What's your best way to bottle a 1-gallon batch?

[Brewgrrrl]

Well, I had a productive holiday weekend: I bottled three six-gallon batches and three one-gallon batches (and of course started a couple NEW batches). But I found myself noticing once again that, between sterilizing everything and actually bottling, the process forbottling a one-gallon batch is pretty much just as time-consuming as it is for the larger ones.

I love my fruit wine experiments but this was getting a little old after a while. In all fairness, I have gone to the asperator-auto-siphon method for big batches so maybe my frame of reference is just off now (because that is a BREEZE - thanks, Wade!).

My process is to rack over the wine into a bottling bucket with a solution of K-meta and any finings (if any) I'm using. Then I bottle from the bucket into little 137ml bottles and cap them (I use little bottles for the 1-gallon batches because you can get 20 or so per batch, which lets you stretch out the wine and drink it over a longer amount of time).


Does anyone have a favorite faster way to bottle a little batch?

 

[JimCook]

I think this rolls into the economies of scale kind of approach. You're quite right that it takes just about as much time to bottle a 1-gallon batch when compared to a 3-gallon or 6-gallon batch, save for perhaps the larger individual bottle fill times. The few times I've worked a 1-gallon batch, I've used the 3/8" auto-siphon in the same fashion that you've described. After my second batch some time ago, I figured that instead of this kind of work for about 5 bottles, it would be better to just make a 3-gallon batch and get 15 or so bottles out of it for about the same amount of work. The additional cost is really the raw materials.


I suppose if you really wanted to shorten the bottling process, you could just slap a cap into that 1-gallon container and have yourself a little 'jug' wine for the future.

- Jim

 

[Brewgrrrl]

I agree about the time effectiveness, but I often find myself with just enough fresh-picked fruit for a 1-gallon batch (usually an experiment) so this is going to be an ongoing conundrum (sigh). I like using the little bottles because I can savor the wine for years, one glass at a time. I'm thinking the only possible faster way would be to siphon into a large carboy and then break out the asperator/auto bottler...

 

[JimCook]

The limit of the raw material will ultimately limit the size of the batch, just as you say. I'm not sure how you'd be able to speed the process up any better than you already are for an individual batch. There is the option of blending, but unless you were working with a straight 50-50 blind blend, you'd still only have two gallons to work with.
Perhaps some other people with 1-gallon experience will be able to chip in here.


- Jim

 

[vcasey]

I make a lot of 1 gallon batches and have discovered the easiest way to bottle is just use a sanitized funnel and measuring cup and just pour.
Oh and yes I rack it to a new jug first just to make sure its off any more sediment that has dropped.

 

[Brewgrrrl]

Hmmm... you know, I did just buy a two gallon measuring pitcher at a cooking supply place. I had thought I'd be using it for measuring ingredients (beer and wine) but - I could rack the wine into there and then just pour! That's as easy as pouring drinks - hey! I can do THAT!

Thanks, Vcasey!

 

[Brewgrrrl]

Plus I'll bet that pitcher is tall enough to just put the tiny racking cane and tube into it to just sterlize it all at once - YAY!

 

[vcasey]

Multi-purpose equipment!

 

[Brewgrrrl]

Bonus!