One reason why I bought Perlick flow-control faucets is so I can control the flow when I fill bottles off my keezer. Did some last night with a friend (he capped while I filled), and it finally dawned on me to record it so anyone interested can see it. I use a growler filler for this method of bottling.
There are a couple tricks, I've found, to doing this effectively, though experienced brewers who bottle similarly know this. The steps:
1. Chill the bottles. When beer warms CO2 comes out of solution, creating foam. A warm bottle encourages that, so cold bottles are best. I put 'em in the freezer for a while.
2. Chill the faucet and growler filler. Same thing as warm bottles--until the faucet and growler filler chill down, they'll warm the beer and encourage foaming. The best way to do this I've found is to pour myself a pint. That chills the faucet and growler-filler, and the brewer gets a beer. Win-win.
3. I don't generally have to do this, but sometimes it helps to turn down the pressure a bit. The flow-control taps help manage that, but without them, a lower pressure also is a way to control flow.
4. As I fill, once the foam gets to the top of the bottle (and there's always some, a good thing), I'll start pulling the bottle down off the growler filler. I'm trying to leave myself about 2-2 1/2" of headspace, and as I pull the bottle off, I make sure the foam is to the top of the bottle mouth, so I'm "capping on foam." Cap on foam, no air. The foam in the headspace reduces down so the end result is less headspace than the 2 1/2" at the start would suggest.
5. I put the cap on and immediately cap it.
I have a vinator/bottle rinser, which I fill halfway with Star-San, and then chill that. My process is to dip the mouth of the bottle in the Star-San, give it a couple squirts inside, then let it drain. After the first one, I've got the next bottle on there draining while I'm filling the current one. The Star-San also helps chill the bottle (unless the bottle's colder) and wets the inside, which also helps.
[My buddy had a great idea last night--he asked why I didn't just make some ice cubes out of Star-San and use those to keep the vinator liquid cold. Sounded like a great idea to me.]
BTW, that vinator might be the single most expensive piece of brewing equipment I have, for what it is. But nothing works as well, in my experience. Worth the $19 or so, in that sense. The bottom sleeve can be removed so it sits flat, or can be put on top of a bottle tree.
Here's a short video showing the process; I have a bucket below because there are always drips. Also a pic showing the proceeds of the evening's bottling.
There are a couple tricks, I've found, to doing this effectively, though experienced brewers who bottle similarly know this. The steps:
1. Chill the bottles. When beer warms CO2 comes out of solution, creating foam. A warm bottle encourages that, so cold bottles are best. I put 'em in the freezer for a while.
2. Chill the faucet and growler filler. Same thing as warm bottles--until the faucet and growler filler chill down, they'll warm the beer and encourage foaming. The best way to do this I've found is to pour myself a pint. That chills the faucet and growler-filler, and the brewer gets a beer. Win-win.
3. I don't generally have to do this, but sometimes it helps to turn down the pressure a bit. The flow-control taps help manage that, but without them, a lower pressure also is a way to control flow.
4. As I fill, once the foam gets to the top of the bottle (and there's always some, a good thing), I'll start pulling the bottle down off the growler filler. I'm trying to leave myself about 2-2 1/2" of headspace, and as I pull the bottle off, I make sure the foam is to the top of the bottle mouth, so I'm "capping on foam." Cap on foam, no air. The foam in the headspace reduces down so the end result is less headspace than the 2 1/2" at the start would suggest.
5. I put the cap on and immediately cap it.
I have a vinator/bottle rinser, which I fill halfway with Star-San, and then chill that. My process is to dip the mouth of the bottle in the Star-San, give it a couple squirts inside, then let it drain. After the first one, I've got the next bottle on there draining while I'm filling the current one. The Star-San also helps chill the bottle (unless the bottle's colder) and wets the inside, which also helps.
[My buddy had a great idea last night--he asked why I didn't just make some ice cubes out of Star-San and use those to keep the vinator liquid cold. Sounded like a great idea to me.]
BTW, that vinator might be the single most expensive piece of brewing equipment I have, for what it is. But nothing works as well, in my experience. Worth the $19 or so, in that sense. The bottom sleeve can be removed so it sits flat, or can be put on top of a bottle tree.
Here's a short video showing the process; I have a bucket below because there are always drips. Also a pic showing the proceeds of the evening's bottling.
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