| Bottling the Beer | | | | Sunlight and florescent light will cause beer to |
| Bottling is not a hard part of the home brew | | | | become skunky, so when storing your beer, try to |
| process, but is important that you take your time | | | | minimize exposure to any light. Bottling your beer in |
| and not contaminate the beer or the bottles during | | | | brown bottles helps minimize this effect too. |
| the procedure. | | | | Your beer should sit for at least a week before you |
| Things to consider when choosing beer bottles: | | | | drink it. During this first week, you should try not to |
| 1. Made of glass | | | | move your bottles too much because there will still |
| 2. Colored glass (brown and green) is favored over | | | | be some reactions taking place. It is also important to |
| clear bottles. Light damages beer and the colored | | | | store your beer at a temperature that will let your |
| glass helps in protecting your brew. | | | | yeast continue to react. If you are using yeast for an |
| 3. Do not use twist off bottles. The caps will not seal | | | | ale beer, store your bottles at room temperature |
| along the threads. | | | | (65-75 degrees.) If you store them in the fridge, the |
| Bottles can be bought at a local beer-brewing retailer, | | | | cold temperature will prevent the yeast from |
| or to save money you can reuse bottles that you | | | | creating CO2 and your beer will remain flat. |
| have consumed in the past. I prefer to reuse bottles | | | | Don't store your beer for too long. The longer your |
| because it saves money and either way, you will still | | | | bottles sit, the greater chance your beer will become |
| have to sanitize the bottles. | | | | oxidized. It is my recommendation that you drink |
| Equipment Needed: | | | | your beer within a year of when you brew it. Beyond |
| • Bottles | | | | this point and there is a good chance that your seal |
| • Caps | | | | has leaked and effected the taste of your beer. |
| • Siphon | | | | However, don't rush. A year is a long time. |
| • Tubing (usually part of siphon) | | | | Drinking the Beer |
| • Bucket | | | | You may notice that there is a thin yeast layer at |
| You may notice that your beer (before bottling) is | | | | the bottom of your homebrew. This has to do with |
| still flat. It will remain flat if you do not add | | | | the final yeast reactions that take place after your |
| supplementary sugar to the beer right before bottling. | | | | beer is bottled. When drinking from the bottle, the |
| Although your beer seems to be inactive, there is still | | | | extra yeast will not bother you until then end of the |
| a little amount of yeast left in the brew. Adding sugar | | | | bottle when it is stirred up. There is no way to avoid |
| gives the yeast something to consume and create | | | | this layer, so I recommend pouring all your |
| the CO2 needed for carbonation. Like many stages in | | | | homebrews into a glass before you consume them. |
| the brewing process, it is important that you get the | | | | If done slowly, the yeast layer will not be transferred |
| proportions correct. | | | | to the glass or mug and you will have a perfect brew |
| Storing the Beer | | | | to enjoy. |
