[Philbrew]

Bottling straight from the primary has several advantages beyond skipping a step.

I'm trying to develop a "squirt prime" method using priming syrup in a spray bottle with a tube inserted in the nozzle.  Going to bottle later this week.  I'll start a thread to report the results.  It may take me a couple of batches to refine the method.

Bar supply shops sell stopper tops for liquor that dispense a measured amount of liquor and then stop until the bottle is righted. If there is a 1/2 oz version that would work with the right concentration sugar water.

That should work but would be too slow if you're doing 50 bottles.  With a pump-squirt system you can go down a line of bottles squirt-squirt-squirt and never tip up to reload.

That's true - I see where you're going now. Should work since the amount of liquid dispensed with each pump is probably uniform. Have you figured out the volume of a single 'squirt'?

The spray bottle that I bought LHBS puts out 1.5 ml/pump and is very repeatable.  I've seen some at Ace that have a larger output.  Will get one to try.

[Philbrew]

Bottled today.  The 1.5 ml/squirt takes 4 squirts/bottle (with my current simple syrup formula) to equal the old standard of 3/4 cup of corn sugar per 5 gal. for prime.  It took 62 seconds to prime 24 12 oz. bottles!  You can't put prime drops in that fast.  I bottled a 5 gal. batch (52 bottles) in 1 hour and 40 minutes.  From the primary fermenter.  Bottles in cases to sanitize bottles and etc. to fill bottle to cap to rinse outside of bottle to dry with towel to back in cases and put up.  By myself.  1:40

[homoeccentricus]

To what degree are you able to control the volume of CO2 with this method?

[Jimmy K]

To what degree are you able to control the volume of CO2 with this method?

Shouldn't be a problem IF you are very careful about the sugar concentration of the syrup. The concentration can be varied to change the amount of sugar added to each bottle.

[Philbrew]

To what degree are you able to control the volume of CO2 with this method?

Shouldn't be a problem IF you are very careful about the sugar concentration of the syrup. The concentration can be varied to change the amount of sugar added to each bottle.

Yes, you boil your specified amount of sugar in less than your end amount of water, cool it and top up with pre-boiled and cooled water to achieve your target volume of simple syurp.  That way you accurately get a known amount of sugar per squirt.  With careful sanitation, you can store simple syrup in the fridge for a month or two.  Warm it to about room temp when you are ready to prime so it will go through the squirt pump properly.

[homoeccentricus]

The question remains whether this is easier than racking to another vessel...

[Philbrew]

The question remains whether this is easier than racking to another vessel...

Well, you have one less vessel to clean and sanitize. 
The formula that I'm currently using is simple enough:  7 oz. of corn sugar in 14 oz. of simple syrup (final volume) gives you 4 squirts/12 oz. bottle and is more than enough for a 5 gal. batch.*
The method seems to be way faster than racking to a bottling bucket.
And there are several other advantages.

*Caveat:  before you go using that formula, give my beer a week or so to carb up and I'll report the results/recommendations.

[morticaixavier]

I would say no.

The easiest way to bottle, in my experience so far is to rack to an empty keg with your priming sugar already in it and purged with co2. Seal it and purge again then shake to distribute the sugar and push to bottle with a couple psi of co2.

however, in terms of minimizing losses on a small batch, if you can avoid disturbing the trub it's probably a great way to go.

[homoeccentricus]

The question remains whether this is easier than racking to another vessel...

Well, you have one less vessel to clean and sanitize. 
The formula that I'm currently using is simple enough:  7 oz. of corn sugar in 14 oz. of simple syrup (final volume) gives you 4 squirts/12 oz. bottle and is more than enough for a 5 gal. batch.*
The method seems to be way faster than racking to a bottling bucket.
And there are several other advantages.

*Caveat:  before you go using that formula, give my beer a week or so to carb up and I'll report the results/recommendations.

I'm bottling 10 liter this weekend, am going to do it the regular way. I'll await your report...

[Philbrew]

I would say no.

The easiest way to bottle, in my experience so far is to rack to an empty keg with your priming sugar already in it and purged with co2. Seal it and purge again then shake to distribute the sugar and push to bottle with a couple psi of co2.

however, in terms of minimizing losses on a small batch, if you can avoid disturbing the trub it's probably a great way to go.

Again, you've got the extra vessel (the keg) to clean and sanitize.  Plus hoses and such to deal with.  So, to easier using a keg as a bottling bucket, I would say no.
If you're using a keg to carbonate your beer, again not easier but you get no (or very little) yeast sediment in the bottle.  A desirable outcome.

But, you have to BUY the keg (or several)
And a CO2 tank
And a regulator
And hoses and connecters
And a beer gun or such
And a fridge to cool the kegs.

What are we talking about here, if bought new?...$400?, $800?
I've got a brewing tool that I assembled for $4.75.  Even if you already have all the kegging stuff, I think this may be a tool you will want to have in your brew cabinet.

Give me a couple weeks to get some results and I'll post a "how to" new topic thread with pictures.

[morticaixavier]

I would say no.

The easiest way to bottle, in my experience so far is to rack to an empty keg with your priming sugar already in it and purged with co2. Seal it and purge again then shake to distribute the sugar and push to bottle with a couple psi of co2.

however, in terms of minimizing losses on a small batch, if you can avoid disturbing the trub it's probably a great way to go.

Again, you've got the extra vessel (the keg) to clean and sanitize.  Plus hoses and such to deal with.  So, to easier using a keg as a bottling bucket, I would say no.
If you're using a keg to carbonate your beer, again not easier but you get no (or very little) yeast sediment in the bottle.  A desirable outcome.

But, you have to BUY the keg (or several)
And a CO2 tank
And a regulator
And hoses and connecters
And a beer gun or such
And a fridge to cool the kegs.

What are we talking about here, if bought new?...$400?, $800?
I've got a brewing tool that I assembled for $4.75.  Even if you already have all the kegging stuff, I think this may be a tool you will want to have in your brew cabinet.

Give me a couple weeks to get some results and I'll post a "how to" new topic thread with pictures.

I said easier not cheaper. It is easier than a bottling bucket because there is no worry about how to distribute the sugar evenly and the oxidation concerns are more or less nil. Easier than bottling from primary because you don't have to dose each bottle with priming sugar, you don't have to carefully avoid picking up trub, and you don't have to worry about losing your syphon.

cleaning a vessel, especially a bottling vessel is the work of ten minutes while watching TV.

bottling already carbonated beer from a keg is trickier and does require some additional considerations but that's not what I was talking about.

now if you have some previously unknown system for bottling I can't be held responsible for not considering it.

[Philbrew]

now if you have some previously unknown system for bottling I can't be held responsible for not considering it.

It seems that I do have a new bottling system.  I've spent many dozens of hours scouring the internet for any hint of somebody trying this, to no avail.
I believe it may be not only easier than any other method, but faster and, yes, cheaper.

[bucknut]

I've used Domino's dots before with good success when I use to bottle.


One cube per 12oz bottle gave me good carbonation, if I had to guess maybe 2-2.5 vols.

[Philbrew]

I've used Domino's dots before with good success when I use to bottle.
One cube per 12oz bottle gave me good carbonation, if I had to guess maybe 2-2.5 vols.

Yes bucknut, I'll have to admit that's probably the simplest and cheapest bottle carb solution.  But it's one-size-fits-all.  What do I do when I want to bottle some English Bitter at 1.7 volumes of CO2 or Dunkelwiezen at 3.2?  Also how do I know those sugar cubes are reasonably bacteria free?

[bucknut]

I've used Domino's dots before with good success when I use to bottle.
One cube per 12oz bottle gave me good carbonation, if I had to guess maybe 2-2.5 vols.

Yes bucknut, I'll have to admit that's probably the simplest and cheapest bottle carb solution.  But it's one-size-fits-all.  What do I do when I want to bottle some English Bitter at 1.7 volumes of CO2 or Dunkelwiezen at 3.2?  Also how do I know those sugar cubes are reasonably bacteria free?

Yea, it's limited but easy and just one of the many reasons why I went to kegging. I wouldn't be to worried about infection from the cubes, the beer has enough alcohol I believe to negate any chance of infection.