Trick to using beer gun?

[jmcquesten]

I recently got a beer gun, and have been less than impressed by the results. The bottled beer just seems to not hold carbonation. The beer is carbonated the way I like it and pours great from the faucets. Can anyone help with some tips that have helped them? Here's the procedure I've tried:

Sanitized bottles and beer gun.
Chilled bottles in freezer.
Completely purged keg.
Set dispensing pressure at around 3-5 psi, just enough to push the beer through.
Purge bottle with the gas button.
Fill bottle all the way to the top.
Slowly remove beer gun spraying a bit of co2 at the top.
Cap with sanitized caps on top of foam.
Store in refrigerator.

So, this is how I've been told to bottle with beer gun and how videos show it done. The videos usually talk about how easy it is to use, but don't really talk about end results when the bottle is opened. When I opened my bottles, I got a little hiss when popping the top, but the beer seemed to be half as carbonated as it was in the keg. I don't think the caps are leaking gas. Also, when filling the bottles there's about an inch of foam on top of the beer that I let spill over the top before removing the beer gun.

Am I doing something wrong? Or do people just accept the lower carbonated beer?

Would slightly over-carbonating the beer in the keg help to keep enough gas in solution after the bottle filling? I would still completely purge the keg and lower the dispensing pressure as much as possible. I also thought that maybe lowering the beer temp would help keep the gas in solution during filling. I'm going to try both of these next time I fill bottles. I want to figure this out so I can bottle for competition.

Thanks

 

[m00ps]

Hmm, that seemss exactly what I do, cept I dont chill my bottles, and get a bit less foam than that. What psi is your beergun connected to? I connect mine to a separate CO2 canister so it purges at 30psi. That may be it, if you are puring using 5psi, you may not be getting enough of the air out of the bottles.

Ive never tried slightly overcarbing to account. I just try to cap each bottle as soon as possible once filled and Ive had the carbonation last for months so far

 

[Dunkderby]

I use a similar technique with a home made beer gun. So far I have had really good results and have been using this method for the past year.
I make sure that the beer in the keg is carbonated the way I want it (have tried over carbonating in the past but the beer in the bottle remained over carbonated). Next the beer should be around 4 degrees C, think that might be around 38 or so in f, I set my pressure to 4 psi both on the gas and beer lines. I chill the bottles (this should reduce any foaming if the beer isn't that cold). The bottles are then purged with CO2, filled with beer until about 1 inch from the bottle top then cap.
I have beer that I bottled 8 months ago still holding pressure and tasting as it should.

 

[jmcquesten]

Maybe I should have said that a different way. I don't think the bottles are leaking gas over time or anything. I think there's too much gas coming out of the beer when filling the bottles. The beer line going to the gun is pretty long, but maybe not long enough. I would think at the low (4 psi) dispensing pressure, the line is plenty long enough. I say I don't think the bottles are leaking because I have poured the beer from a newly filled bottle to a glass without capping and it was under carbonated then too. As far as the purge gas pressure, it's probably around 14 psi. and I purge each bottle for 2 or 3 seconds. The carbonation after a few weeks is the same as it is after a few days, but not nearly as good as it is straight from the faucets.

 

[barnaclebob]

How long do you let the beer foam for? You can either cap on foam or give the little extra spray but no need for both, get the cap on asap.

 

[BigFloppy]

In your kegerator when you dispense beer, take a look at your beer lines, I suspect there's a lot of bubbles forming in the lines (You'll need to confirm this for us)

 

[bbohanon]

I have a Blichmann BG and it rocks..I bottle ALOT of my kegged beer to give out to friends and family and as long as its carbed properly in the keg, its perfect in the bottle and is carbed to what it was when it left the keg.

I will say it look me a batch or 2 to dial it in though so dont give up on it yet.

Some of my personal notes with the BG:

I do chill my bottles overnight in the same freezer I keep my kegs before I fill them and the first 2-3 are usually more foamy than the rest as I move through them quickly so the beer in the line does not get a chance to warm up once it leaves the keg.

I also cap right after I fill as well so I don't lose any Co2.

I also do not shoot Co2 into the bottle before or after filling them for a Co2 layer as the Blichmann BG has the ability to do and I have not seen any loss in carbonation at all.

I also keep my filled bottles as close to the temp of the kegs they were filled from until they are consumed.
All in all, I love my BBG..

 

[m00ps]

So how long is the line for the beergun? I think mine came with an 8' or somethign of 3/16". Thats worked ok, but im getting better results with a 12' line of bevseal ultra

 

[jmcquesten]

I think my beer line is probably around 8 ft. as well. I don't really let them foam long. I cap each bottle as I fill them. As far as bubbles in the beer line, I'm not sure. I'm not sure how the other beer lines having bubbles (if they do) has any effect on the beer gun.
For my setup, I have 4 kegs running off a taprite 4-regulator manifold with one of the regulators' outputs being split with a tee for a 5th gas line. I make sure the gas line to the keg is being fed from a different regulator than the gas line to the gun.

 

[BigFloppy]

I say I don't think the bottles are leaking because I have poured the beer from a newly filled bottle to a glass without capping and it was under carbonated then too.

You nailed it yourself with this statement... bubbles in your beer-line would give the appearance of carbonation but in fact you're just seeing co2 foam, not carbonation foam.

Pull off 2 pints from the kegerator DO NOT close the faucet between them... which one is not properly carbed?

 

[wardens355]

My method of use is similar, but not identical. No issues losing considerable carbonation:

1. Carbonate beers to upper limit per style guidelines.
2. Sanitize beer gun and bottles (I do not chill bottles).
3. Depressurize keg, hook up low pressure gas line to 2-3 psi.
4. Purge beer gun liquid line of sanitizer and until foaming subsides (maybe 1/4 of a pint?).
5. Use beer gun to purge bottle with CO2 for a couple seconds, then begin filling. As liquid/foam approaches neck, raise beer gun to approach liquid level. Fill until foam and small amount of beer overflows bottle.
6. Cap bottle.
7. Repeat with all bottles, then rinse them off prior to storage.

I end up with almost no headspace in the bottle, and since the carbonation level is borderline high, a small loss keeps the final carbonation in bottle within the acceptable range. I would recommend slightly overcarbonating/carbonating to the highest end of the acceptable range for the style and seeing if that improves your experience.

 

[slym2none]

 

[Silentdrinker]

I keg, so I rarely use my beer gun. When I do, I put the keg up high, drop the pressure really low just enough to push the beer up and out of the keg for a siphone to start. Once it does, I drop all pressure from the keg and let gravity do the filling.

I got it used and it was cheap enough to keep, but I'd never actually bother buying one. They're really not worth it in the long run. A picnic tap and hose is just fine.

 

[jmcquesten]

I lowered the temperature and raised my pressure a couple psi last night. I'll report results after I get around to bottling. I wouldn't think this thing would be as popular (and expensive) as it is if my results are typical.

 

[BigFloppy]

I lowered the temperature and raised my pressure a couple psi last night. I'll report results after I get around to bottling. I wouldn't think this thing would be as popular (and expensive) as it is if my results are typical.

ha ha you want to see expensive... try getting your hands on one of these bad boys (Melvico Bottle Filler) https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=2833719&postcount=4

 

[taylorjohn11892]

So it was my first time using my beer gun today and failed to force carb the keg and wait until the CO2 dissolved in the keg. The only carbonation being done is the purging at the bottom and top of the bottle with none prior to bottling. Will it get to good carbonation level eventually if I wait longer?

Thanks!

 

[Rhaop]

So it was my first time using my beer gun today and failed to force carb the keg and wait until the CO2 dissolved in the keg. The only carbonation being done is the purging at the bottom and top of the bottle with none prior to bottling. Will it get to good carbonation level eventually if I wait longer?

Thanks!

No it will not carb in the bottle unless you added priming sugar, beer guns have the advantage of purging the air in the bottle to help prevent oxidation, not designed to carbonate in the bottle

 

[taylorjohn11892]

@ Well-Known Member - thanks for the reply

Does anyone know how I can save my batch that I bottled?

 

[Rhaop]

@ Well-Known Member - thanks for the reply

Does anyone know how I can save my batch that I bottled?

If they are truly un carbonated then i would uncap them and add a domino sugar cube, just 1 per 12oz bottle, even if they had been cold for awhile should be yeast enough to carb up, just be 100% positive they are not carbonated

 

[taylorjohn11892]

Yeah I literally just purged the bottles on the bottom and top and capped them from the fermenter. Have you ever done that before with domino sugar cubes? I'm not doubting your knowledge but I don't know if you're just shooting from the hip with that. The bottles have been in the fridge for 30+ hours, do you think the remaining yeast will be active enough to do some carbonation? Thanks!

 

[Rhaop]

Yeah I literally just purged the bottles on the bottom and top and capped them from the fermenter. Have you ever done that before with domino sugar cubes? I'm not doubting your knowledge but I don't know if you're just shooting from the hip with that. The bottles have been in the fridge for 30+ hours, do you think the remaining yeast will be active enough to do some carbonation? Thanks!

lol yes i salvaged a batch of bottles that i under primed, one cube per 12oz bottle or you can buy carbonation drops from your LHBS just about the same thing except the carb drops come in a smaller size so you can adjust the carbonation level, the domino dots are medium carbonation in my experience

 

[taylorjohn11892]

Ok so I am gonna try some domino cubes tonight. So do I have to purge the bottles with CO2 after opening the bottles? Probably would help. Also, I guess it's gonna take a couple of weeks before they are carbonated just like they would with priming sugar?

 

[singybrue]

There's 2 sizes of Domino sugar cubes-make sure you are using the Domino Dots, which are smaller. Each dot is 2.29g of sugar. The larger ones are double that and will overcarbonate your beer.
These are the ones you need:https://www.amazon.com/Domino-Premium-Sugar-Cubes-Pound/dp/B0005Z7IAA/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1517243509&sr=8-1&keywords=sugar+cubes+domino&th=1

Open 1 beer at a time, quickly add a dot and cap.
You'll need to raise their temp to 70-72, and it may take a little longer to carbonate.
After a day or 2, give the bottle a little swirl to stir up the yeast and help distribute the sugar

 

[taylorjohn11892]

Thank yall so much for the advice. I will try leave my bottles out over night to heat them up to 70 degrees and apply the dots in my bottles. How long to wait for carbonation? around 1.5-2weeks like standard priming sugar?

Thanks,

 

[Rhaop]

Ok so I am gonna try some domino cubes tonight. So do I have to purge the bottles with CO2 after opening the bottles? Probably would help. Also, I guess it's gonna take a couple of weeks before they are carbonated just like they would with priming sugar?

If there is any carbonation at all you will have to work fast because the sugar will cause foam, once you do a couple you’ll get a feel for it, i will need to check what size sugar cubes i have

 

[acidrain]

Taylorjohn, you have totally highjacked this thread and gone way off topic.

Back on topic (to the OP jmcquesten), I use a much shorter line and lower pressure to avoid making the gas come out of solution from turbulence. Works for me, but it is important to have the beer fully carbed and cold.