pouting because there were no comments or input.
I will say this, You really should stop biting your nails, your thumb looks terrible.

WA

After all the time it took the dummy was out and all the toys, ungrateful sods. As for the thumb, just a trick of the light, I'm usually (over) confident about my beers.

[Peatbogbrewer]

Cheers all, i've calmed down a bit too!

[Peatbogbrewer]

Peat,
I find bottling my Beers to be therapeutic if I have the right conditions.
Alone in the house, radio on loud, homebrew in abundance for short breaks after so much effort!
Get all your gear ready for bottling, doesn`t matter what time it is, open a HB, Slurp vigourously and say `That`s a nice HB`.
Start bottling, fill 12 bottles, cap bottles, out the garden for 1/2 pint and a smoke.
Fill another 12 bottles, cap bottles, out the garden for 1/2 pint and a smoke.
On the way back from garden another 1/2 is called for. Thirsty work this bottling!
Fill another 12 bottles, cap bottles, should be finished now for 20Lts, out the garden for a pint and a smoke.
Sit in the Sunshine with another Pint and think `Oh Sh%t, Cleaning Gear time now`.
MrsAles comes home from work at 5.30pm, sees me zonked in the garden and says `Been bottling have you`!

WA

And Yes, the lid of the FV is off all the time I am getting zonked, (sorry, bottling)!

Im surprised you finish bottling with all that imbibing!....

[Orwell]

I have a little bottler connected to both of my FV's
Makes the job so easy