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Author Topic: Bottle filling?  (Read 1024 times)

Offline Bel Air Brewing

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Bottle filling?
« on: January 17, 2021, 07:30:28 am »
As we get ready to enter a brewing contest, is there any reason we should not fill the bottles all the way to the top of the bottle?

Or...is it required to leave head space in the neck? If so, why?

The beer in question is already aged, and fully carbonated. It has been in a keg for a month.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2021, 07:33:28 am by TXFlyGuy »

Offline majorvices

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Re: Bottle filling?
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2021, 08:28:41 am »
You can minimize head space if beer is carbbed and filling from keg. Just be sure to cap on foam and minimize oxygen as much as possible. If you have a beer gun or CPBF you can purge the bottles first. If not, just keep them cold and they should be fine. And cap on foam!
« Last Edit: January 17, 2021, 08:30:18 am by majorvices »

Offline Bel Air Brewing

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Re: Bottle filling?
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2021, 08:33:04 am »
You can minimize head space if beer is carbbed and filling from keg. Just be sure to cap on foam and minimize oxygen as much as possible. If you have a beer gun or CPBF you can purge the bottles first. If not, just keep them cold and they should be fine. And cap on foam!

Thanks. That’s my plan!

Offline dmtaylor

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Re: Bottle filling?
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2021, 10:01:30 am »
Some judges will take note of the fill level.  If so, ignore it.  Fill level is meaningless and should not affect your score.
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Offline allenhuerta

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Re: Bottle filling?
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2021, 11:30:09 am »
Some judges will take note of the fill level.  If so, ignore it.  Fill level is meaningless and should not affect your score.
I always make note of the fill level on a score sheet, usually just high, low, good.. only add notes if it's funky looking, but I never let it impact a potential score. If I bought the beer and it was low, I'd complain

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Offline Bel Air Brewing

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Re: Bottle filling?
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2021, 11:31:06 am »
Some judges will take note of the fill level.  If so, ignore it.  Fill level is meaningless and should not affect your score.

Was wondering about that. As I'm not a commercial bottling company, it should have no impact on the final score. The quality of the beer should be all that matters.

On the BJCP website, there was no mention of "correct fill level".