I suck at bottling from a keg

[Jtvann]

i just cannot get a consistent fill without major foaming issues when bottling from a keg. I do get a little better at it as I go, but never satisfactory. I’m about to move in a week and needed to empty out the remnants of 3 kegs.

My practice is as follows.

1- thoroughly clean bottles
2- sanitize and cap bottles with silicon “beer savers” caps
3- put bottles in freezer to chill them
4- I use “the last straw filler, which is in just as long a beer line as my serving lines from keezer.

I do not reduce pressure from keg
I do not use the foam less finish adapter

What am I missing or what can I do better. The videos I see from various companies ... I swear, they’re bottling sweet tea just for color. It ain’t carbonated beer.

 

[Totally]

I had a horrible time filling bottles from kegs as well until I finally built a very simple counter pressure filler. Now I can fill with zero foam, really zero. Looks just like "sweet tea"

I basically followed the directions here:
http://brulosophy.com/2016/07/14/the-bru-bottler-update-how-to-build-your-own/

I just cut down an old SS racking cane, threw on the correct size stopper and attached some tube. Connect directly to my tap at regular pressure and im good to go. No more foaming or filling headaches.

 

[Rob2010SS]

When i bottle from the keg, i hook up what i believe is called a picnic tap to a length of tube and connect it to the keg. I stick the pressure tip bottle filler into the nozzle of the picnic (perfect fit). I drop the keg psi to about 3 psi, and fill. You hold the lever on the picnic tap and the bottle filler fills up with beer but nothing comes out until you stick the filler in the bottle and press the tip down.

Sounds like a lot but actually pretty simple.

 

[Rob2010SS]

To give a better idea, these are what i use. The spring tip bottle filler fits nice and snug in the tip of the picnic tap

 

[aprichman]

If your beer is at the right volume of CO2 bottle with like 2 psi pushing the beer. You've got to push it gently or it will foam.

 

[Scturo]

i just cannot get a consistent fill without major foaming issues when bottling from a keg. I do get a little better at it as I go, but never satisfactory. I’m about to move in a week and needed to empty out the remnants of 3 kegs.

My practice is as follows.

1- thoroughly clean bottles
2- sanitize and cap bottles with silicon “beer savers” caps
3- put bottles in freezer to chill them
4- I use “the last straw filler, which is in just as long a beer line as my serving lines from keezer.

I do not reduce pressure from keg
I do not use the foam less finish adapter

What am I missing or what can I do better. The videos I see from various companies ... I swear, they’re bottling sweet tea just for color. It ain’t carbonated beer.

I would lower the pressure to 2 - 4 psi for filling. A little foam is good. You want to cap on foam to help keep oxygen out of the bottle. I also purge the bottles with a little CO2 before filling. If you have a growler attachment for your tap, you can easily make one of these. Cheers

 

[Jtvann]

I can try using the foam less finish attachment again. In effect, it does the same thing as the stopper and picnic tap.

I need to dial down the serving pressure. I know in the past, the foamless finish part kept foam out while filling, but as soon as I pulled it off the bottle, breaking the seal, it kinda hissed at me and foam would gush out.

I’ll try reducing serving pressure and adding the accessory back on my next attempt

 

[MrPowers]

I use the last straw bottle filler as well. The trick for me is getting the kegs VERY cold. I usually let them condition at 30F for a couple days before bottling off of them. Bottling at kegerator temp 38-40F gives me horrible foaming problems.

Assuming the beer is properly carbed, the first couple will foam a bit as the line cools down, then you should be able to bottle the rest without too much trouble as long as you’re going fast enough to keep the line cold.

I also do not reduce the pressure, do not freeze the bottles, and do not use the foam less finish adapter.

 

[GPP33]

To give a better idea, these are what i use. The spring tip bottle filler fits nice and snug in the tip of the picnic tapView attachment 579256View attachment 579257

This is what I use, only I pull the spring loaded plunger out. I tried leaving it in once and the beer just foamed as it hit the pressure differential caused by the plunger. I stick the rigid plastic tube into the picnic faucet and leave the keg at serving temp/pressure. I get a little foam but that’s ok because if I cap on foam then I know there’s no air in there. I place all of the bottles in a tub so I can let them overflow until the foam is gone and beer starts coming out, I then remove the filler and wait for the foam to fill the void then cap.

Each beer is different, I’ve Had some that wouldn’t foam to fill the air gap at the top so I had to give it one last shot just before removing the filler to generate foam and others that were a mad rush to get the cap on and ended up under filled because of all of the foam. On those ones I tried lowering the pressure and it just made it worse.

 

[jack13]

I would lower the pressure to 2 - 4 psi for filling. A little foam is good. You want to cap on foam to help keep oxygen out of the bottle. I also purge the bottles with a little CO2 before filling. If you have a growler attachment for your tap, you can easily make one of these. Cheers

I see the stopper in your picture. When you fill, does the flow stop once a bit of beer is in the bottle (i.e., when the pressure in the bottle gets too high)? Do you then pull it out to release some pressure and get the flow going?

In other words, could you describe your process for filling?

 

[Scturo]

yeah, I follow BierMuncher’s method. It’s easier than it sounds. I fill over a bucket, because I allow a little over flow of foam, or beer.

1. Clean and sanitize bottles, caps
2. Chill bottles
3. Lower fill pressure to 2-4psi
4. Purge bottles with CO2
5. Insert filler with the stopper fully inserted.
6. Begin filling, as the pressure builds, release the stopper slightly to release pressure, and continue filling

Once the bottle is almost filled, I start pulling out the filler, while still filling, until the bottle is filled to overflowing of foam, and beer.

7. Cap on foam, or purge the top of the bottle with CO2, then cap.

 

[jack13]

Thanks!

 

[Gameface]

I would say chilled bottles would be good but frozen bottles probably not good.

 

[govner1]

When i bottle from the keg, i hook up what i believe is called a picnic tap to a length of tube and connect it to the keg. I stick the pressure tip bottle filler into the nozzle of the picnic (perfect fit). I drop the keg psi to about 3 psi, and fill. You hold the lever on the picnic tap and the bottle filler fills up with beer but nothing comes out until you stick the filler in the bottle and press the tip down.

Sounds like a lot but actually pretty simple.

This^^^^plus I flush a little beer through the line first. I also make sure the bottling wand is kept in the bottom corner of the bottle.
I use my Beer Gun if I’m bottling more thank just a few bottles or a growler