Hi, I am Aaron and I am new to this site. I have fairly recently begun making and bottling my own hot sauce at home, using ball jars. I have come up with a few recipes that I really like and I would like to bottle them in a proper hot sauce bottle. However, I have looked all over the internet and I can not find many resources for properly bottling it. Would anyone be able to direct me to a very detailed tutorial on bottling hot sauce in 5 oz woozy? Any advice or imput would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
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bottling Resources for bottling homemade sauce in woozy bottles
- Thread starter Sanosuke
- Start date
SadisticPeppers
Business Member
First and foremost: 
from sunny South Florida! 
Secondly, there's several things you can do, having bottled them myself. If you want to purchase bottles and such, go to http://www.specialtybottle.com, and search through their catalog, their 5-oz woozy bottles are great, and they even have shrinkwrap bands.
Also, I learned the hard way that bottling into 5-oz woozies is pretty tricky to do by hand, so I got a Handy Filler. It's a little much up front, I'll grant you, but I've used it exclusively since purchasing it, and it made all the difference in the world, and cleanup is a breeze. If you feel comfortable doing so by hand, rock on, since you're a better bottler than I, but if you're not 100% confident in hand bottling, go to http://handyfiller.com, and check it out. I definitely recommend the 2-gallon hopper as well, that one was a life-saver
from sunny South Florida! Secondly, there's several things you can do, having bottled them myself. If you want to purchase bottles and such, go to http://www.specialtybottle.com, and search through their catalog, their 5-oz woozy bottles are great, and they even have shrinkwrap bands.
Also, I learned the hard way that bottling into 5-oz woozies is pretty tricky to do by hand, so I got a Handy Filler. It's a little much up front, I'll grant you, but I've used it exclusively since purchasing it, and it made all the difference in the world, and cleanup is a breeze. If you feel comfortable doing so by hand, rock on, since you're a better bottler than I, but if you're not 100% confident in hand bottling, go to http://handyfiller.com, and check it out. I definitely recommend the 2-gallon hopper as well, that one was a life-saver
salsalady
Business Member
Here's some good info-
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/29501-making-hot-sauce-101/
Have Fun!
salsalady
Check out the above links for bottles and if you go slow you can use a stainless funnel if your sauce isn't real thick/chunky and they are way less than the filler elcap posted but if money isn't an issue and your bottling enough by all means get that contraption.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FKERMW?cache=104a02468e0ee1dbf59e8152bbaedcf9&pi=SS115#ref=pd_aw_sbs_3
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FKERMW?cache=104a02468e0ee1dbf59e8152bbaedcf9&pi=SS115#ref=pd_aw_sbs_3
Thanks for the responses! Very helpful so far. I have looked into that handy filler before but didn't think about getting a hopper. I had also thought about using the stainless steel funnel along with a 5 oz ladel.
One thing that concerns me about the handy filler is that it says it is used for less than 180 degrees.
One thing that concerns me about the handy filler is that it says it is used for less than 180 degrees.
Welcome from Central Florida!
Are you making this sauce with the plan to sell it or just to enjoy and share with friends and family? I ask this because if your making it to sell then your going to have to use new bottles. If your just making it as a hoddy then you can save a lot by looking at your local super market for cheap hot sauce. For instance, I can go to Publix here and pick up bottles, I've even ordered cases, of Trappey's Louisiana Bull for 69 cents a bottle and don't have to pay shipping. Then I just empty the bottles out, wash and sterilize the bottles, reducers and caps, I can use the caps because they don't have the foam liner, and then bottle my sauce into them. As you look at places like Specialty Bottle, Freunds and Filmore your going to find that your paying almost as much or more for the shipping the bottles as you do for the bottles themselves.
As a hobby sauce maker myself I try to save costs where I can as I give away 8 out of 10 bottles and I ship out a bunch to friends on here too. I don't ask for anyone to give me anything in return as I get a lot of joy in making and sharing them but it is money out of your pocket so save where you can. Also, ordering new caps and shrink wraps, reminds me I need to order some of them, if you need to is cheap compared to Glass bottles.
JMHO though
RM
Are you making this sauce with the plan to sell it or just to enjoy and share with friends and family? I ask this because if your making it to sell then your going to have to use new bottles. If your just making it as a hoddy then you can save a lot by looking at your local super market for cheap hot sauce. For instance, I can go to Publix here and pick up bottles, I've even ordered cases, of Trappey's Louisiana Bull for 69 cents a bottle and don't have to pay shipping. Then I just empty the bottles out, wash and sterilize the bottles, reducers and caps, I can use the caps because they don't have the foam liner, and then bottle my sauce into them. As you look at places like Specialty Bottle, Freunds and Filmore your going to find that your paying almost as much or more for the shipping the bottles as you do for the bottles themselves.
As a hobby sauce maker myself I try to save costs where I can as I give away 8 out of 10 bottles and I ship out a bunch to friends on here too. I don't ask for anyone to give me anything in return as I get a lot of joy in making and sharing them but it is money out of your pocket so save where you can. Also, ordering new caps and shrink wraps, reminds me I need to order some of them, if you need to is cheap compared to Glass bottles.
JMHO though
RM