Tapcooler counter pressure bottle filler

[highland_brewer]

This device is not new. It has actually been in Norway for quite a while now. A LHBS is now importing and selling them in the US. I had a chance to use it over the holidays to give out some "sample" packs of my beer to friends. I really like the simplicity of it and how easy it is to use.

I did a video on it and some of the accessories for it.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

This device is not new. It has actually been in Norway for quite a while now. A LHBS is now importing and selling them in the US. I had a chance to use it over the holidays to give out some "sample" packs of my beer to friends. I really like the simplicity of it and how easy it is to use.

I did a video on it and some of the accessories for it.

Love your videos! Thanks for sharing this.

This looks awesome! I just bought one after watching this video.

I pulled the below video up from the manufacturers website. Looks like you can purge with CO2 while the stopper is still attached. Just need to open up the PRV slightly.

For those of us who are OCD about O2 exposure its something to consider. This would also purge some of the O2 that is in the line and faucet before opening the tap.

I'll report back after I use it.

 

[505-Brewer]

Looks really well thought out. What do they cost?
Saw the original video on the teleweb.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

$80

https://shop.greatfermentations.com/category/tapcooler-bottle-filler-and-accessories

 

[505-Brewer]

Not too bad all things considered. Now i need to fix me kegerator.....[emoji2]

 

[ihavenonickname]

Seems like we are finally getting the solution we've been looking for. This is how the l3lichmann beergun should have been designed to begin with... actually this what I thought I was getting when I ordered the beer gun, ha!

 

[NTexBrewer]

Love your videos! Thanks for sharing this.

This looks awesome! I just bought one after watching this video.

I pulled the below video up from the manufacturers website. Looks like you can purge with CO2 while the stopper is still attached. Just need to open up the PRV slightly.

For those of us who are OCD about O2 exposure its something to consider. This would also purge some of the O2 that is in the line and faucet before opening the tap.

I'll report back after I use it.

Not sure if you have seen this thread where I’ve detailed my experience with the Tapcooler.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/bottling-from-the-tap.669365/

I love it. Will probably never use my Last Straw (next to the last straw) bottle filler.

regarding your ocd. What I do is do about a 4 one thousand count of CO2 with the bottle not pushed up against the stopper. I then push the bottle up against the stopper continuing to apply CO2 until it bubbles out of the pressure release. This will purge a lot of O2 out of the bottle but it also builds pressure in the bottle so when you start filling with beer it minimizes foaming.

When using I frequently have beer foam come out of the pressure release but I don’t worry about this since I figure this is the same as capping on foam.

 

[RocketBrewer]

Just got mine the other day and love it!

 

[Dr_Jeff]

It shows out of stock.

$80

https://shop.greatfermentations.com/category/tapcooler-bottle-filler-and-accessories

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

It shows out of stock.

they should be restocking it soon

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

Just got mine from GF. Seems like half my club ordered them [emoji38] Anyway they'll get more.

 

[MikeCo]

I have a last straw that I've used only once. This looks a lot simpler in terms of setup, cleaning and sanitizing. I may have to get one and sell the last straw.

 

[Jocky]

I have one of these, and while it's expensive, it worked perfectly from the first time. You get a bit of foaming as you remove the filler from the bottle, but it does mean you cap on foam and it's not excessive.

I currently use it with an extension to a liquid disconnect to fill straight from the keg rather than sticking it into a tap, and it also means I can clean it using a carb cap on a bottle.

The one thing I don't like is that I wish it were easier to disconnect from the gas. I think I'm going to have to buy the ball lock adapter to deal with that issue.

 

[NewJersey]

I used mine for the first time today. Went just ok.
I MUST be missing something but when I opened the prv while filling it did nothing.
There was still pressure in the bottle because when I backed the bottle off a tiny bit I could hear co2 escape
Turning the prv open however did nothing. The beer would not fill anymore no matter open the prv was.
I ended up filling the 2 bottles by manually moving the bottle a tiny bit at a time to allow some c02 to escape and slowly filled the bottles. I then hit the button to purge the headspace and capped.
Any idea what I did wrong?
Looking forward to a trouble free fill next time.
Thanks

 

[Jocky]

I sometimes find that the prv seal sticks a bit. Once it’s popped once for a filling session it’s fine.

Unscrew the prv entirely and take the poppet out. Perhaps give it a little silicone grease on the poppet seal to stop it drying out.

It should work after that.

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

Two things: First, you have to open almost all the way. Second, it can get beer in it so needs a proper clean after use.

 

[NTexBrewer]

Mine had two springs spiraled together so it was very rigid. Check that.

As others have said you have to have the prv screw almost all the way out. I purge the bottle for a few seconds with the bottle not sealed against the silicone stopper. Then I push the bottle against the stopper and adjust the prv until CO2 escapes and then start me fill.

Also what pressure are you filling at. If it is too low that may be the problem.

 

[NewJersey]

Mine had two springs spiraled together so it was very rigid. Check that.

As others have said you have to have the prv screw almost all the way out. I purge the bottle for a few seconds with the bottle not sealed against the silicone stopper. Then I push the bottle against the stopper and adjust the prv until CO2 escapes and then start me fill.

Also what pressure are you filling at. If it is too low that may be the problem.

Pressure for the tapcooler is set at the recommended 7psi and my keg serving pressure is 12psi
I'll try messing with the prv tomorrow.
Short circuited did the fill with a slightly different method than I'm reading described here.
Thanks all

 

[Jocky]

I just use a spare gas line so my Tapcooler gas is more like 12 psi. You should get gas escaping before you start filling.

 

[ITV]

Mine had two springs spiraled together so it was very rigid. Check that.

As others have said you have to have the prv screw almost all the way out. I purge the bottle for a few seconds with the bottle not sealed against the silicone stopper. Then I push the bottle against the stopper and adjust the prv until CO2 escapes and then start me fill.

Also what pressure are you filling at. If it is too low that may be the problem.

I adjust the PRV only once initially and prior to filling I seal the bottle against the stopper push down the CO2 button until it escapes from the PRV. This will free up the sticking PRV and purge the bottle. Since I have flow adjustments on my Perlick faucets I do my flow adjustments with that to control the filling/foaming for a proper fill. I rinse it out well afterwards and give it a soak with starsan before and after each use.

 

[tomsen]

I bought this a couple of weeks ago and wanted to fill up a growler today, only to realise that the silicone is only made for bottles and I'm not able to fully seal off a 32mm bottle opening.. has anybody faced this issue, is there any solution?
Only thing that I am thinking is a rubber part with a cone that I can push into the growler that will reduce the diameter for the tapcooler silicone... although I am not the biggest fan of that idea I can let it machinein a local toolshop..

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

I use the tap cooler for bottles, but for growlers I use a DIY setup similar to this video.

this DIY counter pressure setup works really well for bottles or growlers. You can put it together with parts you probably already have lying around

Just buy a #10 stopper that will fit a growler and otherwise replicate the setup in the video. Periodically burp the stopper to releive pressure as you fill.

If you want to purge the growler with CO2 just run an extra gas line and purge the growler with the second line before you fill

 

[tomsen]

pretty nice solution. I think I still will machine a part, but if anything fails I will put a growler tube through a bung, thanks

 

[jdauria]

So the steel expanding bottling wand of the TapCooler came off mine...it's 3 separate pieces and for the life of me, I cannot figure the proper way to put it back together. I know the smallest one goes in first, as it's only one that fits into the hole in the top. That piece and one other have white rubber piece that I assume is suppose to hold it from falling off, and the larger piece is just a plain piece of stainless tubing....so my assumption is small, larger, second smallest...but it still is loose and fell off when trying to fill a bottle last night. Anyone know how they are suppose to go?

 

[Jtvann]

The “white rubber” piece you reference goes down. The tubes fit inside each other.

Start with the largest tube. From the bottom, insert the middle tube, bottom up with the white rubber piece on the bottom of the smaller tube.

Next insert the smallest diameter tube, from the bottom, installing it inside the middle diameter tube, again with the white rubber part down.

Extend them up, telescoping. The white rubber part holds each tube inside the other tubes.

 

[NTexBrewer]

 

[jdauria]

The “white rubber” piece you reference goes down. The tubes fit inside each other.

Start with the largest tube. From the bottom, insert the middle tube, bottom up with the white rubber piece on the bottom of the smaller tube.

Next insert the smallest diameter tube, from the bottom, installing it inside the middle diameter tube, again with the white rubber part down.

Extend them up, telescoping. The white rubber part holds each tube inside the other tubes.

Thank you!

 

[treacheroustexan]

Just purchase one of these from Great Fermentations.

The other day I went to keg my english mild and was going to bottle a 6 pack for the NHC first and keg the rest. Filled my bottles and my plastic capper broke. Now I'll need to bottle my entries from the keg. It's going to be a few weeks before they get opened so I wanted a good way to purge out the bottle and easily fill it. That incident led me to this (and a metal bench capper). Looking forward to giving it a try.

 

[Bad Bubba]

This device is not new. It has actually been in Norway for quite a while now. A LHBS is now importing and selling them in the US. I had a chance to use it over the holidays to give out some "sample" packs of my beer to friends. I really like the simplicity of it and how easy it is to use.

I did a video on it and some of the accessories for it.

How would you rate this versus the Boel iTap? I know you reviewed both.

 

[NewJersey]

I have this and it's a neat lil setup. Hasn't worked right for me yet tho. I can get it to purge a bottle with co2 and seal. When I go to fill with beer it won't bleed off pressure which left me sorta manually momentarily breaking the seal to bleed off pressure.
I think there may be something wrong with my unit. Haven't used it since summer. (Mainly because I haven't figured out why it's not working correctly)
Anybody else have this issue??