Beer Brewing Step 3: Bottling

Last Monday night, Carlos and I bottled our American Pale Ale.  

 The Saturday evening before, I put 53 bottles in a big tupperware storage bin with some OxiClean Free and Clear.  I soaked them overnight.  In the morning, the labels fell right off.  So easy.  Then I cleaned them with a bottle brush and ran them through the dishwasher just in case.  Finally, as seen below, I sanitized them in StarSan.

They all were eventually submerged in the sanitizer for more than 30 seconds.  

 Next, we sanitized the bottling bucket since you have to transfer the beer out of the carboy and into a bucket so you can add the priming sugar.  Then we siphoned the beer into the bottling bucket.

Finally, we started bottling!  We purchased a bottle wand to make things easier--and thank God we did!  It was a snap with that $3 contraption.

We bottled about 12 at a time and then capped.

In between steps, I sampled the beer.  While it still tastes funny (which is normal), it didn't taste bad...I think (fingers crossed) it will actually be drinkable!  It might even be good...

I look like I've already been drinking in this picture...

Our garage is the perfect spot for all this business.  I am SO GLAD WE BOUGHT THIS HOUSE for so many reasons, but having a place to brew is just icing on the cake!

Now, we wait.  The beer has to sit and carbonate in the bottles for at least 3 weeks.  Then we can start drinking it and giving it away.  Who wants some?

**We also bought our next kit:  Holiday Ale.  Guess what you're all getting for Christmas?!