What are you doing with homebrew today?

[Sunfire96]

Today I bottled my latest batch of amber ale, netting 24 12-ounce bottles. With the goal of minimizing exposure to air, I tried a new approach. This batch was bottled directly from the fermenter with a bottling wand. In another departure from my normal procedure, I primed each bottle individually with priming solution before filling with beer. This part of the process needs improvement, as I was trying to measure ~12.5 ml of priming solution into a graduated cylinder, then pouring into the bottles. Most were close to the prescribed amount, but the final bottle was a few ml short. There was minor spillage, so I think a syringe or pipette would be a better tool for this method.

I've been using carbonation tabs for this and have had a good experience so far. The Cooper's drops seem to work best, the Brewer's Best drops I liked the least (ironically). I attach about 16" of silicone tubing to my spigot, then the bottling wand, and then fill bottles with the drops already added. The only tricky part is not having enough to fill a bottle at the end. Depending on how high the liquid gets I'll let it ride and make sure to drink that first, or I'll dump it into a glass and drink uncarbonated.

 

[Donoroto]

I was trying to measure ~12.5 ml of priming solution into a graduated cylinder, then pouring into the bottles. Most were close to the prescribed amount, but the final bottle was a few ml short. There was minor spillage, so I think a syringe or pipette would be a better tool for this method.

Any local Pharmacy will sell you a syringe (without a needle) for a buck or two. They also sell larger ones for squirting liquid medicine down your babies throat.

 

[Herm brews]

Any local Pharmacy will sell you a syringe (without a needle) for a buck or two. They also sell larger ones for squirting liquid medicine down your babies throat.

I have a few 3ml syringes (without needles), but filling each 4+ times per bottle is way more than I want to do. If there are syringes with larger volumes (up to 15 ml would be ideal), I would jump at that. This seems like a good method for my beers that are not dry hopped. Those that are dry hopped, I will still be using a bottling bucket, so that I can filter out hops debris before bottling.

 

[Sunfire96]

I have a few 3ml syringes (without needles), but filling each 4+ times per bottle is way more than I want to do. If there are syringes with larger volumes (up to 15 ml would be ideal), I would jump at that. This seems like a good method for my beers that are not dry hopped. Those that are dry hopped, I will still be using a bottling bucket, so that I can filter out hops debris before bottling.

They make syringes up to 100 mL (and larger), you should be able to find them somewhere

 

[Megary]

I've been using carbonation tabs for this and have had a good experience so far. The Cooper's drops seem to work best, the Brewer's Best drops I liked the least (ironically). I attach about 16" of silicone tubing to my spigot, then the bottling wand, and then fill bottles with the drops already added. The only tricky part is not having enough to fill a bottle at the end. Depending on how high the liquid gets I'll let it ride and make sure to drink that first, or I'll dump it into a glass and drink uncarbonated.

The very little that I bottle, this is also my method. Except I use the fermenter spigot and run the tubing to the bottom of the bottle. Screw the wand. (My thinking is, “why clean the wand when I don’t have to?”). I’ve also had good success with the Cooper’s carbonation drops. Very easy.

 

[west1m]

They make syringes for basting turkeys and stuff. Check out Wally World or someplase like that.

 

[Herm brews]

They make syringes for basting turkeys and stuff. Check out Wally World or someplase like that.

Before today, I had never even considered this method. I want a syringe that is big enough to deliver at least 15 ml, with clear markings, with a medical type pull draw - not the bulb suction type. With the right tool, I think this method should give me a great level of control.

 

[RoadRoach]

Agree with west1m. I have a turkey injector syringe that I got for topping up brake fluid on something I had that I couldn't get the bottle near, and that thing holds nearly a half liter. The giant needle is nearly 3 inches long, which might keep me from spraying sugar water everywhere. That might make filling a little clumsy, though, or a little harder to measure accurately. Probably a really bad idea to use it for beer making now, but I'd be willing to bet I could get another like it (or the missus probably knows better where to get it.)

The Missus was NOT happy with me the time I knocked the bottling bucket off the little stool I use so I don't have to bend down quite as far. Luckily all it had in it was priming sugar solution, but that was enough to get a LOT of things very sticky. The worst part was, she'd just mopped the kitchen floor and cleaned the fronts of all the cupboards that morning. Bottling from the fermenter and using the tablets would have definitely eliminated that risk, and possibly saved me a good scorching.

 

[Tim Bulin]

Picked up some Windsor and some Notty along with a half pound of Briess Special Roast.

Ordered new Perlick 630PC tappers for the keezer(MAY have been under the influence of alcohol when I made that purchase).

 

[west1m]

They make syringes for basting turkeys and stuff. Check out Wally World or someplase like that.

I found what i was talking about at Amazon. Even marked in MLs

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I found what i was talking about at Amazon. Even marked in MLs
View attachment 18060

I have large syringes we used to give our horses shots, I think the old true pet stores sell them, not the chain stores

 

[Megary]

Picked up some Windsor and some Notty along with a half pound of Briess Special Roast.

Ordered new Perlick 630PC tappers for the keezer(MAY have been under the influence of alcohol when I made that purchase).

Just curious...two different beers or are you going to co-pitch those yeasts?

 

[Tim Bulin]

Just curious...two different beers or are you going to co-pitch those yeasts?

Different beers, been seeing pictures of @Josh Hughes "Manchester Gold" going to brew a "Pub Ale"(basically a slightly overcarbed Ordinary Bitter) with the Windsor in December, Notty is for the next time I take a swing at a Cream Ale...maybe January if I don't recycle the Windsor for the Irish Red first.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Different beers, been seeing pictures of @Josh Hughes "Manchester Gold" going to brew a "Pub Ale"(basically a slightly overcarbed Ordinary Bitter) with the Windsor in December, Notty is for the next time I take a swing at a Cream Ale...maybe January if I don't recycle the Windsor for the Irish Red first.

Interesting I opted for Nottingham on its better attenuation over Windsor thinking it might leave too much residual sugar behind.
But I've not used either yeast so take with a grain of malt.

 

[Herm brews]

Fighting with myself over what I’ll brew next. Janet’s Brown Ale, or a brown ale recipe of my own creation. If I had better understood recipe scaling and targeting before this afternoon, this wouldn’t even be an issue. Understanding the issue helped me build my own brown ale recipe. My wife is pushing me toward my own recipe. Conundrum.

 

[Box of Rocks]

Kegged Dubbel Trubbel after a week in the fermenter. Will give it a bit more time sitting at ~60F / 15.5C before cold crash and carbonation.
Planning my Lake Champlain Autumn Stout brew for this weekend using what’s on hand. Shooting for the borderline between sweet and dry, with about 4.5 ABV.
Like a bear, I’m bulking up before the snow hits.

 

[Sunfire96]

Fighting with myself over what I’ll brew next. Janet’s Brown Ale, or a brown ale recipe of my own creation. If I had better understood recipe scaling and targeting before this afternoon, this wouldn’t even be an issue. Understanding the issue helped me build my own brown ale recipe. My wife is pushing me toward my own recipe. Conundrum.

If you need any suggestions Herm, you know where to find us there's also some great books out there on ingredients and building recipes

 

[Megary]

Fighting with myself over what I’ll brew next. Janet’s Brown Ale, or a brown ale recipe of my own creation. If I had better understood recipe scaling and targeting before this afternoon, this wouldn’t even be an issue. Understanding the issue helped me build my own brown ale recipe. My wife is pushing me toward my own recipe. Conundrum.

I've never brewed it, but I understand Janet's Brown Ale is pretty spectacular. That said, and I apologize here, I'm with your wife on this one.

 

[Tim Bulin]

Gonna be a late night maybe, mashed in almost an hour ago, Shore Leave(with a tweaked grain bill) is in the tun.

 

[Herm brews]

I've never brewed it, but I understand Janet's Brown Ale is pretty spectacular. That said, and I apologize here, I'm with your wife on this one.

I’m with you and my wife. Janet’s Brown isn’t going anywhere. Maybe I could consider my brown ale as practice for the more established and esteemed Janet’s Brown. Now I just have to figure out my brewing salts.