The process of moving beer or wine in to bottles and sealing them for later consumption.
21
votes
11answers
2k views
Are there any tricks for removing labels from bottles?
Some labels can be a pain to remove. I've tried soaking bottles in water with a little bit of dish soap but it doesn't really do much to break down the adhesive. What methods do you have for easily ...
15
votes
5answers
4k views
Is there anyway to tell if a glass bottle of beer is carbonated without opening it?
It would be great if I didn't have to ruin a bottle of beer by opening it to test to see if it carbonated. Is there any way to tell?
12
votes
3answers
3k views
12
votes
2answers
404 views
Is a taste-test at bottling time indicative of the end result?
If I were to do a taste-test of the beer at racking/bottling time, how indicative of the end result would it be?
12
votes
1answer
727 views
Do Oxygen Absorbing Caps Make Any Difference
So, I was looking to refill my supply of bottle caps and ran across "Oxygen Absorbing" bottle caps. The implication is that their absorbency will reduce oxidation in the bottled beer. If you're ...
11
votes
6answers
2k views
[WIKI] Bottle Sanitizing Techniques - Pros & Cons
What are the pros and cons of each bottle sanitizing method? Let's look at time, equipment, quality of sanitation, and other factors.
Post one answer for each method. Edit the answers if you have ...
10
votes
3answers
497 views
Is there a way to use my kegging system to carbonate beer for bottling without a beer gun?
The only solutions I've found are expensive, and involved a pricey piece of equipment called a beer gun. Is there a way to carbonate my beer before bottling so I can ensure a good carbonation?
10
votes
3answers
11k views
Carbonation Drops vs. Sugar?
I'm brewing my very first batch with an actual kit (I've used Mr. Beer before with decent results and wanted to do it right).
I bought a recipe kit from Northern Brewer and I opted for the Cooper's ...
10
votes
10answers
1k views
Are there tools that can make the bottling process easier?
I found this to be the most difficult part during my first attempt at brewing. All I had was a tube and a racking cane. Is there anything else to simplify the process and prevent me from ending up ...
10
votes
3answers
1k views
Can I add some water before I bottle?
I'm in the final stages of my very first beer, which is a Belgian wit. Everything has gone great so far, and I will be bottling in just a few days. I have a pretty high alcohol content (around 8.2%, ...
9
votes
6answers
2k views
Reusing twist-off bottles
I've heard it said that twist-off bottles should be avoided when reusing bottles for homebrewing. I've also heard a few people saying they've used plenty of them with no ill effects. Given that (at ...
9
votes
3answers
3k views
Why my homebrewed lager beer bottles explode?
I started home-brewing lager beer last year. I am using ready-kits and the first three times it went quite well.
Now, with the latest, I had a very strange problem. A couple of weeks after I bottled ...
9
votes
7answers
734 views
Are bottle brushes necessary?
I've always bottled my beers (haven't invested in a kegging setup yet), and I've never once used a bottle brush. I simply soak my bottles in OxyClean to clean them, give them a shake, then rinse, ...
9
votes
3answers
906 views
Over-carbonating in the bottle
I've had a few batches get a little too carbonated in the bottle. Currently, I have a delicious stout that fills two glasses on pour, and needs some time to settle down. That is, of course, if you ...
9
votes
1answer
1k views
Massively Over-Carbonated Beer…What Do I Do?
Okay, so I made a mental error tonight when I was bottling and put 5 gallons worth of dried malt extract into 2 gallons of wort. I didn't realize the mistake until I had everything bottled. So now ...
9
votes
4answers
661 views
Permanent Bottle Labels
I'm considering making permanent labels for my bottles. I've had a friend create a label design with a blank banner in the center. My idea is to have the design printed on vinyl stickers and then ...
8
votes
5answers
2k views
Boiling bottle caps
I've always soaked my bottle caps in sanitizer before using, but a friend of mine suggested boiling (throw in the same pot with priming sugar) instead because the cooties can theoretically hide from ...
8
votes
2answers
4k views
Am I required to refrigerate bottles after bottling?
My instructions that came with my kit said that I should let the bottles sit for 3 days, then age in the fridge for 10 days. If I don't refrigerate, will I get bottle bombs?
Advice on forums and ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
Will force-carbonated beer remain carbonated if poured into a bottle and capped?
If I pour kegged beer into bottles and immediately cap them to take with me for the evening, will it remain well-carbonated?
8
votes
2answers
198 views
Competitions & Kegging
I keg my beer but I would like to enter some of it into competitions. I've bottled directly out of the tap, but carbonation suffers.
What would you do in this situation?
8
votes
3answers
370 views
Is there an optimal bottle size?
I am approaching bottling time for my "ordinary" bitter and was wondering, does bottle size (i.e. volume) have any appreciable effect on the final beer?
I have been working hard collecting ...
8
votes
5answers
923 views
How can I fill bottles from a keg and maintain pressure
I've been kegging for awhile now, but I still haven't managed to successfully fill bottles from my kegs without losing all pressure.
I don't have a counter pressure beer filler or a Blichmann Beer ...
8
votes
1answer
1k views
Can I keep mead/wine in stainless steel bottles?
So what do you use for bottling? I'm really starting to look into stainless steel bottles. There are companies that make them (with customized artwork, no less) for conference shwag but you could ...
8
votes
4answers
660 views
Is it safe to use swing-tops?
I just started brewing my first batch (yay!) and want to set up for bottling while I wait. My question is simple: Can I start using Swing-Tops like Grolsch to bottle my beer?
I've heard varying ...
7
votes
6answers
7k views
Using Grolsch “Premium Lager” bottles for bottling
In my first bottling, I decided I wanted to try using half normal reused glass bottles with new bottle caps and half reused Grolsch beer bottles.
Probably the worst part of the process was having to ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
Dry Hop Filtering and bottling
This is my first attempt at dry hopping. I added hop pellets directly into the secondary fermenter. They have been in for 1 week and many have settled to the bottom, however there is quite a bit ...
7
votes
2answers
461 views
What is the danger zone for overcarbonating and making bottle bombs?
Just curious how many volumes of CO2 most average beer bottles can hold. Is there a rough number where alarms should start going off?
Update -- I'm seeing in different carbonation calculators that ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Dry hopping without secondary fermentation
I have so far only done bottom-fermented beers without transferring into a second vessel for secondary fermentation. If I wanted to do some dry hopping with this technique, when is the best time to ...
7
votes
2answers
775 views
How do you avoid disturbing sediment when moving your fermenter to rack or bottle?
When it's time to rack or bottle, do you have to move your fermenter? For instance, my fermenters sit in the closet of my office room until it's time to rack or bottle, at which point I move them to ...
6
votes
5answers
2k views
How long do sanitized bottles keep?
If you sanitize a bunch of bottles and store them upside down on a tree or in a box (still upside down); how long can you store them like that before you feel the need to resanitize them?
Is there a ...
6
votes
2answers
359 views
Is my yeast dead?
I'm in the middle of bottling my stout right now. The OG was 1.070, and the gravity almost a month ago (11/24) was 1.024. I added 3/4 cup priming sugar in about 3 cups of water, and bottled about 20 ...
6
votes
2answers
3k views
No carbonation in the bottles?
Had to recap my bottles to fill the level up so I didn't have any explode on me. Now they have been sitting for 2 1/2 weeks. Opened one up and there is no carbonation.. is there a way to recarbonate ...
6
votes
2answers
540 views
How long is too long to condition a beer in secondary without having to pitch bottling yeast?
How long is too long to condition a beer in secondary without having to pitch bottling yeast?
What factors do I need to consider when deciding whether or not to pitch yeast at bottling?
6
votes
2answers
118 views
Old Brown “sour belgian”
I have an Belgian sour that has been in it's secondary for 18 months. With a terminal gravity of 1010 for over the last year, what is the best way to bottle condition this beer? New yeast? Blend?
6
votes
2answers
303 views
Getting custom beer crates in the US? [closed]
I'm about to embark on my first journey to home brewed beer, but as a German, there is one critical ingredient that makes a beer a beer: A Beer Crate, or Bierkasten as we call it:
However, I have ...
5
votes
3answers
321 views
Can I aerate again before bottling?
I have a Dunkelweizen from a Northern Brewer all-grain kit that I brewed and pitched 2 weeks ago. I have one problem, I forgot to aerate before I pitched the yeast. I'm concerned that the yeast will ...
5
votes
4answers
1k views
Can a twist-off bottle be capped?
Out of curiosity (and appreciation for Boulevard's bottle's form-factor), can a twist-off bottle be reliably capped?
5
votes
5answers
4k views
Under-carbonated bottled beer
I just opened up a couple bottles of a brown ale I just brewed, and there is much less carbonation then I had hoped. The beer was in the primary for a week, secondary for 3 weeks, then primed and ...
5
votes
2answers
139 views
How to get rid of gas from mead?
I have brewed 5L of mead (1 part honey to 3 parts water). After 9 months I can no longer see any sedimentation in the bottle, however when I taste the mead I can feel it's a little sparkling (besides ...
5
votes
1answer
194 views
Emptying bottles into a keg
I have about 3 gallons worth of IPA that are sitting in bottles. I just got a new 5 gallon keg and I really want to use it. Would it be a good idea to empty my bottles into the keg or is this ...
5
votes
4answers
411 views
Can I top off my batch at bottling time with water?
I noticed my batch in the secondary looks short of 5 gallons, can I top it off with water when I bottle?
5
votes
3answers
388 views
Best Crown Capper
Just capped my first batch of beer (Wohoo!).
When I invested in my equipment though, I think I was a bit too frugal with my capping tool - I have a hammer on crown capper. It seems to have done the ...
5
votes
3answers
552 views
How can I make sure my bottle cap is sealed tightly?
I have concerns over why our beers are not carbonating properly. One suggestion was to check and make sure the bottles are sealed properly. What might be a good way to do this?
5
votes
4answers
521 views
Can a little human spit spoil fermented beer?
The other day, I was with my friend getting ready to bottle a batch of modified cream ale (our second homebrew so far). We were using an auto-siphon to transfer beer from fermenter to the bottling ...
5
votes
4answers
474 views
What about corking beer?
I'd like to start corking some of my more delicate brews. Is there a reason to switch to corking? Certain styles?
And, is it difficult/recommended for a small setup?
Thanks.
5
votes
1answer
185 views
Should Priming Sugar Solution Have Minimal Oxygen?
When I bottle, I follow the typical step of boiling some water, adding bottling sugar, letting it cool, and adding it to the beer that's done fermenting (but still of course has live yeast floating ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
What is the white film on my beer in my bottles?
I brewed a double batch of IPA with a buddy about 8 weeks ago.
We split this into two 5 gallon pails and 2 weeks later into two carboys. His was fine, but mine developed a bit of white stuff on ...
5
votes
1answer
217 views
Priming and bottling for a first timer
It's been about ten days since I started fermenting my beer, and it didn't create bubbles in the air lock until day two or three. The air lock is still bubbling, should I begin priming and bottling? ...
5
votes
1answer
173 views
Do you strain break material from DME boiled for priming?
When you prime with DME, there is a bit of break material formed when you boil the DME. How to brew mentions this, but doesn't say what to do about it or if you should care. Do you strain this ...
5
votes
2answers
269 views
bottle filling without a rapid bottler
I'm about to bottle my first coopers home brew and i dont have a rapid bottler. Can I pour it straight from the tap or will I have problems?
