a great way to mix the bottling bucket...

[nighthawk]

I found a great way to mix the contents of the bottling bucket without introducing a lot of air. Now to be fair, I do use a slimline to bottle from, as I do 2.5 gallon batches, but I don't see why this wouldn't work for a 5 gallon batch. I use my stir plate. Even on full blast, it doesn't make a vortex in the beer and I let it mix for 5 minutes before I bottle. And as long as I sanitize and apply the lid to the slimline, the air exposure is minimal. Let me know what you think.

[RickBeer]

I would be concerned that the slimline could get scratched by the spinning object.

[mtsoxfan]

Cool idea using a stir plate. I'm sticking with simplicity, sanitized spoon, quick and easy...

[nighthawk]

Nope, the stir bar is teflon coated. Plus, it gives me 5 minutes to prep other stuff.

[yankfan9]

Very cool idea, I am bottling my IPA tomorrow and will be using my slimline to do so, might have to break out the stir plate and give it a try!

[FedoraDave]

I guess it's another option, sure. And if it works for you, and maybe helps others, cool beans. The more approaches we become aware of, the better we can choose what is best for us.

I add my priming solution when the beer is halfway racked to the bottling bucket (I use an Ale Pail because I go from 2.5 batches to fivers). I figure the vortex from the auto-siphon is swirling and mixing it as it racks. Then I use a large sanitized stainless steel spoon to gently stir it after it's all in the bucket.

As far as multi-tasking, I've discovered I can sanitize pretty much all my bottles while racking to the pail, so I'm not just standing there staring at beer running through a siphon.

[FedoraDave]

I'd only be concerned with that much weight on the stir plate. Five gallons of liquid weighs about 40 pounds, and that's a lot of weight on a small area. Damage to the stir plate, the bottom of the bucket, or both could occur.

[nighthawk]

Yes, I definitely try to support the weight of the slimline at the front and back. Still haven't had any issues yet.