Bottling from Primary Fermenter

[Semper Sitientum]

For the little that I bottle, I use carbonation drops. They are super simple and have worked very well for me. I acknowledge that you lose some control over the level of carbonation, but these will work just fine for most beer styles.

To bottle, I go this route:
Clean and sanitize bottles and a short piece of tubing.
Add carbonation drop to each bottle.
Fermenter on the counter. Bottles in sink.
Short piece of tubing from the fermenter valve to the bottom of the bottle.
Turn spigot on, fill bottle, turn spigot off.
Fill 6, then cap. Repeat.

Sometimes I will only bottle a few to give away…maybe 4-6. Then the rest of the beer goes into a keg.

It’s primitive, but fast and effective. Maybe 10-15 minutes tops for a case of beer. And it’s about as O2 conscious as I’m willing to get. And all I have to clean, besides the fermenter, is a short piece of tubing.

This is exactly my process, except I bottle everything, which is always less than 3 gallons. For the last batch I bottled, which is currently conditioning, I used a sugar cube on 4 of the bottle rather than the Coopers drops, to see what happens.

 

[Sunfire96]

I used to bottle directly from the fermenter, I hated using a bottling bucket. I do use a mesh tube for dry hops like Herm said. The other piece of equipment that was useful is an internal pickup tube opposite the spigot. Even a PVC elbow will help with those last few centimeters so you don't have to tilt the fermenter.

I've added sugar individually but eventually switched to carb drops. Way easier

Bottling is cheap. I wouldn't worry about CO2 purging equipment. Keep is simple and keep it fun

 

[Ward Chillington]

the trade off

I
Key term indeed, more ways to skin the car and always a trade off!

 

[Ward Chillington]

The classic methods are classic for a reason, the reason being they generally work.

Well said!

 

[ken.allen.1976@hotmail.co.uk]

Is there any reason why the following would not work.

I’m thinking of a basic setup, no expensive equipment. Something that anyone can do (beginners or pro).

1 Brew Day

- Brew beer as normal
- Sanitise both Fermenter and Brew bucket (Same size) and all tubing.
- Make a Priming Solution and leave to cool down.
- When transferred and pitched to fermenter, set up as below:

- (Optional) Purge bottling bucket with some CO2

2 Airlock starts bubbling

This will mean the liquid tube is now purged.

- Remove Airlock and move to top of Bottling Bucket.
- Attach liquid tube to Tap on Fermenter.

The airlock here, may or may not start bubbling but a least the will be a good layer of CO2 in bottling bucket.


3 Transfer to bottling bucket

- Replace bubbler with blank bung.
- Open tap on fermenter.

Beer should now transfer by gravity with CO2 protecting both sides. As beer enters bottling bucket it push’s CO2 back up to top of fermenter.

This is a modified version of what I found on YouTube, only those videos were transferring to a keg. This seems pretty straightforward to me with no requirements for expensive equipment.

The only issue now is getting the beer into the Bottle’s. At least the worst part of transferring to the bottling bucket is taken care of and the air contact within the bottles is a lot less. Unless someone can think of a genius way to do that part.

Potential problems

Beer could overflow into the priming solution, may not be an issue unless yeast follows with it (need confirmation on that)

May not get CO2 all the way to top of bottling bucket and so would be sucking O2 back into fermenter (although there should still be a layer of CO2 up there).

 

[Herm brews]

In my opinion, you are worrying more than you should about oxidation. You don’t want to make priming solution until you are ready to bottle. I have seen simple syrup, essentially a concentrated priming solution, go bad in a sanitized and sealed container in about a week.

 

[ken.allen.1976@hotmail.co.uk]

In my opinion, you are worrying more than you should about oxidation. You don’t want to make priming solution until you are ready to bottle. I have seen simple syrup, essentially a concentrated priming solution, go bad in a sanitized and sealed container in about a week.

Im not worried, I just wanted to see if we could come up with a good system. I’ve been brewing and bottling fine for about 4 years now. The only problems I can say I have come across is with NEIPA’s.

It’s more that I’m the sort of person that likes to try and improve things if I can.

The priming solution would be protected by the layer of CO2 (is the hope)

Classic methods do work yes, but they currently still have issues that are not covered. Why would you settle for a make do solution rather than try and find something better that covers all issues.

Im not crying over something small, I simply want to see if there is a way to completely foolproof the process. Nothing wrong with trying to improve things.

 

[Donoroto]

The CO2 layer is very tenuous, a breath or slightest breeze will blow it away. The difference in density is measurable but very small, like the difference between mineral water and distilled water.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

It may be overkill but, I think it's a great idea! But even if the extra work is not necessary or you never implement this idea, isn't it fun just to think about how you would go about it? That's a big part of the fun of home brewing!

 

[ken.allen.1976@hotmail.co.uk]

It may be overkill but, I think it's a great idea! But even if the extra work is not necessary or you never implement this idea, isn't it fun just to think about how you would go about it? That's a big part of the fun of home brewing!

That’s exactly the thinking I’m looking for.

It maybe only go this extra mile for NEIPA and other styles that are more prone to oxygenation.

 

[Herm brews]

Im not worried, I just wanted to see if we could come up with a good system. I’ve been brewing and bottling fine for about 4 years now. The only problems I can say I have come across is with NEIPA’s.

It’s more that I’m the sort of person that likes to try and improve things if I can.

Good on you. I appreciate your desire to test the assumptions. Someone needs to do the hard work looking for better paths.
Let us know how things turn out.
Brew on!

 

[Craigerrr]

Is there any reason why the following would not work.
.

An interesting idea for a closed transfer, bottling a NEIPA is definitely a challenge when it comes to O2 mitigation.. I have done something similar, but used some "expensive equipment". After fermentation I did a somewhat closed transfer to a keg that I had purged with CO2, and bottled using low pressure from there. I used a stainless steel bottling wand with an oring seal. I keg most of my beer, so I had all of the equipment on hand. In order to keep the priming solution fresh in your plan, maybe ferment with Kveik yeast, fermentation can be done in just a few days.

 

[ken.allen.1976@hotmail.co.uk]

In order to keep the priming solution fresh in your plan, maybe ferment with Kveik yeast, fermentation can be done in just a few days.

Hi, yeah my idea was to maybe give the bottling bucket a quick blast from a CO2 bulb to quickly purge it at the beginning, then add the priming solution and seal it up.

If no access to a CO2 bulb then yes a quick starting yeast would certainly help.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Ok, so is the idea to purge the bottling bucket with Co2 from the fermentation? Cool idea! I say go for it...ya know...for science! But going back to one one earlier questions, what sort beer are you bottling...

The only problems I can say I have come across is with NEIPA’s

There you do have a valid reason for concern with oxidation from what I have read and heard. Though I've never brewed a Neipa, this is a brew that should be kegged by home brewers. Creating the closed system is not as much a challenge as with bottling. On a tour I took at Flying Dog They talked about how they do it with a special bottling line but that's gotta be big money.

Good luck...take pictures!

 

[ken.allen.1976@hotmail.co.uk]

Good luck...take pictures!

Thanks and I will do.

I have successfully bottled an NEIPA via bottling bucket but I also have had one that’s been Oxygenated. My next beer is gonna be a Dunkles Weissbeir. Not necessary for the closed system but will test it anyway.

 

[ken.allen.1976@hotmail.co.uk]

Ok I have setup my closed system ready for testing. I added an inline filter(without the filter in) to catch any overactive fermentation.

Inside the bottling bucket the liquid line continues to the bottom (has a small slit at bottom end to allow CO2 up for purging).

I shall be testing this then on my next batch and will report the results

 

[Donoroto]

I shall be testing this then on my next batch and will report the results

I like the look of this setup. The CO2 from the fermentation purges the bottling bucket, excess just burps out the airlock. When it comes time to transfer the beer into the bottling bucket, it is a 100% gravity system, completely closed.... as long as the hose going into the bucket and back to the top of the fermenter can allow gas and not liquid up!

 

[ken.allen.1976@hotmail.co.uk]

as long as the hose going into the bucket and back to the top of the fermenter can allow gas and not liquid up!

Yep it shouldn’t do that. Only the liquid line goes deep into the bottling bucket.

 

[Brewer #367683]

I use a syringe to put some sugar solution into each bottle. I'm packaging 10 litres or less, so it's not that annoying. I add the sugar to a bottle then dilute it with an easy to divide amount. So for 10 litres I'll dissolve the sugar in 100 ml of water (or 200mL if it needs more dilution). So a 330 ml bottle gets 3.5 ml. A 500 ml bottle gets 5 mL, etc. I've got one of those attachments to the syringe to make it easer to get the liquid out of the bottle with the sugar solution and to then put it into the bottle. It keeps things relatively simple for me and less to wash up.

Mark - I'm bottling today my first All Grain a small batch of 5 ltrs using 500ml bottles - how much sugar do I put in a 200ml of boiled water I have various syringes ...joe

 

[Zambi]

I'm not Mark, but look at around 6 to 8 gram sugar per litre