Bottling from keg, how long will it last?

[Rob2010SS]

Have an RIS that I'm looking to keg and burst carbonate to desired level. From there, I want to bottle it - all of it. As I'm giving a lot away, I'm going to wax seal the top (gotta put on a good presentation ). Would you expect this beer to remain carbonated in the bottles and not go flat? I'm hoping to save a bunch and let it age in the bottles a bit but don't want to come across flat stout later.

 

[Steveg229]

Once carbonated, bottled, and capped, there is no way for the bottles to go flat. The only way for them to go flat would be if they were not capped/sealed properly. Otherwise there is no way for the CO2 to escape. If you were able to flush the bottles with CO2 prior to filling, it will help prevent any oxidation and increase the shelf life for aging. If not, try to cap on foam and they should be just fine as well.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Once carbonated, bottled, and capped, there is no way for the bottles to go flat. The only way for them to go flat would be if they were not capped/sealed properly. Otherwise there is no way for the CO2 to escape. If you were able to flush the bottles with CO2 prior to filling, it will help prevent any oxidation and increase the shelf life for aging. If not, try to cap on foam and they should be just fine as well.

Awesome! That's what I was looking to hear.

Thanks.

 

[Dextersmom]

So far i've never purged with CO2. my thinking is i'm pushing the air out with beer, and even if pre purged with co2, i'll still get suck back of o2 after removing the nozzle of the beer gun.
That said, i've never had problems with holding carbonation after bottling from keg.

 

[TravelingLight]

Have an RIS that I'm looking to keg and burst carbonate to desired level. From there, I want to bottle it - all of it. As I'm giving a lot away, I'm going to wax seal the top (gotta put on a good presentation ). Would you expect this beer to remain carbonated in the bottles and not go flat? I'm hoping to save a bunch and let it age in the bottles a bit but don't want to come across flat stout later.

I have a Blingmann beer gun and a janky keg bottler (racking cane in picnic tap with #2 stopper). 9 times out of 10 I use the janky bottler over the beer gun. I still can't get it right with the beer gun and am having trouble massively losing carb. But with the janky bottler, I've opened bottles that were 3, 4, 6+ months old and still just as carbed as if I poured it from the tap. With the beer gun, I flush prefill with CO2 and give it a quick shot in the headspace right before bottling. With the janky bottler I don't flush with CO2 and just counter pressure fill with the stopper. Ergo, I really think counter pressure filling is the key here.

 

[myndflyte]

I have a Blingmann beer gun and a janky keg bottler (racking cane in picnic tap with #2 stopper). 9 times out of 10 I use the janky bottler over the beer gun. I still can't get it right with the beer gun and am having trouble massively losing carb. But with the janky bottler, I've opened bottles that were 3, 4, 6+ months old and still just as carbed as if I poured it from the tap. With the beer gun, I flush prefill with CO2 and give it a quick shot in the headspace right before bottling. With the janky bottler I don't flush with CO2 and just counter pressure fill with the stopper. Ergo, I really think counter pressure filling is the key here.

You got a pic or thread of this janky one? I'd be interested in making one myself.

 

[TravelingLight]

You got a pic or thread of this janky one? I'd be interested in making one myself.

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

The only difference in my setup is, I don't purge the keg and lower the pressure. I hate pulling the PRV on my kegs and only ever do it as an absolute last resort. So for this setup, I keep it at serving pressure, and just use about 25 feet of line and it works great.

 

[Dextersmom]

what is your process with the beer gun? are you following the instructions in the manual? what is your in-keg carbonation profile, psi? If I plan on going from keg to bottle, I go a slight tick or two higher in the keg.

I never purge the keg, but I shut off the CO2 line and let what's left in the keg do the pushing. The first one is usually foamy but after that its quite normal. If my pressure gets low I open the CO2 line again for a split second and go back to filling.
As much as I hate bottling, I may do more of this so I can free up keg / fermenter space.

 

[TravelingLight]

what is your process with the beer gun? are you following the instructions in the manual? what is your in-keg carbonation profile, psi? If I plan on going from keg to bottle, I go a slight tick or two higher in the keg.

I never purge the keg, but I shut off the CO2 line and let what's left in the keg do the pushing. The first one is usually foamy but after that its quite normal. If my pressure gets low I open the CO2 line again for a split second and go back to filling.
As much as I hate bottling, I may do more of this so I can free up keg / fermenter space.

My kegs are pressurized to about 12-13 psi. I don't turn off gas or release pressure. But to combat foaming, I use about 25 feet of line on the gun. I flush the bottled with co2 for about 2 seconds, then bottom fill to the brim, pull the gun out which drops the beer level down a half inch or so, hit the headspace with another shot of co2, then cap.

One thing I have had suggested that I have yet to try is filling it all the way up, meaning after I pull out the gun and it leaves headspace, hit it with another shot of beer to fill it all the way up, i.e., zero headspace. I've seen that suggested for filling bottles for competition. But I have yet to try it. Might give it a shot this weekend if I have time.

 

[Dextersmom]

I've thought about that too, but I've had judges comment on the fullness of my bottles before.
Are you capping tight enough? Really there's no other reason for you to be losing carbonation... Unless the beer / co2 hasn't stabilized in the keg yet.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Purging oxygen from bottles has been mentioned. Every bottling production line I've seen just shows the bottles inline and getting injected with beer/wine/soda whatever. How can they have million dollar companys and make it work without purging but our 5 gallon batches need to be purged...what am I missing?

 

[lump42]

Once carbonated, bottled, and capped, there is no way for the bottles to go flat. The only way for them to go flat would be if they were not capped/sealed properly. Otherwise there is no way for the CO2 to escape. If you were able to flush the bottles with CO2 prior to filling, it will help prevent any oxidation and increase the shelf life for aging. If not, try to cap on foam and they should be just fine as well.

I do almost the same thing. The only difference is I over carbonate it a few psi 3-4 days before I bottle. Then on bottling day, I release all of the pressure from the headspace, and push the beer at 4psi. I get just enough foam to cap on.

 

[TravelingLight]

I've thought about that too, but I've had judges comment on the fullness of my bottles before.
Are you capping tight enough? Really there's no other reason for you to be losing carbonation... Unless the beer / co2 hasn't stabilized in the keg yet.

I agree, it doesn't make sense. And I don't think it's a capping issue. I actually upgraded last year from a winged capper to a floor/bench capper. Granted, sometimes I'll have bottles that don't seal completely, but I always know which bottles those are. I really would like to use my beer gun more because it's a much cleaner streamlined process. I just haven't dialed it in yet. Maybe I need to do the bottle rock trick I do with the janky gun. After filling I put the cap on top (but not seal it), hold it down with my finger and get it a good rock to the right and the left to make it foam, then cap on foam.

 

[Dextersmom]

I agree, it doesn't make sense. And I don't think it's a capping issue. I actually upgraded last year from a winged capper to a floor/bench capper. Granted, sometimes I'll have bottles that don't seal completely, but I always know which bottles those are. I really would like to use my beer gun more because it's a much cleaner streamlined process. I just haven't dialed it in yet. Maybe I need to do the bottle rock trick I do with the janky gun. After filling I put the cap on top (but not seal it), hold it down with my finger and get it a good rock to the right and the left to make it foam, then cap on foam.

Oh I don't rock my bottles. And I cap each one right away.

 

[NGD]

I agree, it doesn't make sense. And I don't think it's a capping issue. I actually upgraded last year from a winged capper to a floor/bench capper. Granted, sometimes I'll have bottles that don't seal completely, but I always know which bottles those are. I really would like to use my beer gun more because it's a much cleaner streamlined process. I just haven't dialed it in yet. Maybe I need to do the bottle rock trick I do with the janky gun. After filling I put the cap on top (but not seal it), hold it down with my finger and get it a good rock to the right and the left to make it foam, then cap on foam.

I ask out of ignorance, but doesnt that help release some CO2 out the beer. Wouldnt this lower its carbonation the second you let go to put the capper on? Or is it so minuscule that theres really no effect?

 

[Dextersmom]

I ask out of ignorance, but doesnt that help release some CO2 out the beer. Wouldnt this lower its carbonation the second you let go to put the capper on? Or is it so minuscule that theres really no effect?

whats that the rocking? that was my thought too

 

[TravelingLight]

I ask out of ignorance, but doesnt that help release some CO2 out the beer. Wouldnt this lower its carbonation the second you let go to put the capper on? Or is it so minuscule that theres really no effect?

whats that the rocking? that was my thought too

I don't know the exact science behind it, the way I see it, and thinking about it logically, if the beer is foaming to the brim (and over), it's actively driving out any oxygen in the bottle and not allowing any to ingress the bottle. Everyone talks about "capping on foam" and this is another way to ensure you're capping on foam. I may have gotten it from the thread I linked above. But it makes sense to me, and I've bottled countless bottles this way that were still perfectly carbed 6+ months later. YMMV.

 

[Dextersmom]

Very interesting though.