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Author Topic: Bottling from keg  (Read 4775 times)

Offline yugamrap

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Re: Bottling from keg
« Reply #15 on: October 26, 2018, 12:19:40 pm »
I've used nothing but picnic taps for 20 years.  To bottle, I put a piece of tubing through a one hole #2 (maybe 2 1/2) stopper.  The diameter of the tubing is such that it fits inside one of the picnic taps, and and it's long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle while sticking up a few inches above the stopper.  I unscrew a QD from one of my CO lines and use that line to purge the bottle.  I put the end of the tubing into a picnic tap and seat the stopper in the bottle.  I open the picnic tap and the bottle fils about 1/3 of the way before back pressure stops the flow.  I then use my thumb to gently crack the stopper just a bit, so the flow starts again. When the bottle is full, I close the picnic tap, remove the stopper and cap.  Easy, cheap, and effective.

I do it this way, too.  It works great, doesn't cost much, and is easy to clean.  I keep a wallpaper tray nearby to set the filling assembly in while I cap the bottles.  I use a Vinator Bottle Rinser with Star San just before filling each bottle and drop the caps in there to sanitize, too.  Any of the methods will foam less if you can get the bottles and equipment good and cold before filling.
...it's liquid bread, it's good for you!

Offline Robert

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Re: Bottling from keg
« Reply #16 on: October 26, 2018, 03:27:24 pm »
I've used nothing but picnic taps for 20 years.  To bottle, I put a piece of tubing through a one hole #2 (maybe 2 1/2) stopper.  The diameter of the tubing is such that it fits inside one of the picnic taps, and and it's long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle while sticking up a few inches above the stopper.  I unscrew a QD from one of my CO lines and use that line to purge the bottle.  I put the end of the tubing into a picnic tap and seat the stopper in the bottle.  I open the picnic tap and the bottle fils about 1/3 of the way before back pressure stops the flow.  I then use my thumb to gently crack the stopper just a bit, so the flow starts again. When the bottle is full, I close the picnic tap, remove the stopper and cap.  Easy, cheap, and effective.

I do it this way, too.  It works great, doesn't cost much, and is easy to clean.  I keep a wallpaper tray nearby to set the filling assembly in while I cap the bottles.  I use a Vinator Bottle Rinser with Star San just before filling each bottle and drop the caps in there to sanitize, too.  Any of the methods will foam less if you can get the bottles and equipment good and cold before filling.
This is too clever for words.  I haven't bottled anything in ages, but have no desire to mess with my old counterpressure rig ever again.  I was thinking, how could I do this,  given that I have only one keg at a time on tap in my keezer and thus only one gas line?  Then I realized:   if I put a "tee" on the gas (recycled from CP rig,) and send one leg to the keg, I could put a second picnic tap on the other gas leg and use that to "purge"* the bottles.  And it gets better.  I have a ball lock adapter for my Intertap faucet.  Running the liquid picnic tap off the regular draught line would add considerable restriction,  further reducing foaming. This would be just easy enough to set up and clean that I might not mind filling the odd sixer.

*Put that in quotes lest I invite a lesson on gas laws, TPO etc.
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

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Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

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Re: Bottling from keg
« Reply #17 on: November 30, 2019, 04:35:02 am »
I fill my bottles with Starsan and push the Starsan out of the bottle with 1-2 lbs pressure of Co2. It’s exactly the same concept as purging a keg that’s filled with Starsan.


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Do you have any way of controlling where the star san is going when it exits the bottle under the incoming pressure of the CO2 or do you just let it dribble out into a bucket or dish pan?

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Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

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Re: Bottling from keg
« Reply #18 on: January 15, 2020, 12:24:59 pm »
I fill my bottles with Starsan and push the Starsan out of the bottle with 1-2 lbs pressure of Co2. It’s exactly the same concept as purging a keg that’s filled with Starsan.


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I tried doing that by running CO 2 through a keg that had no beer in it with the CO 2 going through the liquid out post with a picnic tap and bottle wand and stopper.  Once the bottle was about half empty it just made lots of bubbles in the star san in the bottle.  What is your set-up like?  Thanks
It's easier to read brewing books and get information from the forum than to sacrifice virgins to appease the brewing gods when bad beer happens!

Offline banjo-guy

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Re: Bottling from keg
« Reply #19 on: January 27, 2020, 08:29:03 pm »
Look under the Pimp My System sub heading for Oxygen Bottle Purging Gadget. I have a few close up pictures of what I did. It's easier to see the picture than to explain it.
 I run the Starsan into a container. It works very well but Denny's way is probably just as good and a lot easier.