Keg to bottle – flip top vs. regular capped bottle

[dierythmus]

I exclusively keg, but I like to bring brews with me occasionally. I typically fill a growler straight from my picnic tap (after lowering the serving pressure), and it seems to work fine. I’ve done this with Grolsch-style flip top bottles, and it works fine too.

I have a ton of bottles, caps and a capper laying around. Would it be a bad idea to fill regular 12oz bottles from my keg and cap them?

 

[BBBF]

It would work just as well on crown caps as flip tops. The only advantage to the flip tops is that you can seal the bottle faster to prevent any loss from foaming.

 

[giraffe]

Filling directly from the tap, You will lose a touch of carbonation, and the bottles arent free from oxygen, so it could stale a bit. A counter pressure bottle filler would solve those problems.

But really, if you have good carbonation, and you are bottling for immediate consumption, its not the end of the world.

 

[bobeer]

I have a bunch of fliptops I want to give as "drink now" gifts this xmas. Good to know this should work!

 

[JustLooking]

I typically fill a growler straight from my picnic tap [...] Would it be a bad idea to fill regular 12oz bottles from my keg and cap them?

Straight from picnic tap or BMBF?

 

[grainbill]

If you cold crash the keg before filling the bottles you should get less foam...
Anyone tried attaching some tubing to a picnic tap to get the brew into the bottom of the bottle?

 

[TheMattTrain]

I bottle from my kegs occasionally. I use a drilled stopper over a racking cane, jam the racking can into a picnic tap, turn the pressure off, then slowly repressurize until the beer starts flowing.

You'll need to "burp" the stopper to let air out so you don't A - shatter the bottle, or B - Force the racking cane out of the picnic tap (I've had this happen, it sucks).

Some people cut the racking cane at an angle so it flows easier. I just try to go slow to start and then keep the end submerged until I'm done filling. I also get my wife to cap while I'm filling the next bottle. It's pretty great, really... don't have to worry about sediment, either!

I did it like this for my first batch ever back in January of this year. I gave a bottle to a friend of mine a few months ago, he said it was a beautiful pour and tasted great. I'm going to try one or two on Christmas.

 

[cockybitz]

Yes, you can bottle into standard capped 12 oz bottles. I also usually burp the keg before filling at a very slow rate, so as to keep more of the carbonation in the liquid. They poor great, even a couple of weeks down the road.

 

[Yooper]

Straight from picnic tap or BMBF?

That works so well, with grolsch bottles or regular bottles and caps!

I've won competitions filled that way, with beer that sat in those bottles for a relatively long time, with no oxidation or loss of carbonation.

I have a beergun now, but I still often just use the BMBF, for growlers and bottles, as it works so well.

 

[brewprint]

That works so well, with grolsch bottles or regular bottles and caps!

I've won competitions filled that way, with beer that sat in those bottles for a relatively long time, with no oxidation or loss of carbonation.

I have a beergun now, but I still often just use the BMBF, for growlers and bottles, as it works so well.

Curious as to why you bought the beergun. Was it to skip the step of topping off the bottles with the tap to purge?