Can this bottle filler be modified? How?

[doctorcosmonaut]

Through a long story that I'm not going to get into, I have this vacuum bottle filler (primarily used for bottling wine). I have cider I'm wanting to bottle, and I'd hate to throw the thing out. Can a vacuum bottle filler be used for carbonated products? If not, but with a little modification, what must be done to make it appropriate for filling already carbonated liquids? Could it also be modified to force carbonate still products in the bottle? I'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions/instructions on how either or both of these could be accomplished.

 

[barnaclebob]

How exactly does it use the vacuum? Is it to suck the liquid into the bottles?

Whatever ideas you come up with you can always test them on carbonated water.

 

[brick_haus]

I would think you would have foaming issues trying to pull carbonated liquid into a bottle via vacuum.

 

[doctorcosmonaut]

I would think you would have foaming issues trying to pull carbonated liquid into a bottle via vacuum.

There would be foaming issues. That's why I was wondering if anyone had an idea how to use the same pump, but tinker it to work differently so that it can handle carbonated products. Can the vacuum pump become non-vacuuming? Can something else change?

 

[barnaclebob]

To handle carbonated liquids the system has to be pressurized. Another option is having everything very cold and moving it very gently like with a beer gun.

 

[Calder]

Do a search. Someone was messing about with one a few months ago. Had foaming issues, so tried some different things. Not sure how it ended,

 

[JKoravos]

disconnect the vacuum pump, pressurize the vacuum system to your desired bottling pressure then push the beer with a little bit higher pressure.

I can't be sure it will work, nor whether the system can handle positive pressure transfers, but that's what I would try.