Bottle fillers

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JaymzMF

JaymzMF

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I still bottle. I enjoy it. Just bought a stainless steel bottle filler off amazon. This thing is so fat that it leaves way too much headspace. Can’t use it. Anyone have any recommendations for a proper sized ss bottle filler?
This is the one I got. Beer Bottle Filler,ProMaker Stainless Steel Wine Beer Bottling 13.7" Spring Loaded Beer Bottle Filler Home Brewing (Bottle Filler) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6XQMS7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nJhwDbC25K4TM
Appreciate the help!
 
Why the preference for stainless? The polycarbonate ones, I use both the spring and non-springed models depending on what I grab, work well. I'd say if the listing for the filler includes a brush, it is too wide to provide proper head space.
 
smata67 said:
Why the preference for stainless? The polycarbonate ones, I use both the spring and non-springed models depending on what I grab, work well. I'd say if the listing for the filler includes a brush, it is too wide to provide proper head space.
Click to expand...

I prefer ss over plastic where I can use it. Plastic has its issues. I just don’t know why they are even made if they don’t provide proper headspace. If the correct size exists, I’d like to get it.
 
The problem appears to be those ss fillers are 1/2" in diameter and displace too much water. The plastic ones with the spring loaded tips I measure as .384, slightly larger than 3/8". The one I have allows the tip to be removed. But the ones that are not spring loaded are fused onto the tube. What you could do is get .375 diameter ss tubing (thinnest wall you can get, would probably fill your bottles faster) from mcmaster and fit it onto the spring loaded plastic tip removed from the plastic one. You will probably need to seal the interface, a 100% food grade silicon would be the right thing to use, though I would just use 100% silicon if on hand. I like the plastic ones because you can see into them and tell if they are clean. But the above approach would work, though would entail a great deal of unnecessary work. Welcome to DIY!
 
Oddly enough, the bottle size is not a factor. I have some very short bottles (some Asian beer brand), regular short, regular long neck, and 22 oz bottles and all have perfect head space with the plastic filler. The instant the filler is pulled from the bottom and seals, that displaced beer volume taken up by the filler tube is your final head space. Inevitably, a larger diameter filler tube is going to result in more head space.
 
smata67 said:
It might work well with wine bottles.
Click to expand...
I think it will be worse if you used wine bottles with the dimple in the bottom. The wand is too thick (Thats what she said) to depress the plunger in the small space between the dimple and the wall of the bottle
 
ApolloSimcoe said:
I think this might be referencing the barb only not the diameter of the shaft itself. That is the same one i have and its just too big for bottles
Click to expand...

It is not the same source as linked in the first post. And the first has a picture that shows a diameter of 1/2 inch.

This one does appear to be made with a 3/8" tubing.

There is a picture in the comments that shows a properly filled bottle for the one I linked.
 
Different sources can sell the same item.
It also states that it uses 3/8" tubing. 3/8" tubing is ID not OD. The OD is close to 1/2" which is the OD of this SS wand. A standard plastic bottling wand fits inside a 3/8" ID hose so it naturally displaces less beer creating the perfect head space. I own this and the barb itself is 3/8", it take some work to get the hose on the end. The barb is wider than a bottling wand too. Both links state they use the same hose ID of 3/8. and you can tell by the photos that the wand part is wider than 3/8"
Both the OP and I are the ones that have used this and we both had the same experience. I believe that any picture can be thrown up on a site to show results that arent real world results.

Just my .02. I will post photos of mine with measurements.
 
IMG_0319.jpg IMG_0326.jpg IMG_0327.jpg IMG_0322.jpg IMG_0321.jpg IMG_0323.jpg IMG_0325.jpg
So here are the images.
Pic 1 shows the 3/8" SS wand next to a standard bottling wand
Pic 2 shows the 3/8" tubing next to the 3/8" barb
Pic 3 shows that the 3/8" bottling wand actually fits inside the wand part of the SS wand
Pic 4 shows the inner and outer diameter of the wand
Pic 5 shows the diameter of the SS barb
Pic 6 shows 3/8" tubing stretched over the 3/8" barb
Pic 7 shows how much is displaced by the SS bottling wand using a SN bottle
 
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I have one of these SS fillers as well. It does underfill (no matter the size of the bottle).

Funny thing, the last competition I entered, I used the plastic wand and it delivered what I thought to be the perfect headspace. The judge actually noted on the sheet, "Fill level too high." Perhaps he owns one of these SS wands and loves it?

By the way, the standard 12 oz bottle is 9 in high. You lose about 0.4 fl oz moving from plastic to SS.
 
ApolloSimcoe said:
Different sources can sell the same item.
It also states that it uses 3/8" tubing. 3/8" tubing is ID not OD. The OD is close to 1/2" which is the OD of this SS wand. A standard plastic bottling wand fits inside a 3/8" ID hose so it naturally displaces less beer creating the perfect head space. I own this and the barb itself is 3/8", it take some work to get the hose on the end. The barb is wider than a bottling wand too. Both links state they use the same hose ID of 3/8. and you can tell by the photos that the wand part is wider than 3/8"
Both the OP and I are the ones that have used this and we both had the same experience. I believe that any picture can be thrown up on a site to show results that arent real world results.

Just my .02. I will post photos of mine with measurements.
Click to expand...

I can only go by what I can read on the two different sites. The one posted by the OP clearly has a picture that shows the dimensions and that the OD of the tubing is 1/2 inch. The one I linked clearly states that the diameter is 3/8" OD.

There are also the reviews that state it fills the bottle perfectly.

My plastic wand works well so I am not a candidate to buy one from my link to see if they are liars.
 
@kh54s10 DUDE! All I'm trying to say is that there is an issue with the info they are providing. You don't have to buy this or even consider it. I already own it! Also I was reading some of the reviews and some of them are clearly referring to the counter pressure filler. Here is a screen shot from my Amazon cart from last year's order
upload_2019-8-22_7-37-0.png
 
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Off topic. But you could carbonate with wort and thus be able to fill the bottle to the cap if you'd want to. Less oxygen inside is also a bonus.
 
I filled some flip tops to no headspace once.
Thermal expansion popped several bottoms off.
Beeeeg mess.
Suggest against filling to cap.
 
JaymzMF said:
I still bottle. I enjoy it. Just bought a stainless steel bottle filler off amazon. This thing is so fat that it leaves way too much headspace. Can’t use it. Anyone have any recommendations for a proper sized ss bottle filler?
This is the one I got. Beer Bottle Filler,ProMaker Stainless Steel Wine Beer Bottling 13.7" Spring Loaded Beer Bottle Filler Home Brewing (Bottle Filler) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6XQMS7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nJhwDbC25K4TM
Appreciate the help!
Click to expand...
how much headspace is too much ?
I use a clear plastic spring loaded bottling wand. When I fill, I let the beer come up to maybe 1/8" below the top . When I pull it out , its displacement leaves the perfect amount of headspace on a standard 12 ounce long neck , 1 1/2" .
 
Soulshine2 said:
I use a clear plastic spring loaded bottling wand. When I fill, I let the beer come up to maybe 1/8" below the top . When I pull it out , its displacement leaves the perfect amount of headspace on a standard 12 ounce long neck , 1 1/2" .
Click to expand...

This is how it should be
 
ApolloSimcoe said:
@kh54s10 DUDE! All I'm trying to say is that there is an issue with the info they are providing. You don't have to buy this or even consider it. I already own it! Also I was reading some of the reviews and some of them are clearly referring to the counter pressure filler. Here is a screen shot from my Amazon cart from last year's order
View attachment 641022
Click to expand...

OK, don't get in a huff. All I was saying is that the original link and the one I linked clearly were different.
 
I like the idea of a SS wand being more durable but being able to see through the plastic wand when cleaning weighs the scale down in favor of plastic for me. I've used the same wand and tip for five years so it's pretty durable anyway.
 
Many people have an unreasonable fear plastics. Look in your refrigerator and pantry. I bet there is a lot of food in plastic containers. So far I have only grown an extra ear due to plastic contamination.
 
I really appreciate everyone's feedback. Just to clarify, I do use the typical 3/8 plastic wand. Have for years. I like the idea of SS and am still interested in going that route if anyone out there owns a supposed "proper size" one. I appreciate the link provided to a possible candidate. Hoping to find an owner for verification.
Anyway, thank you all very much!
 
kh54s10 said:
Many people have an unreasonable fear plastics. Look in your refrigerator and pantry. I bet there is a lot of food in plastic containers. So far I have only grown an extra ear due to plastic contamination.
Click to expand...
People overthink things to the point of stress and anxiety . If the average person knew the health risks we all are bombarded with each and every day . The radiation, the pollution /contaminants in our air, the chemicals in our food and water, the risks we take walking out the door ... we should all be wearing a fall out bubble suit with catchers equipment and an air supply tank on.
the plastic we use to fill our beer bottles is nothing.
 
kh54s10 said:
Many people have an unreasonable fear plastics. Look in your refrigerator and pantry. I bet there is a lot of food in plastic containers. So far I have only grown an extra ear due to plastic contamination.
Click to expand...

Soulshine2 said:
People overthink things to the point of stress and anxiety . If the average person knew the health risks we all are bombarded with each and every day . The radiation, the pollution /contaminants in our air, the chemicals in our food and water, the risks we take walking out the door ... we should all be wearing a fall out bubble suit with catchers equipment and an air supply tank on.
the plastic we use to fill our beer bottles is nothing.
Click to expand...

While this may be true, I think ALL of us have "upgraded" at multiple points of our brewing career. Let's face it, this is an AWESOME hobby. Why did we upgrade form a plastic bucket? Why do we upgrade from a glass carboy to a ss fermenter? Why do we bottle in glass and not plastic? Some use plastic, but you get the idea.
It's not a fear. It's an addiction. A great one at that.
 
JaymzMF said:
While this may be true, I think ALL of us have "upgraded" at multiple points of our brewing career. Let's face it, this is an AWESOME hobby. Why did we upgrade form a plastic bucket? Why do we upgrade from a glass carboy to a ss fermenter? Why do we bottle in glass and not plastic? Some use plastic, but you get the idea.
It's not a fear. It's an addiction. A great one at that.
Click to expand...

Upgrading and avoiding plastics (fear) are two separate things. There are those that fear the plastic will leach chemicals into their beer.

I have upgraded some things. I have fermented for the last 8+ years in only plastic. PET carboys and buckets... I never considered glass carboys, first due to the weight, and then the horror stories. I bottle in glass because it is easy and with the exception of the first batch (I hadn't collected any bottles) the bottles can be had for nothing more than buying and drinking the beer that is already in them. (and caps) Or you can get your friends to give you their empties.

So far Stainless Steel is only my kettles and kegs. (Craigslist buys)
 
kh54s10 said:
Upgrading and avoiding plastics (fear) are two separate things. There are those that fear the plastic will leach chemicals into their beer.

I have upgraded some things. I have fermented for the last 8+ years in only plastic. PET carboys and buckets... I never considered glass carboys, first due to the weight, and then the horror stories. I bottle in glass because it is easy and with the exception of the first batch (I hadn't collected any bottles) the bottles can be had for nothing more than buying and drinking the beer that is already in them. (and caps) Or you can get your friends to give you their empties.

So far Stainless Steel is only my kettles and kegs. (Craigslist buys)
Click to expand...

Part of what makes this hobby so wonderful is the choices we can all make to do things as we want to do them. I’ve never “feared” plastic in any way. I like ss for many reasons including longevity. Only need 1 instead of replacing plastic over years of use. And let’s be honest, I think most of us spend more money on this hobby than needed. Because we love it and because we can. Brew on!
 
JaymzMF said:
Part of what makes this hobby so wonderful is the choices we can all make to do things as we want to do them. I’ve never “feared” plastic in any way. I like ss for many reasons including longevity. Only need 1 instead of replacing plastic over years of use. And let’s be honest, I think most of us spend more money on this hobby than needed. Because we love it and because we can. Brew on!
Click to expand...

Yep... Contemplating going electric. Right now the UniBrau is at the top of my list.

BTW, I have yet to retire any of my plastic fermenters. So far only tubing and broken autosiphons.
 
No one using the Demario automatic filler?
I find them great, one bottle filling while snap the flip top close on the last Grolsch bottle, there is also a knock off out there I have not tried.
P.S. I do not use the siphon method but a spigot on the bottom of the carboy.

Here is both on Utube .


T.W.
 
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