bottling process question

[japaisley1]

Hello everyone.. Happy Wednesday!!

I was wondering how you bottle- the process, and what you use to siphon the wine from the fermenter/ carboy into your clean bottles.. Do you put the bottles in a big Tupperware and let the wine overflow? This is the part that I am not sure how its going to work.

I'm not sure what route I'm going to take at this point, but just looking for ideas. I want to know what I need to get my wine to the bottles. I have the tubes- I've already racked once.

thanks

Jenn

 

[Johnd]

I'm sure everyone has their own methods, my process is as follows:

1. clean and sanitize my bottles and have them sitting ready on a bottle tree
2. rack wine into a sanitized fermenting bucket with a spout on the bottom, mix in KMS as needed, I keep the lid on the bucket. I prefer to rack to a bucket so I don't have to worry about siphoning up sediment from the bottom of the carboy
3. attach sanitized 1/2" tubing to the bucket spout, sanitized bottling wand to the other end
4. open the spout and insert wand into each bottle, depressing the tab to release wine, filling nearly to the top. Allow the wine to flow gently at first so you don't aerate it, increasing the flow as the wine level gets above the wand tip
5. remove wand to the bottle opening and gently depress tab to fill to desired level
6. repeat until they're all full

If / when I have help, someone is corking for me as I fill each bottle. With a little practice, you can bottle a whole carboy without losing a drop.

Hope that helps!!!!

 

[richmke]

1) Rack to another carboy, and add 1/4 tsp K-meta. This ensures any sediment does not get stirred up in the bottling process.
2) I let it sit overnight to let the K-meta disperse a little.
3) Clean, rinse, sanitize bottles and bottling equipment. Use some type of device (bottle tree, fast rack) to let them drain for a few minutes.
4) I put the bottles on a 1/2 sheet baking pan, just in case of a spill.
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/half-size-aluminum-sheet-pan-2ct/132731.ip

5) Place carboy or bottling bucket at the appropriate height.
If you are using gravity to bottle, then you need a bottling wand, plastic carboy or bucket with a port. You can use the valve on the port to start/stop the flow. In those instances, you need the wine higher than the bottles.

If you use the All-in-one (which is what I use), you need the wine below the bottles.

In all cases, fill up to about the neck line. I prefer not to overflow the bottles.

Regarding the bottling wand: You can fill almost up to the top with the wand fully in the bottle. When you remove the wand, the wine will drop to about the right level. Or, when you get close to the top, pull out the wand. Then, press the wand against the inside neck of the bottle to drizzle out wine until you reach the right level.

 

[Boatboy24]

Do you have a bottling wand? If you are using gravity, it is a priceless (but very, very inexpensive) tool.

If using one, the best thing to do is put your bottles into some kind of container (a rimmed baking sheet is all I used to use). With the wand, you're not going to spill/drip much, unless you accidentally overflow a bottle. That will only happen if you're not paying attention.

This video is for beer, but the actual bottling itself is the same for wine.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4luWBe6W0MQ[/ame]

 

[japaisley1]

THANK YOU SO MUCH ALL!!

wonderful help... Now I know what I need. I'm going to get a bucket with a spout, then I should be all set. I do have a bottling wand but was unsure how it would work until I learned about the spout
I feel like I have already learned so much... but so much more to learn!

You guys are awesome!!!

thanks again!

 

[grapeman]

If you have an auto siphon, there is no need for a bucket even. Attach the bottle filler tube to the auto siphon hose. Put the auto siphon into the carboy and lift the plunger up. Insert the filler tube into a bottle and hold with one hand and depress the plunger of the auto siphon to get the flow going (remember to hold the little plunger tip on the filler down while doing this). Once the siphon begins proceed as the others say.

By the way you should rack the wine into a clean carboy or fermenter if there is any sediment on the bottom before beginning to fill the bottles.