Keg to Growler

[Lodovico]

I've read the "we don't need no stinking beer gun" thread but I have a question.

My setup is still just the picnic tap attached to the keg. I am heading to a New Years party tomorrow at 3pm. It's a two hour drive and I want to bring a couple of growlers with me.

If I just fill two pre-chilled growlers normally off the picnic tap at around noon, will the beer be carbed and any good by 8 that night? Or is it not worth it?

I could also fill a few bombers and cap them as well but would this work better than filling growlers?

I just don't want to go to the trouble of bringing this and then open it later that night and have really flat, bad Irish Red.

I don't have a way to do the racking cane trick because it's a picnic tap, so I'll just be pouring right into the growler, slowly.

What do you think? Thanks.

 

[wildwest450]

You should be fine. Chill them and turn your psi way down to fill. As long as the cap stays on they will be carbed. I just recently opened a growler that was 2 months old, perfectly carbed. It's after you open them, your window goes down to about a day. I have a beer gun and still ALWAYS fill growlers from my tap, it's easy once you do it a few times.

 

[Lodovico]

You should be fine. Chill them and turn your psi way down to fill. As long as the cap stays on they will be carbed. I just recently opened a growler that was 2 months old, perfectly carbed. It's after you open them, your window goes down to about a day. I have a beer gun and still ALWAYS fill growlers from my tap, it's easy once you do it a few times.

Sweet. Thank you.

 

[Montanaandy]

I routinely fill my growlers from the keg the night before I drink them. Just make sure the cap it tight and you will be fine. Enjoy! Montanaandy

 

[jezter6]

Broken racking cane + picnic tap + 3psi = instant grolwer filler.

I filled a 1l flip top 6 days ago and opened it tonight and was still carbed up just fine.

 

[nbspindel]

Broken racking cane + picnic tap + 3psi = instant grolwer filler.

i agree. the whole thread on 'we don't need a stinking beer gun' assumes that you're bottling from a picnic tap, doesnt it? you just insert a broken racking cane and a stopper that fits your growler/bottle and get to it. You might be able to do it perfect if you can sacrifice a racking cane until you can next make it to your LHBS.

your sig shows your irish red is in fermenter. is that primary or secondary? how long? has it reached terminal gravity? is it carbed already? your OP asks: if you fill them at noon, 'will the beer be carbed and any good by 8 that night'. The bottle filling process such as this assumes that your beer is already carbed and ready to be consumed. In filling your growler/bottles, you just want to avoid the release of that carbonation. It won't carbonate any more in the bottle than it already is. Time shouldnt affect that, unless you add priming sugar, but then you're talking about conditioning and would need more time.

 

[mordantly]

3/8 canes slipinside the cobra tap nice 'n tight.. or 3/8 hose on the outside.

 

[jezter6]

i agree. the whole thread on 'we don't need a stinking beer gun' assumes that you're bottling from a picnic tap, doesnt it? you just insert a broken racking cane and a stopper that fits your growler/bottle and get to it. You might be able to do it perfect if you can sacrifice a racking cane until you can next make it to your LHBS.

I don't even use the stopper, just jam that bad boy in there and let it fly. And yes, the whole thing assumes picnic tap anyways, so the OP is in prime position to do this.

I find that the racking cane breaks pretty often right in the "sweet spot" for this kind of application.

If it's urgent - I'd go ahead and cut or break a cheap racking cane and pick up a new one next time you hit the homebrew store.

 

[Lodovico]

i agree. the whole thread on 'we don't need a stinking beer gun' assumes that you're bottling from a picnic tap, doesnt it? you just insert a broken racking cane and a stopper that fits your growler/bottle and get to it. You might be able to do it perfect if you can sacrifice a racking cane until you can next make it to your LHBS.

your sig shows your irish red is in fermenter. is that primary or secondary? how long? has it reached terminal gravity? is it carbed already? your OP asks: if you fill them at noon, 'will the beer be carbed and any good by 8 that night'. The bottle filling process such as this assumes that your beer is already carbed and ready to be consumed. In filling your growler/bottles, you just want to avoid the release of that carbonation. It won't carbonate any more in the bottle than it already is. Time shouldnt affect that, unless you add priming sugar, but then you're talking about conditioning and would need more time.

Yeah, sorry for the confusion. Just didn't update my sig. It's been in the keg for 2.5 weeks now and is fully carbed. Thanks for all the tips.

 

[Montanaandy]

Maybe I am missing something in this thread. The OP is talking about putting his beer into a growler (1/2 gallon) from the keg. Just use the picnic tap and pour into the growler (I use 4-6 PSI). The beer will keep just fine overnight in the fridge. Make certain the cap is on as tight as you can get it. Montanaandy

 

[wilserbrewer]

I routinely fill liter bottles "gently" off of picnic taps. Tilt the bottle and fill to the top so it foams over a tad and cap it and keep it cold. Works so well I haven't even bothered w/ the cane. Helps if your beer is well carbed to begin with, if you lose a little carbonation you are still good.