Bottle filling

[Bachy__]

I was using a 'autofiller' pipe to fill my bottles (one of those cheap $3 ones) where you hold the bottle and it fills. The problem I have is that its hard to fill due to lack of space as my fermenter is in my brewing fridge and I dont want to stir up the yeast by moving the fermenter to a more suitable place. I was thinking... what if I cut that pipe and put a flexible hose of the same diameter in it so that I can line up the bottles on the floor and fill them one by one using the autofiller pipe on the end of a flexible hose. I would use a hose the same diameter as the pipe itself to prevent excessive airation and join them with a larger pipe.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s115 ... filler.jpg

An upgraded version could involve a new trigger mechanism.

Whaddaya think?

[Bizier]

You would have to be sanitary with those extra steps, but sometimes I have extended my filling line to suit a situation with no worries. I just checked the "little bottler" in the end of a smaller length of PVC tubing that was attached to the tap with a sleeve-bit that fits inside both. I suggest having a bucket of sanitiser ready to place the end in if you do this, because you will need to put it somewhere.

You could just syphon to bulk prime from the top leaving your yeast cake and fill using a "little bottler" on the tap there.

I have also found that the ones that Brigalow sells (white) are AWESOME. I used the coopers one (blue head) with the tiny O-ring for ages and when I used my other one, I realised the filling rate is about 5 times as much, which cuts down on my bottling time, which I am so thankful for.

[Bachy__]

great idea with the sanitary bucket. I shall do that.

[Throsby]

Biz: there are other "Little Bottlers" available?

I've had the Coopers one since I started out (coupla years ago) and had no real complaints other than that the fill rate can be a little slow.

I could get a Brigalow one from my HBS??

Oh, and Bachy - nice drawing mate. Clear as crystal.

Cheers,

Throsby

[Bizier]

Biz: there are other "Little Bottlers" available?

I got mine with the Brigalow kit (bought both it and the coopers on a whim one night when I decided to buy beer). I think you can get them in Kmart or Big W or whatever.

Trust me, mine is alarmingly fast, which makes doing 2 batches much less painful. You actually have to watch the thing instead of wishing you had a TV or something.

[Clean Brewer]

Ive seen a few guys that use some flexible hose to fill bottles with their "little bottler" to make bottling easier, so they just put all their bottles in a group and move the bottler to each bottle instead of the bottle to the bottler..

CB

[Gym_]

I used exactly the same thing 10 min ago but in reverse to fill my kegs..
Have the little bottler in the tap with a hose coming off it so I can get right to the bottom of the keg..
Nothing wrong with a bit of invention in this game..
Ps I’m the good looking one in the pic

[Bachy__]

haha 10/10 for the drawing mate.

[pixelboy]

Ive been doing exactly what you propose for 2 years bachy! Works a treat.

[Bachy__]

The filling was a great success! much easier than holding the bottles.