Homebrew Bottling Tips and Tricks

Bottling is the final step in the homebrew process; it’s the culmination of all your hard work and persistence. But if it’s not not done right, you could end up ruining an otherwise perfect batch of beer. Homebrewers must follow some particular guidelines when bottling their beer to ensure the flavors, consistency, carbonation and alcohol content are correct. For some helpful tips and tricks on how to bottle homebrew beer, keep reading.

Sanitize…. Everything!

One of the biggest mistakes first-time homebrewers make is using dirty equipment. Even if your equipment ‘appears’ clean, there’s a good chance that bacteria, mold and other microbes are lingering on the surface. Allowing these microscopic invaders to reach your beer could alter its flavor and quality. The good news is that you can prevent this from happening by sanitizing your equipment beforehand. Don’t just use soap and water, but instead use a sanitizing cleaning solution made specifically for homebrewing equipment. You can find this stuff available for sale online as well as various retail stores.

Siphoning

Some people transfer their homebrew directly into the bottles once it’s finished fermenting; however, siphoning it can help reduce unwanted sediments while ensuring proper alcohol content. Move your newly brewed beer into a temporary priming bucket and add your priming sugar. Next, connect a tube or hose which allows it to gradually transfer into a new bucket. Siphoning is beneficial for a number of reasons, so make sure you perform this step before bottling your homebrew beer.

Clean Your Bottles and Caps

Before moving your siphoned homebrew beer into bottles, you should clean both the bottles and caps with a sanitizing solution. One technique that some experienced homebrewers use for cleaning their bottle caps is boiling them on a stove. If you don’t have access to a sanitizing solution, of it you’re running low, place the bottle caps in a medium-sized pot of water and allow it to boil for about 5 minutes on the stove.

Use a Premium Bottle Capper

I can’t stress enough the importance of using a premium bottle capper. Sure, you can save a couple dollars by opting for one of the el-cheapo models, but unfortunately they won’t create the same air-proof hold as a premium model. Purchasing a good bottle capper is a smart investment that will pay off in the long run. The secure, air-tight hold it creates helps to prolong the life of your homebrew beer.