First one in the bottle!

[bovinewines]

Well...I got through filtering and bottling this evening. Lots learned along the way. Eventually I'll get all this stuff stream lined.




Thought I'd share a few pics. Labels are currently being designed so those will go on later.


Here's the prep of the bottles....and the winemaker's assistant!

Sanitizing

Bottling

 

[Coaster]

Nice work, I like the blue bottles.
Just wanted to mention that you can fill bottles right from the spigot off that fermentation bucket. Towards the end, a second set of hands is really helpful but I've done it solo that way a few times myself (eventually, pouring it in with a small funnel at the very end).






I've never used a filling wand (I think that is what you have) so not sure if one way is better than another

.

 

[bovinewines]

This was the first time I've ever bottled and I have to say, I actually like the wand....I feel like I have more control on filling the bottle to just the right height every time.

 

[Wade E]

Use the spigot with the wand and lose the racking cane and you wont have to siphon. Its much easier and 1 less thing to clean. Love the Cobalt bottles.

 

[bovinewines]

Our struggle was that the tube size for the spigot was different from what I needed with the wand.
Unless there are "adapters" I'm thinking a trip to home depot may be in order to build some adapters to move from one size tubing to another....


I'm still builing up my reserve of wine bottles which is why I "splurged" for the cobolt. Thought that would be appropriate for a Riesling anyway....


If I had only know 10 years ago I'd being doing this now I would have had a very nice bottle collection!

 

[Dean]

LOVE the blue hock bottles! Very chic! Is this a Riesling?

Edit: just saw it's a Riesling....great choice!Edited by: Dean

 

[Dean]

ps: My "assistants" are just as bad. They always want to be around where they are not supposed to be! Cats!

 

[Waldo]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us Bovine. Great job on the bottling. One recommendation I would strongly recommend is to to get you a Vinator. They make bottle cleaning and sanitgizing a breeze.
http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=4818

 

[rgecaprock]

Bovine,


Your blue bottles are beautiful. I might just use them for my Christmas Riesling my self. Your cat is beautiful, the coloring....
what kind is it . Take a picture of his face. Nice Job bottling. Do you have a label??
Ramona

 

[bovinewines]

Thanks Dean...I thought the blue would be nice.


Once I get my labels done I'll post an "official" picture.

 

[bovinewines]

Thanks Romona...yeah..I would recommend the bottles for your Christmas Riesling...I think you'd have a lot of folks "doubly" happy!

I have the labels designed...I have to order the particular labels I'm going to use. Hopefully I can post those in the next couple of weeks.


The "cellar rat" helping me is my blue-eyed chocolate boy, Tawney (yes...as in Port!).


He's actually a rescue...but he's all siamese...all 16lbs of him!

Edited by: bovinewines

 

[dfwwino]

I looked at your cat and could not help but chuckle. Is anyone a fan of The Office. It made me think of Dwight's idea of euthanizing his girlfriend's cat by placing the cat in the freezer. Angela, the GF, discovered his duplicity when she saw claw marks all over her bag of frozen tofu.

OK. So I have a sick sense of humor. And I'm not suggesting your cat is anything but lovely. But the Office is just off the wall.


My wife is out of town tonight and she warned me that she better not find her dogs in the freezer.



Edited by: dfwwino

 

[bovinewines]

No worries DFW....I too have that "sick and twisted" sense of humor myself...

I haven't seen The Office...but what I know if it...I would probably love it.

 

[PeterZ]

Bovinewines, I think you have the right setup for bottling. I, too, bottle in the kitchen, but it never occured to me to bottle on top of a primary or other bucket. I had been putting the bottles on the floor, and by the end of a bottling session my thighs were killing me. Since I am building a nice collection of MM All Juice buckets, that will be my new bottling station.

 

[bovinewines]

Wish I could take all the credit for that...but in fact a friend of mine (who happens to be an engineer) came up with the idea. It was the perfect hight for me...I could easily see the level in the bottle and adjust as necessary...

 

[Wade E]

Beautiful cat Bovine. We to have a 16lb cat named Chub. He doesnt know that he is this big when he jumps off the dresser onto us in the bed.

 

[PolishWineP]

Wish I could take all the credit for that...but in fact a friend of mine (who happens to be an engineer) came up with the idea. It was the perfect hight for me...I could easily see the level in the bottle and adjust as necessary...

We put a chair on the table and the carboy on the chair. Lots of lifting. Another option for your counter would be 2 chairs. 1 for you to sit upon and another for the bottle. No standing!

 

[bovinewines]

Thanks Wade..yeah..the big ones always thing they're tiny!

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Congrats on the first one in the bottle...now your hooked for life!

 

[bovinewines]

Thanks JW...and yeah...you're right...I am hooked.
Ah well...as I like to say...it's a small price to pay to keep me off the streets!