Keg to bottles- best solution?

[Ludesbrews]

Guys,

I know this has been discussed, but I am kind of looking for a clear - cut answer.

We just moved to kegging, but would like to bottle up a few beers from the carbonated keg.

Can anyone tell me if they’ve had any sure success with the tube attached to the picnic tap method? I’ve see videos of it, but I am skeptical.

My buddy wants to go beer gun or last straw - just trying time figure out if the other method is worth trying.

Thanks

 

[balrog]

I have used it many times, silicone tube fitted to end of picnic tap, reaches bottom of bottle.
Beer must be cold, and stable (not just burst carbed, but sitting, carbed, cold, for days)
Bottles being cold helps
Bottle rinsed immediately prior to filling helps
Having 10' of line so pour is slow helps
Pouring a glass first with system to chill line helps

But I do it all the time

 

[odie]

I use a short 1" piece of silicone tube over my tapered Intertap spout. Super cheap counter pressure method. It seals the bottle and hold the pressure in. Bottle fills about 1/3, then I move the bottle slightly to break the seal and let more beer slowly fill the bottle. the tap handle stays pulled the whole time. I end up with a little foam in the neck that I let bleed out as the bottle fills almost completely. works ok but a lot depends on your carbonation and beer line balancing too.

Now trying a second, smaller long hose inside the first to let the beer come out at the bottom of the bottle to reduce foam even more.

 

[Jag75]

What he said ^^^^ I hardly use my beer gun anymore . Tubing is way easier . I've bottled this way and popped open 2-3 weeks later and was still carbonated as if u just tapped it.
The only difference between odie and what I do is my tubing fits just inside the faucet.

 

[Gulo_gulo]

I have both, and use either depending on how long the beer will stay unopened in the bottle or growler.

Beer gun with counterpressure (and bottles purged with co2) for longer storage. But it's an ordeal to pull all that tubing and stuff out, sanitize it, clean, etc.

I use a simple tube shoved up inside my perlick faucets for quick bottling, with pressure turned down to about 2 or 3 psi (and pressure bled from keg) for friends or events where I know it'll be opened and consumed quickly; it's not counterpressure and it's likely there is oxygen exposed in the neck of bottle but fine for a few days at least, maybe not 'weeks'. Super simple method.

 

[Tapcooler]

Counter pressure filler that connects like a growler filler

 

[Jtvann]

Counter pressure filler that connects like a growler filler

I've got one of these and it works well.

 

[camonick]

I use this method https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun.24678/ for all the beer I bottle from my kegs. It’s cheap, quick and easy. I don’t even turn down the pressure and just bottle with success at serving pressure. I’ve traded in several FotHB as well as giving beer to friends and I’ve never heard any complaints about no carbonation or oxidation.

 

[bracconiere]

i use picnic taps, and when i fill 1 liter bottles for travel, i just use tubing that fits in the picnic tap, and a rubber stop that covers the top of a soda bottle. let the pressure out slowly as it fills...can post a pic of my set-up...hold on....

ideally the tube would go deeper, and that ice cream stick, is to keep my drip tray from rattling......lol

 

[odie]

I use a growler filler nozzle with a very short silicone hose over the tapered part to seal the pressure in and a long skinny hose on the nipple to reach the bottom. I don’t adjust my kegs or pressure at all. I’m filling bottles at serving psi. 6 bottles of assorted beer and my waste was maybe an ounce or 2.

 

[Albionwood]

I do this all the time, either from taps (if I'm in a hurry and the beer/cider will be consumed quickly) or with the picnic tap-and-racking-cane method. For me, it works MUCH better to reduce pressure down to 2-3 psi when bottling, and to chill the bottles. If the beer is fully carbed, maybe a little to the high side for style, the picnic tap-and-cane method can work very well. There will be a little oxidation, but beer(and even cider) keeps well if chilled.

 

[Bobby_M]

If it's just for short term storage like transport to a BYOB or dinner party, a tube off the tap is all you really need. If it's for a competition or some other multi-week drinking delay, the Beergun is the only way.

 

[SEndorf]

Here's the clear cut answer....
If you're just doing a few beers, get a tap adapter such as this perlick tap filler but if you're doing some serious bottling, get a beer gun.
The main difference is the tap filler creates a lot of excess waste (use copious amounts of rags) while the beer gun does not.