Bottling!

So your wort is ready and you're wondering how you get it from that jug into a bottle. Here's what you'll need:

Equipment

• Bottling bucket with a spigot
• Priming sugar
  
• Bottle capper
• 48 12 oz. bottles (Buy 2 cases of beer that comes in pry-off bottles and drink 'em)
  
• 48 botttle caps
  
• 10 ft. of 3/8" vinyl siphoning hose cut into 3 and 6 foot lengths (give or take)
  
• Racking cane
• Bottle filler 
• Bleach
• Bottle drier / rack (optional)
  
• Cookie tray (optional)

Preparation

Sanitation is key, remember? So here's the easiest way to go about it. Rinse the bucket real quick, make sure you get all the funky stuff out. Then add about a 1/4 cup of bleach to the bucket. Throw the caps, long section of tubing, and racking cane in there and fill it with 5 gallons of water. Once everything's in, you're ready to start doing the heavy work.

Priming, Racking & Bottling

1. Hook up your bottle filler to the short end of the tubing and attach the other to the spigot. Line up your bottles and begin filling each one with the bleach solution. 
2. Once all are filled, give them about 15 to 30 minutes before you begin to rinse.
3. Rinse your bottles thoroughly and let dry (A bottle drier helps. You can create one by drilling 48 holes 1 3/4" in diameter into a piece of plywood and resting it on saw horses, tables, etc.) Detach and rinse the filling line, remaining contents of your bottling bucket, and the bucket itself.
4. Bring a pint of water to boil on the stove. After it reaches a boil, remove from heat and stir in your priming sugar. Then pour the sugar solution into the bucket making sure the spigot is in the off position.
   
5. Attach the long section of hose to the angled end of the racking cane. Detach the airlock and place the cane inside your fermenting jug. With the bottling bucket on a lower level (floor works best), siphon the wort into the bucket being mindful not to siphon the yeast at the bottom.
6. When finished, reposition the bottling bucket to where the fermentation jug is, and get ready to bottle. Place a cookie tray if you have one or some way to keep spills from making a huge sticky mess.
   
7. Fill the bottles with the primed wort the same way you filled them with the bleach solution. As the fluid level approaches the top of the bottle, remove the filling line and the remaining gap should be the right amount of air to prevent too much pressure from building up.
8. Once a bottle is full, place a cap inside the bottle capper and secure to the top of the bottle. Push down on the handles with the same amount of pressure as you would a wine key and the cap should be firmly affixed to the bottle.
9. Keep these bottles in the same place as you kept your wort for ten days before refrigerating. It's best to pour the contents of the bottle into a mug or pint glass leaving the sediment at the bottom undisturbed for a crisper, cleaner beer. Enjoy!

The best way to clean the equipment when done is to make another bleach bath and place all components inside. Rinse well after 15-20 minutes and store in a dry place.