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Author Topic: Bottling and corking kegged beer for competition  (Read 1806 times)

Offline berry_pride

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Bottling and corking kegged beer for competition
« on: December 26, 2017, 03:24:52 pm »
So I am thinking about entering my first home-brew competition and I am debating on how I should get my beer to the competition. All the beer I make is kegged and in the past I have bottled it from the keg in 325ml wine bottles and then corked it. The beer I have done this with was usually drank within a week and it seemed to hold the competition just fine. This competition is 6 weeks out. Should I submit my beer in the corked bottles? If so, how soon before the competition do you think it would be safe to do so and have it still hold its carbonation? Or, is there another method you would suggest? Thanks!
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Offline jeffy

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Re: Bottling and corking kegged beer for competition
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2017, 03:41:23 pm »
So I am thinking about entering my first home-brew competition and I am debating on how I should get my beer to the competition. All the beer I make is kegged and in the past I have bottled it from the keg in 325ml wine bottles and then corked it. The beer I have done this with was usually drank within a week and it seemed to hold the competition just fine. This competition is 6 weeks out. Should I submit my beer in the corked bottles? If so, how soon before the competition do you think it would be safe to do so and have it still hold its carbonation? Or, is there another method you would suggest? Thanks!
First check the rules of the upcoming competition.  You may find that corked bottles are not allowed.  If so, transfer into cold bottles for capping close to the cut-off date.  A beer gun or something similar will help cut down on oxygen imgress.
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member
BJCP judge since 1995

Offline Bob357

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Re: Bottling and corking kegged beer for competition
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2017, 10:24:48 pm »
I agree with jeffy, but have an alternative to offer. Why not bottle a couple to send to the competition. When you get close to having the keg filled, clamp off the transfer tube, stick it to the bottom of a bottle and fill. Repeat the process again for each bottle needed, add either priming sugar or a priming drop and cap. The bottle fermentation should scavenge the oxygen if you're careful when filling the bottles.
Beer is my bucket list,

Bob357
Fallon, NV

Offline berry_pride

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Re: Bottling and corking kegged beer for competition
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2017, 09:00:51 am »
Thanks for the feedback! I ended up investing in a beer gun as suggested. To tell you the truth I am still fairly new to brewing and even newer to begging. With that being said, until now I wasn't completely sure how a beer gun worked. I watched one video and was sold!
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Bottling and corking kegged beer for competition
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2017, 09:17:59 am »
We're all experts at begging. Don't worry, you'll get there.

Offline James K

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Re: Bottling and corking kegged beer for competition
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2018, 10:24:08 pm »
Thanks for the feedback! I ended up investing in a beer gun as suggested. To tell you the truth I am still fairly new to brewing and even newer to begging. With that being said, until now I wasn't completely sure how a beer gun worked. I watched one video and was sold!

I am also new to brewing but I will say his about a bottling gun. Make sure your beers are at the right level of carbonation or you will waste beer. I bottled 3 beers one the same day with a gun and some were low fills and some higher.

I am not an expert on reaching optimum pressure levels in kegs to use a bottling gun but you can end up wasting a fair amount of beer with them.
Vice President of Flagstaff Mountain-Top Mashers
2017 Homebrewer of the year
"One mouth doesn't taste the beer."

Offline Aksarben

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Re: Bottling and corking kegged beer for competition
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2018, 08:29:40 am »
I have read that longer lines reduce foam for the beer line.  Is this true?

Alternates I have seen to bottling "after" kegging include what I have now at home. No, not a beer gun but I did buy a case of 24ea 500 ml dark brown PET bottles and caps.  I have a carbonator that fits on top of any PET Pop bottle and fits these just fine.  Carbonator looks like this: https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Carbonation-Barb-Drink-Bottles/dp/B00V334SME .  You just attach a small piece of hose on the barb so it goes to near the bottom of the bottle.  Leave the cap loose a bit and turn on the valve to your CO2 and open the cap a little to purge out the air so there is only CO2 in there, then tighten down the cap and crank up the pressure to 20 psi or so.  Don't worry,  your gauges won't go high enough to cause it to burst at 150+ psi.  then, disconnect from the gas.  Go to the keg and have a beer side (black) to gas (white) and attach the beer side to your OUT on your keg and snap the white cap (hint, it will even work with the black disconnect, just a bit harder to get on and off) and when it is fully seated there won't be any beer going in because the pressure is too great (counter pressure), so unscrew the lid just a little at a time until the beer start to flow into the bottle.  Run it all the way to the top and tighten the cap and unsnap the disconnect from the carbonator.  Let it set for about 30 seconds and put on the regular cap after removing the carbonator and put in the fridge.  If you want, after filling the number of bottles you want, merely take off the tube extension of the barb and go back to your supply CO2 gas and give them an extra shot of gas, and repeat the process of putting the cap back on.  Should hold nicely.  BTW the bottles you buy are under 9" tall and when filled are only 2.712 and the AHA limit on diameter is 2.750, so the bottles fit the size requirements.  Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07254D36L
Vernon

Associate Winemaker, Fenn Valley Vineyards
Fennville, MI

I was born with nothing, and have managed to keep most of it.

Offline BrewBama

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Re: Bottling and corking kegged beer for competition
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2018, 08:49:23 pm »