We no need no stinking beer gun...

[TheCrowsNest]

I tried this method and I must say it was very easy.

I have a problem though. I just opened two different beers from two different kegs and they are flat.
Two weeks old.
Anyone else had this problem?
Not sure what went wrong.

I've never had this issue but I'd guess that you either:

1. did not properly cap the bottle.
2. did not get a good seal when you were filling the bottle.

What PSI did you bottle at? 12oz bottles? A little more info on the hardware you're using would help.

 

[jamnw]

Two different espresso stouts.
Both carbed @11psi.

When pouring from tap they both had a very nice head.

Used 12oz bottles. 3 standard, 3 guiness stout bottles.

Cleaned and sanitized with star San. Covered with foil and froze.

Filled bottles to top placed cap and "tilted" to get foam, then capped.

Maybe caps didn't get good seal?

 

[peterlonz]

I guess the key point here is the assumption that bottled beer is significantly "better"- if air is removed from the head space not occupied by beer in the bottle.
This thread discussion is about method of displacing the air (one fifth oxygen) by CO2.
Now although I have been brewing for 40 odd years I have not established this is the case; does better beer result?
I guess (without thinking to be honest) I have always been pleased to find my fermented out green beer in good condition (IE no off flavours & the like) & getting it into bottles has never presented as a problem.
BTW; I rely on in-bottle secondary fermentation for carbonation.
I bought many years ago a plastic tube with a foot valve on the end which fits snuggly into my fermenter drain tap, I just refer to it as my filler tube. Anyway its very simple quick & foolproof to use, I get no foaming but I do "judge the airspace" which therefore varies a bit between bottles. And of coarse I end up with some oxygen in this airspace.
I again question: does this oxygen adversely affect my beer, until we can be sure that it does, there is little point in resorting to the more complex CO2 displacement techniques described here.
Has anyone done the testing to prove this one way or the other?

 

[TheCrowsNest]

I guess the key point here is the assumption that bottled beer is significantly "better"- if air is removed from the head space not occupied by beer in the bottle.
This thread discussion is about method of displacing the air (one fifth oxygen) by CO2.
Now although I have been brewing for 40 odd years I have not established this is the case; does better beer result?
I guess (without thinking to be honest) I have always been pleased to find my fermented out green beer in good condition (IE no off flavours & the like) & getting it into bottles has never presented as a problem.
BTW; I rely on in-bottle secondary fermentation for carbonation.
I bought many years ago a plastic tube with a foot valve on the end which fits snuggly into my fermenter drain tap, I just refer to it as my filler tube. Anyway its very simple quick & foolproof to use, I get no foaming but I do "judge the airspace" which therefore varies a bit between bottles. And of coarse I end up with some oxygen in this airspace.
I again question: does this oxygen adversely affect my beer, until we can be sure that it does, there is little point in resorting to the more complex CO2 displacement techniques described here.
Has anyone done the testing to prove this one way or the other?

I'm with peterlonz on this. I just use O2 absorbing caps and call it a day - http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewi...e-caps-closures/o2-absorbing-caps-144-ct.html.

 

[peterlonz]

OK at least there is some questioning about the need to displace the air with CO2.
I have heard of oxygen absorbing crown caps but to me it's just another avoidable expense.
Second question now is: has anyone done a blind test to see if oxygen caps give some improvement?

 

[bigbeergeek]

Meh. Man up and buy a beer gun. Best investment I've made into my rig in a year, easy.

 

[Lewybrewy]

I think the point is getting lost here. I don't believe this method was developed as a "better" option for bottling, it seems to me this is just an option for those who keg a batch but want to just bottle a sixer out of the keg to take to a competition/bbq/party/ etc. In the end if you want to bottle your beer, prime with sugar or let secondary fermentation whilst bottle conditioning do its thing. If your gonna keg, then just keg. I've used this method a bunch and it works just fine. Compared to a $120 beer gun, this works just as well. Sometimes its a bummer kegging a batch but not being able to travel with it and a growler doesn't last very long (unless you find those caps that you can actually pump CO2 in after filled!). I prefer kegging, but its nice to take your brother-in-law a sixer across the state.

In Secondary:

Hoppy All-Grain IPA 5.5% ABV
Porter/Stout Hybrid (Calling it a Scout's Pout after my Goldendoodle Scout) 4.9% ABV

Both have been in 2nd for two weeks and will be kegged by the end of the night!

Happy Brewing to all!!!!
And Brew the beer you drink!!

 

[TheCrowsNest]

I think the point is getting lost here. I don't believe this method was developed as a "better" option for bottling, it seems to me this is just an option for those who keg a batch but want to just bottle a sixer out of the keg to take to a competition/bbq/party/ etc. In the end if you want to bottle your beer, prime with sugar or let secondary fermentation whilst bottle conditioning do its thing. If your gonna keg, then just keg. I've used this method a bunch and it works just fine. Compared to a $120 beer gun, this works just as well. Sometimes its a bummer kegging a batch but not being able to travel with it and a growler doesn't last very long (unless you find those caps that you can actually pump CO2 in after filled!). I prefer kegging, but its nice to take your brother-in-law a sixer across the state.

Word up my brother.

 

[DeafSmith]

I tried this method once and got more foam than I expected, which leads me to ask, why are we using about 4-5 psi with this method? Wouldn't it be better to use about 14 psi as in real brewery bottling equipment to minimize foam?
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/how-brewery-bottling-equipment-works-267499/
With that kind of pressure, I'd think you would get hardly any foam at all until you released the pressure after filling. Of course, I can see that it would be hard to hold the cork in the bottle with that kind of pressure, but maybe some kind of simple jig would make this easy. Would oxygen absorption be a problem under that kind of pressure if the bottle was not pre-purged with CO2?

 

[bigbeergeek]

I think the point is getting lost here. I don't believe this method was developed as a "better" option for bottling, it seems to me this is just an option for those who keg a batch but want to just bottle a sixer out of the keg to take to a competition/bbq/party/ etc. In the end if you want to bottle your beer, prime with sugar or let secondary fermentation whilst bottle conditioning do its thing. If your gonna keg, then just keg. I've used this method a bunch and it works just fine. Compared to a $120 beer gun, this works just as well. Sometimes its a bummer kegging a batch but not being able to travel with it and a growler doesn't last very long (unless you find those caps that you can actually pump CO2 in after filled!). I prefer kegging, but its nice to take your brother-in-law a sixer across the state.

In Secondary:

Hoppy All-Grain IPA 5.5% ABV
Porter/Stout Hybrid (Calling it a Scout's Pout after my Goldendoodle Scout) 4.9% ABV

Both have been in 2nd for two weeks and will be kegged by the end of the night!

Happy Brewing to all!!!!
And Brew the beer you drink!!

My beer gun works flawlessly right out of the box. No over foaming. I can use it with one hand. I appreciate that people are building these and using them. I'm countering by saying the beer gun is worth every penny -- perfectly carbed (award winning) bottles of beer from my kegs. This build is worthwhile... but if you have the money to spend, you're likely delaying the inevitable: a badass beer gun. Don't fight it. You know you want one.

 

[shroomzofdoom]

The title of the thread is 'We no need no stinking beer gun'. I am sure there are threads debating the merits of the alternatives; if not, that might not be a bad idea....just sayin'

 

[TimmyR]

My beer gun works flawlessly right out of the box. No over foaming. I can use it with one hand. I appreciate that people are building these and using them. I'm countering by saying the beer gun is worth every penny -- perfectly carbed (award winning) bottles of beer from my kegs. This build is worthwhile... but if you have the money to spend, you're likely delaying the inevitable: a badass beer gun. Don't fight it. You know you want one.

+1 I still love mine.

 

[bigbeergeek]

The title of the thread is 'We no need no stinking beer gun'. I am sure there are threads debating the merits of the alternatives; if not, that might not be a bad idea....just sayin'

I counter the title of the thread with "Yes you do."


I'm sure there are "shroom" threads out there, too.

 

[shroomzofdoom]

I counter the title of the thread with "Yes you do."

Well, it looks like you found the title of your new thread, just a matter of starting it up...

I'm sure there are "shroom" threads out there, too.

Yanno, there's a term for those that post 'off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response.'

 

[BierMuncher]

Meh. Man up and buy a beer gun. Best investment I've made into my rig in a year, easy.

If spending $100+ on a device that does no more than something you can build yourself out of spare parts makes you a man. Then...indeed. Man up.

 

[bigbeergeek]

If spending $100+ on a device that does no more than something you can build yourself out of spare parts makes you a man. Then...indeed. Man up.

So touchy in here!

I though my humorous tone was clear enough in what I posted. Do what you will, build what you will. I'm a huge fan of DIY with respect to this hobby. That being said, no one is going to build a Blichmann Beer Gun from scratch. It's a wonderful tool that has none of the frequently described issues associated with the build on this thread. I'm very, very happy that so many people are utilizing this thread to bottle beer. I'm just throwing a good word in for a well engineered tool that is the pricey alternative for those who stumble across this thread.

 

[tdogg]

are you guys sanitizing these bottles before or after you chill them?

 

[jhenderson27]

Before then chill

 

[JasontheBeaver]

Newbie here.
The BMBF seems like another cool idea invented out of necessity. I don't understand the need for the stopper on the cane though.
Before I discovered this thread I came up with something similar (through much trial and error and asking for advice from the LHBS).
I take a bottle filler tube that has the spring loaded valve on one end and push the other end into a picnic tap. This setup seemed perfect and allowed me to fill different height bottles too. I can easily control the flow too with no wasted beer.
I also don't chill my bottles first because foaming hasn't been a problem.
My first bottling using this method was only last week so I don't have any long term results as far as oxidation or carb levels yet.

So my question is, why the stopper to seal the neck while filling?

 

[day_trippr]

[...]So my question is, why the stopper to seal the neck while filling?

I would expect the stopper is there to allow the user to maintain a higher carb level in the bottled product than could be achieved without it...

Cheers!

 

[cat007]

Ok I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Perhaps I've over-carbonated the beer - however I have previously bottled this batch of beer without too much hassle.
Now whenever I try and bottle I get a decent amount of foaming in the beer line, which in turn relates to massive foaming in the bottles - the the point there the beer doesn't even get up to the curve of the neck before the foam is trying to squirt out between the stopped and the top of the bottle.
I have tried at 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20psi. Nothing really seems to help. Bubbles still appear in the tubing between the tap and the keg.
Perhaps I'm using too bigger I/D beer line? I'm using 6mm I/D clear tubing....

Really wanting to bottle a couple of kegs worth of beer before the weekend and the RWC (go the All Blacks!).

Any ideas?

Cheers
Hunt

 

[day_trippr]

You've bottled the very same batch without issue before? Unless you've changed something in your setup, I'd have to guess the beer is significantly higher carbed now than before.

Foaming in the line is typically caused by either line temperature or insufficient length for its inside diameter to provide enough resistance to maintain the carbonation level - or both. And 6mm line is a fairly wide bore - almost 1/4" ID, which takes a lot more line per unit of resistance than 3/16" ID (~ 4.5mm).

Given what you've provided I'd guess that you were on the edge of problems with this batch before and with the passage of time under pressure it's gone over the edge...

Cheers!

 

[jhenderson27]

I force car at 21psi for most beers with beer at 34* then let settle for a day, bleed pressure out of keg, turn regulator to 2-4psi, reattach air to keg then fill. Never had a foam issue.

 

[BierMuncher]

...Bubbles still appear in the tubing between the tap and the keg.

Bubbles appearing quickly in the line is a sign of over carbonation. Kill the gas. Remove the lid. Use a sanitized paddle to gently stir the beer and knock some CO2 out (be very careful not to cause gushing). Replace the lid and repressurize to 4PSI, burp the relief valve to purge O2 and try again.

 

[cat007]

Thanks BierMuncher. Unfortunately the beer is in a Sanke keg - so kinda tricky to stir the beer to get rid of some C02. Perhaps giving the keg a bit of a shake would do?

 

[cat007]

So I shook the keg a bit to de-gas it (which is a bit of a shame as all the hops and yeast that had settled to the bottom is now floating around inside the beer lol) and used some 4mm I/D clear plastic tubing (3.5meters of it) and it seemed to be almost perfect. Still getting a bit of foam - but not an annoying amount - sometimes it foams a bit much and I end up with a beer that's 'for me and no-one else'. But other than that it's fine.

Thanks for your help

 

[brettwasbtd]

Possible stupid question... I just got into kegging and use picnic taps, so can I just shove the racking cane part of this into the tap? Or should I get a separate tap/line setup just for this?

 

[djt17]

Possible stupid question... I just got into kegging and use picnic taps, so can I just shove the racking cane part of this into the tap? Or should I get a separate tap/line setup just for this?

I just shove the racking cane into the picnic tap, works great

 

[JasontheBeaver]

Agreed, no dedicated setup. Though I use a bottling wand with the valve on the tip shoved into the picnic tap.

 

[dinnerstick]

does anyone use this contraption for non-beer drinks, i force carbed and bottled this years elderflower wine, (can't find my notes at the moment but...) i setted-and-fergetted at something like 1.2 bar / 17 psi, turned the gas way down to bottle, and it really bubbled out in the line. the wine is carbed ok in the bottles but how can i preserve a higher level of carbonation in a relatively thin bodied drink? my total experience bottling from kegs is this batch of wine and a sixer of perfectly carbed stout which went really well. cheers
also for those out there who are 1. a nerdy scientist with access to disposable lab equipment and 2. not in possession of a broken racking cane, a standard 10 ml serological pipet with the narrow top bit hacksawed off and the bottom sawed at a slant fits exactly into a picnic tap.
great technique, great thread! get drunk