Carbonating Bottle Beer Without A Keg Or Priming

[dalpets]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if one does not want to go to a full kegging setup and wants to omit bottle priming if it is possible to force bottle carbonate brewed beer and, if it is, what equipment is available to do so.

Thanks for your input.
dalpets

 

[Phoney]

You could just get used to drinking flat beer. :lol:

 

[Adam Howard]

You could be an absolute renegade and bottle at a calculated point before fermenting finishes to allow final gravity to be reached in the bottle for carbonation.

Can be done.

 

[dalpets]

You could be an absolute renegade and bottle at a calculated point before fermenting finishes to allow final gravity to be reached in the bottle for carbonation.

Can be done.

Thanks, but probably not an option with 14 days secondary conditioning. Some years ago I recall their were small CO2 metal capsules with an infuser bottle for carbonating home made soft drinks. Looking for something that could inject CO2 into stubbie bottles. Would no doubt need an infusion adaptor but sounds like this would be a pretty way out method in the home brewing area and whilst feasible may just not be practical.

 

[Hatchy]

What's the problem with bulk priming?

 

[dalpets]

What's the problem with bulk priming?

Well keggers avoid it, don't they? It would be only a variation on a kegging theme and I don't see what the problem would be if the infusion was regulated and done at cold enough temp. I notice one Aussie brew shop has a bottle adaptor for carbonating so I will follow that up with them.

Cheers
dalpets

 

[dalpets]

The seller referred to in my above post says the adaptor gadget is for

"Use with a PET bottle to carbonate contents - great for bottling kegged beers (especially for competitions), making your own soda water or re-gassing flat beer or soft drink".

Seems like nobody has used it or similar?

 

[Hatchy]

Some keggers prime with sugar, I force carb so I can drink it straight away. I reckon yr plan is probably more hassle than it's worth but I may be wrong.

Is there a reason you don't want to either keg or bulk prime in bottles?

 

[kelbygreen]

no one has used it? on craft brewer says its there hottest item lol But the counter pressure filler would be the best but from what I gather you need a already gassed keg to use that. cant comment on pet bottle adapter. never used ether, if I want to take a beer out pour from tap and cap straight away, use that night and your fine.

 

[dalpets]

Some keggers prime with sugar, I force carb so I can drink it straight away. I reckon yr plan is probably more hassle than it's worth but I may be wrong.

Is there a reason you don't want to either keg or bulk prime in bottles?

1) Seems from my reading that there are just as many detractors of kegging systems as proponents for it. Some due to dissatisfaction have apparently given it away and gone back to bottle priming.
2) Bottle infusion, methinks, would be less labour intensive-no weighing out of primer, no mixing in & probably less messy.
3) Bottle infusion would be much less expensive than a kegging system.
4) The necessity to keep one/two kegs in a fridge militates against doing a next brew in the short term. I suppose if you are happy with the same brew for months at a time the space they take up would not be a problem, but at least with bottles you can remove them after 14 days or so and store them elsewhere & get on with another brew.

Now, mate, tell me why you think it would be a hassle. Surely there would be less paraphenalia to worry about than a kegging system!
Would I be right in saying that most keggers would force carb?. I would have thought, for most, that would be the whole point of it!

Cheers
dalpets

 

[Hatchy]

1) I've only seen one bloke mention on here that he's given up kegging to go back to bottling, he had some good reasons but I can't remember what they were.

2) I've obviously got a different mental picture to you about what yr trying to do. I found bulk priming pretty easy before I got my kegs & the waiting wasn't too bad.

3) You may save some money this way but you'd still need a co2 bottle & reg which was about half of what I spent to get my kegging gear.

I've got 5 kegs & rarely have more than 2 of them full. Most go in under a week. I probably drink more than most & my mates have learnt that they no longer need to bring beer to my place so mine rarely last a week. A corny is only 19L or a bit over 2 slabs, it's not that much beer.

Anyway, let us know how you go. I'm happy to keg the majority of my beer & just fill a bottle from the tap & cap it if I want to take beer out with me.

 

[bum]

I've never used one but I thought carbonator caps were used to pressurise a bottle after carbonated beer was poured in from a regular keg tap?

I'm not sure they do what you think they do, dalpets.

 

[dalpets]

1) I've only seen one bloke mention on here that he's given up kegging to go back to bottling, he had some good reasons but I can't remember what they were.

If one went on other global forums, other than AHB, one would probably find some pretty strong arguments both for & against. It would depend, though, on the sample size to make an informed opinion of peoples' views.

2) I've obviously got a different mental picture to you about what yr trying to do. I found bulk priming pretty easy before I got my kegs & the waiting wasn't too bad.

I like to hone processes right down, if I can, based on my own and others experiences. Up to this point no one has said that they have used the method I am proposing. If it is not in vogue then a reasonably adept inventor/engineer wouldn't have much trouble designing such a simple system.

A few people have, for instance, elsewhere denigrated the Sedex brewing bottle sediment filter that two guys invented a few years ago, saying that the concept didn't really take on in the market place. Well I am trialling them at the moment and they are certainly catching the sediment A hassle!, well that's up to the individual to decide. As opposed to what some detractors have said they can be dismantled into two pieces and be effectively sanitized & reused. They are also now reasonably priced. I'll keep the list posted on that one.

3) You may save some money this way but you'd still need a co2 bottle & reg which was about half of what I spent to get my kegging gear.

Still a saving not to be sneezed at, mate, if indeed it's practicable.

I've got 5 kegs & rarely have more than 2 of them full. Most go in under a week. I probably drink more than most & my mates have learnt that they no longer need to bring beer to my place so mine rarely last a week. A corny is only 19L or a bit over 2 slabs, it's not that much beer.

Lucky them!. You must be a godsend! . I don't move anywhere as much with the pack as I did when I was much younger than I am now (with a ball & chain), so my drinking habits could be said to be more moderate these days. Hence, my approach is to brew smaller batches so that i can experience as many styles as possible before they cart me off in a box.

Anyway, let us know how you go. I'm happy to keg the majority of my beer & just fill a bottle from the tap & cap it if I want to take beer out with me.

Sure, hatchy, i'll let this thread know when I have something concrete to report on.

 

[Banshee]

I believe the system you are looking for is a Soda Stream machine or similar. It is the only method I know of which you can carbonate a drink without priming or kegging.

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

Not having a go at you mate but it seems you are over complicating something that has pretty simple and fairly accepted methods to get the job done.

But good on you for looking for an alternate.

 

[dalpets]

I believe the system you are looking for is a Soda Stream machine or similar. It is the only method I know of which you can carbonate a drink without priming or kegging.

Thanks for that. I checked out the site & really they can only be used with water. The flavouring is added after carbonation. Any other type of use is problematic. So I'll give that a miss.

Anyhow it shows it can be done!

Cheers
dalpets

 

[dalpets]

Not having a go at you mate but it seems you are over complicating something that has pretty simple and fairly accepted methods to get the job done.

But good on you for looking for an alternate.

Not really AR I just like to suss things out. Progress is only made by looking at other possibilities. I guess if we look at history, mate, there are plenty of examples of things being accepted that were initially ridiculed.

I've now done my sussing & will stick to conventional wisdom, as it now stands. Who am I to buck the system (LOL)

Thanks for your comments.

Cheers
dalpets

 

[felten]

I've used a soda stream to carbonate beer before (using the supplied bottles), it froths everywhere when you release the pressure and the carbonation is quite harsh, but it can be done.

I'm sure you could hook a sodastream machine up to a carbonator cap and just force carb it that way, but I imagine it would be pretty hit and miss. There's no pressure relief valve on a carbonator cap
(though the machines have one inside) and the bottles can't hold as much pressure as a keg, it could be very dangerous.

Or you could get a sodastream adapter and regulator, that adds a bit of consistency and safety to it. (something like this)


Maybe you should invest in some party kegs, check out the party keg thread and using your party keg PDF.


oh and

4) The necessity to keep one/two kegs in a fridge militates against doing a next brew in the short term. I suppose if you are happy with the same brew for months at a time the space they take up would not be a problem, but at least with bottles you can remove them after 14 days or so and store them elsewhere & get on with another brew.

That's where a second fridge/kegerator comes into play, I think most people with kegs have a dedicated fridge for them.

 

[Effect]

Buy 1 keg and a gas bottle with a regulator and one cpbf. After your 2 weeks secondary force carb in the keg and then bottle it all with the cpbf. This way you get the benefits of having your beer force carbed and all in bottles straight away and you don't have a whole keg inthe fridge with only one beer.

You could even bottle 2+ batches in a day this way.

Do any of your friends have kegs? They could possibly let you borrow some of their equipment or maybe sell you their equipment as they have found out all the negatives of kegging and want to go back into bottling??

Cheers
Phil.

 

[Ross]

Buy 1 keg and a gas bottle with a regulator and one cpbf. After your 2 weeks secondary force carb in the keg and then bottle it all with the cpbf. This way you get the benefits of having your beer force carbed and all in bottles straight away and you don't have a whole keg inthe fridge with only one beer.

You could even bottle 2+ batches in a day this way.


Cheers
Phil.

You beat me to it Phil, the above IMHO would be the easiest most cost effective to do what I believe you are trying to achieve.

Cheers Ross