Filling Pet Bottles From Kegs

[Paul H]

Hi Guys,
Anyone have a fool proof method for filling PET Bottles from a keg without losing too much carbonation?

 

[Jye]

CPBF

I usually stick (jam) a foot of tubing on the end of the tap so the bottle fills from the bottom. But I dont know if you could do that with EK taps... try using a picnic tap?

 

[Paul H]

I use a picnic /cobra tap with a length of 1/2 tubing that extends to the bottom of a PET Bottle & use a carbonation cap, I was looking more for some ideas / methods of maintaining carbonation when taking beers to meetings, some of the guys at my HB club can be quite savage when evaluating my beers <_<

 

[paul]

Ive filled a few as travellers. I usually just fill it up till the foam comes to the top and then squeeze the sides in to get the foam out and then top it up again. Its not really any different to filling up a jug

 

[kevnlis]

I hold the bottle submerged in a bucket of ice water while I fill the bottle, this causes virtually no loss of CO2 or temperature. I top them right up and cap them as I go.

 

[Jye]

...some of the guys at my HB club can be quite savage when evaluating my beers <_<

Bastards :lol:

 

[yardy]

I hold the bottle submerged in a bucket of ice water while I fill the bottle, this causes virtually no loss of CO2 or temperature. I top them right up and cap them as I go.

wouldn't sticking them in the frzr for awhile then taking them as you need them be easier kev ?

cheers

 

[Thunderlips]

I just use a pluto gun or a picnic tap but there is a specific tool for the job, a counter pressure bottle filler.
Just don't mess with the Blichmann Engineering beer gun.
What a waste of money that was....

 

[sinkas]

pet bottles wont stay cold for long out of the freezer yardy

 

[Paul H]

pet bottles wont stay cold for long out of the freezer yardy

That's what I found, incidentally I have had more success with glass in terms of carbonation loss.

 

[razz]

I've only tried filling from the tap at very low pressure. I found that I have to bottle a couple of days before I intend to drink them, for some reason they "carb up" with a few days storage. Easy to prove with PET bottles as they will be noticeably harder after a few days, not as easy with glass.

 

[Batz]

Anyone had any joy with a carbonation cap?

I was given one by a brewer who said it was useless,I am finding that to be true but perhaps it's my process.

Batz

 

[Guest Lurker]

I've only tried filling from the tap at very low pressure. I found that I have to bottle a couple of days before I intend to drink them, for some reason they "carb up" with a few days storage. Easy to prove with PET bottles as they will be noticeably harder after a few days, not as easy with glass.

Yes, but the bottle gets firmer because the gas is coming out of the beer and into the headspace, so the beer isnt carbing up, its carbing down.

 

[Screwtop]

I bottle from kegs in a freezer with a fridgemate, drop the temp to 1C and put the pet bottles in the freezer with the kegs the night before, use a picnic tap and 1 foot of 1/2 inch hose the same as others above. Knock the pressure down from carbing pressure to about 4 psi and purge the keg to the set pressure then fill the bottles, works well.

Screwy

 

[sqyre]

Anyone had any joy with a carbonation cap?

I was given one by a brewer who said it was useless,I am finding that to be true but perhaps it's my process.

Batz

I love mine... (i have 2)
but like force carbing kegs the less head space the harder to carbonate.
and you need to go the full 40psi and shake vigorously for about 60 - 90 seconds,
then wait a minute and gently release the pressure then wack the lid on the bottle and shake again..
You can get an idea of the carbonation level from squeezing the bottle and checking the firmness. (although i'm not too sure now after reading Guest Lurkers post above.. )

Yes it is a slow process.. and after about 20 bottles you tend to think.."stuff the case swap.. "

Sqyre..

 

[dr K]

I use the well known "Bottle in a Bottle" process and have had fantastic results, its a really good way to bottle beer from kegs without having to buy a whole lot more equipment like CPF's and the like. Sure there is a bit of mucking around with the EEE (entropic entry envelope) but if you have a friend or girlfriend who is half decent on the old "Singer" its pretty straightfoward. I am pretty certain that there is a link out there so when I find it....

K

 

[razz]

I'm a bit miffed by GL's post as well Sqyre. I should have said in my post that after a few days in the bottle the beer pours quite nicely.

 

[clarkey7]

Hi Batz,

I've been using a carbonation cap for about five years. I don't find it useless, but I only use it for carbonating a small amount (1.5 - 2 litres at a time) to test a batch. It's also useful to recharge soft drinks that have lost their "fizz" and to make soda water also.

Wally

+1 on all accounts....Worthwhile piece of anyone's brewing kit bag.

PB :icon_cheers:

 

[sqyre]

You can get an idea of the carbonation level from squeezing the bottle and checking the firmness. (although i'm not too sure now after reading Guest Lurkers post above.. )

Now i'm sober and my brain is working... :icon_drool2:
Guest Lurker is correct, :icon_cheers:

And the difference is...

Filling from a tap thats already carbed to the correct level it loses more carbonation from the beer to pressurise the head space making the beer in the bottle less carbonated than it was..

But when you use a Carbonator cap your over-carbonating the beer so that when the head space is filled and pressurised
the beer's carb level is dropping back to where it should be..

And thats why if you shake the beer after you carb cap it (with the bottle cap on ) it will fill the headspace and you can then tell by the firness of the plastic bottle "roughly" how carbed it is..

Sqyre...

 

[Batz]

Well looks like I better give it another shot then,and yes it is the same as yours wally.

I watched a well known brewer demonstrate filtering a brew then carbonating a pet bottle,another bottle same brew same time,I added the sugar.After I month the bottle conditioned beer was excellent but the carb. cap beer was flat as a tack.This guy knows how to do it as he sells them.

Batz