Bottling from the Tap, an Experiment

[linuxelf]

Before I got my counterpressure bottle filler, my method was to remove the CO2 tank from the keg, raise the keg up (I'd just set it on top of my fridge: a Sanyo 4912), open the release valve all the way on the keg, and then fill the bottles from the picnic tap using gravity only. I'd hold the bottles at a 45 degree angle to reduce the foaming. Then, give the bottles a little shake to foam up, and cap on the foam. I never had any problems with this method, though I never intended to keep beer bottled this way more than a couple of months.

[Bugeater]

If I'm filling a large number of bottles I use my beer gun. If I'm only filling a couple for a competition or a beer club meeting, I use a short piece of tubing fastened to a picnic tap. This allows you to fill the bottle from the bottom. When clear beer begins overflowing from the bottle I stop the flow of beer. The tube displaces a bit of beer while in there. When you pull it out the level of beer drops to the perfect headspace level. This level will be the same for every bottle.

I've had no oxidation problems with this method. Mike McDole does it this way too and both of us have won a few medals with beers bottled this way.

Wayne

[Mylo]

The only drawback to this method that I see is time. It's not on your side. I sometimes have to bottle the last 1/3 of the keg to make room for the next batch. Some of these bottles may get sent to a comp, and others might hang around for some time. If you want longevity of your bottled brews, spend the $50. It's one more tool in the arsenal. I know this hobby can get quite expensive - for sure. It's the reason I don't have conical (yet?). To me, it's the cost of one 10G batch of beer that will preserve what I have worked so hard to achieve in the first place.


Mylo