How to Bottle Beer
Learn how to bottle beer at home by following the simple instructions outlined below.

Step 2: A typical 5 gallon batch of beer will require forty-eight 12-ounce bottles or twenty-six 22-ounce bottles along with the same amount of bottle caps. Clean and sanitize your bottles, caps and all other equipment before you start the bottling process. We recommend using a non-rinsing sanitizer like Easy Clean or Star San.
Additional equipment needed to bottle homebrew (be sure to sanitize all equipment prior to beginning the bottling process):
- Bottling bucket and siphon hose (or a carboy, racking cane, and siphon hose)
- Bottle filler
- Bottle capper

Step 4: Now it’s time to fill the bottles. If you are using a bottling bucket, attach the siphon hose to the spigot then the bottle filler to the other end of the hose. Insert the bottle filler into a bottle, then open the spigot and press the bottle filler against the bottom of the bottle to start the flow.
If you are using a carboy and racking cane, attach the hose to the racking cane then invert and fill both with water. Fold/pinch the end of the hose, then quickly insert the racking can into the carboy, release the hose to allow the siphon to start, and then insert the bottle filler onto the end of the hose. With an Auto-Siphon, attach the hose to the Auto-Siphon and the bottle filler to the other end of the hose and pump the inner wand to induce the siphon.
Fill the bottles to 1” from the top and lift the bottle filler to stop the flow. Fill the remaining bottles in the same way. Then cap and let sit for 2-3 weeks in a dark place at room temperature (the bottles won’t carbonate in the refrigerator if you are using ale yeasts). Then chill and enjoy!
Final Thoughts: If your carbonation seems fine after 3 weeks but seems to be over-carbonated after 5-6 weeks on a consistent basis (or if you just prefer less carbonation), reduce the amount of priming sugar to 3.7 oz per 5 gallons of beer. This may extend the carbonation time but will eliminate long-term carbonation. If you have less than 5 gallons of beer to carbonate, then prorate the amount of priming sugar you use on bottling day. Cheers!