Blichmann Beer Gun

[canon1ball]

I usually go about 100 Logman. Chill everything first. They can be a bit fiddly, but once you get the hang of it it's a good bit of kit.

To bloody fiddly if you ask me, used it about 3 times and gave up. 1/4 of beer and 3/4 of froth, that's what I get in my bottles!
Cooled bottles before filling, dropped pressure. Doesn't work for me!

 

[paulgcorfu]

hey guys what do you mean by up co2 level to 100 , .I am in greece and use either psi or bar 100 psi seems TOO much so it is 100 what?
thanks Paul

 

[Logman]

To bloody fiddly if you ask me, used it about 3 times and gave up. 1/4 of beer and 3/4 of froth, that's what I get in my bottles!
Cooled bottles before filling, dropped pressure. Doesn't work for me!

The guy on seems to do ok if that helps....

 

[canon1ball]

The guy on seems to do ok if that helps....

Thanks Logman,
I do remember watching this particular video before I bought the gun from ibrew, and that's excactly as I do it, but, as I said, end up with a bottle of froth, like I'm sucking up air along the line.
I was so frustrated that after a few attempts the gun ended up somewhere in a cupboard.

 

[sponge]

Thanks Logman,
I do remember watching this particular video before I bought the gun from ibrew, and that's excactly as I do it, but, as I said, end up with a bottle of froth, like I'm sucking up air along the line.
I was so frustrated that after a few attempts the gun ended up somewhere in a cupboard.

I would be more then happy to take it off your hands for you if you'd look at selling it :beerbang:

 

[Logman]

Thanks Logman,
I do remember watching this particular video before I bought the gun from ibrew, and that's excactly as I do it, but, as I said, end up with a bottle of froth, like I'm sucking up air along the line.
I was so frustrated that after a few attempts the gun ended up somewhere in a cupboard.

That's a shame because it looks like a bloody handy tool. Great to bottle a few for people that are super fussy about sediment (my girlfriend for example).

Hope I get it working properly. :huh:

 

[canon1ball]

I would be more then happy to take it off your hands for you if you'd look at selling it :beerbang:

Give me a week or two and I get back to you.

 

[paulgcorfu]

thanks wally
so now I know kilopascals thats a new one to me
regards Paul

 

[Hippy]

Great bit of kit for low carbonated beer styles. You'd struggle to bottle something requiring a high level of carbonation like a lager or Belgian wit. Least that's my experience of it, as they usually end up a bit undercarbed.

 

[Logman]

Edit. I realised last night that I did indeed drop the serving pressure for the beer gun, apologies for any confusion caused.

Not sure what you mean by this?

Another question - if it's carbed at 100 to achieve 75 once it drops, how long does this process take, say if I bottle it at lunchtime, is it at 75 that evening?

 

[Hippy]

Not sure what you mean by this?

Another question - if it's carbed at 100 to achieve 75 once it drops, how long does this process take, say if I bottle it at lunchtime, is it at 75 that evening?

The beer will tend to drop it's carbonation immediately through foaming as the bottle is filled. So if you do fill a bottle from a keg that's been carbed to 100. By the time it's full it will have dropped to let's say 75, although I think you'll find in reality you'll lose a bit more carbonation than that. You also have to have your reg set super low, like 20 or 30 to push it through the gun. Any more than that and you start making bottles of foam. you need to have your bottles at least as cold as the beer your pouring as well otherwise more foam.

 

[Logman]

The beer will tend to drop it's carbonation immediately through foaming as the bottle is filled. So if you do fill a bottle from a keg that's been carbed to 100. By the time it's full it will have dropped to let's say 75, although I think you'll find in reality you'll lose a bit more carbonation than that. You also have to have your reg set super low, like 20 or 30 to push it through the gun. Any more than that and you start making bottles of foam. you need to have your bottles at least as cold as the beer your pouring as well otherwise more foam.

Is there any advantage to having the beer cold (and the bottles) or is it just that they need to be the same temp?

 

[razz]

Ideally they would be at the same temp so the cold beer isn't filling a warmer bottle and causing extra foam.

 

[Logman]

Oh ok great, I don't need them cold so that's going to save some hassle.

:beerbang:

 

[Hippy]

I would definately chill the beer if I was you as warm beer foams a lot more readily than cold beer. Think of the foam as the dissolved CO2 leaving solution ie the gas escaping from the liquid. The rate of solubility of a gas in a liquid increases as the temperature decreases(inversely proportional) so the gas will have a harder time escaping if the beer is cold.

 

[razz]

Yep, I should have said that the beer needs to be cold. The colder it is the slower the release of CO2 when bottling.

 

[Logman]

That makes sense - I did a couple of hot stubbies at 100kpa and opened them 5 hours later - flat as a tack

 

[Logman]

Need some advice - I cooled a keg and bottles to 5 degrees - had the keg at 100 kpa for about a week, poured a beer with a Bronco and it looks fine. The bottles were filling great, no foam at all. Immediately put the top on each bottle as it was filled. About 3 hours later I tried one and still 1/2 flat.

Is it just a matter of increasing the pressure until I get the right carbonation for the flow rate I'm pouring at or is there other possibles I'm doing wrong?

 

[hsb]

Is the beer carbonated OK when just poured into a glass?

If it is, how's your headspace with the Gun? You should fill to the brim, some foam will overflow, then lift gun, squirt CO2 into headspace and cap. You'll be left with about an inch of space.

I gas/serve at around 80kPa. The week before I upped to about 110. Then when filling the bottles dropped it right back to just enough to pour, something like 40kPa from memory. That seemed to work a treat. 3 months later bottles pour perfectly into the glass.

It is a bit fiddly but once you nail it, it's a great gadget.

 

[Logman]

Yeah the bronco tap poured a nice beer but not over foamy at all, I'm pretty sure I don't have it carbed enough. I lifted it to 120 - too much?

It is a bit fiddly but once you nail it, it's a great gadget.

That was the impression I got - very easy to use and got the pouring levels down right at second attempt.

 

[hsb]

So long as the beer is carbonated, the bottles are cold, you fill them to the top and cap, then I can't see anything else that could cause a problem?
120kPa sounds worth a try, and just remember to drop pressure to fill.
I'm figuring you're using the beer line that came with it too, that's pretty key I think, so you don't lose any carb in the lines.

 

[razz]

You can do a test bottle Logman. When you're filling your bottles include a PET bottle of any size. I've noticed that after a day or two it will feel hard, I guess it's the CO2 coming out of solution and equalising the head space.

 

[Logman]

Yes all standard with the lines - dual reg so the co2 for the gun is on one, keg on the other. Everything is perfect except the carbonation. I'll leave it at 120 and try again...

 

[Logman]

Any idea how long I'll have to leave it at 120 to get it from 100?

It's blocking my fermenting fridge keeping the keg cold

 

[hsb]

<shrug> from me. Anyone else?

 

[ricardo]

Any idea where i can get one of these in Oz, the ibrew website seems to be down?

 

[djar007]

Grain and Grape have them mate.

 

[ricardo]

Grain and Grape have them mate.

Many Thanks

 

[barls]

Any idea where i can get one of these in Oz, the ibrew website seems to be down?

ibrew site works fine for me

 

[GalBrew]

Just fired up my new beer gun. Worked a treat! No foaming issues, what a great piece of kit. The only annoying part was the rubber stopper falling into the bottom of a longneck.