Blichmann beer gun carb question, help needed.

[mrrrkva]

Tell me I just didn't mess up 100 beers!!! I made a good chocolate stout, aged it and got the carbs just right (actually over carbed it just a little) 2.5 finger head in a glass. I dropped the pressure down to 2-3 psi, filled the bottle, NICE head and foam, capped them. I cracked 2 today and they are pretty flat..... I am so dissapointed.

Things that could of gone wrong. Keg was at 52 degrees and bottles where the same when I bottled them. I filled 24 at a time and capped them. (only took about 10 minutes)

1st is there anything that I can do to save the beer? It actually still good flat, but it had the perfect head on the beer out of the 52 degree keg.

I like drinking the stouts at around that temp, and thought things would be fine.

 

[jester5120]

I had something similar happen. I just dumped all my beer back into the keg recarbed and rebottled. I don't use a beer gun I use the very popular "macgyver-esque biermuncher filler" so I carb the beer about .3 volumes too high to compensate for co2 loss when filling and make sure the beer and all the equipment is below 40 when filling (probly not necessary but i've had good results)

 

[LKABrewer]

The colder your beer and bottles are when you bottle, the more CO2 will stay in suspension. I overcarb my beer a little before I bottle, and keep everything as cold as possible. If you are doing it right, there will be little to no foam in the bottle when you are filling it.

 

[jeffd10]

Colder is way better,

You do not want a head going into a bottle, if you can: fill,cap,fill,cap thats how I do it

Drop pressure on regulator and purge your keg a bit

+1 on a little bit of overcarbing

 

[Brew-boy]

Been using the beer gun for a few years now and never had any problems. I have tried cold and warm bottles, cold seems to work a little better.

 

[mrrrkva]

Great advice! 2 questions. How much of a risk of aeration if I dump back into the keg? Would I be better off to Pour beer Into a bucket (less aeration) and use a racking cane to the keg?
How do you measure volumes of carbs?

 

[jester5120]

I tilt the keg at a 45* angle to reduce aeration but you'll still get some. Its not something you want to do all the time but it'll save a batch that's otherwise a goner.

I would think that pouring beer into a bucket first would aerate more

 

[jeffd10]

can you siphon back into the keg?

 

[mrrrkva]

Any suggestions? What is small enough to get in the bottle?

 

[jeffd10]

Any suggestions? What is small enough to get in the bottle?

Sorry I really mis-spoke about the siphon thing ..But since I did ..Beer line, aquarium pump hose ?? Dang Bro

 

[big_al_in_k-zoo]

I noticed the same thing when I first started to use my Beer Gun. I just carbonate at a higher rate since I don't mind a little more in my brew. My fridge is about 40-45F and I set my CO2 at 16-17 psi.

 

[mrrrkva]

Is it better to pour back in keg, or sterilize some corn sugar water, and add a few grains of yeast?

 

[coogee]

Same problem (Blichmann Beer Gun), less beers (only 20)

My first try using it. Chilled Bottles. Beer was nicely, if just a little over, carbed.
Using the Gun worked well. Maybe 1/2" or less of foam, easier to purge bottles with CO2, thought I was doing a great job.

But cracked a few and very flat just a couple of weeks later.

With some of them, I can see I left far too much headspace, maybe 3-4", so presumably the CO2 comes out of suspension to fill the headspace = flat beer. I've tried vigorous shaking before opening to try and put it back in the liquid but no dice, still flat.

But the other bottles, filled to the top, still pretty flat.

I can live with losing 20 bottles, just want to avoid the same problem next time.

Are Blichmann Beer Gunners really overcarbing before bottling? Is there some magic to the moment between having filled the bottle and getting the cap on? I just remove Gun, place Cap on top, then move to my Bottler and <clunk> cap it.

Any tips welcomed. Seems like a nice bit of kit, easy to set up and use, just need to nail that fizzy beer thing and I'm happy!

I don't have any tips re: above post. I wouldn't tip them all out - seems too likely to oxidise the brew anyway. But that's just my 2c, I am lazy when it comes to rescuing beer like this - easier to just make another one and learn the lesson for next time.

I suppose you could reprime them in the bottle with Sugar drops, there should still be enough yeast in there to carbonate?

 

[BrewThruYou]

Are Blichmann Beer Gunners really overcarbing before bottling? Is there some magic to the moment between having filled the bottle and getting the cap on? I just remove Gun, place Cap on top, then move to my Bottler and <clunk> cap it.

I think you have to overcarb, but I'm not sure the sweetspot yet...like how much to overcarb and how long you need it on the extra pressure.

The last time I did it, I think I put it on 2-4 extra PSI about 3-4 days before bottling. I entered a few beers into a comp and did quite well. I did get a mark on one IPA indicating they would like a little higher carb, but the 4 others got good marks for carb at the same pressure.

I think my procedure is something like:
1. Up the PSI a few days out from bottling
2. Chill bottles
3. Release head pressure and dial in regulator to as low as possible to get beer coming out.
4. Purge with co2, fill slowly with tilt at first, blast of co2 at finish
5. Cap with oxygen caps immediately after filling each bottle

My goal is as little foam as possible...that's co2 coming out of solution. I never understood why some people agitate the bottle or do other tricks just to cap on foam. I want all that co2 to stay in solution, so I want to fill with as low a pressure as possible that doesn't take too long to fill each bottle.

 

[jester5120]

I think you have to overcarb, but I'm not sure the sweetspot yet...like how much to overcarb and how long you need it on the extra pressure.

I carb most of my beer that i intend to bottle to 3 volumes. That accounts fairly well for the loss of .3 to .4 volumes leaves the bottled beer at about 2.6 to 2.7 volumes. Thats where i like most of my beer anyhow

 

[coogee]

Thanks guys, I'll try to be more regimented in my approach, dial up PSI for a couple of days prior to bottling and aim for a 0.5 volumes loss as a start point.

@OP - Sorry to divert from your problem. I still think repriming might be an easier option with so many bottles?