Toggle sidebar

Any way to rebottle?

  • PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
Barrel Char Wood Products
C

Crowing

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 12, 2014
127
0
0
Groton, Connecticut
We've only ever bottled 8 bottles of mead, all in standard 750 ml bottles with corks, however there's a competition coming up and in order to enter we apparently need smaller bottles with caps. The competition is a little less then a month out from the drop off date.
I just don't wanna rebottle this and ruin it right before we get judged on it.
 
It doesn't seem like you have a choice if you want to inter it in the comp. I don't think you will have any problems. Just make sure to sanitize everything.
 
Just use a piece of silicon tubing. I wouldn't even be concerned myself to just pour it into the new bottles
 
A funnel can work wonders in times like these. You can't avoid contact with oxygen that way, unfortunately, but I'm not sure other methods are going to be significantly better, and if it's a traditional mead the oxygen exposure probably won't matter much. Other options include siphoning with just a tube. (Fill tube with sanitizer, put one end all the way to the bottom of the bottle you are siphoning out of, make sure the tube has no air bubbles in it and that the other end is lower than bottom of the bottle you are siphoning out of. Let the sanitizer run into a bucket or something, and when the mead starts coming out start filling up your other bottles. Try not to let the mead touch any part of the tube that your hands touch. A narrower tube is definitely better for this -- less waste, less chance of failure getting the siphon started, and more control overall. Slower, true, but for small quantities that shouldn't matter.)
 
I use a length of fishtank air-hose.

1. Sanitise
2. insert into the bottle
3. make a loop, such that the hose goes below the bottle, but the end is above.
4. gently suck on the hose until the loop is full of mead, but not until you get mead in your mouth.
5. sanitise the end of the tube you placed in your mouth (if you're ultra-anal about sanitisation)
6. place the empty bottle over the exposed tube end.
7. lower the bottle until mead flows.
8. to stop the flow, and even remove a little because you overfilled it, simply lift the bottle until the mead stops flowing and lift further to make it back flow.
9. Cap your bottle.

This is the gentlest non-oxidising way I've found so far.
 
PitBull said:
I agree. Additionally, tilt the bottle and the funnel so that the mead runs down the side of the bottle instead of splashing at the bottom of the bottle. This will help reduce oxidation.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I've done this every year for the Texas Meadfest, no problems with oxidation in that short period of time from drop-off to judging. Also did it for my first time entering the Mazur Cup this year, no adverse affects and got some pretty good scores and feedback. I also filled the bottles almost to the top to reduce head space.
 
I've had pretty good luck just pouring from bottle to bottle, no funnel (as long as I do the pour over the sink I don't spill a drop... if I DON'T do it over the sink I make a huge mess :p). So as everyone's said, a funnel's a fine idea. Additionally, tilt the bottle you're pouring from so you get a smooth pour without the gluk-gluk-gluk of it letting air back into the bottle, makes for less splashing and oxygen exposure.
 
If you are very worried about oxidation, do the pouring in a blanket of C02 inside a fish tank or some other large sealed vessel. Just put C02 inside the tank and slip both bottles inside. No oxygen present.
 
Well we went ahead with Chevette Girls method. Pouring it bottle to bottle really seemed to bring out some bubbles, I had entered this as a still mead but now I'm not sure if it should be entered as petillant or not. I certainly didn't notice any carbonation when we bottled originally through a siphon
 
I recently Rebottled a batch that developed some sediment in the bottle. I'm OCD when it comes to that. Anyway what I did was pop the corks, pour them all out very gently down the inside wall of a sanitized bottling bucket (leaving the sediment behind of course, but that's not your problem! ), and then just blast the bottles out and refill and recork. Worked wonderfully.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 
Mazer828 said:
I recently Rebottled a batch that developed some sediment in the bottle. I'm OCD when it comes to that. Anyway what I did was pop the corks, pour them all out very gently down the inside wall of a sanitized bottling bucket (leaving the sediment behind of course, but that's not your problem! ), and then just blast the bottles out and refill and recork. Worked wonderfully.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

This is concerning. Did you taste it?
Keep an eye on this, as if it's still fermenting you could be in for some trouble, Hopefully it's just warmer now, and you didn't fully degas when bottling.

Back to the OP. I realised I use the tube method, because I basically only rebottle when I notice sediment in the bottle and I want to enter a show. I've used the funnel technique before when blending wine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns

Top Bottom