Bottling Day
I love bottling day. I’m excited to turn a bunch of empty bottles into delicious beer in just a couple hours.
Three weeks after brew day, I check the specific gravity and deem it ready for bottling. Here is an update on this ale, Fireside Chat:
- Style: winter warmer
- ABV: 7.6%,
- Original Gravity: 1.069,
- Final Gravity: 1.011
Kegs are easier, but I like bottles. I can store a variety of beers in the cellar. With kegs, I would be limited to just a few. And a bottled homebrew makes a great gift when visiting friends.
The 3 Bucket Bottle Cleanse
The first step sterilizes the bottles. Five plus gallons of wort minus the trub left behind have multiple siphons has become 4.5 gallons of ale. 4.5 gallons will fill more than 46 12-ounce bottles. I collect 50 bottles from storage, just so I don’t have to worry about being short a bottle. I fill my bottling bucket with sterilization solution (Iodophor) and move it to the back porch where I don’t have to worry about minor spells. Two other empty buckets sit on the counter for carrying washed bottles. Also, I sterilize my bottle tree by spraying it with some sanitizer stolen from the sanitizing bucket. After attaching the gooseneck bottle washer to the faucet, I begin the cleaning process.
First, I inspect each bottle for cracks, remains of labels and foreign objects. One time I had found a dead cricket in a bottle (Yuck). Using the gooseneck bottle washer, I flush out the bottle, then brush the inside of the bottle with a bottle brush, then flush again. The bottle goes in a bucket on the counter. Repeat 11 more times, filling a bucket.
I take the bucket full of bottles out to the porch and submerge the bottles in the sterilization solution, then leave the emptied bucket on the porch. I go back to the sink and wash another dozen bottles. The second bucket goes out to the porch. The now sterilized bottles are emptied and put into the empty bucket. The washed bottles are put into the sterilization bucket. I bring the sterilized bottles inside and let them drain on the sterilized bottle tree.
I do this dance until 50 bottles are washed and sterilized. At this point, I toss a case worth of bottle caps into the top of the bottle tree, along with some solution to sanitize them. The bottles can drip dry while I prep the sugar solution.
Priming sugar
The yeast has finished consuming sugars from the beer. I know this because the specific gravity has stabilized. Ironically, now we need to feed the yeast more sugar to carbonate the bottles. Standard 5-gallon recipes recommend using 1.25 cups of dry malt extract (DME), but I have found a more accurate priming sugar calculator at Northern Brewer, which accounts for temperature as well as amount and style of beer. It also provides many other sugar sources, like molasses, table sugar, honey, etc. Pretty cool!
The calculator suggests using 3/4 cup DME for 4.5 gallons of winter ale at 67 degrees F. I constantly stir 2 cups of boiling water with the DME for 10 minutes. I let it cool for a few minutes, then add the priming solution to the bottling bucket.
Now it’s time to siphon the beer into the bottling bucket, letting the siphon create a natural swirling motion. This ensures a good mix of sugar in your beer. The bottling bucket goes above the dishwasher. Don’t forget to capture the yeast from your secondary bucket. Put the yeast in a labeled mason jar and store in the refrigerator for another brew day.
Dishwasher Bottling
Years ago, a YouTube video suggested using your clean, empty dishwasher to bottle. I’ve used this trick ever since and passed it on to many homebrewers. Trust me, your kitchen floor will thank you. Open the dishwasher door and pull out the bottom tray so that it sits on the open door. Fill the rack with bottles facing up. Move the bottling bucket above the empty dishwasher. Attach a sterilized bottling wand to the buck and fill the bottles. It is best to have good lighting to see the liquid in the bottles. Once the bottles are full, move them to the counter.
Use a bottle capper to put the sanitized caps on the bottles. Try to sterilize only as many caps as you have bottles. Wet caps often rust. Here’s a tip: After capping, wipe off your bottles with a sponge and dry with a towel to remove any spilled beer.
Labels
I use whole milk (low-fat or skim does not work) as the adhesive for paper labels. It’s not a perfect solution, but they usually stay on unless submerged in water.
Ten More Days
It is difficult, but I must wait 10 more days before tasting. The bottles should sit in a warm place to allow carbonation. If it’s a delicious beer, I’ll submit it to MDHB for the Febrewary competition. Wish me luck!
Cheers!
Warren