Bottling:

During fermentation, the beer will clarify as large particles of yeast and proteins precipitate out of solution and form a thick sediment on the bottom of your fermenter called trub (pronounced "troob"). Once fermentation is complete, you can bottle the beer. This is generally considered the worst part about homebrewing, but it really isn't that bad. Furthermore, bribing a friend or two with some beer will go a long way in getting the job done quicker.

1. Once fermentation is complete, the beer is ready to be bottled.

   Again, the beer is still fermenting if bubbles are still rising through the airlock on a regular basis. To be sure, take a specific gravity reading to make sure fermentation is complete.

2. Sanitize, rinse and dry all bottles, caps and equipment in preparation for bottling.

    

3. When you're ready to bottle, dissolve and boil the priming sugar in a pint of water for at least 5 minutes.

    

4. While the priming sugar is boiling, remove the airlock from the fermenter and siphon the beer very gently into the bottling bucket leaving behind as much trub as possible without sacrificing too much beer.

    

5. While siphoning the beer into the bottling bucket, pour the priming sugar solution into the beer. Once the beer has been completely transferred to the bottling bucket, stir very gently so as not to aerate the beer to make sure the priming sugar solution is distributed evenly.

    

6. After the priming sugar has been evenly distributed, place the lid on the bottling bucket to protect the beer, then fill each bottle to within approximately 1-1/2 inches from the top of the bottle, wipe of any excess spillage and cap the bottle.

   How you choose to fill the bottles is up to you. You may use a bottle filler or simply pour the beer right out of the spigot and into the bottle. Again, the key is to fill the bottle gently and prevent aerating the beer. That's what the bottle filler is supposed to do, so it might be good practice to get used to it.

7. Once all the beer is bottled, move the bottles back to whatever spot you used for fermentation to allow the beer to condition for an additional two weeks before drinking.

   Generally, the longer the beer conditions, the more complexity it will develop and the better it will taste. It's commonly said that homebrew is finally ready to drink when you've finished the last bottle. In other words, be patient. That said, with simple recipes like this one, the beer should be ready relatively quickly and aging the beer for 6 months would add very little additional complexity to the beer. Regardless of how long you intend to store the beer, let it condition for at least 2 weeks before drinking it.