[Megary]

I have a Saison that I will be brewing shortly and instead of taking up keg space, I'm thinking of packaging it in 750ml crown-cap bottles (2.5gal batch - approximately 12 bottles).  For those that have used these bottles before, any tips or tricks?

When I bottle, I use a piece of tubing that reaches from fermenter spigot to the bottom of the bottle.  No bottling bucket.  I add sugar in the form of carbonation drops.  For 750ml bottles, I plan on using 2 per bottle (as opposed to one for a typical 12oz bottle).  For a Saison, this may leave me a bit short carbonation-wise.  I could measure and add table sugar instead, though I'd prefer not to.

I also intend on using green bottles (for style points  ).  The bottles will remain in a box in a dark closet until pulled for refrigeration.  I doubt the 12 bottles will last more than a few months.

Thoughts?

[Andy Farke]

I have a Saison that I will be brewing shortly and instead of taking up keg space, I'm thinking of packaging it in 750ml crown-cap bottles (2.5gal batch - approximately 12 bottles).  For those that have used these bottles before, any tips or tricks?

When I bottle, I use a piece of tubing that reaches from fermenter spigot to the bottom of the bottle.  No bottling bucket.  I add sugar in the form of carbonation drops.  For 750ml bottles, I plan on using 2 per bottle (as opposed to one for a typical 12oz bottle).  For a Saison, this may leave me a bit short carbonation-wise.  I could measure and add table sugar instead, though I'd prefer not to.

I also intend on using green bottles (for style points  ).  The bottles will remain in a box in a dark closet until pulled for refrigeration.  I doubt the 12 bottles will last more than a few months.

Thoughts?

I think it should work OK. I guess my only question is...are you absolutely sure you want to open and finish a 750 mL bottle at a time? This is really a personal preference question. My club did a barrel project with something in this size range (they might have been the 22 oz. bottles), and it was fine but *only* if you planned to share with someone. You have a fairly small batch, so I guess you're not out anything either way...


Otherwise, I think this sounds like a fine enough plan. Do you have a sense of how many volumes of CO2 this should hit?

[Megary]

I have a Saison that I will be brewing shortly and instead of taking up keg space, I'm thinking of packaging it in 750ml crown-cap bottles (2.5gal batch - approximately 12 bottles).  For those that have used these bottles before, any tips or tricks?

When I bottle, I use a piece of tubing that reaches from fermenter spigot to the bottom of the bottle.  No bottling bucket.  I add sugar in the form of carbonation drops.  For 750ml bottles, I plan on using 2 per bottle (as opposed to one for a typical 12oz bottle).  For a Saison, this may leave me a bit short carbonation-wise.  I could measure and add table sugar instead, though I'd prefer not to.

I also intend on using green bottles (for style points  ).  The bottles will remain in a box in a dark closet until pulled for refrigeration.  I doubt the 12 bottles will last more than a few months.

Thoughts?

I think it should work OK. I guess my only question is...are you absolutely sure you want to open and finish a 750 mL bottle at a time? This is really a personal preference question. My club did a barrel project with something in this size range (they might have been the 22 oz. bottles), and it was fine but *only* if you planned to share with someone. You have a fairly small batch, so I guess you're not out anything either way...


Otherwise, I think this sounds like a fine enough plan. Do you have a sense of how many volumes of CO2 this should hit?

Thanks for the reply.

Well, 750ml is about 25oz.  The Saison I intend to make should be around 6% so I don’t think it would be a big stretch to finish one myself.  That said, I probably will end up sharing most of them.

It’s a guess, but I’d say 2 carbonation drops would get me just short of 3 volumes.  Not ideal for a Saison, but not that far off.  Again, it wouldn’t kill me to measure sugar for 12 bottles, but then again…it might.   

[denny]

Why not use 3 tabs?