craigm21 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Commonwealth greetings from Canada. A few days ago I bottled my first batch from my Christmas Coopers DIY kit. Great kit, great product, lots of knowledge to gain. Upon bottling it became apparant that the spigot sits pretty high off the bottom, it's great that it clears the sediment but it seems to leave alot of liquid (1-2 bottles worth, or so). I ended up tipping the fermentor but that last bottle got a special tag on it because I think it may not be representative of the entire batch. Anyways, do other brewers just forego that last bit of beer? Do you add a little extra water to compensate? I know some drain into a bottling bucket but it seems like I could have just bought a cheapy primary fermentor to do that, so I'd like to bottle directly from primary. I've also thought of stickign a piece of tubing in there and having it point down a little further, so it pulls a bit more beer out. Help is appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Just tilt it like you did to get the most out. If you get a little extra sediment in the last couple of bottles then it will settle out in the bottle over time. You can always mark them like you did and use them as your early testers. And Welcome to the Forum Craig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigm21 Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Sounds good, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Eh!L Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Where are you from, Craig? Welcome to the Forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigm21 Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Currently residing in Sault Ste Marie Ontario, twin sister City with Sault Sainte Marie Michigan. Prior to that I spent 4 years in Williams Lake BC and 1 year in Kamloops, so sort of near you. I loved living in Kamloops, we lived in the Aberdeen section and the sunsets there were amazing, great city, friendly people, like a postcard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest1525228310 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Commonwealth greetings from Canada. Anyways, do other brewers just forego that last bit of beer? Do you add a little extra water to compensate? I know some drain into a bottling bucket but it seems like I could have just bought a cheapy primary fermentor to do that, so I'd like to bottle directly from primary. I've also thought of stickign a piece of tubing in there and having it point down a little further, so it pulls a bit more beer out. Help is appreciated. Hi Craig Welcome mate. I passed through Sault Ste Marie in 1969 and nearly froze my butt off. Worked in Toronto for a year. Canadians are lovely people but that country is too damn cold and I could never come to grips with people shaking salt in their glass of beer. You mentioned bottling buckets and I would not discount that path. If you are bottling direct from primary then I guess you are using carbonation drops in the bottles. Many brewers including myself prefer to bulk prime using dextrose. The beer is transfered to the bottling bucket which has the priming solution added. This method has some advantages particularly if you are using an assortment of different size bottles. Do not add water to compensate for loss and take care about aerating (getting O2 into the beer) during priming and bottling. Sometimes it is best to lose a little than stir up the trub on the bottom of the fermentation vessel(FV). I was greedy a couple of days ago bottling a beer to which I had added coriander during the boil. A couple of seeds found their way into the FV and ended up finding their way into the tap which made life damn difficult when draining the FV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewtownClown Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Tilt and drain - because I am a tight arse. Don't become overly paranoid about oxidation at bottling time because the yeasties wake up to consume the priming sugars and will utilise the O2 during the process Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigm21 Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share Posted January 21, 2013 THanks for the input, probably just need to be patient and get more brews under my belt. John, not much has changed since you've been thru here, the past 3 days we've been getting pounded by snow and very cold temps. THanks for the help everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamH1525226084 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Just tilt it like you did to get the most out. If you get a little extra sediment in the last couple of bottles then it will settle out in the bottle over time. You can always mark them like you did and use them as your early testers. And Welcome to the Forum Craig. I do it exactly as Hairy said. Wilkommen Craig [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordEoin Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Same. i just tilt and get as much out as I can. If i'm bulk priming what little yeast gets through the tap will be evenly redistributed. welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest1525228310 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Tilt and drain - because I am a tight arse. Don't become overly paranoid about oxidation at bottling time because the yeasties wake up to consume the priming sugars and will utilise the O2 during the process While I agree with NewtownClown we should not become overly paranoid about oxidation (or anything really) it is probably advisable to point out to newcomers to brewing the generally accepted importance of oxygen throughout the whole process. Sometimes Oxygen is good and sometimes it is harmful to the beer. You want to add oxygen to the wort for yeast growth as you put it into the fermenter. Once primary fermentation is finished it is generally all bad. Hence without getting paranoid we should do as much as is reasonable to reduce oxidation. If it is bad enough you may get a "wet cardboard" or "sherry" flavor. However, the real problem with oxidation is long-term stability. If you plan to drink your beer soon, it probably does not matter much. If you plan to store it for a while then staling reactions that will create these off-flavors are more likely to be experienced. One time that we really needs to avoid aeration (which leads to oxidation) is when bottling or kegging. Over the years I have seen some carefree bottling techniques such as pouring beer into bottles through a funnel, not using a bottling wand and just sticking a tube into the top of the bottle and squeezing it when it was full, and pouring beer from bottle to bottle. I know those beers where consumed and the people concerned bragged about how good their beer was. To give our beer the best start in life we should avoid paranoia, use common sense by avoiding aeration at bottling/kegging time, and storing the beer cold once it has had enough time to condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Tilt and drain - because I am a tight arse. Don't become overly paranoid about oxidation at bottling time because the yeasties wake up to consume the priming sugars and will utilise the O2 during the process I too am a dead set tight arse and get EVERY drop out of the FV. I put a phone book under the rear part of the FV to tilt it and then manually tip it for the last couple of bottles (the last one normally has a fair bit of trubby slurry in it) I never label or mark the last bottle and condition it as i do all the rest and i can never remember tasting one that was different. I always give mine a week in the fridge before drinking then, and thats after about a month in secondary. Any extra sediment in the last few bottles just settle out like normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigm21 Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share Posted January 21, 2013 Great forum, thanks for all the great words of wisdom. John, I like how you summed it up. I'm definitely looking to maintain as much simplicty as possible (within reason anyways) and I'm trying ot avoid the mentality of "I have to buy this" and "I have to buy that" in order to make good beer. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Tilt and drain - because I am a tight arse. Don't become overly paranoid about oxidation at bottling time because the yeasties wake up to consume the priming sugars and will utilise the O2 during the process While I agree with NewtownClown we should not become overly paranoid about oxidation (or anything really) it is probably advisable to point out to newcomers to brewing the generally accepted importance of oxygen throughout the whole process. Sometimes Oxygen is good and sometimes it is harmful to the beer. You want to add oxygen to the wort for yeast growth as you put it into the fermenter. Once primary fermentation is finished it is generally all bad. Hence without getting paranoid we should do as much as is reasonable to reduce oxidation. If it is bad enough you may get a "wet cardboard" or "sherry" flavor. However, the real problem with oxidation is long-term stability. If you plan to drink your beer soon, it probably does not matter much. If you plan to store it for a while then staling reactions that will create these off-flavors are more likely to be experienced. One time that we really needs to avoid aeration (which leads to oxidation) is when bottling or kegging. Over the years I have seen some carefree bottling techniques such as pouring beer into bottles through a funnel, not using a bottling wand and just sticking a tube into the top of the bottle and squeezing it when it was full, and pouring beer from bottle to bottle. I know those beers where consumed and the people concerned bragged about how good their beer was. To give our beer the best start in life we should avoid paranoia, use common sense by avoiding aeration at bottling/kegging time, and storing the beer cold once it has had enough time to condition. i used to use a length of surgical tube to bottle my beer..i now have a bottling wand..and the thing that totally annoys the crap out of me is the end of the wand comes off a couple of times during bottling leaving me with a whole mess to clean up...any suggestions how to keep the wand together???minor hassle i know but not minor in the aggravation department. cheers Ned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Eh!L Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Hey Craig, I grew up in the Soo from ages 7-12. We spent a lot of time as a family boating on St. Mary's river and Lake Superior. I was born in Wawa 227Km north up the lake. My brother still lives there. I bulk prime and highly recommend it. Try and move to this technique as soon as possible. When I am bottling I tip the bucket until I complete fill the last bottle possible then I fill a glass with the remainder as a sampler of what the beer will become. Mind you there is no trub and very little hopmatter in the BB if you bulk prime. I hope that you will continue your posts and brewing habit. I need all the Canadian support I can get around here![biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Eh!L Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 i used to use a length of surgical tube to bottle my beer..i now have a bottling wand..and the thing that totally annoys the crap out of me is the end of the wand comes off a couple of times during bottling leaving me with a whole mess to clean up...any suggestions how to keep the wand together???minor hassle i know but not minor in the aggravation department. cheers Ned Hey Ned, Try a dab of crazy glue on the wand. I'll never come off again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Hey Craig, I grew up in the Soo from ages 7-12. We spent a lot of time as a family boating on St. Mary's river and Lake Superior. I was born in Wawa 227Km north up the lake. My brother still lives there. I bulk prime and highly recommend it. Try and move to this technique as soon as possible. When I am bottling I tip the bucket until I complete fill the last bottle possible then I fill a glass with the remainder as a sampler of what the beer will become. Mind you there is no trub and very little hopmatter in the BB if you bulk prime. I hope that you will continue your posts and brewing habit. I need all the Canadian support I can get around here![biggrin] regards trhe canadians..last nite i watched the montreal comedy festival on tv...i had a couple of chuckles thinking bout you lot....shows ya how sad life has become. lol cheerrs Ned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest1525228310 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 have a bottling wand..and the thing that totally annoys the crap out of me is the end of the wand comes off a couple of times during bottling leaving me with a whole mess to clean up...any suggestions how to keep the wand together???minor hassle i know but not minor in the aggravation department. cheers Ned Had one with same problem Ned and know what you are feeling - it went in the s/can. I have one (smaller diameter) that I picked up and it is a ripper never leaks a drop. Guess if you superglue yours together you could have sanitation concerns as you will not be able to pull apart to clean. Probably be fine if you clean immediately after bottling, soak it in starsan and run starsan through it before using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 have a bottling wand..and the thing that totally annoys the crap out of me is the end of the wand comes off a couple of times during bottling leaving me with a whole mess to clean up...any suggestions how to keep the wand together???minor hassle i know but not minor in the aggravation department. cheers Ned Had one with same problem Ned and know what you are feeling - it went in the s/can. I have one (smaller diameter) that I picked up and it is a ripper never leaks a drop. Guess if you superglue yours together you could have sanitation concerns as you will not be able to pull apart to clean. Probably be fine if you clean immediately after bottling, soak it in starsan and run starsan through it before using. i was thinking that same thing John....i might actually do that ......it p....d me off no end...one tip of wand went into bottle and was hell to get out the other just shot off on the laundry floor...swmbo won her case against me bottling in the kitchen that nite.lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 one tip of wand went into bottle and was hell to get out the other just shot off on the laundry floor You must have been giving your wand a hell of a work out that night Ned, i've never had that problem, but i do find my wand can drip a bit sometimes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 one tip of wand went into bottle and was hell to get out the other just shot off on the laundry floor You must have been giving your wand a hell of a work out that night Ned, i've never had that problem, but i do find my wand can drip a bit sometimes the original wand just leaks like hell...i bought another one...frkn hopeless and feell off twice......one just dropped of the stem ..the other the head came apart...great nite that one......ive never used them before..i like the idea of them heaps but that part caused me some shit...plus mopping up the bloody laundry lol grrrrrrr maybe i should just seek out a genuine coopers one?? they all seem the same though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 the head came apart...great nite that one... It sounds like one to remember mate[lol] I've been having a shitty day at work Ned, but you have just brightened it up a bit[biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 the head came apart...great nite that one... It sounds like one to remember mate[lol] I've been having a **** day at work Ned, but you have just brightened it up a bit[biggrin] you tell those customer service whingers to stop interfering with our fo[lol] [lol] rum thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 you tell those customer service whingers to stop interfering with our fo[lol] [lol] rum thankyou I try telling them to go away, but they wont listen Nedster!![devil] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 you tell those customer service whingers to stop interfering with our fo[lol] [lol] rum thankyou I try telling them to go away, but they wont listen Nedster!![devil] well give me a job...i got plenty to say to them lol[w00t] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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