We no need no stinking beer gun...

[Philip1993]

Thanks for the tip. I may try that once I buy a cobra tap (portable draught beer is definitely in my future). But i'm very happy with this version of the BMBF {See pic above}

I think the problems you are experiencing are related to the length of your dip tube. With the stopper in place, the dip tube should be just off the bottom of the bottle. By dispensing beer under a layer of beer (instead of letting it fall through air), you minimize turbulence and outgassing.

 

[jfrizzell]

I think the problems you are experiencing are related to the length of your dip tube.

That's pretty harsh, making fun of the length of a guy's dip tube.

 

[EdWort]

That's pretty harsh, making fun of the length of a guy's dip tube.

Now, now, Dr. Pldoolittle was just dispensing some Rx advice.

 

[digunderground]

I have been using this method for about 4 months, unfortunately I didnt see it here .. either way I have to say it is the best / cheapest way to bottle beer, plus I can filter my beer first and get a brilliant polish!!! the only thing I did different was insert a piece of tubing from the hand held tap to the racking cane. It allowed a little bit more flexibility.


I have also been reading all of your different "fill quantities". I fill all the way to the brim and cap on liquid. It's a little messy both to fill and once you open, but I have a 2xIPA that is 7 months old and is better than it was 2 months ago.. carbonated and all!

well thats my 2c

 

[BierMuncher]

...I have also been reading all of your different "fill quantities". I fill all the way to the brim and cap on liquid. It's a little messy both to fill and once you open, but I have a 2xIPA that is 7 months old and is better than it was 2 months ago.. carbonated and all!

well thats my 2c

Not a bad idea. I never know when I'm going to submit a bottle to a competition though and some judges will ding you for over-filled bottles.

 

[Philip1993]

That's pretty harsh, making fun of the length of a guy's dip tube.

Touche!! PADDING

 

[BierMuncher]

Looking back at the original post...I thought it was a bit messy.

I've edited to make it a little more (hopefully) clear on the step-by-step.

 

[petrolero]

Some dumb observations and questions (flame suit standing by):

I've filled growlers with beer straight off the faucet (usually with some foam-over) with no counterpressure doodads and every time I've opened one of those growlers - even weeks later - it's been under plenty of positive pressure and tasted unchanged (to me - I'm no BJCP judge though).

What does the stopper really do for you in this setup? I mean no matter what, you have to release all the pressure in order to cap it anyway so why use the stopper in the first place? Does it mainly reduce foaming? Seems the filler tube would do more to reduce foaming than the stopper.

I can sorta see the need for the filler tube in order to introduce the beer gently and reduce oxygenation but in my experience with filling growlers it makes not a lot of difference other than for anti-foam, especially in the short term. If undercarbonation is a worry, kick up the pressure a notch before bottling. But I pour mine at 7 psi and it's never failed to be well-carbonated in a growler.

I know I'm going against accepted principles here but I just have never quite understood the point of holding the counterpressure only to release all of it at the end.

School me.

 

[BierMuncher]

What does the stopper really do for you in this setup? I mean no matter what, you have to release all the pressure in order to cap it anyway so why use the stopper in the first place? Does it mainly reduce foaming? Seems the filler tube would do more to reduce foaming than the stopper.

School me.

The purpose of the stopper is to act as a pressure regulator. Free flowing would transfer the beer too fast and I want control over the process.

If my beer is perfectly carb'd in the keg, I want to do everything I can to transfer that perfect balance to the bottle.

Simply drawing a draft of beer into a bottle is going to knock out substantial CO2. Increasing the CO2 prior to filling is hit or miss. Plus, when I fill a half case worth of bottles, I'm not willing to slosh a lot of foam.

I bottle up beers to take to parties, and to stow away for several months. I’m not willing to short cut the process and risk a beer that tastes different in the bottle than what came out of the tap.

A slower, gentler process is going to minimize exposure to oxygen and preserve your beer better.

 

[BioSore]

Is there any reason to worry about beer bombs, even when leaving the capped bottles out of the fridge? I'm a newbie, and I'll soon be bottling much more than my fridge can hold. I just want to make sure that if I store them for some time (few months) out of the fridge, I need not worry about too much CO2 coming out of solution to cause too much pressure.

 

[BierMuncher]

Is there any reason to worry about beer bombs, even when leaving the capped bottles out of the fridge? I'm a newbie, and I'll soon be bottling much more than my fridge can hold. I just want to make sure that if I store them for some time (few months) out of the fridge, I need not worry about too much CO2 coming out of solution to cause too much pressure.

Coming out of solution is not the issue. It’s a prolonged storage at warmer temps that can cause problems.

If your beer was properly conditioned in the fermenter, secondary or keg at room temperature, you should be fine.

If you chilled and kegged the beer in a hurry to serve, bottling and then setting them at room temp can awaken the yeast. They will pick up where they left off and begin processing the slight amounts of residual sugars that remain.

Bottle bombs are not an issue, but you will end up with a highly carbonated beer.

Any beer that I think I’m going to bottle and store for months will be sure to get a good 5-6 weeks aging at room temp before being chilled in the keg.

 

[todd_k]

sorry if this has already been discussed but....

what if your picnic tap is hooked up to only 1 foot of line? how can I fill a bottle without getting all foam?

 

[BierMuncher]

sorry if this has already been discussed but....

what if your picnic tap is hooked up to only 1 foot of line? how can I fill a bottle without getting all foam?

Turn the PSI as low as you can and still maintain a flow.

It will be a slower process but work just the same.

A longer line will let you increase the PSI and avoid foaming and just makes the process a bit faster.

 

[Philip1993]

What does the stopper really do for you in this setup? I mean no matter what, you have to release all the pressure in order to cap it anyway so why use the stopper in the first place? Does it mainly reduce foaming? Seems the filler tube would do more to reduce foaming than the stopper.

To get dissolved CO2 to disassociate from the fluid (i.e. foam) you need a lower head pressure and a disturbance in the fluid (or time). By raising the head pressure, you eliminate one of the variables which reduces foaming. Think of it this way. Take an unopened two liter coke and shake it. How much foam is produced and how quickly is the gas re-dissolved into solution? Now, open that bottle up (i.e. reduce head pressure) and shake it. See the difference in foam?

When you bottle, the change from laminar flow (in the tube) to chaotic flow (in the bottle) encourages gas disassociation. Filling from the bottom reduces the change rate from laminar to chaotic, but does not eliminate it. Pressure bottling helps compensate for that. The BMBF introduces pressure by sealing the bottle and allowing fluid flow to reduce the headspace (and hence increase pressure).

All that said, try the BMBF with and without a stopper. I think you'll find that it's $0.69 well spent...

 

[petrolero]

To get dissolved CO2 to disassociate from the fluid (i.e. foam) you need a lower head pressure and a disturbance in the fluid (or time). By raising the head pressure, you eliminate one of the variables which reduces foaming. Think of it this way. Take an unopened two liter coke and shake it. How much foam is produced and how quickly is the gas re-dissolved into solution? Now, open that bottle up (i.e. reduce head pressure) and shake it. See the difference in foam?

When you bottle, the change from laminar flow (in the tube) to chaotic flow (in the bottle) encourages gas disassociation. Filling from the bottom reduces the change rate from laminar to chaotic, but does not eliminate it. Pressure bottling helps compensate for that. The BMBF introduces pressure by sealing the bottle and allowing fluid flow to reduce the headspace (and hence increase pressure).

All that said, try the BMBF with and without a stopper. I think you'll find that it's $0.69 well spent...

Great explanation! Thanks!

 

[Grimsawyer]

Today I'm going out to price Co2 regulators at a welding supply shop. I want a nice one with a big knob to regulate the Co2. Those are easier to crank down and up and you don't have to worry about gaulding your regulator at a psi ya don't like. That is the only part of my BMBF I don't like playing with. Cranking down the pressure. If it were easier I'd bottle more often! (as of right now i only fill up my growlers to take beer to friends'. If I had a better regulator twards the end of a keg it would be much more likely that I would bottle up 10 or so to blow the old keg and toss in that new keg I want to try faster, lol!)

 

[jay415]

Today I'm going out to price Co2 regulators at a welding supply shop. I want a nice one with a big knob to regulate the Co2. Those are easier to crank down and up and you don't have to worry about gaulding your regulator at a psi ya don't like. That is the only part of my BMBF I don't like playing with. Cranking down the pressure. If it were easier I'd bottle more often! (as of right now i only fill up my growlers to take beer to friends'. If I had a better regulator twards the end of a keg it would be much more likely that I would bottle up 10 or so to blow the old keg and toss in that new keg I want to try faster, lol!)

Try Micromatic
http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/regulators-cid-297.html

 

[Grimsawyer]

Try Micromatic
http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/regulators-cid-297.html

sweeeeeeeeeetttttt........... Couldn't find anything under 75 bones that I wanted at the welding supply shop.... the single regulator with dual gauges and 2 valves is just what the doctor ordered!!! I can close off my kegs, open up the other and crank down the pressure.... oh yeah.... happiness :rockin: it'll be time to break out the BMBF soon enough alright!!!!

 

[Philip1993]

That is the only part of my BMBF I don't like playing with. Cranking down the pressure. If it were easier I'd bottle more often!

FWIW, I store/serve at 10psi and I don't adjust before I bottle with the BMBF. I cram the BMBF into the same picnic tap I serve on. Chill your bottles and stopper it well. Once the flow stops (2-3" of fill), I just squeeze/pinch the stopper and it makes a tiny break in the seal that causes the gas to leak. With the gas leaking, the beer slowly (about 10-15 sec) fills the rest of the bottle.

The BMBF is the easiest beer tool I own. If you're having a difficult time, play with your config a bit. One item of note, I clipped the tip of my racking cane a bit (see pic) so as to prevent the tube sitting flat on the bottle bottom.

 

[431brew]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I am still bottling with sugar....does force carbing, kegging and then bottling like this eliminate sediment in the bottom of the bottles? thanks.

 

[BierMuncher]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I am still bottling with sugar....does force carbing, kegging and then bottling like this eliminate sediment in the bottom of the bottles? thanks.

Yes it does. That's a prime advantage...especially if you're transporting your beers.

 

[431brew]

Yes it does. That's a prime advantage...especially if you're transporting your beers.

Thanks, BierMuncher. That is what I thought, but wanted to confirm.

 

[pen25]

BeirMuncher i just tried this today and i have to say thank you very much for leading a blind man to beer. i bottled a 12 pack and 3 22oz for a ufc party tonight. thank you again.

 

[brewjunky]

This works great I dont even need to put my bottles in the freezer to cool or anything. I just set my regulator to 4 PSI bleed the keg off abit, insert my 3/8 racking cane (14" which I cut off the bend and angles the end) stick it in the plastic faucet and insert it in my bottle with the #2 stopper. I pour untill flow slows then just let some C0@ out by pushing on the stopper.

When I get to the top I pull the racking cane out and top up so foam goes to the top, then cap.

It works great.

 

[mandoman]

whew! this is a long thread! but worth every minute. I read it all in search of info regarding using this technique for beers to be entered into competitions. Since I keg I don't want to measure out sugar for 2 12 ounce beers and hope for the best. I read a few mentions of competitions beers using this method that refer to headspace and getting dinged for having too little. Anyone else use this for comp beers and have any stories? Any other concerns? How about timing? i assume the closer to the comp I bottle the beer the better?

Thanks guys for a very helpful thread.

chris

 

[Bobby_M]

Since when is bottle headspace on the BJCP score sheet? The judging should begin after the pour.

 

[Bokonon]

Since when is bottle headspace on the BJCP score sheet? The judging should begin after the pour.

There isn't any score associated with it, but they have the bottle inspection and comments about it. I've talked to some judges that unfairly already start thinking about a low score when there is too little headspace. Since when bottle conditioning too little or too much really are a big issue.

 

[BierMuncher]

... Anyone else use this for comp beers and have any stories? Any other concerns? How about timing? i assume the closer to the comp I bottle the beer the better?
...

I use this method for all bottling, including competition entries.

My carbonation marks have always been high. My RIS and Haus Pale Ale both placed 2nd and 3rd in a comp this Spring...with the RIS getting honorable mention (4th) in the Best of Show.

I'd recommend that for beers going to a competition, the closer to the comp you bottle, the better.

I've bottled beers too soon, and let them rest at room temperature for several week - and that "warming"effect caused a bit more carbonation in the bottles because I hadn't let them warm condition long enough.

It's amazing how long some small residual production of CO2 goes on, even after you're sure the beer has fermented out. So unless you let your beer have 3-5 weeks of room room temperature fermentation before kegging, bottle close to the competition date and store them cold.

 

[Beerrific]

I read a few mentions of competitions beers using this method that refer to headspace and getting dinged for having too little. Anyone else use this for comp beers and have any stories? Any other concerns? How about timing? i assume the closer to the comp I bottle the beer the better?

I have used this method for bottling beers going to competitions. One of the beers even took second place in the first round of the nationals. There was not mention of any problems with fill on any of the three bottles I sent.

When filling and bottle conditioning, the recommendation is to fill all the way to the top and let the head space be equal to the amount of liquid displaced by the bottling wand. This is essentially what is being done here, if you fill to where liquid is coming out the top, when you pull the racking cane out the amount of liquid it displaced leaves the perfect amount of head space. This also gives you a very consistent fill level.

 

[431brew]

Edit: Moved to new thread.