Perlick tap growler fillers

[Crusty]

Have any of you guys bottled beers using the above growler fillers. I'm looking to fill some comp beers but I'll need to keep them for a few months before the comp. How do they stack up against a cpbf or a Blichmann beer gun. I wasted so much beer this afternoon with my beer gun & I'm ready to hurtle the thing to the shithouse. The little rubber stopper kept unseating itself & I gave up after two 750ml bottles.

 

[Crusty]

It looks like I'll need the GT600 filler tube to fit my 650ss taps.

 

[claypot]

I haven't tried these but I'm keen to go that way.
I'm on my second font mount CPBF as the last got so manky inside it started to leak from all the seals. I'm lazy so as it is a PITA to clean after use I have never bothered.
Not sure what it was like in Aussie but in NZ it was very common to go to the bottlo and fill your own 2lt flagon or plastic 'rigger'. All they had was a long trough with various beers on tap. The taps were fitted with long plastic tubes that filled from the bottom. I think the serving pressure may of been a little lower too. Beers filled quickly and easily and were always carbed enough once consumed. So I think these taps would be a good thing. I'm ready to pull the trigger on some, especially as they are forward sealing. My taps are regularly growing all sorts of algae so this may help... I've also seen stainless copies on aliexpress for $35ish.

 

[Spiesy]

Crusty, is it the Blichmann BeerGun you're having problems with?

I haven't used the Perlick Growler Filler myself, but I have heard they're not that flash. From what I'm told they don't seal well. As a consequence, the Australian distributor no longer stocks them, but have sourced their own substitute - which does work well.

Get in touch if you need more info.

 

[bradsbrew]

you would be better off using the KK carb caps to fill your bottles, then change the cap to a normal one just before sending into comp.

 

[takai]

Im interested in this too. I had an old growler filler that fitted my cheap back seal brass taps, but doesnt fit my 630SS. Mainly after it for filling the occasional growler to take to friends' or a bottle or two.

I have seen two types, one that goes internally into the tap, and the other that goes externally over the snout

I have also seen people just doing this:

Simply two pieces of PVC hose of the right size, and i figure you could do the same thing with just a single piece of PVC hose slipped over the snout of the Perlick.

 

[Crusty]

Crusty, is it the Blichmann BeerGun you're having problems with?

I haven't used the Perlick Growler Filler myself, but I have heard they're not that flash. From what I'm told they don't seal well. As a consequence, the Australian distributor no longer stocks them, but have sourced their own substitute - which does work well.

Get in touch if you need more info.

Cheers mate.
I am using the Blichmann beer gun but the last couple of fills I've had some foaming issues.
Pressure way down low where it should be & I'm getting jack of wasting so much beer.
I might steer clear of the growler fillers.

you would be better off using the KK carb caps to fill your bottles, then change the cap to a normal one just before sending into comp.

Thanks buddy.
I'll check them out.
Cheers

 

[Crusty]

Im interested in this too. I had an old growler filler that fitted my cheap back seal brass taps, but doesnt fit my 630SS. Mainly after it for filling the occasional growler to take to friends' or a bottle or two.

I have seen two types, one that goes internally into the tap, and the other that goes externally over the snout

I have also seen people just doing this:

Simply two pieces of PVC hose of the right size, and i figure you could do the same thing with just a single piece of PVC hose slipped over the snout of the Perlick.

That would probably be fine just to take to a BBQ but I'm looking for long term storage & stability.
I'm bottling beers today for a comp in a few months due to fridge space. The Blichmann beer gun is perfect for that but I'm having a shitload of foaming issues at the moment for some reason.

 

[Crusty]

you would be better off using the KK carb caps to fill your bottles, then change the cap to a normal one just before sending into comp.

You mean these things right?
I normally bottle my beers after they have been kegged for at least 3 weeks so what would be the routine for using these?

 

[Black n Tan]

I am using the Blichmann beer gun but the last couple of fills I've had some foaming issues.
Pressure way down low where it should be & I'm getting jack of wasting so much beer.
I might steer clear of the growler fillers.

I wouldn't use one of the growler fillers if I was storing for months for a comp due to oxidation. You may find that having the pressure down low is actually exacerbating foaming issues. The reason being that the CO2 will tend to come out in the beer line due to the lower pressure. That said the Blichmann beer gun does foam a lot more than a CPBF. I like the morebeer CPBF for comps to avoid oxidation and maintain carbonation. They are a little more complex to use and clean than the beer gun, but I am slowing getting better at it: early on I use to get so covered in beer that I needed to shower afterwards.

 

[Kodos]

For competition I wouldn't use anything other than the original style CPBF - oxidation is a killer in comps.

I've had a few friends ditch their Blichmann (and imitation) style guns because they've ended up oxidised.

At a recent Canberra Brewers meeting we did a demo of different filling methods, and we've kept the bottles aside for a blind judging after two months. If I remember I'll report back.

As far as the OP goes, I got a perlick 525ss growler filler and it's a pain because of the 5 taps I've tried it on, it will only fit 2 of them. A big disappointment.

 

[pilgrimspiss]

You could build one like I did. This was all stuff from Bunnings. Works a treat!



I've also got the CPBF with the washer conversion for glass bottles. Works well too but is hard to clean.
Mine is EASY to clean. Just throw it in a bucket with cleaner.

Cheers
Matty.

 

[Yob]

Crusty, those caps are the bomb, I've got about a dozen all up now.. I landed about 110 of them for about $9 each I think. The beauty of them is you can give them a bit of extra gas for a couple of days before you want to swap out for a pet cap allowing for the little bit of loss in carbonation, doesn't take long to get used to them at all. When I looked at all the options, these seemed like the most flexible and least ******* about.

If you want to get another bulk buy going, let me know

 

[michaeld16]

You could build one like I did. This was all stuff from Bunnings. Works a treat!

10369128_10206009644946379_8698204647502209200_n.jpg

I've also got the CPBF with the washer conversion for glass bottles. Works well too but is hard to clean.
Mine is EASY to clean. Just throw it in a bucket with cleaner.

Cheers
Matty.

nice one matty I've got all the parts ready yo go except for the rubber bottle stopper, can only find them online and everywhere charges 10-15 bucks for postage. Whats it like to use

 

[seamad]

You mean these things right?
I normally bottle my beers after they have been kegged for at least 3 weeks so what would be the routine for using these?

Crusty, those caps are the bomb, I've got about a dozen all up now.. I landed about 110 of them for about $9 each I think. The beauty of them is you can give them a bit of extra gas for a couple of days before you want to swap out for a pet cap allowing for the little bit of loss in carbonation, doesn't take long to get used to them at all. When I looked at all the options, these seemed like the most flexible and least ******* about.

If you want to get another bulk buy going, let me know

Apparently with these both the gas and liquid QD's fit , so with the tube attached to reach the bottom of your bottle can gas your bottle with CO2, then change to liquid disconnect and slightly undo lid until pressure escapes allowing bottle to fill, avoiding O2 problems.They look the goods, will be picking one up next order I put through

 

[Spiesy]

With your foaming issues with the BeerGun, are your bottles cold prior to filling?

 

[Yob]

Seems another BB may be in the making

 

[Crusty]

Apparently with these both the gas and liquid QD's fit , so with the tube attached to reach the bottom of your bottle can gas your bottle with CO2, then change to liquid disconnect and slightly undo lid until pressure escapes allowing bottle to fill, avoiding O2 problems.They look the goods, will be picking one up next order I put through

No good for crown seals though which is what I use.
I'll look at a CPBF.

 

[pilgrimspiss]

nice one matty I've got all the parts ready yo go except for the rubber bottle stopper, can only find them online and everywhere charges 10-15 bucks for postage. Whats it like to use

I was lucky mate..local home brew store stocks the rubber bungs with holes in them of all different sizes!!

Works really well. Had to stuff around to get the 1/2" fitting down to my beer line size then attaching ball lock fittings. I'll post another photo for you of it in use. Pretty simple...but you can purge, fill and cap so it does the trick.

Cheers
Matty

 

[BlueMutt]

I was lucky mate..local home brew store stocks the rubber bungs with holes in them of all different sizes!!

Works really well. Had to stuff around to get the 1/2" fitting down to my beer line size then attaching ball lock fittings. I'll post another photo for you of it in use. Pretty simple...but you can purge, fill and cap so it does the trick.

Cheers
Matty

Hey Matty,
How does the pressure relief/ purge work and where did you get it from?
Cheers
Steve