Bottling from Keg

Hi all, I've gone back and forth between bottling and kegging in my brewing experiences (having to switch back to bottling recently because of moving and not being able to take my old kegerator with me).

The move gave me the excuse to now build a nice keezer for the apartment, so I will be moving back to kegging. My question is, is there any way to bottle beer from my keg faucet without losing too much carbonation or losing too much beer and not spoiling the beer with oxidation? I know of beer guns but I was hoping for a cheap alternative.

 

This is what I use to fill bottles from kegs, no carb issues here. Make sure your bottles and lines are ice cold, more co2 will stay in solution then.

 

Try this. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun-24678/

 

It'll be difficult doing it straight from the keg faucet. It's better to get a picnic tap. I use the same method as the above two posts, except I skip the racking cane. The tube that fits inside the picnic tap is also the perfect size to fit through the bung, so I don't see a reason to attach it to the racking cane.

 

If i want to bottle a few beers from the keg( i do it before its carbed) i just have the tube coming off the disconnect without the faucet/picnic tap and turn the co2 to about 1-2 psi and fill the bottles when i reach the top i take off the disconnect to stop the flow..and i use prime dose tablets to prime..very easy method for me

 

I have the beer gun and don't even use it anymore. Pick Nic tap and let some overflow to expel oxygen.

 

Awesome, thanks for the link to that thread. That's an easy solution, picnic tap and racking cane it is.

 

Seriously, skip the racking cane. Just put the tube directly through the bung in the bottle. Easy as pie, and no need to sacrifice another piece of equipment.

 

I guess I'm confused on the difference you describe here. From the pictures in the other thread, it looks like the tubing he inserted into the picnic tap is the racking cane tubing and that goes through the stopper. What different tubing do you use?

 

I have used the picnic tap/raking cane method as mentioned with success. But, I have now moved over to a similar system of using a growler filler with a 1/4 line attached to the "complement set" sold on ebay. It is the same concept, but it allows you to fill, hassle free, from your normal faucet.

 

Same tubing, the diameter of the bung hole (tee hee) is almost the exact same as the inner diameter of the picnic tap, so insert the tube into the picnic tap, and insert the tube into the bung hole.

 

I used to go through all the rigamarole of freezing the bottles and such, and still got too much foam. The way I do it now doesn't even require the rubber stopper. I also use a piece of tubing (in my case it's soft vinyl tubing) that reaches to the bottom of the bottle. I then turn the regulator to 0 then bleed all the pressure from the keg. I then turn the regulator up just enough that when I hold the bottle up high the beer is barely flowing into the bottle. The speed of the fill can be controlled by lowering the bottle. If it begins to foam too much just raise the bottle a little.

The fill is finished up by pulling the end of the tube up into the neck of the bottle for a little foam to cap over, and you're done. There is no perceivable loss of carbonation. It takes a few tries to get it just right, but it works great.

 

I like the idea of using hoses instead of siphon tube, I think the flexible hose would be easier to work with all around.

Do you use 3/16 hose for from Keg disconnect to the Picnic Tap? And is it 3/16 hose that you stick into the Picnic tap nozzle? Is the bung you use #2 size? I'm just trying to make sure before I make my order.

 

I honestly don't remember. I would go to a LHBS and check the fittings there. They should have all of the parts.

 

There is an adapter that brew pubs use to fill growlers that fits into the faucet and has about 12" of tubing attached to it...works for them although there will be some foaming but capping on foam is a good thing.

 

Is that the method you use?

 

I use a counter pressure filler right from the keg

 

Gotcha. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't speaking out of turn, but I'm pretty sure using a growler filler will cause too much foam, so you'll either lose a lot of beer letting the foam overflow until the bottle is filled, or your bottles will be under-filled, and have a lot of head space.

 

The guy at the HBS convinced me to try using a bottling spigot because it fits snuggly in a picnic tap. I'm going to give it a go, I'll let you know how high the frustration level gets.

 

I just had a bottle filled on 10/10 using the "no stinking beer gun" setup judged this past weekend (11/14) receive a 41.5. I have drank some bottles that were bottled that way 7 weeks later with no noticeable problems.

 

What "tube" are you talking about? The racking cane itself goes directly into the tap. I just took a candy-cane shaped rigid clear plastic racking cane, and cut off the 'U' part, beveling it on an angle. The blunt end fits right into the tap. Why would you involve a flexible tube at all?

 

I'm not sure why you wouldn't if you had it. GF got me a beer gun last year. It's easy to clean, simple to use and makes bottling fun (girlfriends don't always have the most patience for bottling). Yes there are cheaper, just as effective ways to bottle but if you have the tool already, why not?

 

misread

 

The beer gun is a great tool. i say just buy one and be done with it. Its expensive but i wouldnt want to bottle from keg without one now. i purge with co2, fill, purge head space, and cap. 0 chance of oxidation and barely any foam when filling.

 

I've had way to much success using the cheap method to even consider buying one. Personally, it seems like a complete waste of money since I can get the same results using stuff I already had lying around in my brew closet. Except the bung, I did have to purchase a bung.

 

Can't remember how I stumbled upon it, but I realized I had tubing that was the exact same size as the racking cane, and would rather use that than sacrifice a racking cane for this purpose. Plus, I like the flexibility of the tubing. I think it makes it easier to manipulate. Somewhere along the way, I got it in my head that the original thread said to attach tubing in between the picnic tap and the cane, but that's not right.

So, if you have an extra cane sitting around that you have no problem repurposing, then that's not an issue. If you're thinking about buying a new cane for this, then it's far cheaper to purchase tubing of the same size.

 

I can answer this. I have neither. I'm going to try out the DIY method. The equipment cost me $18. If I get good results and I don't have any problems. That $72+ is reason enough.

 

Well, if it works for you then thats great. I like the beer gun and i like being able to purge the bottle and head space. i still think its a great tool. I do believe that it needs to be priced lower though but everything Blichman sells is expensive.

I'm not sure what your answering.... i just stated my opinion not a question...

Go a head and use the DIY method, im not knocking it. i just said i like the beer gun and its a great tool. You will get more foaming with the DIY method though...

 

Eh sorry, quoted the wrong post. Guy above you said he wasn't sure why you wouldn't go the beer gun route, granted he was referring to already having one. Just saying the price difference makes it worth the chance that it doesn't work great.