As always, I tasted the specific gravity sample from the fermenter to see if there were any untoward flavors or odors. It tasted pretty good. I can see the hoppy bitter taste is there and the rest of the brew will mature over the next month or two in the nice cool dark basement.

About the bottles themselves, they are dark amber with a non-twist off top. I had collected them used over the last 6 months or so. I was sure to use all the same type and size of bottle (Sierra Nevada IPA) so I didn’t have to change the bottle capper around during the middle of a bottling run. I soaked and scrubbed each bottle using a bottle brush, then placed them in a tub of sanitizing fluid (6 gallons of water to 3/4 cup ordinary household bleach) and let them sit for a week. Yesterday morning, just before I was ready to fill, I rinsed them all out with cooled boiled water. It has been said many many times that when making beer, it is important to be as clean as possible.

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