Bottle Day This Weekend - Questions

[beer4myhorses]

I dry hopped in my primary. My racking tube does not seem to have a filter on it. What do you suggest on how to make sure the hops and the yeast/sediment does not get into my bottling bucket on bottling day? Is there anything clean i could wrap around my auto-siphon tube on the intake side? any other ideas?
Thanks!

[LocalBrewer]

If you have a staring bag or if you go get a paint strainer (fine mesh) you could sanitize that and then get a clamp and sanitize that as well. That should work as a good filter. The other option is to make sure that your siphon is a good 1/4 - 1/2 inch above your sedement. I would cold crash if you can for a couple days to make sure that all sedement falls out to the bottom. Not sure where you are located but if it is below 50 just put your fermenter in the garage for a couple days. If you are using a carboy take a towl and wrap it around it so it is prtected from light. Then move the fermenter carfully on botteling day and then let it sit for about 15 minutes so the stuff settles again. I hope this helped, good luck.

Cheers

[beer4myhorses]

What is a staring bag? Also are talking about a clip to fasten the bag or paint filter to the siphon tube end right where the sediment could come in? Also after I crash cool it will the hops pellets be on the bottom or dissentigratef anyway so no need to worry about a filter? Thank you

[LocalBrewer]

I meant straining bag (hop bag), sorry drunk typing. Yes a clamp to attach the strainer to siphon. If you crash cool most of the sedement including hops will fall out to the bottom. You could not use a filter just make sure that the siphon is above the sedement and not to close. You don't want to suck any of that stuff in. Also a good clearafier is gelatin.... Add some gelatin to the botteling bucket when you add the priming sugar.

One more question, are you kegging then botteling or are you botteling from the primary? If you are botteling from the primary I might suggest not crash cooling. You need that yeast that is in suspension to carbinate your beer. If you crash cool they will drop out and you might not get those yeast you need to carbinate. If that is the case then I would go with the filter over the siphon. Hope this helps.

Clamp
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/k ... -2-od.html

[beer4myhorses]

To bottle, I plan to move my beer from the primary to a bottling bucket, no keg involved. I am crash cooling as we speak. Should I bring it back in to 64F (quit crash cooling) until tomorrow, or leave it in the 45F garage?

Is there a special kind of geletin to get? Does it have to be the kind from the beer store, or does the grocery store have it? How much geletin to add?

Thanks for the tips!

[TheTodd]

If you're bottling from a bottling bucket, don't worry about it. Any trub that transfers over from your primary will sit below the spigot. Does your siphon have a cap on the bottom of it? They do a pretty good job of eliminating any excess. Good luck.

Edit: Just saw your question about crashing. Again, don't worry about it. Plenty of yeast will remain in suspension, even if cooled. Bottle it and let those bottles sit at room temp (65-70) and they should carbonate just fine as long as you use the proper amount of priming sugar.

Then, don't buy any more equipment until you are set up for kegging. You'll hear it over and over on the shows and it's true. You will enjoy making beer even more once you eliminate bottling day.

[andy77]

To bottle, I plan to move my beer from the primary to a bottling bucket, no keg involved. I am crash cooling as we speak. Should I bring it back in to 64F (quit crash cooling) until tomorrow, or leave it in the 45F garage?

Is there a special kind of geletin to get? Does it have to be the kind from the beer store, or does the grocery store have it? How much geletin to add?

Thanks for the tips!

Crash cooling is not required, but since you're already doing it don't bother bringing it back up to room temp. Just bottle and then store the bottles at room temp.

Gelatin is also not required. If you feel you have your plate full already, don't bother. If you want to fine with gelatin, use unflavored store bought gelatin (knox is the common brand name). Heat sterile water to 150, then throw a tbsp or so in, let dissolve (until it's clear), throw in the bottling bucket with your priming sugar and then bottle as normal.

But if you think you've got enough to deal with already, don't bother.

[beer4myhorses]

I just went and got my geletin and am leaving my beer at 50F until tomorrow. Can I dissolve the Ascorbic Acid, Dextrose and geletin all in the same solution. Then, add it to the bottling bucket and let the siphoning into the bottom mix it into the beer? Main question is do I need to do these as separate solutions, or can it be all at once?
Thanks