What You Need

What You Need

In this chapter we will focus on getting your hard won beer into a bottle and ready for drinking. To bottle your beer, you will need: clean bottles, bottle caps, a bottle capper and (I heartily recommend) a bottling bucket. You will also need some sugar to use for priming - that extra bit of fermentable sugar that is added to the beer at bottling time to provide the carbonation.

Many homebrewers get their bottles used from restaurants and bars, or buy them new from homebrew shops. Every once in a while you will hear about a guy whose dad or uncle has given him a couple cases of empty swing-top Grolsch? bottles. He may ask you if he can use them for brewing or something... If this happens, just look him straight in the eye and tell him, "No, those can be quite dangerous, let me dispose of them for you." Be sure to keep a straight face and do your best to sound grim. If you don't think you are up to it, give me a call and I will take care of it. Swing top bottles are great; grab any you can. New rubber gaskets for the stoppers can be purchased at most homebrew shops.