How to Bottle Your Beer

Alright! You’ve just brewed your first keg of beer that you’d like to keep for enjoying later. We’re successfully moving on to bottling day!

Bottling with the iGulu F1 has never been easier, but here are some important key tips for you before you start:

1. Make sure that the fermentation process has completed, before you bottle your beer.
   You can tell if fermentation is complete, by the light shown on the front of the iGulu F1 unit. If the color is still orange, it means that the beer is still in its fermentation stages. Bottling beer that has not finished fermenting could potentially create a “bottle bomb” where the beer isn’t fully fermented before bottling!
2. Ensure that the CO2 tank is attached, switched on, and that the iGulu F1 shows a PSI reading prior to bottling. The more oxygen your beer is exposed to, the faster it will turn stale. Using CO2 instead of the built-in air pump will ensure your bottled beer stay fresher, longer.
3. Sanitize everything the beer will come in contact with! The last thing you want is to introduce unwanted bacteria causing contaminated beer.

Materials:
- New/old beer bottles or swing top beer bottles (12oz or 24oz, cannot be screw-top bottles)
- Bottle baps and capper
- Bottle brush or bottle cleaner
- Cleaning solution (e.g., PBW, OxyClean)
- Sanitizer (e.g., StarSan, OneStep, etc.)
- Large bucket
- Large bowl

Instructions:

1. Inspect Bottles:
   Regardless of whether you’re using new or old recycled bottles, examine the bottles for any chips, cracks, or other damage. Discard any damaged bottles.
   
   
2. Clean Your Bottles:
   - Use a bottle brush or cleaner to thoroughly scrub the inside and outside of the bottles to ensure there is no residual beer from previous use.
   - Soak bottles in a cleaning solution for at least 20 minutes.
   - Rinse bottles thoroughly with clean water.
   
   
3. Sanitize Bottles:
   - Follow sanitizer solution instructions respective to each brand.
   - Pour sanitizer solution into the bucket and submerge bottles in sanitizer solution for at least 5 minutes.
   - Pour sanitizer solution into the large bowl and submerge bottle caps in sanitizer solution for 5 minutes.
   - Submerge iGulu F1 dispensing spigot in sanitizer solution.
   (Sanitize anything that will come into contact with the beer)
   - Allow bottles to air dry upside down on a clean surface.
   
   
4. Fill Bottles:
   - With the CO2 turned on, dispense your freshly brewed beer into the sanitized bottles.
   - Leave about 1 inch (2 fingers) of headspace at the top.
   
   
5. Cap Bottles:
   - Use a bottle capper and new bottle caps to seal the bottles securely.
   - Alternatively, use a swing-top bottle and seal with the attached lid.
   
   
6. Refrigerate:
   That’s all it takes! The dispensed beer should already be chilled and carbonated, so refrigerate the bottles as soon as possible will ensure its optimal lifespan. Unlike traditional bottling, there is no need to add any priming sugar or carbonation tablets, and there is no need to wait any additional days before you can enjoy the beer. Your beer is bottled and ready to be enjoyed at any time.

Tips:
- Dispense slowly into an angled bottle.
- Priming the bottles with sugar or carbonation tablets is not needed, as the beer from the iGulu F1 will already be carbonated.
- Store bottles upright to prevent sediment from settling on the cap.
- Monitor bottles for signs of fermentation (e.g., bubbles, pressure). If bottles are over-carbonated, release pressure by carefully opening the caps slightly.
- Refrigerate beer immediately after bottling to prevent additional fermentation, and enhance flavor.

Check out Austin's (5 Minute Brewery) tutorial on how to bottle beer!