You never want too much oxygen, esp. under pressure in a bottle. It can cause off-flavors. However, when homebrewing, you get a lot of exposure to oxygen during the bottling process anyways, so the (somewhat) greater space you have there shouldn't really affect the beer adversely. And I wouldn't worry about spilling too much anyways. When you think about it, what are the odds that you fill a precisely even number of beer bottles? Typically there's a good half of a bottle left behind--consider that "spillage." Or "taste-age," if you're anything like me. Also...final gravity? How much booze did you get out of it?

mtgl wrote:Also...final gravity? How much booze did you get out of it?

We didn't do a final gravity reading...because we didn't know what we'd do with the information.

We got a little over four gallons of beer.

It smelled pretty good.

David Hammond wrote:
We had a bottling bucket (still getting used to terminology).

I was so cautious about spilling (this time) that I gave bottles a little more room at the top, and I agree I went short. That's no kind of problem, is it, except for maybe aesthetically?

It could lead to problems with oxidation and not getting proper carbonation (too much in the headroom rather than in solution). Think of how flat a half-full 2 liter of soda goes flat. Honestly the level you looked to be at shoudln't cause any prob, so certainly don't worry about it.

Jamieson22 wrote:

David Hammond wrote:
We had a bottling bucket (still getting used to terminology).

I was so cautious about spilling (this time) that I gave bottles a little more room at the top, and I agree I went short. That's no kind of problem, is it, except for maybe aesthetically?

It could lead to problems with oxidation and not getting proper carbonation (too much in the headroom rather than in solution). Think of how flat a half-full 2 liter of soda goes flat. Honestly the level you looked to be at shoudln't cause any prob, so certainly don't worry about it.

Fuller would have been better, but I don't think you will have any problems. Bottling always makes a mess somehow: overflow, drips, someone bumps something. Lay some towels on the floor before you start to prepare. Same on brew and transfer days -- always have towels ready. If you don't, you are going to need them. Good old Murphy's law.

Had the first taste:



Surprisingly (only because we're novices) good. The coffee flavor was very forward, and we thought maybe because we were drinking it a little early, perhaps the beer flavors need to develop some to balance out the coffee flavors. Still, pleasing effervescence and a very fine sip to savor at the end of a long day before going out to have more fun.

We've got an ale going and, soon, a California steam.

Question: we're being very hygienic but were wondering what happens if you're less fastidious with your corboy, etc? Do evil things grow in the brew, rending it nasty tasting and, perhaps, a little toxic?

Toxic, unlikely. Unpleasant phenolic flavors (like Band-Aids), among other things, could occur, though.

Beer is not a favorable condition for anything that would be toxic. The isomerized alpha acids from hops, the low pH, alcohol, and the enzymes produced by yeast take care of all but a handful of bacteria and wild yeast. These critters, in the unlikely chance they can get a foothold, will only create spoilage flavors and aromas such as cheesy, goaty, acetic/sour, medicinal, etc.

Another thing to watch with sanitation is if you're using chlorine bleach. A bleach sanitizer needs to be rinsed away or you risk plastic/band-aid/medicinal flavors and aromas in the finished beer. Bleach can also pit stainless steel over time. I prefer one of the no-rinse sanitizers such as diluted iodophor or Star-San instead.