Do I need to trnsfer to new fermenting bin before bottling??

[scouse_bier]

Hi all

We're currently going through fermenting a bin of young's pilsner lager. Just wondering, but when the fermenting process is complete do we need to transfer the lager to a new bin and then bottle up or can we just bottle up straight from the existing bin. It doesn't say anything in the instructions about transferring to as new bin, but we just want to be sure.

Cheers for any help

Andy and Paul

[boingy]

Some people do and some don't.

Advantages of using a second bin:

1. Your second bin contains no sediment so you can focus on filling the bottles rather than avoiding the sediment.
2. It's easier to add the priming sugar - you do it all in one go in the bin rather than adding a small quantity to each bottle.

Disadvantages:

1. You need a second bin!
2. There is a small risk of infection because you are transferring the beer twice. Good sanitation mitigates this risk.
3. You have another thing to clean afterwards....

[EoinMag]

The advantages outweigh the disadvantages if you already have a bin with a tap.

[sargie]

The advantages outweigh the disadvantages if you already have a bin with a tap.

This is what i was gonna say, if the bin you fermented in has a tap then the only benefit of transfering to a different bucket would be that you can prime the whole batch in one go instead of each bottle individualy. If like me you use somthing as easy as dropping a couple of carbination drops in the bottles and your primary fermenter has a tap then bottle straight from there.

[scouse_bier]

Cheers for the feedback. Think we'll probably just bottle direct from the 1st bin

[legion]

I add the sugar to the bin and then bottle directly. Works fine for me.

[thedeckking]

I did my first batch with one bucket and a siphon and found it really hard work trying to avoid the sediment and get the measure of the sugar in each bottle right. I now use a second bucket and have taps in both. I attach a pipe to transfer the brew from the first and a bottling stick to the second bucket's tap. Even with the extra cleaning it is so much easier this way.

[flything]

Adding sugar to each bottle is a pain.

Adding sugar to the primary vessel and making sure it is mixed in evenly is not reliable imo.

But moving beer about increases the risk of infection and increases the chance of oxidisation.

So, what I do when bottling, is...

Make up a solution of corn sugar and water, amount varies depending on how carbonated I want the final beer to be, boiled and cooled a bit (doesn't matter as long as it's not boiling, we're only talking about 300ml or so mixed into 23l).

I then dump this into the bottling bucket.

Then, I siphon the beer from the primary in top of this, making sure that as it's added the beer is moving gently (gently!) and therefore stiring itself, I lift the outlet as the level raises as I've found that the sugar tends to float a bit, especially if it was still quite warm.

I siphon because I felt that less oxidisation is likely than trying to run it out from tap and because, with a spray bottle of iodophor handy, sanitising the end that had been in my mouth was easy.

I then wait and hour and then bottle using a bottling stick.