Just bottled my second kit ever (Wherry), after the first (Munton's stout) went flat in a leaky barrel (I did re-prime and bottle it, and get some fizz from these, but it tastes 'plasticky').
Final Hydro reading between 1010 and 1015. Kit says below 1014.
Anyway, I have the following comments / questions:
1) Should I have removed the old labels prior to cleaning / sanitising? I'm not bothered about labelling them myself but floating bits of label may have affected the sanitation?
2) I boiled water and added priming sugar but did not stir, then re-boiled in microwave, again did not stir. I started a syphon from fermenter to bottling bucket, then added uncooled primer, but it had only half dissolved so I ended up scooping out sugar with my hand, also syphoning beer into pyrex jug to wash it around.
- does primer need to be cooled (I added it mid-syphon)
- what if undissolved sugar added - what will happen?
3) I then ran out of time so left it for a day (at 18deg). I expected some fermentation to take place, but nothing much. There were a few white spots on the surface that I was worried were mould or something (were they?). Given previous sugar issue I decided to add some more (this time suitably cooled). I sort of guessed how much sugar to put in.
- did initial primer fail?
- what will effect of second primer be?
- should I have scooped in some sediment when syphoning? (it had been left for 10 days so was reasonably clear)
4) I syphoned into bottles (messy!). How much clearance should I have given? (I tended to bottle to just below the neck).
5) Given I'm sticking my hands in the beer to get the syphon going and hold the tube in place, is this going to have serious implications? (How else do you do it? I guess bottling stick is the way forward, but you still need to transfer to bottling bucket)
6) When capping, should I have sanitised the caps? They were new off the internet in a sealed bag, but I guess not sanitised.
All comments greatfully received!
Beginner's mistakes?
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prolix
Sir lets see if this helps
1. yes remove the labels why risk infection?
2. disolve the sugar it makes it easier you can add the primer to the bottles then beer transfered from fermanter to bottle less transfer. it does not matter if the primer is cooled if adding to bottling bucket as volme wise has little effect on heat, undisloved sugar may disolve in bucket, try to keep hands out of beer.
3. not necessarily that little sugar in a big bucket carrying like yeast in suspenaion should not have done too much. Extra sugar may make it a bit fizzy watch out when opening.There should be yeast in suspension so no need to add extra if you want to put a few grains of dried yeast in.
4. get a bottling stick they are pretty cheap and then fill to the top the removed bottle stick will give you the space.
5. yeah get a bottling stick, to syphon with out mess and hands in the beer use a syphon clip or peg, better still attach a tap to the fermenter/ bottling bucket and attach bottling stick to that then no syphoning no mess. To syphon lower most of the tube into the beer close the end and then hold tube in sysphoning postion and open gravity shoud do the rest
6. see point 1
hope that helps mate
1. yes remove the labels why risk infection?
2. disolve the sugar it makes it easier you can add the primer to the bottles then beer transfered from fermanter to bottle less transfer. it does not matter if the primer is cooled if adding to bottling bucket as volme wise has little effect on heat, undisloved sugar may disolve in bucket, try to keep hands out of beer.
3. not necessarily that little sugar in a big bucket carrying like yeast in suspenaion should not have done too much. Extra sugar may make it a bit fizzy watch out when opening.There should be yeast in suspension so no need to add extra if you want to put a few grains of dried yeast in.
4. get a bottling stick they are pretty cheap and then fill to the top the removed bottle stick will give you the space.
5. yeah get a bottling stick, to syphon with out mess and hands in the beer use a syphon clip or peg, better still attach a tap to the fermenter/ bottling bucket and attach bottling stick to that then no syphoning no mess. To syphon lower most of the tube into the beer close the end and then hold tube in sysphoning postion and open gravity shoud do the rest
6. see point 1
hope that helps mate
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Parva
Also yes, ALWAYS sanitize the bottle caps.-
Sir Real Ale
Thanks one and all. Hopefully I'll get it right next time!! 
I guess as always it is 90% preparation, and I'm a little unprepared.
I've got some spare taps so I guess I just cut a hole in the FV and bung it in, so to speak, and then get a bottling stick.
The reason I didn't do this, and didn't bottle from the tap in my bottling bucket is because I wasn't convinced about attaching tubing to the tap. It has ridges inside it presuamably to hold the tubing, but the tubing would then be narrower than the tap nozzle and hence beer would flow down the side.
- Do I need larger tubing to fit around the outside of the nozzle?
I take it that even leaving the wort for 10 days there should still be enough suspended yeast for 2nd ferment? I'd been reading about stuck fermentations you see and the need to rouse the sediment.
I guess as always it is 90% preparation, and I'm a little unprepared.
I've got some spare taps so I guess I just cut a hole in the FV and bung it in, so to speak, and then get a bottling stick.
The reason I didn't do this, and didn't bottle from the tap in my bottling bucket is because I wasn't convinced about attaching tubing to the tap. It has ridges inside it presuamably to hold the tubing, but the tubing would then be narrower than the tap nozzle and hence beer would flow down the side.
- Do I need larger tubing to fit around the outside of the nozzle?
I take it that even leaving the wort for 10 days there should still be enough suspended yeast for 2nd ferment? I'd been reading about stuck fermentations you see and the need to rouse the sediment.
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ashbyp
I have a tap (and bottling stick) on my bottling bucket which makes bottling really easy.Curious-brew wrote:Get a tap for your FV, sooooo much easier.
But so far I haven't put taps on my FV because I was wondering how you keep the sediement coming through the tap. If you use a syphon to transfer from FV to bottling bucket then you have the little sediment trap on the end of the syphon...
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maxashton
The secret is to fit the tap about an inch up from the bottom of the FV. The sediment will be below the tap. A little bit of sediment isn't a problem, obviously, since you're priming.ashbyp wrote:But so far I haven't put taps on my FV because I was wondering how you keep the sediement coming through the tap..
Yes, the ridges are just to strengthen the moulding; tubing always goes on the outside of the tap.Sir Real Ale wrote:.......The reason I didn't do this, and didn't bottle from the tap in my bottling bucket is because I wasn't convinced about attaching tubing to the tap. It has ridges inside it presuamably to hold the tubing, but the tubing would then be narrower than the tap nozzle and hence beer would flow down the side.
- Do I need larger tubing to fit around the outside of the nozzle?
You should have no problems there. The only time you're likely to have a problem with insufficient yeast in the bottle is if you rack from the primary into a separate secondary vessel and leave it to clear for ages.Sir Real Ale wrote:I take it that even leaving the wort for 10 days there should still be enough suspended yeast for 2nd ferment? I'd been reading about stuck fermentations you see and the need to rouse the sediment.
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Sir Real Ale
Thanks Jim - very helpful.
Went to the Art of Brewing in Chessington yesterday - bought another 3 kits (Muntons Old Conkerwood and Smugglers Special, and Coopers Real Ale). Can't wait to give them a go.
Asked for bottling stick which they didn't have but are going to order in (due to demand).
Maybe I'll have to see if any of my old Boots barrels (from ebay) are leak-free (1st brew went flat in the barrel). Anyone know where they tend to leak from? Is it the o-rings or the seams?
Went to the Art of Brewing in Chessington yesterday - bought another 3 kits (Muntons Old Conkerwood and Smugglers Special, and Coopers Real Ale). Can't wait to give them a go.
Asked for bottling stick which they didn't have but are going to order in (due to demand).
Maybe I'll have to see if any of my old Boots barrels (from ebay) are leak-free (1st brew went flat in the barrel). Anyone know where they tend to leak from? Is it the o-rings or the seams?