Bottling Day!

The Mrs. and I got up this morning, and after reading the Sunday paper and watching some tv, we headed over to my apartment and bottled the beer.

I expected this to go fairly smooth, and it did -- though I did note a couple of issues.

1. The "spring tip" mechanism that comes with the True Brew kit SUCKS.  It's not the worst thing ever made, but due to the physical construction of it, it'll stick at an angle.  And when it does that, you had better take note and shake the bottling tube so it rights itself.  Otherwise, you have non-stop beer coming out, and you're going to have a mess.

2. Towels are essential.  

3. The grommet device that supposedly "seals" the spigot into the True Brew bucket?  It leaks.  At least mine did.  I didn't lose much beer, but still...see number 2.

4. With the kit, you have the siphoning tube (flexible), one straight (harder) tube that goes into the liquid you're siphoning, and the other straight tube with the spring tip (see number 1).  The flexible tubing does NOT WANT TO WORK with anything you're going to hook it up to.  I should have tested this before hand.  I didn't.  It sucks when you're trying to jam a piece of this tubing onto the bucket spigot and the spring-tip tube for easier bottling -- especially when...well, see number 3.

5. I have not yet learned how to completely clean a used carboy.  I can sanitize with the best of them.  However, I'm not sure how to go about cleaning the leftover crap from a carboy; I'm referring to the scum left over from the krausen.  

6. I can see why this process, overall, would be much easier in a large garage that had a sink in it.  And a floor drain.  And beer.

The Mrs. assisted with the bottling, which was great, given that it would have taken me that much longer to get everything done.  (She also went so far as to mop the kitchen floor for me post-bottling, which was huge.  It's the first time it's been mopped in probably a couple of months.)

Really, for the most part, it all went well, and we were done in about an hour and a half's time.  That's taking our time, too, so hurray for us.

Now all the bottles (42 regular size, and 4 Sierra Nevada ones that are my "testers" for the upcoming weeks) are residing in my bathtub (on the chance something goes awry and one explodes, fingers crossed). 

Next step: to finalize the recipe for my next batch, which will be brewed on Labor Day.