Beer gun problems...

[WaltG]

Ok. So I have a beer gun. Problem I'm having is when I fill it just foams all over the ******* place. I purged keg and set to less than 1 psi. I can't even fill the bottle because it just pours foam all over. Keg has been at 40f at 14psi so should be 2.6 vol.

I have about 6ft hose on the beer side. Do I just need to go to like 15ft. Wasted like 2 gallons of beer so far and I'm pretty pissed.

Help me before I drink too many homebrews.

 

[Staylow]

I have 10 ft of line on mine and have minimal issues.

 

[WaltG]

I have 10 ft of line on mine and have minimal issues.

Will have to try that. These people that say they fill at like 5psi I think are filthy liars.

 

[d3track]

Are the bottles warm?

 

[WaltG]

Are the bottles warm?

Room temp.

 

[d3track]

Room temp.

Try chilling them, that helps

 

[WaltG]

Try chilling them, that helps

Starsan work ok cold?

 

[d3track]

Yup, it’s recommended to mix with cool water

 

[day_trippr]

Pretty sure the Blichmann gun came with 10 feet of 3/16" ID beer line, I'd consider that the minimum.
Cold, wet bottles are least likely to cause issues. Fill a tub with cold water/Star San mix, sink the bottles therein, pull out a few at a time to fill.
Also, dropping the keg pressure precipitously is just inviting out-gassing - it's the pressure that held the CO2 in solution, after all.
Rather than dropping the keg pressure, use more beer line...

Cheers!

 

[aamcle]

If your going to use a beer gun, I hate mine, you need that horribly long tube and both the bottles and the beer must be COLD.

If you don't use the tube and/or your bottles and beer isn't cold then the foaming is inevitable.

Get the beer down to say 5°C, put the bottles in the freezer and take them out as you go.

I'm close to completing a proper counter pressure filler and stand.


Good Luck. aamcle

 

[radwizard]

I'm not having any issues with mine. I have a Blichmann, and use the same hose it came with (I think it is 8-10 ft). The last beer I bottled was a highly carbed Berliner. I always drop the keg close to 32F, and drop the pressure to less then 5. I soak the bottles in cold water before filling.

 

[aamcle]

As I said cold beer n cold bottles = good job.

aamcle

 

[WaltG]

Ok. I don't know what else to do. I went to a 15ft line, cold bottles, less than 1psi. Only thing I can think of is I have CO2 tank refrigerated and it's thrown my carbonation all to ****. As of now that keg is dead. I wasted all but about 1 gallon and said **** it and dumped the rest. Your thoughts please...

 

[AzOr]

Maybe something is wrong with your regulator. In the first couple of seconds of your video, the co2 coming out sounds like a lot more than 1 psi.
I set mine at 3 or 4 psi and it doesn’t make that much air noise.

 

[WaltG]

Maybe something is wrong with your regulator. In the first couple of seconds of your video, the co2 coming out sounds like a lot more than 1 psi.
I set mine at 3 or 4 psi and it doesn’t make that much air noise.

How to test it?

 

[AzOr]

Not sure. Wish I could be more help.
When I have my gun set at 3psi, it feels like it takes forever to fill the bottle with beer.
Is there another brewer in your area you could swap with?

 

[chickypad]

Maybe something is wrong with your regulator. In the first couple of seconds of your video, the co2 coming out sounds like a lot more than 1 psi.
I set mine at 3 or 4 psi and it doesn’t make that much air noise.

I think it has to be this. I have zero foam with cold bottles, 10 ft line, and 3-4 psi. There is a small hiss when purging the bottles (not forceful like yours) and then it takes maybe a good 10 secs to fill a 12 oz bottle.

 

[AzOr]

Keep us posted. I got the Blichmann gun for a present and I love the thing. I’m not sure I woulda bought it for myself. But now that I have it, I use it quite a bit.

 

[Blazinlow86]

I haven't used my alot or recently but it sure seemed to be coming out too fast

 

[bpgreen]

Are you purging the keg first?

 

[Nagorg]

+1 on good results with the Beer Gun. I use the length of tubing it came with and while I've never measured it, 10' seems right. I do bleed pressure off the keg and then set 5psi for running through the gun. I always use bottles at room temp and haven't had foaming problems.

I agree with others, looks (and sounds) like your using more than 5 psi. My bottles dont fill anywhere near that fast.. What kinda of regulator are you using?

 

[Minky]

I have never used the Beer Gun, but this method works for me. I use about 8" of 1/4" ID tubing that has an OD of about 3/8". It fits nicely in the spout of a picnic tap. My bottles have been flushed with Starsan and at room temperature. The keg is at about 35 degrees. I turn the regulator down to a couple pounds and purge the keg. Then I place the tube at the bottom of the bottle and fully depress the tap lever. I then make adjustments to the regulator pressure until it flows at the desired rate. When the bottle is reaching the level I want, I release the tap lever a little which tops it off with a little foam to cap on. Depending on how many bottles you are filling, the keg may build up enough head pressure to cause a little foaming, so the keg may need purged again.

I have never had foaming problems with this method.

Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot to say that my beer lines are about 12' long.

 

[STMF]

I see only 2 possibilities.

1. You didnt purge the keg.
2. You used 1 bar instead of 1 psi.

 

[jmcquesten]

Will have to try that. These people that say they fill at like 5psi I think are filthy liars.

I agree. I fill mine at between 10-15 psi depending on what I have the beer carbonated to.

 

[jmcquesten]

If your going to use a beer gun, I hate mine, you need that horribly long tube and both the bottles and the beer must be COLD.

If you don't use the tube and/or your bottles and beer isn't cold then the foaming is inevitable.

Get the beer down to say 5°C, put the bottles in the freezer and take them out as you go.

I'm close to completing a proper counter pressure filler and stand.


Good Luck. aamcle

I just finished my counter pressure filler. I haven't posted it for comments yet, but it works really well. I also came up with a better attachment solution. I haven't seen anything like it yet.

 

[jmcquesten]

I see only 2 possibilities.

1. You didnt purge the keg.
2. You used 1 bar instead of 1 psi.

Purging the keg CAUSES foam.

1 psi allows the dissolved co2 to rush out of the beer turning it into a foamy mess.

 

[WaltG]

Purging the keg CAUSES foam.

1 psi allows the dissolved co2 to rush out of the beer turning it into a foamy mess.

But there's no way in hell I can fill at 10psi...

 

[jmcquesten]

But there's no way in hell I can fill at 10psi...

With enough beer line, anything is possible. I settled on 20 ft and was able to bottle at my serving pressure (without purging keg). But I just abandoned my beergun for a proper counter pressure filler.

If you want to be extra safe, go with 25 ft.

 

[NGD]

Maybe something is wrong with your regulator. In the first couple of seconds of your video, the co2 coming out sounds like a lot more than 1 psi.
I set mine at 3 or 4 psi and it doesn’t make that much air noise.

How to test it?

I agree with AzOr. The pressure coming out sounds much higher than stated. You didn't happen to get the regulator from Midwest or Northern by any chance?

 

[WaltG]

I agree with AzOr. The pressure coming out sounds much higher than stated. You didn't happen to get the regulator from Midwest or Northern by any chance?

Def not NB, **** inbev!! But still cheap.

https://www.kegoutlet.com/hk7110-basic-homebrew-keg-kit-20oz-co2-ball-lock.html