Guinness clone with a twist

[J A]

I always bottle from my spigot.

I tip my fermenter away from the spigot during fermentation to keep gunk away and always Star-San the outlet before bottling. The first few ounces out of the fermenter are for a gravity reading, the rest flows through a piece of tubing that reaches to the bottom of pre-primed bottles. 10 minutes for a case of beer and one short piece of hose to clean, that's it. Science may say I'm fouling up the beer doing it this way but I'm comfortable with my results. I used to go the bottling bucket route and had no complaints with the results doing it that way...just took way longer and had way more to clean.

That definitely works...I did many batches like that with no problem. I eventually went with a bottling bucket but the extra transfer didn't add anything other than pre-priming and slightly better trub control. I was able to use glass carboys for fermentation and that took one layer of sanitation worry out of the equation.
I haven't bottled in years but it's the best way to go for some beers.

 

[Craigerrr]

I am always open to ideas, so share away

The Wiser's slow clap (Canadian Whiskey Commercial)

 

[JVi]

Second to that. Also, spigots area notorious source for infections. They're always suspect if they're not taken apart and cleaned pretty much every time they're used. For bottling and auto siphon and bottle-filler shut-off tube are essential, in my opinion.

For years i used siphon(with wines), auto mostly until i stepped on that and surprise surprise it broke, then i changed to spigot. It is easy enough to take apart and clean, problem is that those plastic ones do need to be changed now and then.
Now i used basic siphon, it does the job but not that fun to work with.

 

[JVi]

I always bottle from my spigot.

I tip my fermenter away from the spigot during fermentation to keep gunk away and always Star-San the outlet before bottling. The first few ounces out of the fermenter are for a gravity reading, the rest flows through a piece of tubing that reaches to the bottom of pre-primed bottles. 10 minutes for a case of beer and one short piece of hose to clean, that's it. Science may say I'm fouling up the beer doing it this way but I'm comfortable with my results. I used to go the bottling bucket route and had no complaints with the results doing it that way...just took way longer and had way more to clean.

I had similar plans just didn´t pan out

 

[JVi]

Little update to this saga.
Week+1 day from bottling i went through my achievements and found 2 bottles with faulty cappings(one more thing to learn/develope).
Drinking now first of those.
Taste:
Stale, kind of ecpected because of capping and somehow funky after taste.
Nose:
Yeasty sweet with something unfamiliar.
Color:
Very dark brown.
Points: 1/5, 0.75 from color(max) 0.25 i didn't die. Originally for first run i was hoping 2.5-3/5

I hope that those bottles with good capping taste isn't stale as this was.

Ps.
2nd was better, capping was better(little hissing sound) and taste wasn´t so stale. Points were 1.2/5 for this 2nd one

 

[Dave Y]

...

Ps.
2nd was better, capping was better(little hissing sound) and taste wasn´t so stale. Points were 1.2/5 for this 2nd one

I'd say 1.45 - maybe round up to 1.5/5 - because again, you didn't die.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Don't judge your beer too harshly after only one week in the bottle. I have never been happy with how my beer tasted 1 week after bottling. So give it another week and try again. Obviously you have to make an exception for bottles with capping issues.

 

[JVi]

Don't judge your beer too harshly after only one week in the bottle. I have never been happy with how my beer tasted 1 week after bottling. So give it another week and try again. Obviously you have to make an exception for bottles with capping issues.

I just hope that staleness goes away, or my priming is also failed.
There was so much things that didn´t go as planned or hoped, so taste can´t be what it could or i hoped it would be.

 

[Brewdomestix]

I just hope that staleness goes away, or my priming is also failed.
There was so much things that didn´t go as planned or hoped, so taste can´t be what it could or i hoped it would be.

I haven't had time to read all the posts after the first page but you stuck at it and you are still here. Keep tasting (it was an important job in medieval times) and taking notes (written as well as mental). Even if you do not like the beer at all you will still learn some more. But I do hope the taste improves for you.

 

[Donoroto]

My beers universally get better when a few weeks old and fully carbonated.

 

[JVi]

Again time for update.
Two weeks since bottled.
Taste has improved a lot and staleness is gone. Nice hissing voice when opened ans nice foam, so priming didnt fail.
Both nose and backend of taste has this sour note that i dont like.
One reason for this could be that there was lot of and i mean lot of that sediment in bottom of fermenter.
Another reason could be that high mash temp.
Points for now are 2/5

 

[Craigerrr]

Give it more time
If there is still yeast in suspension it gives a flavor that I am not a fan of.
It sure looks good, and looks well carbonated!

 

[JVi]

Give it more time
If there is still yeast in suspension it gives a flavor that I am not a fan of.
It sure looks good, and looks well carbonated!

Next tasting is due next saturday and next after that is week from that. Real tasting and final testing will be at christmas time.

 

[JVi]

Today after 2 bottles can be made final analysis that taste didn't really change within last 2 or 3 weeks. Some bottles have different taste than others but that is pretty expected.
I hope that next run with proper mash temp i get little better outcome. With out this unknown little bit wierd taste.

 

[J A]

Some bottles have different taste than others but that is pretty expected.

That's not normal for a beer that's been properly bottled. The same beer went into each bottle and the only thing that can account for differences between bottles is some sort of microorganisms in some bottles and not in others. If some are under- or over-carbed, that can be attributed to inconsistency in the amount of priming sugar but flavor should not change from bottle to bottle.

 

[JVi]

That's not normal for a beer that's been properly bottled. The same beer went into each bottle and the only thing that can account for differences between bottles is some sort of microorganisms in some bottles and not in others. If some are under- or over-carbed, that can be attributed to inconsistency in the amount of priming sugar but flavor should not change from bottle to bottle.

When i bottled those there was so much that "sediment" at bottom of fermenter and i wasn´t able to stop some of that going to bottles. Well that is not entirely true, i could have stop bottling 5 or 6 bottles earlier when i saw that sediment started to mix. Greedy bastard, what else i can say.
These couple bottles that had different(better) taste had less stuff bottom of bottle, so i put 1 and 1 together and came conclusion that this sediment was reason for different taste.

 

[Craigerrr]

Part of brewing is accounting for losses. Grain absorption, boil off, trub and hop debris to name a few. Another loss is in the fermenter, accept it, don't sweat about it. Brewing isn't necessarily an every last drop counts kind of a hobby.
Brew, learn, repeat, then start over again.
Always ask questions, we are all pleased to help, we have all been there

 

[J A]

When i bottled those there was so much that "sediment" at bottom of fermenter and i wasn´t able to stop some of that going to bottles. Well that is not entirely true, i could have stop bottling 5 or 6 bottles earlier when i saw that sediment started to mix. Greedy bastard, what else i can say.
These couple bottles that had different(better) taste had less stuff bottom of bottle, so i put 1 and 1 together and came conclusion that this sediment was reason for different taste.

Okay...if you're heavy with yeast trub, that could account for some difference. Good luck with your future batches!!