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priming and bottling...

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JeffPorter
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priming and bottling...

Post by JeffPorter »

I'm bottling tomorrow, just want be sure I do the best thing....

Right now I have the beer in my bucket and an empty carboy. Should I:

a) rack to the carboy and prime from there and bottle from there or

b) rack to the carboy, clean and sanitize my bucket, return beer to the bucket with priming sugar and bottle from there?

Or does it not matter? I think Randy recommended option "b" if I recall...but should I be concerned with oxidizing the beer with two transfers?

Good news is I got my hand on a bunch of brown flip tops (for free!) and I MAY not need to buy a capper right now with the other ones I've been saving.. :D
"What can you say about Pabst Blue Ribbon that Dennis Hopper hasn’t screamed in the middle of an ether binge?" - Jordan St. John
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iguenard
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Post by iguenard »

I do "b" and try to limit splashing to avoid oxidation. Make sure you keep a bit of yeast to ensure they referment properly.
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markaberrant
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Post by markaberrant »

What is the point of transferring twice?

There will be plenty of yeast still in suspension.
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JeffPorter
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Post by JeffPorter »

markaberrant wrote:What is the point of transferring twice?

There will be plenty of yeast still in suspension.
This is what I asked Randy about today at the store...he said I should have racked to the carboy this week, but saw no reason why I couldnt prime and bottle from the car boy...

One other thing...the proprietor who donated the flip tops was very generous, but they are actually grolsch bottles...I dont really care about the aesthetics of it, but is the green enough light protection...would the grolsch bottles be ok for now...

One final note about bottling: Some of you may have noticed, but Muskoka changed the seasonal bottle look: Harvert Ale now has that easy peel off clear label that Mad Tom has...great for nice looking bottles I suspect...

Cheers, guys, and thanks again...
"What can you say about Pabst Blue Ribbon that Dennis Hopper hasn’t screamed in the middle of an ether binge?" - Jordan St. John
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iguenard
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Post by iguenard »

I find it easier to work out of a bucket than a small opening as in a carboy. Makes it easier to stir in the priming sugars and leave as much trub behind.

Not much difference really.

Edit: to clarify, I ferment in steel, secondary is a carboy/Demi-John and bottle from a bucket. When I don't have a lot fermenting, I transfer to secondary steel and bottle from it also since it's easier to pitch, stir and throw stuff in a steel fermenter.

But they are a pain to clean and sanitize, so the earlier tends to be the norm.
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iguenard
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Post by iguenard »

Brown is better than green which is better than clear. I think your Mad Tom bottles are the way to go. If you enjoy the flip tops, plenty of german breweries use 500ml brown flip tops. I am sure you can find some floating around.
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JeffPorter
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Post by JeffPorter »

Thanks Ian - I do have a few brown flips and I'll start collecting them, but I brought a beginning two handed capper today and it's probably not a bad idea to go through the steps of capping...labour of love I suppose...If I need extra bottles I'll use the green grolschs and just make sure I store them in the dark...
"What can you say about Pabst Blue Ribbon that Dennis Hopper hasn’t screamed in the middle of an ether binge?" - Jordan St. John
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Tapsucker
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Post by Tapsucker »

Don't worry Jeff. Cleaning bottles and filling properly (consistently) are far bigger pains than capping!
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Tapsucker
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Post by Tapsucker »

Oh, and don't worry about the green bottles, just keep them in a dark place as you should with any beer. The glass only becomes an issue in retailing where product is left out in the light for long periods of time. Proper storage negates the issue.
Brands are for cattle.
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The herd will consume until consumed.
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JeffPorter
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Post by JeffPorter »

That's a good point, really...I'll either have the bottles in a box in my crawl space or in my fridge when they're ready to drink...
"What can you say about Pabst Blue Ribbon that Dennis Hopper hasn’t screamed in the middle of an ether binge?" - Jordan St. John
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icemachine
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Post by icemachine »

I still use Grolsch bottles, but I'm phasing them out in favour of the narrower 500ml flip tops. Loving the Hacker Pschorr in them, definitely worth the 50 cent premium they added
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Hamilton Brian
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Post by Hamilton Brian »

Yeah, I just noticed the HP flip tops yesterday; worth collecting a few if that's what people like to bottle in.


Too bad the OP's kit didn't come with a dedicated bottling bucket. Much easier with the spigot to control flow and as someone further up said, easier to prime with the large opening.
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