tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post2181564823912388410..comments2024-02-23T15:34:32.816-05:00Comments on The Mad Fermentationist - Homebrewing Blog: BeerGun and Counter-Pressure Filler ComparisonThe Mad Fermentationist (Mike)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-5186401088202963972018-12-06T13:26:52.367-05:002018-12-06T13:26:52.367-05:00I rarely fill more than four bottles, maybe 8 at m...I rarely fill more than four bottles, maybe 8 at most, as I have four taps and they are usually for club meetings or other gatherings. Your comparison was very helpful, but the last paragraph sinched it. I have always been skeptical about the added value when cleanup is considered, so under my circumstances, neither certainly seems the answer. Much thanks! 🍻Brett Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17712311105718089671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-50699655356445761532017-03-03T06:29:31.387-05:002017-03-03T06:29:31.387-05:00Your a genius sir. Your a genius sir. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00290357511303864932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-91970298299564596482016-12-13T21:40:48.554-05:002016-12-13T21:40:48.554-05:00It is amazing how slow time goes when you have no ...It is amazing how slow time goes when you have no chance to stop glass from smashing!<br /><br />Good luck with the counter-pressure! Same best practices (cold, wet etc.) help reduce foaming.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-8187110957966092422016-12-13T16:02:33.081-05:002016-12-13T16:02:33.081-05:00Great write-up Michael. I have a beer gun and have...Great write-up Michael. I have a beer gun and have had trouble bottling if the beer is carbonated. I tend to release the pressure in my corny kegs over a week or so and then prime with sugar and bottle. That way I get no fobbing. I have also bought a cpf from morebeer but it has not arrived yet. I guess both have their puposes.<br /><br />Incidentally, on my last go with my beer gun I used my 3L Conical Glass Flask (My yeast starter flask) to hold the beer gun. And now I know how you felt when you smashed your starter flask! I moved the gas bottle that was still connected to the beer gun and in slow motion, over went the flask and rolled towards the edge of the table.... and OFF!<br />So guys, please don't make that expensive mistake! CheersAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13650012904236500086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-62051362914439136492013-01-14T19:48:08.192-05:002013-01-14T19:48:08.192-05:00Assuming the bottle is properly capped, it will be...Assuming the bottle is properly capped, it will be able to hold carbonation indefinitely. There should be no difference, in this respect, between a beer filled with force-carbonated beer and one that underwent bottle-conditioning. However, this is not to say that the beer will stay good for as long; yeast scavenge oxygen and help a maltier beers (especially) to age more gracefully. Best to store the bottles in the fridge after filling if you can. This is also assuming that fermentation was complete when you kegged the beer, if not the yeast could start fermenting again in the bottle, which could result in over-carbonation.<br /><br />Hope that helps, best of luck!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-70276018249668617902013-01-14T03:25:19.915-05:002013-01-14T03:25:19.915-05:00Nice write up. It was especially helpful for me a...Nice write up. It was especially helpful for me as I just received a Beer Gun for Christmas. Honestly though, I probably won't be using it that frequently. I have a brand new keezer, and if I need to take some beer with me I am planning on filling 1-2 flip tops straight from the tap (growler style).<br /><br />That being said, one of my goals with home brewing is to enter more competitions, which is where the beer gun will come in handy now that I am kegging. Can you offer some tips and tricks to bottling using these methods for this purpose? For example, how long can one expect carbonation to last when bottling from a keg?Chris J.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-76065296276179834662013-01-11T17:46:45.300-05:002013-01-11T17:46:45.300-05:00quick and dirty faucet filling can be done with si...quick and dirty faucet filling can be done with silicon tubing, which snugs over the faucet with ease. We use it for filling growlers on the fly; not sure if the 1/2" ID silicon tube fits in a 12/22 bottle.RSRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-74793666005787112972013-01-11T16:50:01.092-05:002013-01-11T16:50:01.092-05:00Cheers and good luck! They suggest adding a piece ...Cheers and good luck! They suggest adding a piece of 1/4" hose to get the output all the way to the bottom of larger bottles. That seems extra valuable in that case (although I haven't had an issue filling bombers without the tubing).The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-20112711717077226842013-01-11T12:54:29.754-05:002013-01-11T12:54:29.754-05:00Your comparisons helped tremendously in our decisi...Your comparisons helped tremendously in our decision to go with a counter pressure filler. I've used the Blichman a couple times for our Dragons Milk 3L bottles with limited success. New Holland just got the CPF because of this post.<br />Cheers!Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11813976029801288060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-62187622432602873922013-01-10T07:09:43.090-05:002013-01-10T07:09:43.090-05:00I rarely force carb and then bottle sours (other t...I rarely force carb and then bottle sours (other than a rare bottle to bring somewhere, never to age). The only sours I keg are dry hopped, as I want to drink them relatively fresh. Otherwise it's bottle conditioned only for me. For those I do mostly cap, never had an issue when not corking.<br /><br />However, when I talked to Remi Bonnart (who won Brewer of the Year honors with a Flemish Red at NHC a couple years ago), he said he's had fine luck counter-filling his sours for extended aging. Brett is such a great oxygen scavenger, I'd think the aging potential of bottle conditioned and force carbed (unpasteurized) sours would be about the same!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-9139108480621936512013-01-09T12:33:09.393-05:002013-01-09T12:33:09.393-05:00I've had good luck with icing a bucket of star...I've had good luck with icing a bucket of starsan and leaving my bottles in there while I fill. (I also don't have my vinator at the moment)<br /><br />When you force carb a sour and bottle, do you get by ok with crown caps, and for what sort of shelf life?Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428410277953020650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-23757992862523327422013-01-08T17:43:47.579-05:002013-01-08T17:43:47.579-05:00as for keeping the bottles cold, i sanitize them w...as for keeping the bottles cold, i sanitize them with iodophor. i also keep a grip of those ribbed rubber stoppers that people use to keep their wine good a few days (although these are beer branded and fit better in beer bottles in my experience) also in sani, then as soon as i dump the sani from the bottle, i give it a quick co2 purge, jam the stopper in, and stick it in the freezer. the drop in temp creates a negative pressure seal with the stopper so it stays sanitary. when im ready to bottle i just pull the bottle out of the freezer, remove the stopper and then operate my counter pressure filler as normal. ive gotten so little foam, even when i remove the filler from the bottle, that i usually end up purging the headspace in the bottle before i capAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-62157951030012673612013-01-08T17:43:31.048-05:002013-01-08T17:43:31.048-05:00as for keeping the bottles cold, i sanitize them w...as for keeping the bottles cold, i sanitize them with iodophor. i also keep a grip of those ribbed rubber stoppers that people use to keep their wine good a few days (although these are beer branded and fit better in beer bottles in my experience) also in sani, then as soon as i dump the sani from the bottle, i give it a quick co2 purge, jam the stopper in, and stick it in the freezer. the drop in temp creates a negative pressure seal with the stopper so it stays sanitary. when im ready to bottle i just pull the bottle out of the freezer, remove the stopper and then operate my counter pressure filler as normal. ive gotten so little foam, even when i remove the filler from the bottle, that i usually end up purging the headspace in the bottle before i capAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-35209860685042402102013-01-08T17:25:13.835-05:002013-01-08T17:25:13.835-05:00A friend of mine lent me his Bowie awhile before I...A friend of mine lent me his Bowie awhile before I got either of these, sadly it didn't fit in my Perlicks, so I didn't get a chance to use it. It seems like an upgrade over filling directly from the tap, but without the ability to flush your bottles with CO2, it isn't an adequate replacement for either of these. It can certainly work, especially for beers that can survive a bit of oxidation (bigger-darker etc.) but I wouldn't trust a hoppy beer to it, especially one that has to survive a week with FedEx. Tom, how long between bottling and judging for your DIPA?<br /><br />No matter what method you use (even counter-pressure) you'll lose some carbonation. It is easy enough to slightly over-carbonate the beer to account for this though.<br /><br />The colder the bottles are the less foaming you'll have. Ideally you want them as cold, or colder than the beer. Cold tap water sanitizer would help, but unless it is ice water you won't have the bottles as cold as near-freezing beer.<br /><br />Putting a stopper on the Beer Gun would certainly make it more like the counter-pressure filler, but the pressure release would be more difficult. Slowly burping the stopper with one hand while you hold the tripper with the other as opposed to the smooth release of pressure provided by the valve.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-41804680374719198532013-01-08T16:28:29.634-05:002013-01-08T16:28:29.634-05:00What cwest said...
I use the beer gun with a #2 r...What cwest said...<br /><br />I use the beer gun with a #2 rubber stopper on the outer tube. Works just like a counter pressure filler like this and it's easier to operate too. I also have a larger #3 stopper to fill growlers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-91923883524766306662013-01-08T16:11:16.264-05:002013-01-08T16:11:16.264-05:00+1 for BierMuncher Bottle filler. My IIPA got 1st ...+1 for BierMuncher Bottle filler. My IIPA got 1st place in 2012 America's Finest Homebrew contest using this method.Tomnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-29185085754919575332013-01-08T12:50:07.553-05:002013-01-08T12:50:07.553-05:00I'll echo what Ryan said. I've been using ...I'll echo what Ryan said. I've been using the 'Bowie' adapter, which is a machined fitting with some o-rings that slides into a Perlick tap. I have some beverage line attached to it, with a bottling wand, and a rubber stopper. <br /><br />It's much easier to clean and sanitize, and altogether easier to use. It's essentially a counter pressure filler, only I can't purge the bottle with co2 first. Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07182224614012536750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-27212411057412753912013-01-08T11:10:25.614-05:002013-01-08T11:10:25.614-05:00by the way, the rubber nub / stopper is definitely...by the way, the rubber nub / stopper is definitely the most annoying thing about the beer gun. we've sprayed many walls thanks to that little piece.Andrew Lautnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02960457968387220829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-80266829657035030422013-01-08T11:08:13.803-05:002013-01-08T11:08:13.803-05:00beer gun user here... we fill a couple buckets and...beer gun user here... we fill a couple buckets and a cooler with a cold water / star san solution, and pull bottles from this just before filling them. that eliminates the step you mentioned involving putting sterilized bottles in the fridge to cool prior to filling.Andrew Lautnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02960457968387220829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-4243895128701724362013-01-08T10:27:02.484-05:002013-01-08T10:27:02.484-05:00Why not just add a stopper to the beer gun? Then y...Why not just add a stopper to the beer gun? Then you could create the pressure to prevent excess foam and be able to slowly release the pressure manually.cswesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04105799572463959464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-71842870941507068392013-01-08T02:30:11.103-05:002013-01-08T02:30:11.103-05:00I use the outer metal rod of the blichmann gun in ...I use the outer metal rod of the blichmann gun in a picnic tap to fill bottles. Turn the pressure way down, get it all cold. The first bottle foams, but after that the metal rod is quite cold, keeping foaming down. The rest of the bottles poured great. To be safe I flush each bottle with co2 (i have a co2 manifold and one line is open, so I just hold an open line over the metal rod, flush for 30 secs, fill).<br /><br />I think some co2 is lost to the headspace, since that needs to get pressurized by co2 coming out after capping. Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11571133911941375629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-50942517459273945052013-01-08T01:02:22.480-05:002013-01-08T01:02:22.480-05:00Another other option is the Bowie bottler which is...Another other option is the Bowie bottler which is essentially a more advanced version of Biermuncher's Bottle Filler that works in Perlick faucets.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18389709777704328047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-33215488802883383032013-01-08T00:56:30.229-05:002013-01-08T00:56:30.229-05:00I have had excellent luck with a third and much ch...I have had excellent luck with a third and much cheaper option, known on homebrewtalk as the BierMuncher Bottle Filler. As far as preserving quality and carbonation, one beer I bottled via this method won Best of Show in one of the largest competitions in the country a couple of years ago so I'm pretty satisfied with how it has worked out for me. I've had beers months after bottling and they have all been good.<br /><br />In a nutshell: Racking cane inserted into a picnic tap (it fits almost like it was meant to be there), and a stopper on the cane.<br /><br />http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun-24678/Briannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-55133296510968795242013-01-07T23:03:39.487-05:002013-01-07T23:03:39.487-05:00We'll know more when the box with the IPA and ...We'll know more when the box with the IPA and DIPA gets there tomorrow.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-79530776717448242742013-01-07T23:02:13.848-05:002013-01-07T23:02:13.848-05:00Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have been loo...Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have been looking forward to hearing what you had to say about the two.<br /><br />What has Jacob had to say about the difference? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14182397075953218149noreply@blogger.com