How to Bottle Beer

Bottling your home brew is the last step which has to be completed before you'll finally have the opportunity to enjoy and drink your home brewed beer. The initial fermentation has to be totally finished. For ales this generally takes about 2 to 3 weeks. The airlock on the fermenter should have very infrequent, if any, bubbles passing through it. The beer will also begin to clear because the inactive yeast falls to the bottom of your fermenter.



To prepare your beer for bottling it will have to be primed. This method involves adding a limited amount of sugar to the completely fermented but uncarbonated beer. Even though the beer may look reasonably clear there is still an adequate amount of yeast present to consume the additional sugar. Once the primed beer is bottled it will undergo a small fermentation that will produce the carbonation. This method is generally known as bottle conditioning.



Bottling beer is a relatively basic procedure, but, it does require some preparation to get everything ready. There are multiple items of home brewing equipment needed for bottling beer. For the most part home brewing equipment kits come with all of these items except for the bottles.



Listed here are the things required for bottling beer:



- Bottles

- Priming Sugar

- Bottle Brush

- Bottle Caps and Capper

- Bottling Bucket with Spigot and Bottle Filler Attachment

- Additional 5 Gallon Plastic Bucket

- Racking Cane with Siphon Hose

- Cleaning Solution

- Sanitizing Solution



Here are a few more household items needed:



- Small Bowl or Container

- Saucepan

- Large Mixing Spoon (stainless steel or plastic)

- Rubber Gloves



You will have to have a sufficient quantity of bottles to hold all the beer you have brewed. The preferred type of bottles are brown glass ones that have standard tops (not the twist-off kind) which are going to accept a cap from the bottle capper. Green glass bottles are also ok; the idea is to keep light out of the bottle. Based upon the bottle size you will be required to do some basic calculations. A 5 gallon batch of beer is about 640 ounces; so if you’re using 12 ounce bottles you are going to need to have about 54. If you decide on 16 ounce bottles you are going to need 40 bottles. It's a good plan to have a few additional bottles in the event there is a problem or a slight miscalculation.



Yet again cleanliness is among the most important things. It is VERY important that all bottles are carefully cleaned before they can be sanitized, especially for those who are reusing bottles. One way to thoroughly clean the bottles is to soak them all in a cleaning solution and scrub them inside and outside using the bottle brush. Some good cleaning solutions are PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash), B-Brite and Easy Clean. You really should put on clean rubber gloves while you are cleaning and sanitizing. The solutions that you’ll be working with may cause skin irritation.



The following step will be to sanitize all of the bottling equipment and bottles. There are a number of sanitizers to pick from. Two of the common solutions are Star San, and 5-Star. Add the allocated amount of sanitizer to the bottling bucket and also to an additional 5 gallon bucket then simply fill each with water. Put all of your bottling equipment that will come in contact with the beer in the sanitizing solution within the bottling bucket. Make use of the additional bucket to soak your bottles. Put as many bottles that will fit in the sanitizing solution so that they're totally submerged. After the bottles have soaked in the sanitizing solution for the appropriate amount of time (read the sanitizer manufacturer’s instructions) remove and allow the bottles to drain. Continue doing this until all the bottles are sanitized. Empty the sanitizing solution from your bucket. Almost all the sanitizers are "no rinse" so you won't have to worry about rinsing all of your bottling equipment or bottles.



While your bottling equipment is soaking in the sanitizing solution you should make the priming solution. The most common choice for priming sugar is corn sugar. It's a simple sugar and will not have an impact on the taste of the beer. To do this step add 2 cups of water to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add ¾ cup of corn sugar and stir slowly until it is entirely dissolved. Put the lid on the saucepan and remove it from the burner.



Take the time to organize your bottling area. Make certain that all your bottling equipment is easy to access. Carefully place your fermenter on the countertop or table, try to prevent disturbing the sediment on the bottom. It's also a good idea to take a few notes. Document the date of the bottling and any other notable things about the beer. You may need to refer back to this information in the future.



Remove all the bottling equipment from the sanitizing solution in your bottling bucket and place it in the extra 5 gallon bucket. Then add a couple of gallons of the sanitizing solution from the bottling bucket just in case you might need it. Discard the remainder of the sanitizing solution from your bottling bucket and allow it to drain.



Okay let’s get going. Just remember everything that touches your beer needs to stay sanitary.



Gently pour the priming solution into the bottling bucket. It is ok if it's a bit warm. Use your recently sanitized racking cane and siphon hose to transfer the beer from the fermenter into the bottling bucket. Place the end of your siphon hose on the bottom of the bottling bucket. Take care not to allow the beer to splash during the course of the transfer, you should not add any additional oxygen to your beer at this stage. Remember to keep the intake of your racking cane above the sediment in your fermenter. You do not want the sediment in the bottling bucket. Once all your beer is in the bottling bucket lift it up on to the counter or table. Slowly stir it with a sanitized large spoon to ensure the priming solution is consistently blended in the beer.



Place the bottle caps in a bowl with some sanitizing solution. Attach the hose from your bottling wand to the spigot on the bottling bucket. Turn on the spigot. Don't do this unless you actually are using a bottling wand with a valve of its own.



Finally it is time for you to begin bottling the beer! The bottling wand has a convenient valve at the tip. To utilize it just simply push it against the bottom of your bottle and let it fill. Stop just short of overfilling and pull out the wand. This will result in a good fill height. The beer should be ¾ of an inch from the top. Place a sanitized cap on top of the bottle and utilize the capper to secure the cap. Many home brewers choose to place caps onto the full bottles and wait to cap a number of them at a time. Do whichever is easier for you or get somebody else to assist in capping the bottles.



When you finish capping, look at each individual bottle to ensure the cap is successfully sealed. After all of the bottles are filled they'll have to be rinsed off to remove any beer from the exterior. You'll want to also clean all of your bottle filling equipment. It is much easier to clean shortly after you're finished with it. Additionally cleaning your equipment right away will avoid many possible sanitation problems during future uses.



Now that you've bottled all of your beer it must have time to properly condition. The bottles should be stored upright in a place away from the light at a temperature range of 65 -75 F. This conditioning process will take at the very least 10 days. Preferably the bottles should be permitted to condition for 3-4 weeks.



Naturally you're going to be quite eager to drink your beer so after waiting 10 days cool down a bottle or two. When you open a bottle there should be the customary "hiss" when it is carbonated. Bottle conditioned beer is better enjoyed from a glass. Slowly pour it into a glass being sure to leave the sediment inside of the bottle. Have your very first taste! How is it? In the event that it's not very carbonated it requires more conditioning time. If it tastes good give yourself a pat on the back and enjoy your creation!



When you feel that your beer is adequately conditioned it should preferably be kept at cellar temp or in the fridge.





So you're thinking about home brewing beer? Click for more information regarding how to make your own beer. If you would like to learn more about how to bottle beer please visit my home brewing site.