Evan!

Recipes 

Aight, I did the BMBF thing for awhile, but I keep finding that you have to leave almost no headspace to hold your carbonation over long periods. The inlaws gave me some scrilla for my b-day last week, and said I had to spend it on beer crap.

Darn.

So after the debacle on Friday where I bottled with the BMBF, filled to the lip, and ended up with exploding bottles once they warmed up, I decided the beer fun was definitely a go, especially after seeing ohiobrewtus' beers keeping their carb up even with headspace. I went to the LHBS yesterday and picked up the gun, because it was the same price as it was online...unfortunately, they were out of the accessory kits. So I went to lowes and picked up a 1/4" MFL x 1/4" MPT, which allows you to hook the gas up to the gun by just unscrewing the swivel nut from one of my gas disconnects and screwing it onto the gun. Luckily I have plenty of gas lines. Then, I pulled a liquid disconnect off another tap and hooked the beer gun up to that, and a short while later, I was bottling my Flanders Red like it was my goddamned job! I love this thing. Love it.

I'm ordering some gas tubing, a new liquid disconnect for the gun, and some polysulfone gas line quick-disconnects so I don't have to unscrew the gas swivel nut every time...just unhook the QD, hook up the gas line to the gun, and you're in business. This is why Northern Brewer rocks:

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MOSS HOLLOW BREWING CO.
Aristocratic Ales, Lascivious Lagers

.planned:
•Scottish 80/- •Sweet Stout •Roggenbier
.primary | bright:
98: Moss Hollow Soured '09 72: Oude Kriek 99: B-Weisse 102: Brett'd BDSA 104: Feat of Strength Helles Bock 105: Merkin Brown
.on tap | kegged:
XX: Moss Hollow Springs Sparkling Water 95: Gott Mit Uns German Pils 91b: Brown Willie's Oaked Abbey Ale 103: Merkin Stout
98: Yorkshire Special 100: Maple Porter 89: Cidre Saison 101: Steffiweizen '09 (#3)

flyangler18

Recipes 

I've had a good run with the BMBF under most applications, but the higher carb of Belgians didn't seem to jive as well. The Beer Gun will be my next purchase, no doubt.

Boerderij_Kabouter

Recipes 

I can definitely say the BG is awesome. I sold mine about a year ago because I had to raise some funds, but I will likely make that investment again in the future. You can bottle a full batch in ~40 minutes if you have a helper and it is easy to get the hang of.

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2P-Twent-E Simple Brew DITCHES 1 DITCHES 2 Fermentolagertaporator side-by-side ferm Twelve Hopostles Labels

Tonedef131

Recipes 

I agree, I love my beer gun and flushing bottles with CO2 before filling them is paramount if you plan on keeping them around longer than a couple weeks.

StunnedMonkey

Recipes 

I love the beer gun too. I never tried BM's device, but while I respect those who make their own stuff for pennies I can't imagine that it works as well as the beer gun itself. And I'm all about convenience.

+1 to the Beer Gun.

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Tap 1:Traditional Bock
Tap 2:Robust Porter
Tap 3:California Common
Tap 4:Old Ale
Tap 5:IPA

Bernie Brewer

Recipes 

I, too tried the BMBF first and then went out and bought the gun. I don't use it that often, but I like it.

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I like to squeeze the nickle until the buffalo craps-mt rob

"Why don't we get drunk and screw?" Jimmy Buffett

Edcculus

Recipes 

What is the biggest advantage of using a beer gun? Being able to flush the bottle? Does that help hold carbonation, or just eliminate oxygen from the situation?

Just asking because I've never dug around enough to see people having carb problems with the BMBF. I drank an IPA I have bottled from about a month ago with head space, and the carbonation was still great. Would that bottle loose carbonation over a longer time?

Arkador

Recipes 

I havn't kept a beer bottles for more than 2 weeks filled with BMBF, and have been very satisfied with the results.

I just don't have money to invest in a real beergun, and what I have for free works well.

Beerrific

Recipes 

I have the same questions. Both methods let you fill from the bottom and if done carefully you can do it with essentially no foam. Using either method you leave the head space with no pressure, so you have to lose carbonation in the beer to reach equilibrium in the head space.

I guess one thing I can think of is that you can pull the beer gun up after filling and purge the head space. If you agitate when filling when using the BMBF in order to cap on foam then I guess you lose more carbonation.

I am on the verge of buying a beer gun, I only bottle big beers and would love to be able to purge before/after filling and the ease of operation will make it easier to get SWMBO to help.

StunnedMonkey

Recipes 

Well, I've never used BM's device so I can't speak about that. But the Beer Gun definitely allows you to purge the o2 prior to filling, and then I also give a little shot of co2 to the headspace just before capping. Maybe BM's device allows that too.

For me the biggest benefits are (1) it's brain dead easy to use, and (2) I didn't have to make it.

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Tap 1:Traditional Bock
Tap 2:Robust Porter
Tap 3:California Common
Tap 4:Old Ale
Tap 5:IPA