Recently I've found that I much prefer the results I get bottling from a keg rather than bottle conditioning from the fermenter. However, I absolutely hate using the counter-pressure filler. I think it takes just as long to do six bottles on that as it does to fill 55 out of the fermenter. Wondering if there are some good solutions short of spending $15,000 on a used commercial filler. I've seen rigs that people have put together to hold the counter pressure filler and bottles in place which would help a lot (especially if you chained a few together) but I'm not handy enough to design one myself (although could probably put it together if I found a guide). Any suggestions? Cheers.
Is there something in-between a counter-pressure filler and a commercial bottler?
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The main difference is you're filling bottles from a keg with carbonated beer, instead of (mostly) flat beer from a fermenter. I guess it's an effort to save you 3 weeks of bottle conditioning time.
Make sure the carbonated beer is ice cold, 28-32°F (!), and it could help when the bottles are cold too. Maybe by chilling them in ice cold StarSan, in small batches of 6 bottles, right before filling.
Make sure the carbonated beer is ice cold, 28-32°F (!), and it could help when the bottles are cold too. Maybe by chilling them in ice cold StarSan, in small batches of 6 bottles, right before filling.
Broken Crow
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If you have your kegs in a kegerator or keezer with a tap, you could try the Tapcooler:
https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/tapcooler-counter-pressure-bottle-filler..I've heard nothing but praise for it. If I were starting again, I'd get one..as it is, when I first kegged for force-carbing and bottling I got the Blichmann Beer Gun and I've been very happy with it;
https://www.blichmannengineering.com/beergun.html
https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/tapcooler-counter-pressure-bottle-filler..I've heard nothing but praise for it. If I were starting again, I'd get one..as it is, when I first kegged for force-carbing and bottling I got the Blichmann Beer Gun and I've been very happy with it;
https://www.blichmannengineering.com/beergun.html
Wayne1
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I took a look at the tapcooler page, and it says that it connects to "any forward sealing faucet." What is a "forward sealing faucet"?
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Forward-sealing faucets control the flow from the front end so that no beer gets trapped in the body of the faucet. Some popular brands are Perlick, Intertap and Nuka Tap.
+1 for the Tapcooler
Easy to set up, easy to use, and easy to clean. Plus it works great and it's not that expensive. You have to get the ball lock co2 adapter and if your tower is short, get the connection tube too.
Easy to set up, easy to use, and easy to clean. Plus it works great and it's not that expensive. You have to get the ball lock co2 adapter and if your tower is short, get the connection tube too.
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Thinking about buying this Handsfree Magnetic Mount for the Tapcooler
You'll need a drip tray under it. The pressure release valve lets the foam out until the bottle is full.
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Thanks! I kinda do that already with a towel on the floor
If I'm bottling for a party or friends house I just sanitize the tap cooler and bottles and if there's any left they last about 3 weeks (flip top) before tasting a little off. When i bottle for the shelf, think RIS , Quad, Tripple,ect. I dissasemble the tap ,clean and sanitize the tap and line. I'll bottle and cap 24 from those kegs and so far so good after 6 mos. , The Quad and Trip aren't ready yet ,but i have high hopes.
Forgot, also have the blickman beer gun that has been hanging since I got the tap cooler,mainly because you can bottle without moving the keg.
ITV
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"Ultratap, Vent-Matic, Perlick 600 series and Intertap faucets. These fillers can be converted to fit Perlick 500 series with an optional tap connector."
Forward sealing taps do not have the "plunger" visiable from the front of the tap.
With my tapcooler I can easily fill "foamy" beers just by dialing in the amount of counter pressure. The only downside is that you have to hold the bottle against the tap seal while filling. They now offer a device which locks in the bottle while filling freeing up both hands. The other adavantage of the tapcooler is no need to clean out 6 feet of beer line after bottling.
ITV
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Tapcooler has an optional drain hose that can direct the foam into a container or drip tray.
DuncB
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I've been using the Williamswarn counter pressure bottle filler for several years. I have a gen 1 I use for Brett beers and the new gen 2 for normal beers.
Quite a few microbreweries use it as their bottling device as well.
Very little mess with it. Makes bottling a pleasure.
https://williamswarn.co.nz/products/brewbottler-gen2
Quite a few microbreweries use it as their bottling device as well.
Very little mess with it. Makes bottling a pleasure.
https://williamswarn.co.nz/products/brewbottler-gen2
Just pulled the trigger on the Tapcooler. It should be ready to go by the time that my Red Rye IPA is fully carbed and matured. I look forward to bottling for friends next week with little to no O2 ingress.
I did some test bottles when I got mine and it's just too easy. The only time I had a problem is when I forgot to close the tap. Whoops!
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Tips: You'll need to open the pressure relief valve quite a bit before you hear the gas hissing out. Definitely take apart the valve when you clean the Tapcooler as it gets pretty sticky from beer (I put a bit of keg lube on it before reassembling).
I keep the relief valve out after cleaning and put it back in after soaking in starsan. It works first time and everytime.
DuncB
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Both of mine have been excellent. It's a proper bottler.
Good to know. I'm considering one.
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