Blichmann (others available) beer gun

[Brewnaldo]

Finally got around to using my counter pressure bottle filler for the first time today.
I wonder what the experience of others is or if they could share some tips if they have any. I found I was losing a lot of beer out the bottles once I got near the top, but that this was slightly mitigated by filling it an angle and drawing the end of the gun up just below the level of the beer to minimise the displacing effect of the gun.

I also had a leak from the keg connection that leaked all over the floor but clearly not the fault of the gun

When the bottles are sealed, and there are still bubbles rising, I assume that will continue to happen until the equilibrium between beer and headspace is reached?

Im a bit concerned about the loss of carbonation when filling tbh. I do really need to add a fridge to my Arsenal allowing me to carb properly at lower pressures and hopefully lessen the foaming in the bottle if I am to continue as I intend using this to bottle lagers.

Share your experiences here folks, you might just help a beer soaked amateur here......

 

[aamcle]

It your using a beer gun it's not a counter pressure filler, it can flush the bottle with Co2 but the filling is open to the atmosphere there is no counter pressure.

I had a beer gun it was a pain in the ass, I now have one of the "3 way" stainless things, today I had a beer shampoo and the brute leaked from its joints ......


Aamcle

 

[Sadfield]

I have the Beergun 2. If bottling carbonated beers, you really need to get the beer cold to stop it foaming, although you do want a bit of foam to purge the bottles headspace. Some people chill their bottles too, although I've never found the need. When bottling, dial the gas pressure down to a couple of psi, just enough to get the beer flowing and start filling with the bottle at a 45° angle, straightening it up as it fills.

 

[Brewnaldo]

It your using a beer gun it's not a counter pressure filler, it can flush the bottle with Co2 but the filling is open to the atmosphere there is no counter pressure.

I had a beer gun it was a pain in the ass, I now have one of the "3 way" stainless things, today I had a beer shampoo and the brute leaked from its joints ......


Aamcle

Yeah terminology there.... I did wonder about this when I seen the contraption @DocAnna Had been using the other week and that was the first time I became aware of ones that actually retain pressure in the bottles.

Yeaj so for clarity it's the beer gun I am using.

 

[Braufather]

ive had mine nearly 3 years now and have still not got round to using it! i really should give it a go. i can get my kegs down to near zero C, and bottles too so i am hoping i wont get any foaming issues. it would be good so i can had a few out. trouble is kegs never last that long for some reason...

 

[Brewnaldo]

ive had mine nearly 3 years now and have still not got round to using it! i really should give it a go. i can get my kegs down to near zero C, and bottles too so i am hoping i wont get any foaming issues. it would be good so i can had a few out. trouble is kegs never last that long for some reason...

Mine was at ambient, probably 12 or 13 degrees. I think it would work really well if you could get it cold. I mean I it didnt "not work" for me. I suspect I will be able to do it a lot better the more I go on like anything so yeah, def give it a go. I bottled a load of 330s with lager which obviously can fot in the fridge no bother, on their side because no sediment and drunk straight from the bottle so I'm quite excited about it

 

[Leon103]

I use a tapcooler counter pressure filler. Don't have any real issue. I dial down the pressure slightly. A little bit of waste but that is to be expected

 

[DocAnna]

It your using a beer gun it's not a counter pressure filler, it can flush the bottle with Co2 but the filling is open to the atmosphere there is no counter pressure.

I had a beer gun it was a pain in the ass, I now have one of the "3 way" stainless things, today I had a beer shampoo and the brute leaked from its joints ......


Aamcle

Yes mine was leaking in the stem part of it so I need to deconstruct and tape those joints, thankfully the ball lock fittings on mine are already taped so were gas tight already. It will be a while before I try this again, and do so prepared to have a proper warm shower afterwards rather than the impromptu one with freezing fizzy wine like last time.

Anna

 

[Galena]

Not got into kegging yet but I do like the look of the Boel i Tap iof anyone has any experience with it.

 

[Brewnaldo]

One thing I will say for the beer gun....

Once I smooth out the process, ideally if I had a decent clean surface to work on in the garage so I didnt have to good everything into the kitchen, it would be hugely less faff than normal.

 

[DocAnna]

Yes mine was leaking in the stem part of it so I need to deconstruct and tape those joints, thankfully the ball lock fittings on mine are already taped so were gas tight already. It will be a while before I try this again, and do so prepared to have a proper warm shower afterwards rather than the impromptu one with freezing fizzy wine like last time.

Anna

A bit of follow up to my leaking counter pressure filler. It wouldn't come apart when I tried to even remove one of the joints, so I tightened the compression fittings and....it still leaked badly . However, I'm pleased to report that yesterday it worked just fine and while maybe not a joy to use, it was certainly less traumatic and an overall drier experience. This was following coating the joints in clear epoxy adhesive, which might be seen as a bit of a fudge fix but it will be permanent, won't crack and is resistant to sterilisation. It does lend the device a certain bio mechanical feel which is a bit odd, but hey it doesn't leak which is a win .

Anna