Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Discuss making up beer kits - the simplest way to brew.
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Ashflash

Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by Ashflash » Sat Mar 28, 2009 4:33 pm

Sterilizing and bottling has never been my favourite chore but I can now bottle a 40 pint batch (including "sterilizing") in about an hour with no expensive equipment..
For anybody interested, here's how I do it.
First, I set my domestic hot water boiler to 80 degrees and give it half an hour to warm up. Run the tap until water is coming out at max temperature and then fill all the bottles up with it. Leave them to stand for 10 minutes and then drain them, there's no need to rinse them. (trust me, I've never had a bad bottle using this method)
Syphon the brew into a 2 litre plastic jug and when full, leave a second jug with beer syphoning into it as you start pouring the jug into the bottles, I use two funnels so I can prime the bottles two at a time. Just pour in as much beer as you can, you can top them up later, and keep an eye on that second jug, it'll break your heart if it overflows!

Bottoms up! :D

mat69

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by mat69 » Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:22 pm

sounds complicated to me mate,i just use a little bottler..easy.

Digby Swift

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by Digby Swift » Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:32 pm

Ashflash wrote:start pouring the jug into the bottles
You're asking for oxidised beer if you do this. Best practise is to fill botles via tubing that reaches the bottom of the bottle for the least amount of disturbance.

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edit1now
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Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by edit1now » Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:44 pm

Little bottler stick on the end of a syphon tube and straw, with a clip to hold the straw onto the fermenter so it doesn't wave around. Also the patent lectern for having the FV at an angle so you get more beer out.

Ignore the pump in the picture:
Image

macster

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by macster » Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:57 pm

hi folks im due to bottle / barrel my frist brew tomorrow i have been collecting screw top 750 ml glass bottles as fast as i can in the last week but still only have about 16 at the moment so today i went and purchased a 5 gallon pressure barrel . i really didnt want to use a barrel as i am worried that once opened it will go flat fast and also because it has a pressure release it may vent some of the gas produced which i want to make my lager fizzy .

my question is this ... is there any reason why i cant use 2l plastic coke bottles as i can lay my hands on plenty of these ?? btw the kit i used has surpassed all my expectations all week. it turned a pale lager colour very early into the fermentation and it smells nothing like any home brew i remember from years ago. it is a sheratons pilsner kit using a beer yeast and all said i cant wait to give it a whirl but dont want to screw it up at the bottling/ barreling so some advise would be much appreciated :D

Mogwyth

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by Mogwyth » Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:00 pm

Ashflash wrote:Sterilizing and bottling has never been my favourite chore but I can now bottle a 40 pint batch (including "sterilizing") in about an hour with no expensive equipment..
For anybody interested, here's how I do it.
First, I set my domestic hot water boiler to 80 degrees and give it half an hour to warm up. Run the tap until water is coming out at max temperature and then fill all the bottles up with it. Leave them to stand for 10 minutes and then drain them, there's no need to rinse them. (trust me, I've never had a bad bottle using this method)
:D
Not too dissimilar to us we have a Rayburn which if left to it's own devices will boil the domestic hot water, perfect for preping bottles, never use chemicals.

However as others have said I wouldn't use your jug method to bottle.

All I do is stick the syphon tube to the bottom of the bottle as the beer reaches the top of the bottle, pinch the tube pull it out (volume of the tube leaves the ideal gap) and into the next bottle. I can the cap the previous bottle while the second one fills. Oh and I use a plastic washing peg to hold the tube in the FV.

Mogwyth

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by Mogwyth » Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:03 pm

macster wrote:hi folks im due to bottle / barrel my frist brew tomorrow i have been collecting screw top 750 ml glass bottles as fast as i can in the last week but still only have about 16 at the moment so today i went and purchased a 5 gallon pressure barrel . i really didnt want to use a barrel as i am worried that once opened it will go flat fast and also because it has a pressure release it may vent some of the gas produced which i want to make my lager fizzy .

my question is this ... is there any reason why i cant use 2l plastic coke bottles as i can lay my hands on plenty of these ?? btw the kit i used has surpassed all my expectations all week. it turned a pale lager colour very early into the fermentation and it smells nothing like any home brew i remember from years ago. it is a sheratons pilsner kit using a beer yeast and all said i cant wait to give it a whirl but dont want to screw it up at the bottling/ barreling so some advise would be much appreciated :D
Coke bottles should be OK, I have some Wherry Bitter in them.

mat69

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by mat69 » Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:43 pm

i would never put lager in anything than glass bottles,it seems wrong in plastic,and using ale yeast is a non starter for me..

Mogwyth

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by Mogwyth » Sun Mar 29, 2009 12:30 pm

mat69 wrote:i would never put lager in anything than glass bottles,it seems wrong in plastic,and using ale yeast is a non starter for me..
I wouldn't normaly but it was a case of needs must.

D_C

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by D_C » Tue Mar 31, 2009 5:18 pm

Mogwyth wrote:
mat69 wrote:i would never put lager in anything than glass bottles,it seems wrong in plastic,and using ale yeast is a non starter for me..
I wouldn't normaly but it was a case of needs must.
Aaah it's fine by the time it's in your glass and your in the other room who knows/cares if it's been in a coke bottle! :mrgreen:

rollin danny

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by rollin danny » Tue Mar 31, 2009 6:36 pm

Hows this then.Pour spring water out of pet bottles into f.v to put brew on.Syphon previous brew straight into empty pet bottles and put the top on.No sterilising ! =D> :mrgreen:

mat69

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by mat69 » Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:02 pm

ok boys lets have a quick poll,glass or plastic for your lager and give your reasons..

brysie

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by brysie » Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:38 pm

rollin danny wrote:.Pour spring water out of pet bottles into f.v to put brew on.Syphon previous brew straight into empty pet bottles and put the top on.No sterilising !
is that really ok? how do you know that your water is sanitised?
mat69 wrote:glass or plastic for your lager and give your reasons..
well ive used plastic because thats what came with my coopers kit, but you cant beat cracking the top off a proper glass bottle.
mind ive been a proper pikey, going through the bins at my local [fupn bin diver :oops: thanks simon ] had a blinding result off freecycle though..
got about a hundred bottles off a retiring brewer.

however needs must when the devil farts in your face. :D

mat69

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by mat69 » Wed Apr 01, 2009 6:42 pm

but you cant beat cracking the top off a proper glass bottle.
thats one to us mate

rollin danny

Re: Quick sterilizing and bottling method

Post by rollin danny » Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:44 pm

is that really ok? how do you know that your water is sanitised?

] :roll:

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