Bottling Process

The process starts with washed bottles, I didn't bother to photograph this part.  I use OxiClean Free for cleaning the bottles as it lifts out any dried on junk and old labels really easily.  And it doesn't leave a residue behind to affect the beer.

 Bottling Tree and Vinator setup and sanitized with a spray bottle filled with Star-San solution.  I spray down the outside of the bottling wand during this step, by placing it in front of the tree when I sanitize it, saving a step.  Then sanitize the inside of the wand.

 Spigot gets sanitized with a cotton swab dipped in Star-San solution, then the wand carefully attached.  Need to avoid putting too much stress on the spigot as I've read online they are prone to breaking at the base of the threads.  Mr. Beer and Brew Demon use the same supplier for the spigots, so it isn't a vendor specific problem.

 Bottles have been sanitized inside using two pumps each on the Vinator and are placed on the bottle tree to drain.  The Vinator gets the inside of the bottles on the down pump and gets the rim and outside area where the cap crimps on the release.  A great time saver and both accessories are highly recommended to make bottling easier!

  Line up the bottles 6 at a time to receive priming sugar.  This sugar will be consumed by the yeast providing the carbonation for the beer.  The funnel and the measuring spoon have been sanitized then dried so the sugar won't stick or clump in either, which would throw off the measurement leading to inconsistent carbonation.  Each 12 oz bottle gets 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.  This is less than the guidelines from Mr. Beer and Brew Demon, both of which lead to over carbonation.

Even using the conical fermenter, it is possible to get trub in the bottles.  Using a slower fill rate will minimize this.  If I had space in the fridge that would accommodate this (with the attached air lock) that might help move the trub that settles near the spigot.  It will settle out when the bottle is put in the fridge before drinking, so it isn't a concern.

 Filled bottle, just about to be capped using the Super Agata bottler.

 Another bottle just after capping, and the finished batch of beer to the right.  Got 21 bottles out of this one, which is just about where it should be.

Not the prettiest picture, but this is what remains in the fermenter after bottling.  There is a bit of beer left that can't be bottled, under that is the trub, or sediment and dead yeast from fermentation.  Along the walls is some trub that clung to the sides and some krausen (foam) which was produced during fermentation.  This all has to be thoroughly cleaned out to prevent any infections in the next batch of beer.

Here's a close up photo that shows the trub at the bottom of the conical and some accumulated around the spigot.  The conical does a good job of getting most of it away from the spigot and leaves a very small surface area exposed to the beer.  I'll starting to elevate the front for future batches trying to further reduce the amount near the spigot so I can fill the bottles faster.

A small sample drawn from what was left in the bottling wand.  Tasted like warm, flat beer, with a hint of a cidery (dry) after taste.  This will condition out and should be ready for Cinco De Mayo.