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Author Topic: Beer Gun  (Read 2003 times)

Offline Pope of Dope

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Beer Gun
« on: May 08, 2018, 11:52:55 pm »
I have a beer gun.  I use two Co2 tanks set at around 5 psi, one for the keg and one for the gun.  I have the darndest time getting a bottle full without a foamy overflow resulting in either too little or too much beer (right up to cap) per bottle and a lot that goes down the sink. Why is this?
Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance.

Offline mainebrewer

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Re: Beer Gun
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2018, 04:43:11 am »
Here is the process I use:
1 Get bottles as cold as the beer, even colder is OK.
2 Turn off gas to keg, bleed off head pressure in keg.
3 Turn CO2 tank regulator down to 2 psi.
4 Turn gas to keg back on.
5 Fill bottles.
The two things that I've found that make the most difference are:  getting the bottles cold, and using the lowest psi that will move the beer from the keg to the bottle.
"It's not that people are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that just isn't true." Ronald Reagan

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Beer Gun
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2018, 05:55:31 am »
One more thing to add to the good advice above, get the beer gun and lines cold too. You can run cold beer through it, or to not waste beer I have put it in the freezer for a little while.
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Offline 802Chris

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Re: Beer Gun
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2018, 07:25:42 am »
I also find that getting the bottle cold and rinsing it right before filling helps a lot.

Offline jtoots

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Re: Beer Gun
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2018, 07:53:43 am »
5psi is pretty high, I go really low and take my time.  +1 on Maine's 2psi suggestion.

Offline Pope of Dope

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Re: Beer Gun
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2018, 10:32:36 am »
That all makes sense.  Yes my bottles and lines are always room temp, and sometimes the psi is as high as 8.  I thought that it should be at serving levels.  Thanks.  Will try this the next time. 
Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance.

Offline jimmykx250

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Re: Beer Gun
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2018, 11:38:48 am »
I just bought the Blichman gun and I filled a bunch of growlers as suggested above I chilled everything down. Im finding that the carb levels are not holding up at the one month mark. Am i doing something wrong?
Jimmykx250

Offline tommymorris

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Re: Beer Gun
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2018, 11:47:12 am »
I just bought the Blichman gun and I filled a bunch of growlers as suggested above I chilled everything down. Im finding that the carb levels are not holding up at the one month mark. Am i doing something wrong?
The growler screw on caps may leak. I have never kept a full growler more than a day or two.

Offline brewinhard

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Re: Beer Gun
« Reply #8 on: May 09, 2018, 05:01:29 pm »
I just bought the Blichman gun and I filled a bunch of growlers as suggested above I chilled everything down. Im finding that the carb levels are not holding up at the one month mark. Am i doing something wrong?
The growler screw on caps may leak. I have never kept a full growler more than a day or two.

Yeah, growlers are not meant to store beer for long term. The seals just are not good enough.

Offline M-O-O-N That spells beer!

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Re: Beer Gun
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2018, 06:02:23 pm »
Yeah, growlers are not meant to store beer for long term. The seals just are not good enough.

How about growlers that have the Grolsch style swing tops?

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Offline Adam

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Re: Beer Gun
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2018, 06:45:36 pm »
A little late on the reply, but you should make sure that whatever pressure you are serving at that the line you have attached it long enough to support that PSI.
Fermentation at Elevation