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

Author Topic: Blichmann Beer Gun  (Read 11417 times)

Offline Gribble

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 165
    • Low Mo Brewing Company
Blichmann Beer Gun
« on: November 01, 2011, 06:36:13 pm »
I just got my beer gun from Blichmann Engineering today, and I love it.  I've been using a traditional counter-pressure filler for a while now, typically don't bottle but now that we're going pro kind of have too, and in the time it usually took me to bottle a case of 22's with the CPF, I bottled 2 1/2 cases with the beer gun.  It's easy to use with one hand, and no more having to worry about the stopper sticking in the mouth of the bottle or adjusting the filler for different size bottles.  I wanna hear what other people think.

Low Mo Brewing Company
Industrial Grade Beer Brewed For Professionals

Offline bluesman

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8825
  • Delaware
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2011, 06:41:45 pm »
I have the BBG and I love it. I use to dread bottling with my bottle filler but now with the beer gun I actually look forward to bottling. It's easy and effortless to use and very easy to clean. It's worth every penny plus some. Like you said, it's a one handed operation which makes life easy.  :)
Ron Price

Offline Gribble

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 165
    • Low Mo Brewing Company
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2011, 06:48:58 pm »
The thing that surprised me is that they cost right about the same.  I picked mine up from my local HBS and it retailed for 79.99, the CPF that I picked up from them a few years back was 74.99.  The $5 is totally worth it.
Low Mo Brewing Company
Industrial Grade Beer Brewed For Professionals

Offline tygo

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2622
  • Sterling, VA
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2011, 06:56:25 pm »
I just recently got one after struggling with makeshift bottling techniques for awhile.  I've only used it a couple times so far but I love it.  It's quick and easy to use and there was almost zero foaming.  Some of my previous attempts left more beer on the floor than I got into the bottle, with the beer gun I lost almost nothing and the bottles were perfectly carbed.
Clint
Wort Hogs

Offline metron-brewer

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 164
  • White Bear Lake, MN
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2011, 11:51:54 am »
I just got mine this week. Hope to use it for the first time this weekend.
Ron B.
White Bear Lake, MN

Offline Pinski

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1943
  • Portland, Oregon
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2011, 11:57:39 am »
I can't wait to pick one up in the next couple of weeks.  We're going to bottle up a whole mess of beer to give away for the holidays.
Steve Carper
Green Dragon Brewers
Clubs: Oregon Brew Crew & Strange Brew
BJCP Certified

Offline theDarkSide

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3041
  • Derry, NH
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #6 on: November 03, 2011, 12:35:41 pm »
I have the BBG and I love it. I use to dread bottling with my bottle filler but now with the beer gun I actually look forward to bottling. It's easy and effortless to use and very easy to clean. It's worth every penny plus some. Like you said, it's a one handed operation which makes life easy.  :)

If you are bottling different beers, do you break it down and clean it between beers or do you just run some cleaner/sanitizer through it?

I have the beergun but find it to be a hassle if I'm bottling just a couple bottles of a couple beers to sent to comps.
Seacoast Homebrew Club - Portsmouth, NH
AHA Member
Stephen Mayo
------------------------------------------------

Offline bluesman

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8825
  • Delaware
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #7 on: November 03, 2011, 12:39:56 pm »
I have the BBG and I love it. I use to dread bottling with my bottle filler but now with the beer gun I actually look forward to bottling. It's easy and effortless to use and very easy to clean. It's worth every penny plus some. Like you said, it's a one handed operation which makes life easy.  :)

If you are bottling different beers, do you break it down and clean it between beers or do you just run some cleaner/sanitizer through it?

I have the beergun but find it to be a hassle if I'm bottling just a couple bottles of a couple beers to sent to comps.

I run starsan solution through it between beers when I'm doing back to back beers. It's really that simple. YMMV
Ron Price

Offline James Lorden

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 337
  • Forest Hill, MD
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #8 on: November 03, 2011, 02:38:30 pm »
I just run a little of the new beer through it into a dump bucket so that the first bottle doesn't get a big dose of the last beer.  I always do sour's last (obviously)
James Lorden
Beer Drinker Beer Maker & Beer Judge

Offline bluesman

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8825
  • Delaware
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2011, 02:48:06 pm »
I just run a little of the new beer through it into a dump bucket so that the first bottle doesn't get a big dose of the last beer.  I always do sour's last (obviously)

I've done it that way before. Never experienced any problems with it.
Ron Price

Offline brewmanator

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 68
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #10 on: November 03, 2011, 02:51:13 pm »
I generally like my beergun, but have had problems with the little black rubber tip popping off at in opportune times.  I've replaced the  tip once (expensive  :o), but it still comes off every now and then >:(.  I find the conveniences (especially being able to purge each bottle with CO2) out-weigh this one annoyance.  I do worry about bottling sour beers with it, my nemesis could harbor some critters that I may not be able to clean/sanitize away. ???
- Mike

Offline bluesman

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8825
  • Delaware
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #11 on: November 03, 2011, 02:53:22 pm »
I generally like my beergun, but have had problems with the little black rubber tip popping off at in opportune times.  I've replaced the  tip once (expensive  :o), but it still comes off every now and then >:(.  I find the conveniences (especially being able to purge each bottle with CO2) out-weigh this one annoyance.  I do worry about bottling sour beers with it, my nemesis could harbor some critters that I may not be able to clean/sanitize away. ???

Try emailing John Blichmann for suggestions on this issue. He's very responsive and may have a fix for you.
Ron Price

Offline jeffy

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4222
  • Tampa, Fl
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #12 on: November 03, 2011, 03:09:09 pm »
I have also had the rubber tip fall off into a bottle more than once.  I'm vigilant about checking it before use now.
I also run some of the next beer through it into a container when bottling more than one beer.  Always start with the lightest, least flavorful beers and finish with the smoked and pepper beers.
I don't run sours through the beer gun.  I'd rather carbonate them in a plastic bottle with a Carbonator Cap and gently pour into cold glass bottles.
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 David Little

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 13
    • MacGruffus Brewery
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #13 on: November 03, 2011, 06:05:22 pm »
I have also had the rubber tip fall off into a bottle more than once.  I'm vigilant about checking it before use now.
I also run some of the next beer through it into a container when bottling more than one beer.  Always start with the lightest, least flavorful beers and finish with the smoked and pepper beers.
I don't run sours through the beer gun.  I'd rather carbonate them in a plastic bottle with a Carbonator Cap and gently pour into cold glass bottles.

I've never had a problem with the tip falling off so can't speak to that but I do the same process for bac-to-back beers. As far as sours go ... I just bought a separate tip and hose to use for doing sours. And I soak in PBW followed by StarSan after bottling. Never had a problem.

Offline Gribble

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 165
    • Low Mo Brewing Company
Re: Blichmann Beer Gun
« Reply #14 on: November 04, 2011, 12:49:35 am »
I had the tip pop off last night while I had it disassembled prior to use.  We bottled two different beers last night, and just like filling pigs when switching beer, just run some of the next batch through and it's fine.  Still amazed at how fast it is.  We got it dialed in meow.  We did three cases of 22's in an hour.  Love it.
Low Mo Brewing Company
Industrial Grade Beer Brewed For Professionals