Beer Gun for Bottling

Mike at Bay

Mike at Bay

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Anyone use the Blichman beer gun to bottle from the keg? At over $120 it seems there may be a less sophisticated (albeit not as cool) option.
 
Mike at Bay said:
Anyone use the Blichman beer gun to bottle from the keg? At over $120 it seems there may be a less sophisticated (albeit not as cool) option.
Click to expand...
I have the tapcooler. Cost less, smaller, super easy to use. Get the ball-lock adapter for co2
 
Shady Lane Brewing said:
This is a DIY approach, it works great and it's cheap. You just have to buy a few materials:

https://homebrewtalk.com/threads/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun.24678/
Click to expand...
I upgraded mine
Stainless
17811101148316755858414188311878.jpg

Wait people pay over $100 for a" beer gun"
I still enjoy making my own beer brewing stuff
Part of the hobby that seems to have been lost
 
I interchange the fitting to a gas then purge the bottles and lay a cap on top untill I fill
I have to Google beer gun
 
Minbari said:
How does it maintain pressure as you fill?
Click to expand...
Hold the stopper against the bottle opening
Squeeze or tip the stopper releasing the gas as you fill
It's best to lower the pressure in the keg
If you have a tap system get this
17811129750728068504757639172769.jpg
tip screws off the tap and screw on the filler
This works best on the bigger flip tops
Keep the pressure low and you really don't need much back pressure
 
Beer gun works great for bottling carbed beer out of a keg...adding the cork is a very handy thing. It's possible to keep foaming to nearly nothing.
No need to buy one for $120...get the Pluto beverage dispenser for less than $20 and add a stainless steel tube to it.

When I have beer on tap, I'll use a growler tube and it works fine.
 
If you're bottling beer for a barbeque that going to be drank right away, the cobbled together systems work just fine. The biggest issue with packaging, as always, is oxygen ingress. If you consume the beer right away, it works well, but if you compete or want to store the bottled beer for more than a few days, the Blichmann Gun or similar is really important. It possible to bottle beer with very low uptake of oxygen when done properly and the beer keeps better. It is said that brewing competitions are really packaging competitions. Oxygen can do it's damaged in 20-30 minutes after packaging in severe cases.

The Blichmann Gun does not offer counter pressure when bottling and it's really not necessary. Foam is actually your friend when bottling because it can act as a oxygen barrier. I purge the bottles with co2 for 30 seconds and then fill the bottle hard enough to create a head of fine foam. As the bottle is being filled, the wand is brought up so I can get a high fill, as I pull the wand from the bottle, foam starts coming out immediately and then I cap the beer. "Cap on foam" is often the mantra among home brewers and pro's and there is a lot of truth to it.

The counter pressure offered by other fillers is not necessary, especially when you consider that canning line fill cans out in the open. The foam and co2 flush is the key to good packaging.
 
HighVoltageMan! said:
If you're bottling beer for a barbeque that going to be drank right away, the cobbled together systems work just fine. The biggest issue with packaging, as always, is oxygen ingress. If you consume the beer right away, it works well, but if you compete or want to store the bottled beer for more than a few days, the Blichmann Gun or similar is really important. It possible to bottle beer with very low uptake of oxygen when done properly and the beer keeps better. It is said that brewing competitions are really packaging competitions. Oxygen can do it's damaged in 20-30 minutes after packaging in severe cases.

The Blichmann Gun does not offer counter pressure when bottling and it's really not necessary. Foam is actually your friend when bottling because it can act as a oxygen barrier. I purge the bottles with co2 for 30 seconds and then fill the bottle hard enough to create a head of fine foam. As the bottle is being filled, the wand is brought up so I can get a high fill, as I pull the wand from the bottle, foam starts coming out immediately and then I cap the beer. "Cap on foam" is often the mantra among home brewers and pro's and there is a lot of truth to it.

The counter pressure offered by other fillers is not necessary, especially when you consider that canning line fill cans out in the open. The foam and co2 flush is the key to good packaging.
Click to expand...
yes you purge the bottles before filling and cap on the foam
maybe I didn't explain it right
I have been on a canning line in the breweries and the can comes around open on top a shot of CO2 then beer is added and heads down the line to get a lid so yes its exposed but the beer is super cold
still not convinced you need a $120 dollar beer gun
if your going to age a beer bottle condition
 
Shady Lane Brewing said:
This is a DIY approach, it works great and it's cheap. You just have to buy a few materials:

https://homebrewtalk.com/threads/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun.24678/
Click to expand...

I did that for years- got a beergun and used the Blichmann a couple of times. Guess what? I went back to the broken racking cane and burping- just because the beergun is a pain for only a few beers.

I actually won some competitions about 15 years ago with the old broken racking cane bottle filler!
 
I bottled a lot of beer with my DIY Pluto beer gun. At first I worried about O2 and purging but I quickly realized that CO2 is escaping suspension at a very high rate as the carbonated beer fills the bottle and pushing oxygen out as it goes. By the time you're capping on foam, there's no room for O2 in the bottle. Bottles lasted a very long time.
 
As noted, for a casual fill, fill a pitcher and bottle with that. The trick is to go very slowly, regardless of method. Counterpressure allows a bit faster.
 
Mike at Bay said:
Anyone use the Blichman beer gun to bottle from the keg? At over $120 it seems there may be a less sophisticated (albeit not as cool) option.
Click to expand...
Yes. I've had one for years. Works great. I've also assisted with my friends' counter-pressure. It also does the job, but I find it messier and wasteful. (lots of lost product)
 
Brew Cat said:
Hold the stopper against the bottle opening
Squeeze or tip the stopper releasing the gas as you fill
It's best to lower the pressure in the keg
If you have a tap system get this
View attachment 34880tip screws off the tap and screw on the filler
This works best on the bigger flip tops
Keep the pressure low and you really don't need much back pressure
Click to expand...
There is also a version that you shove inside the faucet tip if using a Perlick or other type that doesn't have screw-on spouts.

Intertap Style pictured: https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/intertapgrowler.htm

Perlick Style: https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/growlerfiller.htm
 
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