Questions tagged [bottling]
The process of moving beer or wine in to bottles and sealing them for later consumption.
321
questions
42
votes
22
answers
30k
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 ...
- 2,169
27
votes
5
answers
93k
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 ...
- 1,035
23
votes
7
answers
37k
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?
- 1,724
22
votes
6
answers
32k
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 ...
20
votes
13
answers
57k
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 ...
- 661
18
votes
3
answers
20k
views
16
votes
10
answers
7k
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 ...
15
votes
1
answer
3k
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 ...
- 1,544
13
votes
2
answers
3k
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?
- 345
12
votes
6
answers
14k
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 ...
- 36.2k
12
votes
3
answers
6k
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%, ...
- 223
12
votes
5
answers
6k
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 ...
- 4,160
11
votes
3
answers
1k
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?
- 368
11
votes
6
answers
24k
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 ...
- 2,882
11
votes
3
answers
6k
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 ...
- 245
11
votes
5
answers
7k
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 ...
- 874
11
votes
7
answers
2k
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, ...
- 4,130
11
votes
4
answers
4k
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?
- 6,433
10
votes
10
answers
42k
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 ...
- 738
10
votes
3
answers
2k
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 ...
- 5,170
10
votes
2
answers
346
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?
- 9,705
10
votes
6
answers
12k
views
How long should a carbonated bottle be refrigerated prior to drinking?
After I bottle my beers, I leave them on a shelving system to carbonate. Instead of throwing them all into the fridge, I just leave them on the shelves and move them individually into the fridge the ...
- 3,857
10
votes
4
answers
4k
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 ...
- 111
10
votes
4
answers
2k
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 ...
- 804
9
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Swing-top bottles leaking carbonation
I purchased a 12 pack of swing-top bottles at a decent price. I only now noticed that over time as I drank through the batch, the bottles were less and less carbonated, ranging from perfect ...
- 355
9
votes
1
answer
2k
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 ...
- 760
9
votes
3
answers
2k
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 pint-...
- 2,144
9
votes
1
answer
11k
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 ...
- 185
9
votes
2
answers
2k
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 ...
- 674
8
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Life expectancy of swing-top bottles
I started brewing less than a year ago. In that time I've acquired about 60 swing top bottles, and filled about 200, I estimate I've filled each bottle less than 5 times. The last batches I made were ...
8
votes
4
answers
21k
views
How full can I fill my bottles?
My first few batches of beer have come out quite undercarbonated. I believe because I've been quite cautious about how far I fill my bottles up. This comment backs up my theory.
How can I determine ...
- 3,077
8
votes
4
answers
11k
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 ...
- 300
8
votes
2
answers
999
views
Sanitize the bottle capper?
When bottling, is it wise to dunk the bottle capper in sanitizing solution or is that overkill?
- 302
8
votes
6
answers
3k
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.
- 1,917
8
votes
2
answers
913
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 ...
- 1,522
8
votes
2
answers
4k
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 ...
- 6,433
7
votes
6
answers
33k
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 ...
Jason
7
votes
3
answers
8k
views
Is it possible to cork screw-top wine bottles?
Do normal corks and normal corkers work with them? Is there a greater risk of breaking the neck of the bottle during corking?
- 2,166
7
votes
3
answers
1k
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 ...
- 287
7
votes
4
answers
1k
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?
- 809
7
votes
2
answers
11k
views
in depth cleaning glass bottles
I realise there is a tonne of information about cleaning on the net already, but I am just about to bottle my first batch of glass bottles and wanted to put my process out there to make sure I haven't ...
- 239
7
votes
2
answers
229
views
Homebrewing Soda, Safety Concerns
I wanted to try making my own soda this summer, and finally got around to it 10 days ago. Here's the thing. I didn't have/use any specialized equipment. I boiled water with sugar ~15 minutes, and ...
- 73
7
votes
2
answers
7k
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 ...
- 301
7
votes
2
answers
775
views
What are the steps in recapping overcarbonated beer?
What are the steps involved in recapping a bottle of beer for any reason (e.g. if too much priming sugar is added, if a cap appears to be defective or failing, etc)?
- 1,522
7
votes
2
answers
957
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?
- 4,091
7
votes
1
answer
700
views
Is this a bottle bomb waiting to happen?
Planning a strong & sweet Belgian style ale, I expected OG to be as high as 1.096. Because of my extremely amateur setup, I used two pots instead of one big one for the boil (between them both I ...
- 247
7
votes
2
answers
1k
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 not ...
- 789
6
votes
4
answers
16k
views
Sanitizing bottles with StarSan
I just brewed a trappist style ale and I am ready to bottle it. I am a meticulous sanitizer. Just a question though. I have always filled my buckets/carboys with 5 gallons of star sans solution to ...
- 695
6
votes
2
answers
20k
views
How many ounces of beer are in the typical 12oz bottle?
Assuming that a "12 oz bottle" means that the bottle filled to the brim holds 12 ounces then how many ounces do most breweries put in a bottle?
Does the difference between the bottle size and actual ...
- 1,522
6
votes
7
answers
770
views
How can I get more consistent carbonation in bottles?
Some of my bottles usually turn out over carbonated, and some turn out under carbonated. Is there a good technique to get consistent carbonation? I imagine it is a function of both evenly distributed ...
- 225