Mass bottle filling on a budget

[dmarc85]

I produce 15 - 23 gallons at a time, most of which I want to give away to family and friends to promote my brand. My blichmann beer gun cannot fill fast enough to make the bottling process time efficient. I would like to fill about 100 bombers in a single session...but I can't afford a $6k automatic bottling machine right now. Any creative ideas out there?

 

[brdb]

I produce 15 - 23 gallons at a time, most of which I want to give away to family and friends to promote my brand. My blichmann beer gun cannot fill fast enough to make the bottling process time efficient. I would like to fill about 100 bombers in a single session...but I can't afford a $6k automatic bottling machine right now. Any creative ideas out there?

Here's an old article on BYO about building a multiple bottle filler if you want to check it out for an idea.
http://byo.com/india-pale-ale/item/375-build-a-multiple-bottle-filler-projects

 

[barnaclebob]

Here's an old article on BYO about building a multiple bottle filler if you want to check it out for an idea.
http://byo.com/india-pale-ale/item/375-build-a-multiple-bottle-filler-projects

That wont worked for carbed beers which I assume the OP is bottling due to the beer gun.

I think you need to enlist some of those friends that you give the beer away to to help do some capping and washing.

What about modifying the beer gun to have two tips or buying a second beer gun and dual wielding.

 

[UpstateMike]

No ideas for speeding up the gun and filling, but how about using 750 ML bottles? That would cut the number of bottles and capping down by more than half, figuring one 750 ML bottle is more than two 12 oz (355 ML) bottles.

 

[danath34]

I'm fortunate enough to have a finance that enjoys helping me bottle despite her hatred for beer.

I fill then hand it off to her for capping and arranging into 6 packs/boxes. It's cut down on time quite a bit. The key is to streamline your process such that the beer gun/bottling wand is never idle. If it's still taking too long, then start thinking about making a multi head filler.

 

[Sailingeric]

If you are giving away a lot of beer to friends, time to get them to help out.. Have a few over and set up an assembly line.

 

[BrewSavage]

If you are giving away a lot of beer to friends, time to get them to help out.. Have a few over and set up an assembly line.

I second the motion. Make it a bottling party.