Bottling UNCARBED beer with Kegging Setup

[Scut_Monkey]

I have a Belgian Dark Strong that I need to bottle that has been in a corny acting as a secondary. Ideally I would like to transfer to a second corny using CO2 and post jumper and then bottle from this. The beer would be uncarbed but would have priming sugar added. I was trying to think of a good way to transfer to the bottle using CO2 to reduce oxidation chances.

Has anyone ever bottled uncarbed beer from a corny? I figure it would be less involved than bottling carbed beer which would require something like a BMBF. I'm thinking the most simple and best approach would be my bottling wand jambed into a cobra (picnic) tap. I could then transfer at ~5-7psi.

Anyone see any problems with this?

 

[khiddy]

Sounds good to me - you're going to have a little bit of oxygen in the headspace of the bottles, because you're unable to purge them with CO2, but that's no different than when you bottle normally from a bottling bucket. I say go for it.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

True, I won't be able to purge the bottles with CO2 but oh well.

Ideallly, I'm looking to make a process that's efficient, clean, relatively easy and the proper way of going about it. I secondary in cornies and if I'm not going to bottle certain batches I figure bottling out of the corny would be the easiest and most streamline approach than transferring to a bottling bucket which I'm not fond of using to begin with. If this method works well I can post some pictures and a details for anyone that might be interested.

 

[Sea]

Should wok fine as long as it hasn't been chilled first, though you may find that 5-7 psi is more pressure than you need.

That being said, bottling carbed beer from a corny is very simple, and has the advantage of providing perfect carbonation levels every time, and producing bottled beer that's ready right away.

So why are you still bottling if you have a kegging setup? Is this just a special batch, or do you always bottle?

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I'm bottling because I don't yet have a freezer/keezer. I have cornys, 2 CO2 tanks, 2 regulators and disconnects and a few various odd and ends but not everything for a full kegging setup. Also, this is a Belgian dark strong which would benefit from bottle aging.

I suppose I could always force carbonate it using my parents fridge and then use something similar to a BMBF to bottle it. However, the question become is it easier to force carb and bottle or add priming sugar and bottle. For my circumstances the easier route for now will be to add priming sugar and bottle it uncarbed. For the Belgian dark strong the 3 weeks won't matter as it won't be ready for a while anyways.

 

[Ender]

just FYI, you don't need to have the beer cold to force carb it, although it does help. It will need to get cold after though for serving and so the co2 stays in solution

 

[Scut_Monkey]

just FYI, you don't need to have the beer cold to force carb it, although it does help. It will need to get cold after though for serving and so the co2 stays in solution

Do you have to change anything if you're force carbing room temp beer? That would make it a lot easier.

 

[MultumInParvo]

I just lift my keg and put it someplace high, like on top of a fridge, and then use some hose and a picnic tap, POOF, you have a siphon, and you don't use any CO2.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I just lift my keg and put it someplace high, like on top of a fridge, and then use some hose and a picnic tap, POOF, you have a siphon, and you don't use any CO2.

This is true and actually a rather good idea. There would be some possibility of O2 exposure simply from venting the top of the corny. However, the CO2 blanket would still be on top of the beer and this little bit of oxygen exposure would be insignificant I would think.

So now I think I have three options. This forum is awesome!

 

[Bsquared]

You might want to use CO2 to push the beer out, you will have a small yeast cake at the bottom of the keg if you where using it as a bright tank, and if you tip it on its side you will disturb the sediment.

I've blended beers off a corny I used to sour half a batch(un-carbonated )using CO2 to push out the beer, my first quart off the keg was all sediment, after that it ran clean.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

You might want to use CO2 to push the beer out, you will have a small yeast cake at the bottom of the keg if you where using it as a bright tank, and if you tip it on its side you will disturb the sediment.

I've blended beers off a corny I used to sour half a batch(un-carbonated )using CO2 to push out the beer, my first quart off the keg was all sediment, after that it ran clean.

I wouldn't be turning it on it's side for anything so I should be ok in that regard. If I go the natural carbonation method I would be transferring to a second corny to mix in the priming sugar with the added benefit of disposing the first few ounces with heavy yeast sediment.

 

[Bsquared]

I just lift my keg and put it someplace high, like on top of a fridge, and then use some hose and a picnic tap, POOF, you have a siphon, and you don't use any CO2.

Yes sorry, I miss read this. no need to put the keg on its side. This is what I get for reading posts while working...

If I go the natural carbonation method I would be transferring to a second corny to mix in the priming sugar with the added benefit of disposing the first few ounces with heavy yeast sediment.

I think this sounds like a good plan.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Now I just have to see if if the tubing that I have that fits my picnic tap is long enough to maintain a good siphon. I'll try a practice run with water in the keg before hand to see how it goes. If it dosen't work or if it's a PITA than I'll try pushing it with CO2 as I originally planned.

 

[jeffmeh]

If you put the keg high and use gravity for a siphon, you will still have to get the siphon started. A bit of CO2 pressure will get it going.

 

[springer]

Why not just use spring tipped bottling wand .Transfer the beer to your priming keg to mix with the sugar . seal the priming keg drop the pressure to 1-2 psi and bottle..No o2 touches the beer except whats is the bottle just like normal bottling .

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I just did a quick test run of this with water. I had the bottom of the corny about 3.5 feet higher than the bottles. On the gas post I put a MFL quick disconnect on to a barbed swivel nut. On the swivel nut a put a 3 foot piece of old siphon tubing to effectively make a torturous path for any bacteria/mold trying to make it into the corny. On the liquid side a MFL quick disconnect running to a barbed swivel nut to a 4 foot piece of 3/16" tubing. Coming of the tubing I had a picnic tap with the bottling wand jammed into the end of the picnic tap (made a very tight seal).

It was actually very easy to use and much more so than my typical setup with a bottling wand directly on a bottling bucket spigot. There were no air leaks making their way into the beer and the siphon was extremely easy to start with one suck of the turkey baster at the end of the bottling wand. I was effectively able to have my hands free while a bottle was filling by locking the picnic tap in the open position. Also, the corny left only about 10ml of wasted water/beer when the siphon broke.

This seems to be a MUCH easier way to bottle than using my crappy bottling bucket which I hate. I'll also try the same technique with 2-3psi CO2 to effectively avoid ANY oxygen exposure during the process. Thanks for all the suggestions so far guys. I'll try to post some pictures if I can ever figure out how to correctly.

Edit: Just tried it by pushing with 2 psi CO2 and it's an even easier solution. It fills the bottlles much faster, no need to start a siphon and of course the added benefit of reducing oxygen exposure.

Why not just use spring tipped bottling wand .Transfer the beer to your priming keg to mix with the sugar . seal the priming keg drop the pressure to 1-2 psi and bottle..No o2 touches the beer except whats is the bottle just like normal bottling .

I wanted to try using the picnic tap with the bottling wand attached because my spring tipped bottling wand has gotten jammed on me before with hop residue. Also, I liked the idea that the picnic tap locks to the on position leaving my hands free to put bottle caps on the other bottles while one is filling up (I like efficiency).