Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Bottling off a keg  (Read 8257 times)

Offline fmader

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1675
Bottling off a keg
« on: January 07, 2014, 01:19:30 pm »
Being that I'm new to kegging, this might be a silly question...

If you bottle a beer from a keg and cap it immediately, will it stay carbonated indefinitely?
Frank

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2014, 01:23:56 pm »
If done right (without loosing too much CO2 to foaming), yes.
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline fmader

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1675
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2014, 01:24:49 pm »
If done right (without loosing too much CO2 to foaming), yes.

Well....continue lol....elaborate on how to do it right
Frank

Offline narcout

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2217
  • Los Angeles, CA
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2014, 01:38:41 pm »
If done right (without loosing too much CO2 to foaming), yes.

Well....continue lol....elaborate on how to do it right

Sanitize bottle, cap and faucet
Turn off gas to keg
Vent most of the pressure from the keg
Purge bottle with CO2 (optional)
Gently fill bottle from tap (holding the bottle at an angle to prevent foaming)
Cap on foam
Turn gas back on to keg

If you are filling multiple bottles, you might need to give the keg a shot of CO2 every so often to keep the beer flowing at a good rate.
Sometimes you just can't get enough - JAMC

Offline Pinski

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1943
  • Portland, Oregon
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2014, 01:44:07 pm »
What tools are  you using? Counter pressure bottler, BeerGun, Bottle Filler and stopper?
Anyway, chilling the beer lines and gear can help reduce the foaming during transfer.  Fill the bottle until beer (not foam) is at the rim, then remove your filler. Enough foam should form that you can "cap on foam" to minimize oxidation.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2014, 01:48:57 pm by Pinski »
Steve Carper
Green Dragon Brewers
Clubs: Oregon Brew Crew & Strange Brew
BJCP Certified

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2014, 01:45:29 pm »
I do the all above PLUS I use a piece of flexible tubing that is the right size to fit over my tapper. Think about getting a growler filled somewhere - the tube goes to the bottom of the growler to minimize foaming in the growler. Fill slowly. Works great.
Jon H.

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2014, 01:47:10 pm »
What tools are  you using? Counter pressure bottler, BeerGun, Bottle Filler and stopper?
Anyway, chilling the beer lines and gear can help reduce the foaming during transfer.  Fill the bottle until beer (not foam) is at the rim, then remove your filler. Enough foam should form that you can "cap on foam" to minimize oxidation?

I have a BeerGun but I assumed Frank meant just filling out of a keg tapper.
Jon H.

Offline Pinski

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1943
  • Portland, Oregon
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2014, 01:51:05 pm »
What tools are  you using? Counter pressure bottler, BeerGun, Bottle Filler and stopper?
Anyway, chilling the beer lines and gear can help reduce the foaming during transfer.  Fill the bottle until beer (not foam) is at the rim, then remove your filler. Enough foam should form that you can "cap on foam" to minimize oxidation?

I have a BeerGun but I assumed Frank meant just filling out of a keg tapper.

Yeah,for me that's always been hard to do in a way that doesn't get really foamy without something to create some counter pressure. 
Steve Carper
Green Dragon Brewers
Clubs: Oregon Brew Crew & Strange Brew
BJCP Certified

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2014, 01:53:20 pm »
What tools are  you using? Counter pressure bottler, BeerGun, Bottle Filler and stopper?
Anyway, chilling the beer lines and gear can help reduce the foaming during transfer.  Fill the bottle until beer (not foam) is at the rim, then remove your filler. Enough foam should form that you can "cap on foam" to minimize oxidation?

I have a BeerGun but I assumed Frank meant just filling out of a keg tapper.

Yeah,for me that's always been hard to do in a way that doesn't get really foamy without something to create some counter pressure. 

I agree, love the BeerGun.  Using the tube that goes to the bottom will fill a growler fairly efficiently. Nothing like counter pressure though !
Jon H.

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27090
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2014, 01:58:43 pm »
http://www.strangebrew.ca/Drew/cheap.html

Look at tip #4.  That's what I've always done and I've been pleased with the results.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline twopumpsandimsorry

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 60
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2014, 01:59:29 pm »
I use a ghetto beer gun, it works just super and cost about 8.00. Just google "DIY beer gun" and you should get a ton of info. Super easy.
"We are here to drink beer.... and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us."
Charles Bukowski

Offline fmader

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1675
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2014, 02:04:48 pm »
I'm not using any equipment to do this yet...haven't tried it because I didn't know it was a good idea or not  :P

Normally when I bottle, I just use a bottle filler with a stopper. So, I should be able to find a hose that will stretch over the tap faucet and use that.

Jon, the only places I've gotten growlers filled, the assclowns just filled them like a glass of beer lol.

So, the reason why I want to do this is to fill a few bottles off a keg for competition purposes. Or should I just fill the bottles out of the fermenter and use those carbonation tablets?
Frank

Offline fmader

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1675
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2014, 02:14:43 pm »
Denny.... Those are some magically engineered items! I likey!
Frank

Offline narcout

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2217
  • Los Angeles, CA
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2014, 02:26:28 pm »
So, the reason why I want to do this is to fill a few bottles off a keg for competition purposes. Or should I just fill the bottles out of the fermenter and use those carbonation tablets?

I pretty much only fill bottles for competition purposes as well.  I've had great results with the method I posted above (I've not gotten dinged for oxidation, low carbonation, etc.).

I've never tried the carbonation tablets, but I've heard bad things.

Sometimes you just can't get enough - JAMC

Offline el_capitan

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 491
Re: Bottling off a keg
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2014, 02:42:09 pm »
I use a rig like Denny linked, and it works really well.  The key is to chill your bottles and also wet them inside before filling to reduce foaming.  Vent your keg pressure, then set the regulator to 2-3 psi, just enough to push the beer.  As you fill, you'll need to press in on the rubber stopper once in a while to vent the head pressure and keep the beer flowing.  Fill until foam comes out the top and beer reaches the stopper.  This means you'll spew a bit of foam out, but the losses are very minimal.  Then cap it up.  You can put a cap on, hold the cap and give the bottle a quick sideways turn to stimulate a burst of foam.  This displaces any oxygen in the headspace.  Quickly crimp a cap on and you're good to go. 

I've kept beer for over a year this way with no loss in carbonation and no degradation in quality.