Anvil cooling system

[Shawnstve]

Common wisdom at this point is to allow the yeast to finish in the same vessel. Very few people are transferring for secondary fermentation because of the added risk of infection and oxygen exposure. When I started almost everyone transferred to a secondary (I did for years), but the benefits don't outweigh the risks and effort it requires to move the beer.

It would work, and you'd make good beer. None of this stuff makes or breaks anything, but when you're getting started it makes sense to aim for best practices.

Cheers!

Ok thanks! So many people say to do 2ndary, good to know I shouldn’t. so what about when transferring to bottles? I want to add sugar, and so I need to do that outside of the main vessel because I’ve got to stir it in, and I don’t want to get the gunk in the bottom to stir up into my bottles. But I do want it somewhat carbonated. I just bought some dextrose, and was told to make a sugar syrup and add to the bottling vessel. So basically just be super careful in transferring it to the vessel? I’ve got a bottling wand, should I use that to transfer to the bottling container?

 

[VikeMan]

So basically just be super careful in transferring it to the vessel?

Yes. Rack very carefully to the bottling bucket.

I’ve got a bottling wand, should I use that to transfer to the bottling container?

No. Use that for the actual bottling. Even if you could make a bottling wand work for racking to the bottling bucket, it would be excruciatingly slow.

 

[Shawnstve]

Yes. Rack very carefully to the bottling bucket.



No. Use that for the actual bottling. Even if you could make a bottling wand work for racking to the bottling bucket, it would be excruciatingly slow.

How do I transfer then? It’s a 1 gallon batch...

 

[VikeMan]

How do I transfer then? It’s a 1 gallon batch...

I think if I were bottling a one gallon batch, I would dose the bottles with sugar individually, and transfer directly from primary to bottles as gently as possible.

Exactly what equipment do you have?

 

[Shawnstve]

I think if I were bottling a one gallon batch, I would dose the bottles with sugar individually, and transfer directly from primary to bottles as gently as possible.

Exactly what equipment do you have?

I have a glass one gallon “jug”... then I’ve got a 2nd glass jug I was gonna sanitize, and bottle wand it into leaving the stuff at the bottom (sorry I’m bad with the terms...). Then add my sugar and then bottle. I’m bottling into 16oz flip tops... so I’ll get probably 6 bottles out of it. Since there is a fair amount of head room on my 1 gallon jug. I do plan on upgrading , hence the post here about the anvil system. I think I wanna get their complete system. The electric 6.5 gallon brewer, and the 4 gallon fermenter with the cooling system. I’m just starting off and so yeah... I figured start with a 1 gallon batch.
So is there a way to figure out how much sugar to add to each bottle? Should I just add the sugar straight? Or should I turn it into a syrup first? Man I’m confused ...

 

[VikeMan]

I have a glass one gallon “jug”... then I’ve got a 2nd glass jug I was gonna sanitize, and bottle wand it into leading the stuff at the bottom (sorry I’m bad with the terms...). Then add my sugar and then bottle. I’m bottling into 16oz flip tops... so I’ll get probably 6 bottles out of it. Since there is a fair amount of head room on my 1 gallon jug. I do plan on upgrading , hence the post here about the anvil system. I think I wanna get their complete system. The electric 6.5 gallon brewer, and the 4 gallon fermenter with the cooling system. I’m just starting off and so yeah... I figured start with a 1 gallon batch. Haha!
So is there a way to figure out how much sugar to add to each bottle? Should I just add the sugar straight? Or should I turn it into a syrup first? Man I’m confused ... haha!

Is your bottling wand something that's attached to a siphon hose that just dips into whatever container you're bottling from? If so, I'd dose the bottles and bottle from primary.

The amount of sugar to use depends on the type of sugar, the volume of the beer being bottled, the beer's temperature, and the level of carbonation you want. There are several carbonation calculators out there.

To reduce risk of contamination, the sugar should be boiled. If you just add it straight (dry), there's an additional (small) risk.

 

[Shawnstve]

Is your bottling wand something that's attached to a siphon hose that just dips into whatever container you're bottling from? If so, I'd dose the bottles and bottle from primary.

The amount of sugar to use depends on the type of sugar, the volume of the beer being bottled, the beer's temperature, and the level of carbonation you want. There are several carbonation calculators out there.

To reduce risk of contamination, the sugar should be boiled. If you just add it straight (dry), there's an additional (small) risk.

Yeah I’m using the calculator on northern brewer.
Ok so I’ll boil it to turn it to syrup, now I gotta figure out how to measure it to individual bottles. lol!

 

[Stand]

I agree with Vikeman. I would put some syrup or sugar into the bottles and then use racking cane to put beer on top. Concentration of syrup is easy to calculate because the boiling point of your solution tells you the concentration. I have kids, so I have about a thousand medicine syringes. Pharmacy will give you a coupl e if you ask.

Carbonation drops would be even easier.

 

[Shawnstve]

I agree with Vikeman. I would put some syrup or sugar into the bottles and then use racking cane to put beer on top. Concentration of syrup is easy to calculate because the boiling point of your solution tells you the concentration. I have kids, so I have about a thousand medicine syringes. Pharmacy will give you a coupl e if you ask.

Carbonation drops would be even easier.

Wouldn’t the carbonation drops possibly have contamination? Some yeasts on them?

and man you are speaking to scientifically here. Boiling point tells concentration? Please elaborate?

 

[VikeMan]

Wouldn’t the carbonation drops possibly have contamination? Some yeasts on them?

I suppose that's theoretically possible, but I can't say I've ever heard of a contaminated beer attributed to carb drops.

 

[Stand]

Pure sugar doesn't have enough available water content for anything to grow from what I understand, but someone else is better to answer this question. There's probably theoretically some chance something is in the sugar or on the sugar that can harbor bacteria, but it seems remote.

Still, I've never done it and the knowledge on this forum is pretty deep. You post that question in the Yeast and Fermentation forum and you'll probably get a Microbiologist responding. That's not a joke. This forum is awesome.

 

[Jag75]

So you will have to divide the priming solution equally. I'd go with the carb drops . Do your jugs have spigots on them ? If so attach a piece of hose between the spigot and bottle wand . Makes it really easy .

 

[Shawnstve]

So you will have to divide the priming solution equally. I'd go with the carb drops . Do your jugs have spigots on them ? If so attach a piece of hose between the spigot and bottle wand . Makes it really easy .

No they don’t, but the siphon is a auto “pump action” siphon...