Last Straw bottle filler - need help!

[tstorm]

I make cider, and prefer it heavily carbonated (~3 volumes). I've only bottled once with a bottle filler (in the past I've just gone directly from taps), and it was a disaster. I used the Last Straw exactly as the instructions said - 8-12 psi head pressure. Foam city! I ended up with bottles 90% full of foam only 10% full of cider.

Question 1 - Do you all really use the Last Straw at 8-12 psi, or do you find that lower pressure is better? I've heard that the Blichmann is best around 2 psi or so.

Question 2 - Do you use a cork with these bottle fillers to pressurize the bottles? It doesn't come with one, but I've heard talk of using one and I'm curious if that helps. If it does, what's the science behind that?

Thanks in advance!

 

[CA_Mouse]

I use a Blichmann, but have found that the best way to fill is to have the bottles chilled to the same temperature as the beer, cider, mead or wine. I lower the pressure to about 2PSI to give it just enough pressure to push the liquid. If possible, having your Last Straw or Beergun and lines chilled will also help against foaming.

The 'cork' is to allow you to fill at pressure, rather than to lower the keg pressure. Bottling under pressure will also keep the foaming to a minimum.

 

[Xernex]

I've never had good luck using my last straw at 8-12 PSI, especially with highly carbed beers - I usually go down to 4-5 PSI, which fills incredibly slowly, but hardly foams at all. Of course this is with very cold bottles and the last straw/lines chilled before hand as well.

 

[Dolomieu]

^^^ this. When I bottle from my tap I can do it at serving pressure. When I use a beer gun I have to lower the pressure. I don't pre-chill for either set up, but I only use the beer gun for kegs I carb at basement temp.

 

[Maylar]

Yup, 10-12 is foam city. I bottle cider with a Last Straw and turn the pressure down to the lowest I can set and still have flow. With the keg on the floor and bottles in my sink it's about 4-5 psi. I've also found that a bottle wand pressed into a standard picnic tap will fill bottles at 4 psi without foam.

 

[Mexibilly]

Yup, 10-12 is foam city. I bottle cider with a Last Straw and turn the pressure down to the lowest I can set and still have flow. With the keg on the floor and bottles in my sink it's about 4-5 psi. I've also found that a bottle wand pressed into a standard picnic tap will fill bottles at 4 psi without foam.

Dude, after 10 bottles of frustration with SWMBO's cherry cream ale, I tried the bottle wand/picnic tap.
It worked absolutely perfect!
That said, I've bottled many, many batches with my last straw, but this wasn't working.
Bottle wand and picnic tap is F'n perfect. Thank you Maylar

 

[JoshuaWhite5522]

Dude, after 10 bottles of frustration with SWMBO's cherry cream ale, I tried the bottle wand/picnic tap.
It worked absolutely perfect!
That said, I've bottled many, many batches with my last straw, but this wasn't working.
Bottle wand and picnic tap is F'n perfect. Thank you Maylar

I can vouch for this method, I turn pressure down to about 2-5 psi and make sure the bottles are being filled below where the keg is sitting.

 

[jmcquesten]

Or just use 20 ft of beer line and keep it at serving pressure