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

Author Topic: Bottling from a keg  (Read 2604 times)

Offline gmac

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2165
  • London, Ontario
Bottling from a keg
« on: September 05, 2011, 08:58:18 am »
I'm gonna enter a few beer into a competition but I need to put it in a bottle from a keg.  Any advice on how to do this?  I've seen the video with guys using a racking cane with a stopper and I tried and got showered with beer every time despite lowering the pressure.  I must be doing something really wrong.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

Offline Mark G

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 898
  • Huntley, IL
Re: Bottling from a keg
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2011, 09:16:16 am »
I use the rubber stopper setup too. Make sure the beer line and tap is cold. Turn the pressure down to a couple PSI, and vent the excess pressure from the keg. Chill the bottles down as cold as you can. Burp the stopper just enough to keep the beer flowing. Honestly, I've become much lazier, I mean pragmatic, lately, and just shove a piece of tubing into the tap and fill without the stopper. If everything's cold, and the pressure is low enough, it works just as well. Just fill until beer, not just foam, is coming out the top. Cap immediately.

Good luck in the competition!
Mark Gres

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27070
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Bottling from a keg
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2011, 10:23:45 am »
Make sure the stopper is securely seated in the bottle neck.  Open the tap and start the beer flowing.  when the bottle is maybe 1/2 full, the pressure will build up and the flow will stop.  With the tap still open, very slightly crack the stopper with your thumb.  The flow will resume at a very slow rate, proportional go how much you crack the stopper.  That's how you control the flow rate.  When the bottle is full, close the tap.
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 bluesman

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8825
  • Delaware
Re: Bottling from a keg
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2011, 11:30:38 am »
I use the Blichmann beer gun. A little pricey but justifiable IMO, plus it does a fantastic job. It also allows you to purge the bottle with CO2 prior to filling. Fast and easy...and very easy to clean. Well worth it if you compete a lot or like to bottle from the keg.

Good luck in the comp.  :)
Ron Price

Offline gmac

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2165
  • London, Ontario
Re: Bottling from a keg
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2011, 12:37:00 pm »
Thanks all.  I tried the stopper thing again and I'm not getting it.  I ended up filling the 10 bottles I needed using just a racking cane in the picnic tap with no stopper and about 2 psi of pressure but I still think I wasted 5 or 10 more bottles in foam and overpour. 
If I decide to do this again, I think a beer gun may be in my future.  Depends on how many competitions I decide to enter.  This is the first one ever and I don't expect much (maybe a couple best in class and 2nd overall but I don't expect to win or anything...)

I'll let you know how I did (assuming my beer makes it in the courier).

Offline mxstar21

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 55
Re: Bottling from a keg
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2011, 09:24:11 am »
I use the Blichmann beer gun. A little pricey but justifiable IMO, plus it does a fantastic job. It also allows you to purge the bottle with CO2 prior to filling. Fast and easy...and very easy to clean. Well worth it if you compete a lot or like to bottle from the keg.

Good luck in the comp.  :)

I use it too.  Worth every penny in my opinion.  Its so easy to use.

Offline James Lorden

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 337
  • Forest Hill, MD
Re: Bottling from a keg
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2011, 01:52:54 pm »
Depends on when the competition is compared to when you fill the bottles.

Generally I use a counter pressure filler, but I recently scored a 41 and took first place with a hefeweizen that I filled right off the tap (turned the pressure down to 1-2 psi and filled).

The last day of drop off was within a week of judging and I filled and delivered on the last day.  There is not a lot of time there for an infection to take hold.

I wouldn't advocate this technique for long term storage or recomend it in general over other methods, but it can work short term under proper conditions.
James Lorden
Beer Drinker Beer Maker & Beer Judge