We no need no stinking beer gun...

[TimmyR]

I've been following this thread for a while now and have tried filling some pints from my kegs with this. And I have a question about releasing the pressure in the keg.

I've read that a rapid decrease in pressure, like opening the relief valve all the way, will cause some of the CO2 to burst out of solution and create a 'head' in the keg. This in turn uses up some of the head creating and keeping proteins that are in the beer. Perhaps it's not using enough to worry about, but I didn't see anything here about releasing the pressure in the keg slow or fast, so thought I'd ask the question.

Does the pressure in the keg have to be reduced slowly?

You know, I used to think the same, but do not think I've ever released the pressure one way or another. I usually let the pressure off first then set all my connections. Maybe the rest allows it all to settle down. I do not bottle too much since I hate it. I'll have to see what I do next time.

 

[jhw_murphy]

This thing is great I got one put together and used it for the second time. It really is very easy to bottle up a few beers to take to a friends house. Thanks for helping out and making it so easy.

 

[bernerbrau]

I just built this with the cane from a busted autosiphon and a hacksaw. (And my wife complains when I never throw anything out.) Can't wait to try it out, although that's contingent on my empty kegs becoming full kegs.

I didn't get a good clean angled cut, as once I was halfway through, the pressure from the saw was enough to snap the cane in half at the cutting point. Is this going to be OK?

 

[DanPoch]

II didn't get a good clean angled cut, as once I was halfway through, the pressure from the saw was enough to snap the cane in half at the cutting point. Is this going to be OK?

That happened with mine too. I sanded the edges with a 200 then a 400 grit paper and it's worked just fine.

And like you I need to get more filled kegs too

 

[badmajon]

Hah, this worked perfectly!!! Thanks!!! I was honestly thinking about spending the money on that dumb beer gun, but now I won't need to.

 

[The_Dtrain]

subscribed

 

[scottimus]

Bottled some RIS and Strong Scotch for a buddy's birthday beer tasting competition using the very basic picnic faucet - racking cane - bung setup and came in first and second place. And that was my first time even trying this. Can't wait to pop some of these open in a few months and see how they kept up... really I probably can't wait.

Thanks a ton!

 

[bgs]

Thanks biermuncher, i'll try it. Sounds good.

 

[GillandCo]

So i have had the stuff to do this for a while and we decided to bottle my friends Thunderstruck that has been in my fridge for a couple of weeks. Ill start off by saying it is very cheap and easy to assemble the device, as far as pressing the bung and releasing pressure this looked like a PITA. I didn't mind since I made him bottle all his beer. My advice would be only using this to bottle some 6'rs for friends or a couple at a time. A whole batch took it's tole on his thumb. he figured out a trick pushing up on one side of the stopper while down on the other. Not much foam and after a few bottles we got it down. After pulling out the Cane we filled them up a little more normally and capped since the foam was around the rim. If I were to do this on a normal basis for clarity, carbonation, or cleaner beer without yeast, I would buy a beer gun. Maybe it takes some time to get use to or the bung to loosen up. Either Way it worked with a little effort. We cracked one open at the end and it was perfectly carbonated as if it were straight from the tap.

On the plus side I had some left over so I can drink.

Good thread I would suggest trying this for as a cheap method for bottling a few brews.

And Im not a total dick I did help him cap the beers + show him how to use the Cheap CPBF, and store the beer in my Keg.

Cheers

 

[fezzman]

I recently entered a two different beers into comp that were filled using this method. While they didn't place, there were no comments from judges stating oxidation. Good enough for me.

I've got my filler hooked to an adapter that screws into my Perlick taps. From the adapter there is a length of tube, just long enough for the wand and adapter to touch. This leaves the wand fairly rigidly attached. I just slide the bottle onto the wand, hold the bottle and bung with one hand, pull tap handle with the other hand.

I setup a folding table under my taps with a cake pan to collect any drippings. I really think I am going to exchange the racking cane with a bottling wand and see how that goes. Every time I fill a bottle the cane drips empty, thus pushing O2 into the next bottle. I think a wand may work better because it will remain filled (or at least partially filled).

I am also going to try using a hose clamp (with thumb screw) above the bung on the wand. This way when I force the bottle upwards on the cane, the bung automatically stays put. The thumb screw will make for quick adjustment for different bottle sizes.

 

[Rave]

I started reading this post but now that I realize it's over three years in the making, I don't have the time to read all of it in just one sitting. I think the idea is great and I just recently used it to bottle a few beers. The only question I have and I hope it's not off topic, but what's the rule for storing the bottles once they are filled. Do they have to be stored cold or can they be stored at room temp?

 

[GillandCo]

I don't think temp matters, but you will hear different opinions...Sun does, but how do you think ppl bottle then send there beers off to comps.

 

[RugenBrau]

I store mine in the basement with no problems

 

[shroomzofdoom]

OK, has my first dry run with the BMBF today. I had some trouble at first getting my capper onto the cap after tilting (step 11) so I just put my wing capper over the cap and then tilted. I was able to do a 12 pack in about 10 minutes first time out. I was a bit off frame when I did it, but you get the idea.

Awesome!!

 

[Flywheel]

#subscribed

 

[MJDore]

Planning to give this a shot today with an empty Coors Light Home Draft system I've been aiming to use. I have a gallon or so of Pumpkin Spice in a keg that I need to free up so I can keg my Holiday Ale and get it carbed in time for THanksgiving.

I'm planning to use the same process BierMuncher laid out, only with a larger drilled stopper, obviously. I will then add a 16g CO2 cartridge for serving.

What do you guys think? i'll let you know how it works out.

 

[Hammy71]

Planning to give this a shot today with an empty Coors Light Home Draft system I've been aiming to use. I have a gallon or so of Pumpkin Spice in a keg that I need to free up so I can keg my Holiday Ale and get it carbed in time for THanksgiving.

I'm planning to use the same process BierMuncher laid out, only with a larger drilled stopper, obviously. I will then add a 16g CO2 cartridge for serving.

What do you guys think? i'll let you know how it works out.

Should work fine. I fill growlers using this method with a bigger stopper. No worries.

 

[ksbrain]

Not sure if this is covered in the 50 pages, but I used to do this with my picnic taps. Then I got real faucets and the tube was too small to fit on the faucets.

But now I got a 5/8" ID tube (3/4" OD) and it's awesome! Fits snugly on the end of the faucet and fits so tight in the neck of the bottle, you don't even need to turn down the dispense pressure or cool the bottle. After a few ounces, the bottle is pressurized, and there's NO FOAM! It's actually almost too little foam - not even enough to cap on foam. Works great!

And the beer gun continues to collect dust...

 

[ultravista]

subscribed

 

[TXBobS]

I'm sure not what purpose the stopper is providing here. It is just helping to keep the beer from foaming? It seems like you wouldn't want to maintain any pressure in there since it is just air. If you fill the bottle with CO2 first, then I can see where you would want to use the stopper method.

I'm also wondering why you would need to pump CO2 into the bottle before displacing it all with beer. I think this is the method of the commercial beer gun, right? Seems to me that if you fill the bottle to the top with beer, there will be no gas left.

Shouldn't you be able to just fill it up, minimizing foam and then cap it while the head is at the top of the bottle?

Am I oversimplifying it or missing something?

 

[nostalgia]

Hi Bob. The stopper is to keep backpressure on the beer while filling the bottle. This prevents excess foaming so you don't have to bottle at 1psi.

I actually bottle off the taps at 12psi using this method. Without backpressure, you'd end up with 12oz of foam instead of beer.

-Joe

 

[Yambor44]

Is this the only reason? After one beer I can fill at serving pressure out of my tap without using the stopper. However, I thought the reason was to keep the CO2 in the beer. If not, I'll be most happy not to use the stopper!!

 

[TXBobS]

Hi Bob. The stopper is to keep backpressure on the beer while filling the bottle. This prevents excess foaming so you don't have to bottle at 1psi.

I actually bottle off the taps at 12psi using this method. Without backpressure, you'd end up with 12oz of foam instead of beer.

-Joe

Ah ok. That makes sense. Thanks!

 

[zodiak3000]

i too was thinking about tryin it without a stopper. has anyone had success with this? i tried this before and couldnt get the stopper to burp correctly which ended up with excess pressure filling and a foamy mess. i didnt turn off the gas and bleed the pressure as well. is this necessary? i guess i have a fear of turning off gas and bleeding my keg would result in future flat beer or off flavors...

 

[NewBrewB]

You "burp" the stopper by drilling a small hole next to the pipe going through the middle of the stopper... then buy a "tire valve" for about $3 at a local auto repair shop and stick it at an angle.... Then, when the stopper is wedged nice and tight in the top of the bottle and you release the beer to start flowing into the bottle (and it won't go because of the pressure in the bottle), just press the valve release and wa-lah, the beer will rise-up to the stopper. (Not my design, but I DO love the diagram I found here on HBT.)

 

[Yambor44]

i too was thinking about tryin it without a stopper. has anyone had success with this? i tried this before and couldnt get the stopper to burp correctly which ended up with excess pressure filling and a foamy mess. i didnt turn off the gas and bleed the pressure as well. is this necessary? i guess i have a fear of turning off gas and bleeding my keg would result in future flat beer or off flavors...

I've done it for taking beer to party's (short storage) and it worked fine. Not sure about long term and there may be something some where in these pages about it.

I use an old bottling wand with Perlick taps. I remove the tip of the Perlick, slide a sanitized wand through it and then attached a dip tube oring to the end. Then I screw the tip back in. I have the end of the wand cut at an angle so when it bottoms out it doesn't choke the flow.

 

[Yambor44]

Just went back an looked as I thought I had asked about this before. Start at post #306.

 

[BendBrewer]

I have been using this to fill some bottles and it works ok.

True "we no NEED a beer gun" but would anyone say that having a counter pressure beer gun is worth it if they had one?

Would anyone much rather use a Blichmann beer gun if you had the choice?

 

[nostalgia]

I would not, mostly because I'm lazy. With the beergun I'd have to disconnect the keg and pull it out of the fridge, as well as have a source of CO2 - also in my fridge.

With this method I just put a hose on my faucet and gogogo. Don't even have to change CO2 pressure.

-Joe

 

[TXBobS]

From what I've read, folks that already owned other fillers use this so it sounds like the way to go for me.