Hi All,
I recently got a starter brewing kit and my first brew is bubbling away nicely. In a couple of days I have to bottle it. My question is: I got a siphoning tube with the kit but the fermenting barrel also has a tap at the bottom; which should I use for tranferring the beer to bottles (and why?).
Also, if siphoning, what is the technique? do you ensure the bottom of the siphoning tube is just under the top of the beer in the barrel or near the bottom?
TIA for any advice.
Barry.
First, go read thru that section at:
Second, the vast majority of folks bottle by: 1. Boiling a small amount of water with their priming sugar. 2. Pouring that priming mixture into a "bottling bucket." 3. Transferring their beer into the bottling bucket (mixing their priming sugar and beer together.) This transfer is either via a spigot or siphon. 4. Bottling from the bottling bucket. If it has a spigot, use it, if not, use the siphon.
Another note... the bucket with spigot is usually the bottling bucket. A typical ferment might go like: * Put wort into primary fermenter (bottling bucket is ok) for about 2 weeks. * Transfer into secondary fermenter (often doesn't have a spigot), this will free up the bottling bucket. Also about 2 weeks. Secondary will allow the beer to clear a lot. * Siphon from secondary back into bottling bucket with priming solution. Bottle using the spigot. If you don't have two fermenters, you have to do things a little differently. Some folks actually bottle out of their primary and add individual doses of sugar to each bottle... but measurement is tricky that way and you'll get a lot of sediment into the bottles.
When I siphon, I attach the tube to a "racking cane" on the end for the source. I fill the tube and cane with water, then put the cane under the beer and let it flow into the empty bucket. The cane bottom can go down near the bottom of the source. Just don't suck up all the dregs in the bottom. Before I had a racking cane, I just used the tube without problems - the cane is just a little easier. There are also clips available that will hold that in place - and large paper clamps might work too.
The destination tube end should stay below the surface so that there isn't too much splashing.
Derric
It sounds as though it might expect you to just attach the tube to the spigot and let it go that way. Some plastic fermenters have spigots placed specifically above the sediment so it doesn't draw it in. I've never done it that way but....make sure the tube is at the bottom of the new bucket to avoid splashing.
I have done it that way because I didn't know any better. Unfortunately it draws in almost all of the suspended yeast. It might work a lot better if you were to attach a bazooka screen to the intake of the spigot.
Dick
Near the bottom, but out of the trub. Get an auto-siphon. It's a great thing:
I think this may come down to how you are going to add the priming sugar. If you intend to use the individual tabs per bottle, you can probably get away with bottling right out of your primary, but if you intend to boil up some sugar you should transfer your beer to a bottling bucket and add the priming sugar when the bucket is about 2" full, being careful as not to splash too much. I would also suggest getting a bottle filler "wand' (if one did not come w/your kit) that can attach to the end of the spigot using some tubing. It makes bottling really easy and a lot cleaner.
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