Bottling beer from a Keg

[Robert McCoy]

I purchased a keg of beer not realizing the quantity. Can you bottle kegged beer? How long will it be good for?

 

[GPP33]

Yes you can. If done right it’ll last just fine. That is assuming you have been dispensing with CO2. If you have been using a pump then dump it and move on.

I use a bottling wand with the plunger removed and jammed into a picnic faucet. Fill from the bottom up, fill until beer is flowing out of the bottle, let it foam up so you are capping on foam. Don’t let it sit too long without a cap. You loose a bit of beer due to foaming and letting it overflow but it works.

 

[BobBailey]

You can bottle from a keg. Shelf life will depend on your sanitation and how much O2 you introduce when bottling. Purging the bottles with CO2 and filling with something that reaches the bottom of the bottles is key to O2 reduction. Pressurizing with CO2 while filling is even better. To maintain carbonation pour a pint to cool down the lines and faucet before starting to fill bottles.

Using a counter pressure bottle filler or something like described here:

http://brulosophy.com/2016/07/14/the-bru-bottler-update-how-to-build-your-own/

Would be best.

 

[Jag75]

And chill your bottles prior to filling

 

[isomerization]

Freeze your bottles and only take out a couple at a time. Cap on foam as stated, immediately, don’t even do two then cap.

I have bottled NE IPA this way (using 1318 or Bootleg NEEPAH Blend), straight from the tap, and the beer has not oxidized after more than a month a room temp. You of course need good practices prior to the bottling, but I’d expect a commercial keg to better than homebrew?

I only bring this up as this style is very easy to tell if your beer has oxidized.

 

[Yooper]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun.24678/

This works perfectly! I did it, and won a couple of competitions with those bottled beers using that technique. Now I have a beer gun, and it some ways it's a little easier to use, but the beer is about the same regardless of which one I use.

 

[bobeer]

I've always put the gas down to as low as it'll go and fill from a 1/2" beverage line shoved right up the tap faucet. Chilled bottles help some to reduce the foam. Fill from the bottom of the bottle and cap on the foam. Be sure to sanitize all bottles, caps, and the beer filler line.

This assumes of course you've been serving this keg via c02. If you've been pumping the tap with a picnic faucet it's already been oxidized and I'd toss it.
I remember back in the day we used to try and kick the keg so we wouldn't have to dump it the next day. I think some of those nights might have altered my dna...

 

[Jag75]

I pulled the trigger on a beer gun . Was gonna get the counter pressure one. By the time I bought that plus the CP line kit was almost 100$. So I just got the Blichman. The homemade beer gun that yooper linked does work . I've had easy times with it as well as difficult times. I think if your gonna just bottle from a keg to transport it somewhere to drink it's fine, but if your botteling for any amount of time the beer gun is gonna be better because it has co2 purge on it as well. You can purge your bottle first with something then use the homemade gun but that will be time consuming . I am finicky when it comes to keeping my beer from coming in contact with oxygen.

 

[Gravity]

I purchased a keg of beer not realizing the quantity. Can you bottle kegged beer? How long will it be good for?

For sure
If you have a beer gun (or the equivalent) bottling from a keg is no issue

 

[shoengine]

I wish someone would write an article about this...