Anyone tried bottling using a hose with shut-off clamp and a scale, instead of a spring-loaded wand?

[Yirg]

It looks to me that this could be faster method, and if the bottle is on a scale, possibly more accurate and consistent. On the other hand, it would probably oxidize the beer more.

Thoughts?

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Could certainly be done, I have bottled via a hose I closed and opened by pinching with my fingers. Not nearly as precise as I though, rather splashy.
TL,DR: you could, but you shouldn't.

 

[pocketmon]

It looks to me that this could be faster method, and if the bottle is on a scale, possibly more accurate and consistent. On the other hand, it would probably oxidize the beer more.

Thoughts?

I've used clamp and it's very difficult to control flow rate by using a clamp. I would suggest BierMuncher's bottle filler.

I created a bottle assistant which controls the flow of beer into the bottle on a digital scale. An Arduino is used to read weight from the scale and control the flow by using a servo motor to squeeze the tube.

Here is the video if you are interested.


The procedure:
1. Place the bottle on the scale. Arduino determines the volume of the bottle by the weight, if the weight of the bottles have been registered.
2. Put the wand in the bottle, an press a button to start filling. The initial flow is restricted until specified amount of beer is poured, like 20%. Then it goes to full flow before 80% full, and slowly fill until almost full.
3.I preferred least head space. After pull out the wand, pressing the button again, and additional small amount of beer is pour to fill the space of the wand.
4.Removing the bottle from the scale. The system is back to waiting for next empty bottle state.

I used it in 4 sessions of bottling. It worked well initially. However, in the last batch, beer rush out too fast to stop and overflow. The reason might be that the beer is partially carbonated at <5 psi when bottling. I stop using it and go back to use my BierMuncher's bottle filler. It's too lousy to setup and I hate debugging during bottling.

 

[PCABrewing]

1. Place the bottle on the scale. Arduino determines the volume of the bottle by the weight, if the weight of the bottles have been registered.

That's pretty cool.
Are bottles in a given batch fairly even in weight, I never weighed any? I can see that they may be given they are made by machine.
I save a lot of bottles from different brands so I know I have a hodge/podge. I guess I'll try weighing some to see.

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm not sure the spring loaded bottling wand can be improved at all.

 

[pocketmon]

I'm not sure the spring loaded bottling wand can be improved at all.

First of all, I am not happy about the head space left when the wand is removed. I try to leave about 1/3" or less space.
Seoncd, not very often but it happened a few times to me that some debris was stuck at the spring. The wand would then start to drip.
Last, it is like jetting out initially and I don't feel comfortable about that.

 

[Zambezi Special]

I bottle with autosyphon and clamp. It works well for me, but I do spill some beer when bottling. I put my bottles on a tea towel on a tray and clean with a cloth soaked in starsan afterwards.
I don't use a scale. I eyeball
I tried with the bottling wand connected to the auto-syphon but that was not a success. I got a bit of trub in it and it clogged up. All down to operator error.
My fermenter has no spigot, and I don't want to move to a bottling bucket, hence the syphon

 

[Yirg]

I created a bottle assistant which controls the flow of beer into the bottle on a digital scale. An Arduino is used to read weight from the scale and control the flow by using a servo motor to squeeze the tube.

That's a really cool solution!

Can you share a link to the scale you're using?

 

[pocketmon]

That's a really cool solution!

Can you share a link to the scale you're using?

I made it by using a load sensor and hx711.

 

[Gilbert Spinning Horse]

My wand broke once just as I started bottling so I used the hose and switched it on and off at the fermenter outlet tap.
The entire batch was oxygenated.
When I replaced my wand I bought two as two is one and one is none,

 

[Yirg]

The entire batch was oxygenated.

Can you elaborate on what were the symptoms of this oxygenation? Did you previously brew the same recipe and this one turned out worse?

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I've used clamp and it's very difficult to control flow rate by using a clamp. I would suggest BierMuncher's bottle filler.

I created a bottle assistant which controls the flow of beer into the bottle on a digital scale. An Arduino is used to read weight from the scale and control the flow by using a servo motor to squeeze the tube.

Here is the video if you are interested.


The procedure:
1. Place the bottle on the scale. Arduino determines the volume of the bottle by the weight, if the weight of the bottles have been registered.
2. Put the wand in the bottle, an press a button to start filling. The initial flow is restricted until specified amount of beer is poured, like 20%. Then it goes to full flow before 80% full, and slowly fill until almost full.
3.I preferred least head space. After pull out the wand, pressing the button again, and additional small amount of beer is pour to fill the space of the wand.
4.Removing the bottle from the scale. The system is back to waiting for next empty bottle state.

I used it in 4 sessions of bottling. It worked well initially. However, in the last batch, beer rush out too fast to stop and overflow. The reason might be that the beer is partially carbonated at <5 psi when bottling. I stop using it and go back to use my BierMuncher's bottle filler. It's too lousy to setup and I hate debugging during bottling.

A $50 solution to a $1 problem

 

[Yirg]

For some of us, convenience and consistency are worth paying for.

 

[Gilbert Spinning Horse]

Can you elaborate on what were the symptoms of this oxygenation? Did you previously brew the same recipe and this one turned out worse?

Yeah, the main symptoms were a serious loss of hop flavour and a dark colour, as I remember the taste was well off too. Some bottles had it more than others though all of them had it to some extent. It's my stock pale ale recipe that I brew continuously so I'm certain this was due to the wand breaking and not some other uncontrolled variable.

 

[pocketmon]

A $50 solution to a $1 problem

Indeed, and it's part of this homebrew hobby.

 

[Bobby_M]

First of all, I am not happy about the head space left when the wand is removed. I try to leave about 1/3" or less space.
Seoncd, not very often but it happened a few times to me that some debris was stuck at the spring. The wand would then start to drip.
Last, it is like jetting out initially and I don't feel comfortable about that.

Yeah, and a hose with a pinch clamp on it is going to drip a hell of a lot more. Shutting off the flow at the end of the tube is the key. If you want to drop the money, the Blichmann Beergun is an option.

 

[jambop]

My wand broke once just as I started bottling so I used the hose and switched it on and off at the fermenter outlet tap.
The entire batch was oxygenated.
When I replaced my wand I bought two as two is one and one is none,

According to this well conducted experiment people, and some well respected beer critics amongst, find it difficult actually tell the difference from normal to oxidised beer unless they can actually see what they are drinking. Have a read it is quite illuminating. When it comes to homebrew I think there are many brewers that like to talk the talk but don't really walk the walk. I have said it before on this forum homebrewing is a craft HiFi for many. The more complicated , expensive and shiny their gear they happier they are... and hey their beer is naturally going to be cutting edge because they are cutting edge. I am not saying good practice is a bad thing but that some brewers naturally like to make something that is simple more complex.

https://brulosophy.com/2016/12/19/p...normal-vs-high-oxidation-exbeeriment-results/

 

[Gilbert Spinning Horse]

According to this well conducted experiment people, and some well respected beer critics amongst, find it difficult actually tell the difference from normal to oxidised beer unless they can actually see what they are drinking. Have a read it is quite illuminating. When it comes to homebrew I think there are many brewers that like to talk the talk but don't really walk the walk. I have said it before on this forum homebrewing is a craft HiFi for many. The more complicated , expensive and shiny their gear they happier they are... and hey their beer is naturally going to be cutting edge because they are cutting edge. I am not saying good practice is a bad thing but that some brewers naturally like to make something that is simple more complex.

https://brulosophy.com/2016/12/19/p...normal-vs-high-oxidation-exbeeriment-results/

I'm not sure why you quoted my post at the start of yours, but to be clear, I'm 100% certain the batch was oxidized and that it was due to the broken wand and filling the bottles using the hose, 100%. I've never had this problem before or since and I have made this pale ale countless times. I absolutely stand by my conclusion.
I completely agree with you though mate, many people like to over complicate brewing. I've gradually cut my process down to the bare minimum that is needed to produce the beer I like, considering both equipment and effort. I'm not interested in dropping lots of cash on shiny kit when my plastic barrels do the job perfectly. I run a company, have a farm and have a 6 year old son so I'm not interested in using my time unnecessarily either.
The experiment you mentioned seems to me not to have managed to oxidize the beer, as when this happened to my batch there was absolutely no doubt about what had occurred, you couldn't miss it. I still drank the lot though!