We no need no stinking beer gun...

[BierMuncher]

By the way...

Filled up a couple of 22-ouncers and a 6-pack yesterday for a friend. I'm thoroughly convinced that a simple cold water rinse of the bottles just prior to filling is the best way to retard foaming.

 

[nathan]

By the way...

Filled up a couple of 22-ouncers and a 6-pack yesterday for a friend. I'm thoroughly convinced that a simple cold water rinse of the bottles just prior to filling is the best way to retard foaming.

in lieu of sanitizing?

*shiver*

I could go for taking my heat-sterilized foil-topped bottles, chilling them in the fridge, and then spraying down with cold starsan. Actually I just skip the starsan step, rip off the foil top and fill. I did some bohemian pilsners this weekend that had been pouring at minimum 1/3 head in the glass, just 1/4" of foam in bottle, and of course you need a bit there anyway, so just perfect. I only had to tap on one to get the last bit of foam I wanted.

 

[BierMuncher]

in lieu of sanitizing?

*shiver*

I sanitize and store upside down on a paper towel lined milk crate.

No bugs in my water. I'v bottled upwards of 20 cases worth without a single off flavor. Some of my bottles are better than 2 years old and still taste fresh as a daisy.

 

[jmulligan]

I know someone brought up using a bottle filler wand, and so, out of curiosity I hooked mine up and gave it a shot (because I did not have the proper drilled bung). Worked great!

 

[bulletproof4age]

Not sure if this was discussed yet, and I apologize if it was.

BM, have you tried this yet with the epoxy mixer in your dip tube? I would think that it would only help maintain proper carbonation in solution during transfer, no?

Obviously, it works without, but it couldn't hurt? I know you had mixed reviews in normal application b/c you already have long lines. If you are using your already long lines for your BMBF than again, it might not be necessary for you, but those using 1' lines with a picnic tap, it might help.

 

[Yambor44]

I'm reposting my question below. Any answers?

So if you can get the bottle to fill without a lot of foam and without the counter pressure sequence, you are good to go?

I have always used the CPS and never have a problem with carbonation.

 

[BierMuncher]

I'm reposting my question below. Any answers?

Different beers in different kegs under different carbonation levels make a stopper almost necessary for me.

If I'm positive my beer is not going to flow too fast, and not going to foam, I suppose eliminating the stopper is okay...but then again...why?

It's already part of my set up.

The stopper lets me regulate the flow rate...slow the flow as it approaches full...and stop the flow completely once filled so I can close the picnic tap and remove.

 

[nathan]

I'm reposting my question below. Any answers?

yes.

but you will have a hard time doing it with really fizzy beers.

 

[Yambor44]

Different beers in different kegs under different carbonation levels make a stopper almost necessary for me.

If I'm positive my beer is not going to flow too fast, and not going to foam, I suppose eliminating the stopper is okay...but then again...why?

It's already part of my set up.

The stopper lets me regulate the flow rate...slow the flow as it approaches full...and stop the flow completely once filled so I can close the picnic tap and remove.

Cool. wouldn't a bottle wand with the thing on the end do the same? It's funny but I cut that end off of one of my bottle wands to make this. Think I could have left it the way it was and used it that way.

 

[nathan]

Anyone done a hefeweizen this way? brew, ferment, rack, chill and force carb, then shake up keg before bottling?

 

[MikeG]

By the way...

Filled up a couple of 22-ouncers and a 6-pack yesterday for a friend. I'm thoroughly convinced that a simple cold water rinse of the bottles just prior to filling is the best way to retard foaming.

Cold water rinse on just the outside?

 

[BierMuncher]

Cold water rinse on just the outside?

No...inside (and outside).

 

[Donner]

This will probably sound like a dumb question, but i don't have a racking cane that i want to cut the end of right now and i don't really have a LHBS to just run to. Would this still work if i just didn't push the wand all the way to the bottom? I mean i know i would want it near the bottom to avoid the beer hitting too hard and causing the CO2 to break out of solution, but would leaving a small distance work or is there something i am missing or don't know about with this process?

 

[BierMuncher]

This will probably sound like a dumb question, but i don't have a racking cane that i want to cut the end of right now and i don't really have a LHBS to just run to. Would this still work if i just didn't push the wand all the way to the bottom? I mean i know i would want it near the bottom to avoid the beer hitting too hard and causing the CO2 to break out of solution, but would leaving a small distance work or is there something i am missing or don't know about with this process?

Keep more pressure on the stopper to really slow the flow.

Tilt the racking can so it is resting on the bottom...but in the "corner" of the bottle's bottom.

That should give you enough clearance to let the beer flow freely. I'd resist lifting it off of the bottom for fear of splashing that first ounce or two.

 

[AFAJ Brew Guy]

I used the BMBF just last night for the first time. What a thing of beauty. SWMBO was heading over to her friends house and she wanted to take some beer. I told her to hold on and I will fill her a couple. Filled 2 1 litre bottles for her. I had a little bit of foaming as it was my first time, but I think it will work perfectly once I get the stopper figured out.

 

[nathan]

so, I filled a bottle with my kegged mead for a party this weekend, then realized that by changing out the stopper I could fill growlers the same way.

both disappeared fast at party. Gotta remember to go pick up my growler sometime soon. (staggered home without it)

 

[aaastinkie]

I used mine for the first time yesterday to do 37 Grolsch bottles of RootBeer, I filled the bottles in 1/2 hour!! I was using a bottle wand the same way before and it caused foaming, this way is the way to go, glad I didn't buy the beer gun!!

 

[Ceedubya]

So I needed an empty keg, so I ealier this week I decided to bust out the BMBF on the last of the turle wheat in the fridge. I poured one for myself and started washing bottles, tap, cane, etc.

Poured myself another and started sanitizing. Put the stout that I wanted to rack into the keg once empty so it would settle before I racked, and poured myself another wheat.

long story short, the 12 pack I expected to get out of the last of this beer turned into a 3 pack

Oh well, keg was emptied and I got to enjoy some good homebrew

I gave the three that I did manage to get from the keg to a client of my wife's who works for one of the local beer distributors.

 

[wedward]

I have four mini kegs laying around and 5 cornys to go into my new 4 corny capable keezer-wannabe (8.8 CF Kenmore). I have bottles, but paid $75 or so for these mini kegs and want to use them.

The principles should be the same, except - I won't be able to see the beer getting to the top as in a bottle. Should I just fill until the next stopper nudge spits liquid and then press in the bung?

One keg will be Apfelschorle for the kids and DD's (party Saturday coming up), so maybe that would be wiser to try in the mini-kegs?

Anyone else tried to fill these with kegged beer?

Cheers

 

[TimBrewz]

Just wanted to let you know that my first foray into using the BMBF was to enter the Slurp and Burp Open in Portland. I won a gold for one of my beers that was filled with the BMBF! Thank you!

 

[TurboBrew]

I just used this method but I dont have a picnic faucet so I just shoved a 1/2" OD hose into my chrome faucet. Worked fine except for a little leaking when the pressure built up in the bottle. It wasn't much ( about 4oz after filling a gallon) and just put a bucket under the curve in the hose to catch the drips.

 

[BierMuncher]

Just wanted to let you know that my first foray into using the BMBF was to enter the Slurp and Burp Open in Portland. I won a gold for one of my beers that was filled with the BMBF! Thank you!

Gotta like it when results speak for themselves.

 

[TerapinChef]

So I have now bottled with the BMBF:
1 growler to take to work.
2-22's to take to a friends house.
The rest of the batch in 12oz bottles to keep for later.
I have to say it was relatively easy. I'm not really set up to make it a breeze, but cut me a break it was my first time. If these end up coming out well, I'm giving up on my bottling bucket. This was easy, relatively fast (although I either need a bench capper or SWMBO to do this quickly), and I love that I had precise control on my carbonation. And that I got to sample a bit from the keg before/during/after bottling.

Thanks BM!

 

[Yambor44]

So I have now bottled with the BMBF:
1 growler to take to work.
2-22's to take to a friends house.
The rest of the batch in 12oz bottles to keep for later.
I have to say it was relatively easy. I'm not really set up to make it a breeze, but cut me a break it was my first time. If these end up coming out well, I'm giving up on my bottling bucket. This was easy, relatively fast (although I either need a bench capper or SWMBO to do this quickly), and I love that I had precise control on my carbonation. And that I got to sample a bit from the keg before/during/after bottling.

Thanks BM!

I used this to transfer all 5 gallons of Ed's famous Apfelwein from the keg after carbonation to a pile of bottles. Worked flawlessly.

 

[BierMuncher]

...This was easy, relatively fast (although I either need a bench capper or SWMBO to do this quickly)...

Like most things we guys do with our left or right hand...a few more sessions and you'll have everything down to a nice fluid motion...and you won't need the SWMBO.








I'm talking about using the wing capper of course.... :cross:

 

[Yambor44]

Like most things we guys do with our left or right hand...a few more sessions and you'll have everything down to a nice fluid motion...and you won't need the SWMBO.








I'm talking about using the wing capper of course.... :cross:

True on that. I sit on a small roll around chair near my keg, have all the bottles on a bottle tree to my right (sanatized) with the caps in sanitizer in the bowl on top of the tree. I grab a bottle, fill it, remove wand, top it, place a cap on it to keep bacteria out and move it over to the left & sit it on the garage floor. When I'm done, I cap them all.

 

[TerapinChef]

I was capping them as quickly as possible. I filled about 3 then capped them. Repeat. A lot. Is this not necessary?

 

[BierMuncher]

I was capping them as quickly as possible. I filled about 3 then capped them. Repeat. A lot. Is this not necessary?

I can fit about 15 bottles in a standard bucket. I fill those all...then move them to the table...cap them all loosely and then begin crimping.

Unless you have a real contaminated environment, rushing to get a cap on each bottle once it is filled is not necessary.

 

[giligson]

Just to report in:
Filling all my bottles from Cornys this way.
Using 10psi filling pressure.
Each bottle is capped as soon as its filled.
I use a 1 gallon bucket upside down inside a 3 gallon bucket as a support stand - this catches the runnoff when I am filling (for 5 gallons I lose about 1-2 bottles worth of beer)
Have also done a sparkling wine into champagne bottles at 20psi filling pressure.
My beer lasts at least 4 months with no off oxygen flavour (regular caps) - I don't know how it does after 4 months since its all gone by then.

Has this been put into a wiki yet? I think it should be considered a standard technique!

 

[TerapinChef]

Here Here. I couldn't agree with him more. We'll get those corny sales up yet...soon even the bottlers will be kegging. Anybody carb their beer outside of the fridge/keezer to do this? I know it takes a bit more, but I just keep running low on fridge space. Man I need somebody to help me drink about 4 cases of beer. Time for a party I guess...Good thing it's almost spring.