jcmcdowell
Well-Known Member
I'm a recent home brewer with three partial mash extract brews under my belt. The first two went quick on the corny keg (5 gal each batch) but this last one we decided to bottle (some) to share on a recent outing.
Please note- the first two were clearly green but drinkable- so we drank them! We're trying to split batches to stock pile beer to mature while enjoying the fruits of our labor versus $7.50+ six packs while brewing (welcome to Montana)
I purchased the fermentap counter filler at my local brew store with the accessory kit (hoses and connectors). The directions were generally vague and after about 5 excessively foamy beers bottles only half full, I re-read Dave Millers's Homebrewing Guide on counterfilling bottles from the keg and things started flowing like a cold draft of beer!
With the fermentap system- you use the dial a pressure bleeder valve to both bleed air and CO2 from the bottle and adjust the rate of filling. I didn't get that at first. In Dave Millers book- the Fermentap system is the second system described with a bleed valve on the lower section of the counter filler near the stopper.
Step 1. Insert wand into bottle. Press stopper into bottle firmly. (I actually lost it bottling a beer thinking it was in the bottle! It slides off if not careful. Picture looking into a capped beer trying to find the stopper floating)
Step 2. Turn valve to CO2 to fill bottle. When audible filling stops turn off valve.
Step 3. Bleed air out of bottle by turning bleed valve on lower assembly above stopper (the round thing screws on and off to adjust pressure).
Step. Repeat step 2 and 3.
Step 4. Re-pressurize bottle (turn valve to CO2 until noise stops) and then (slowly with experience) turn valve to beer side fully.
NOTE- no beer will fill the bottle because the pressure is equalized (probably).
Step 5. Slowly open the bleeder valve to let beer into the bottle and CO2 out. Fill bottle to stopper and close bleeder valve first and then IMPORTANT- close the beer/CO2 valve at the top (Otherwise beer keep coming out everywhere!).
Step 6. Wait a moment and fit capper with cap before pulling out counter pressure filler from bottle. (note-I hung the counterpressure filler from my sanitizer bucket)
Step 7. Pull out counter filler and hang in bucket while moving bottle to capper. You'd be surprised at how LITTLE foam comes out if done correctly AND timely.
Step 8. Cap bottle, checking for any leaks-
Repeat at least 5 more times or more...
My wife was helping initially and was totally bummed with the initial outcome/foamy loss of perfectly good beer all over the floor. I persisted and thanks to Dave Miller's book was able to increasingly bottle the beer without loss. I now have three six packs of increasingly full bottles sitting in the fridge
Some Beer info:
The beer was in my tap fridge at about 45 deg F and the bottles were sanitized with Star San prior to bottling as was the caps (and counter filler). I carbonated the beer for 4 days at 12 psi (at 45 deg F isn) and upped the CO2 to 15 psi for bottling.
I brewed a partial mash Fuller's ESB clone that is aging nicely (not that it will last that long). I primaried for 7 days @ 68 deg F, racked to secondary for 14 days @ 68 deg F, then crash cooled for 4 days at near freezing before transferring to a corny keg and conditioning under pressure at 45 deg F. The beer is still a little hazy but conditioning quickly and still tasty.
After the initial mess and learning curve- I am pleased with the Fermentap Counter Filler system. I would recommend it to others and look forward to bottling more beer than I currently buy!
SO FYI- The first time- plan on a beer mess. Fill bottles in an area where getting things wet is ok. I kept the corny keg in the fridge while bottling with the door cracked open to let the hoses out.
-JC
keggle brew house on propane, counter chilled with Blichman terminator (highly recommend!). Can barely brew 5 gal batches (moved thermometers lower to read 5 gal batches). Moving to all grain in 2 more batches (on shelf) and 10 gal batches. Old speckled hen next....
Please note- the first two were clearly green but drinkable- so we drank them! We're trying to split batches to stock pile beer to mature while enjoying the fruits of our labor versus $7.50+ six packs while brewing (welcome to Montana)
I purchased the fermentap counter filler at my local brew store with the accessory kit (hoses and connectors). The directions were generally vague and after about 5 excessively foamy beers bottles only half full, I re-read Dave Millers's Homebrewing Guide on counterfilling bottles from the keg and things started flowing like a cold draft of beer!
With the fermentap system- you use the dial a pressure bleeder valve to both bleed air and CO2 from the bottle and adjust the rate of filling. I didn't get that at first. In Dave Millers book- the Fermentap system is the second system described with a bleed valve on the lower section of the counter filler near the stopper.
Step 1. Insert wand into bottle. Press stopper into bottle firmly. (I actually lost it bottling a beer thinking it was in the bottle! It slides off if not careful. Picture looking into a capped beer trying to find the stopper floating)
Step 2. Turn valve to CO2 to fill bottle. When audible filling stops turn off valve.
Step 3. Bleed air out of bottle by turning bleed valve on lower assembly above stopper (the round thing screws on and off to adjust pressure).
Step. Repeat step 2 and 3.
Step 4. Re-pressurize bottle (turn valve to CO2 until noise stops) and then (slowly with experience) turn valve to beer side fully.
NOTE- no beer will fill the bottle because the pressure is equalized (probably).
Step 5. Slowly open the bleeder valve to let beer into the bottle and CO2 out. Fill bottle to stopper and close bleeder valve first and then IMPORTANT- close the beer/CO2 valve at the top (Otherwise beer keep coming out everywhere!).
Step 6. Wait a moment and fit capper with cap before pulling out counter pressure filler from bottle. (note-I hung the counterpressure filler from my sanitizer bucket)
Step 7. Pull out counter filler and hang in bucket while moving bottle to capper. You'd be surprised at how LITTLE foam comes out if done correctly AND timely.
Step 8. Cap bottle, checking for any leaks-
Repeat at least 5 more times or more...
My wife was helping initially and was totally bummed with the initial outcome/foamy loss of perfectly good beer all over the floor. I persisted and thanks to Dave Miller's book was able to increasingly bottle the beer without loss. I now have three six packs of increasingly full bottles sitting in the fridge
Some Beer info:
The beer was in my tap fridge at about 45 deg F and the bottles were sanitized with Star San prior to bottling as was the caps (and counter filler). I carbonated the beer for 4 days at 12 psi (at 45 deg F isn) and upped the CO2 to 15 psi for bottling.
I brewed a partial mash Fuller's ESB clone that is aging nicely (not that it will last that long). I primaried for 7 days @ 68 deg F, racked to secondary for 14 days @ 68 deg F, then crash cooled for 4 days at near freezing before transferring to a corny keg and conditioning under pressure at 45 deg F. The beer is still a little hazy but conditioning quickly and still tasty.
After the initial mess and learning curve- I am pleased with the Fermentap Counter Filler system. I would recommend it to others and look forward to bottling more beer than I currently buy!
SO FYI- The first time- plan on a beer mess. Fill bottles in an area where getting things wet is ok. I kept the corny keg in the fridge while bottling with the door cracked open to let the hoses out.
-JC
keggle brew house on propane, counter chilled with Blichman terminator (highly recommend!). Can barely brew 5 gal batches (moved thermometers lower to read 5 gal batches). Moving to all grain in 2 more batches (on shelf) and 10 gal batches. Old speckled hen next....
