Bottling from primary spigot - Will it work?

[brettski]

Hi all, I started my first batch of home brew last week to day. I just did a hydrometer reading from the spigot at the bottom of my fermenter as things are slowing down... needless to say there was a lot of trub in the reading. My plan initially was to attach my blue bottler to the spigot and batch prime. Will this work, will the beer clear up if I pour a bit out or will my beer be full of floaties?

 

[sp0rk]

I always bottle from primary (using carb drops) using a bottle wand
Works perfectly fine, any floaties will drop out during secondary fermentation in bottle

 

[Crouch]

I used to run a small amount into a glass before i attaching my wand, never had a problem (I keg all my beer now, and transfer to bottles from kegs as needed). As sp0rk mentions, the beer will naturally clear up as it conditions in the bottle over time so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[Bribie G]

If you batch prime in your FV you will need to stir the sugar solution in, and will probably raise so much cloudy yeast that you'll end up with lots in the bottles and a thick sediment.

However if you bottle prime and run a couple of glasses off first to "clear the throat" of the tap, you should find that after the first couple of bottles the beer should be running fairly clear.

Best to leave it a few days after the gravity has stabilised. What bottles are you using? If you are using the normal Coopers style PET bottles, CSR sugar cubes are a cheap way to prime, one to a bottle, and give good carbonation.

 

[Bribie G]

As Spork and Crouch said.

 

[storeboughtcheeseburgers]

You can raise the front of the fermenter and let it sit a few days - I generally put a cassette tape under it - or you can use a piece of wood - that usually moves to the trub to the back.


If you do a batch prime, you generally have to rack into a secondary fermenter/bucket with a tap and bottle from there - given its your first crack, I'd just go for the drops or get one of these from your HBS. I use caster sugar to prime but normal table sugar will do the job.

blue bottler? What's that - the wand, or an Jellyfish.

 

[brettski]

Hi all, thanks for the suggestions. I've scabbed a bunch of magner pint sized bottles from a local pub, so that's what I'm planning to use. The blue bottler is a wand with a spring, what is that contraption burgers?

 

[Crouch]

Hi all, thanks for the suggestions. I've scabbed a bunch of magner pint sized bottles from a local pub, so that's what I'm planning to use. The blue bottler is a wand with a spring, what is that contraption burgers?

It's a measuring device with 2 ends for measuring out the correct amount of sugar. 1 side is larger and is used for 750ml bottles and the other side is used for 375ml bottles.

When I used to bottle, I found that using irregular sized bottles made it difficult to get the sugar level correct. With one of those measuring device (you can also get one that has 3 'spoons' on it) its fairly straight forward, but that relies on you using those sized bottles. Pint bottles lay in the middle of the regular stubbie and long neck bottles making; as I mentioned, the correct sugar measurement difficult.

If you are planning to use 'irregular' sized bottles and you have a second fermenter or food grade bucket (with lid) I'd bulk prime and then bottle.

 

[Bribie G]

For bulk priming you can pick up a food grade Bunnings water barrel for around $16 and a tap for $2 and you are set. The bottling wand will fit into the tap perfectly. The thing that Burgers posted is a double ended "spoon" but in your case with pint bottles I'd either bulk prime or just put in a level tsp of sugar in each, through a wee funnel from the supermarket kitchen aisle.

 

[brettski]

I actually just took another hydrometer reading and it was much clearer, my plan is to wait one more day then carefully bulk prime. Next time round I'll use an auto siphon and food grade bucket as suggested. Cheers!

 

[storeboughtcheeseburgers]

I actually just took another hydrometer reading and it was much clearer, my plan is to wait one more day then carefully bulk prime. Next time round I'll use an auto siphon and food grade bucket as suggested. Cheers!

Yeah - the paint pail is definitely the best brewing piece of equipment I own. I'd recommend going into the plumbing section and getting a lug nut that is 1/2" (will fit on the tap) - you can carve the hole out by drilling a hole and slowly whittling it away so the tap fits in nice and snug, then screw in the lug nut on the inside, flush against the inner wall - I did this and haven't had one leak.

Then I used a measuring jug and manually poured in litre by litre and marked off 15-20 litres using a flexi ruler and nico pen - has made water measurements a breeze.

A 20 litre pail will run you around $20, a lug nut 3 and a tap about 3 from bunning/masters - really worth the investment.

Bulk priming is definitely the way to go - just be sure to stir in your solution very slowly - more stirring up and down than round and round as oxygenation is not what you want once the wort is brewed out.

Happy Bottling

 

[Bribie G]

Wrong pail, burgers.

The one I am referring to is the 30L one on the Right of the picture, about $20 plus a $2 tap. No drilling required. However there is a 25L version that's even cheaper. That one, with the tap, would set you back less than $20 all up and is better than the 30L for bulk priming.

 

[storeboughtcheeseburgers]

Wrong pail, burgers.

The one I am referring to is the 30L one on the Right of the picture, about $20 plus a $2 tap. No drilling required. However there is a 25L version that's even cheaper. That one, with the tap, would set you back less than $20 all up and is better than the 30L for bulk priming.

bb 7.jpg

Yeah go a 25 Litre if you can ! Happy with my 20L but I've had a few batches that have pushed my limits! Should be right just doing kits and bits but.

 

[Crouch]

Bulk priming is definitely the way to go - just be sure to stir in your solution very slowly - more stirring up and down than round and round as oxygenation is not what you want once the wort is brewed out.

I've only bulk primed a few times, but I always added my sugar solution to the bucket first, then added the beer from primary on top using a long tube that curls around a little on the bottom of the bottling bucket. That helped mix things up without having to really mix with a spoon.

 

[Danwood]

Using a very flocculant yeast will help you in your endeavors.

WLP 007, for example, is a good option. I practically need a mattock to get it off the bottom of the FV, so a bit of movement during bottling shouldn't bother it too much.

 

[brettski]

Hmmm, I think an excusion to Bunnings is in my cards tomorrow. Thanks guys!

 

[pat86]

Yep, I've found cold crashing to be excellent at compacting the yeast cake. Much easier for bottling