Two Weeks Later: Bottling and Labeling

[Photo courtesy of Ed St. John]

It's been two weeks since you brewed your beer, during which time our special yeasts have been busy converting the sugars in your brew to alcohol and carbon dioxide. During this time, the labels you chose will have been printed for you as well. Additionally, your brew will have been filtered and transferred from the fermenting vessel to a pressure keg for carbonation, in preparation for the bottling phase.

The first step is to get your bottles from a staff member. (Return brewers bring their bottles with them) Purchasing new bottles will cost $5 per case ($30 for a full batch).Your brew will normally fill 72 22-oz. ("bomber") bottles. You will then go to a bottling station. The Brewer's Apprentice utilizes overpressure-type injection bottlers, which clamp your bottle in place while filling takes place. This eliminates the home brewer's twin nuisances of slow fills and foaming over. As each bottle fills to the proper level, you will remove it and cap it using one of our lever-operated cappers.

If you're working with a partner, one of you might be filling the bottles, and the other capping.

After the bottles are capped off, you can wipe them dry and place them in the boxes. Our labels are self-adhesive and sized to fit the large bottles, though we recommend that for best results you apply them to dry bottles, rather than right after you've filled the bottles.

After loading your bottles into their cases, one of our staff members will help you place them in your car to take home and enjoy with friends and family.

You may wish to allow your brew to "age" for up to two weeks, in the bottle, to bring out the final subtle flavors.

Save 10% Every Single Time You Brew!

Simply re-use your bottles! This savings can be combined with our other discounts and special offers. Return your bottles, in "usable" condition, on your scheduled bottling day and receive either cost or credit. However The Brewer's Apprentice, can not and will not store or clean your bottles for you, thank you for understanding. And, while you're here, take a few minutes to review our bottle cleaning guidelines, posted right at the bottling station.