Losing carbonation when counter pressure filling

[MNSmitty]

I looked through this sub, and didnt see anything that helped me with this question.

When I counter pressure fill my bottles from my keg, they are almost always much flatter than the kegged version.
I usually bottle a portion of my keg, just for ease of sharing. It also allows me to have a comparison between the 2. The kegged version has the carbonation that it needs, the bottles are flatter. Not completely flat, just flatter.

I push the beer to the bottle at regular serving PSI, the keg is cold, the bottles are wet from soaking in star san. I do not get excessive foam when I am bottling. They are immediately capped after filling.

For the life of me I cant see where I am losing carbonation.

Anyone spot anything I am doing wrong?

 

[duboman]

You need to cap on the foam, meaning you need a bit of foam overflow and immediately cap. If you are leaving the typical headspace without foam the little bit of co2 is escaping into the headspace and flattening your beer a bit

 

[stpug]

Maybe what duboman says has some merit but I would guess that headspace in a 12 oz bottle would not account for a noticeable different in carbonation between the bottle and keg. How much co2 can leave a beer to equalize in the headspace?

I assume you are bottling these bottles at once, just after carbing up the keg. Is it possible that you are bottling them too soon? Maybe wait until you're a 1/3 way into the keg before bottling them to see if you experience the same thing.

 

[j1n]

You need to lower the PSI when you do it, that's your problem. I use the beer gun to fill my bottles from keg but i do it at 2-3 PSI. You say "I do not get excessive foam when I am bottling". Well any foam is a problem. I have very little to no foam when i do mine.

 

[MNSmitty]

The beer gun and a CP filler have different PSI needs for filling from what I read. The CP filler can use standard PSI for bottling because the filling speed is set my releasing the pressure from the bottle with the valve. The beer gun is merely dumping beer into a bottle, so lower PSI is needed to keep it under control.
The Kegs are fully carbed and have been for a reasonable amount of time (read weeks) before bottling. I usually drink a pint or many from the keg before bottling. The poured pints are just fine.

When I bottle one, I get about 1/2" of foam give or take, in the neck. The foam is at the bottom of the rubber stopper. So the bottle is full. When the CP filler is removed, the bottle has the right amount of beer in it, and a bit of foam. Then its capped.

 

[stpug]

Could it be a cap or capper problem? Strange situation for sure.

 

[MNSmitty]

I guess it could be. I have used the same brand caps this whole time. And my floor capper....Maybe I should wing capper the next batch and see...

 

[wapitiscat]

I've done about a case of bottles using the Biermuncher filler/method. I fill at 2-3 psi as stated in an earlier post until the liquid hits the stopper. Remove the filler and place a cap on the bottle. I set the filler aside in a container, hold the cap on the bottle and give it a gentle inversion. Keep pressure on the cap until you get your capper in position. Right before you crimp the cap, ease off on the pressure and let the bottle burp a little. It's easier to do than it is to type about. So far, the bottles have been well carbonated.

Todd

 

[Smellyglove]

I'll pull this one up. About CPF's.

Losing carbonation when filling from kegs is natural. My question is. How much do people overcarbonate the keg to get the desired result in the bottle? Obviously it's a question about carbonation levels, the higher the more you lose after you pull the CPF out. I'm just starting to monitor/experiment my results, but I'm interested about other peoples experiences and see if I can relate.

 

[RCCOLA]

I do it a bit different. Knowing that the CO2 is going to equalize into the headspace, I fill all the way to the top lip of the bottle lifting the wand as it fills to avoid having the beer drop as the wand is removed from it.

No carb loss or oxidation even after months of filling. No problems shipping either. No headspace=no CO2 loss or oxidation.