Counter Pressure Bottle Fillers

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by MCDub, Apr 28, 2013.

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  1. MCDub

    MCDub Initiate (0) Dec 17, 2009 North Carolina

    Any recommendations? Im tired of doing it the budget way.
     
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I haven't done counter pressure, but I do like my Blichmann Beer Gun.
     
  3. AWELROD

    AWELROD Initiate (0) Apr 23, 2013 Texas

    Yeah, I tried a bunch of options before finally getting a Beer Gun and its worked wonders. I know people have had success with putting a racking cane into a picnic tap with a sized stopper for counterpressure but I could never get a bottle to hold carbonation for more than 72 hours where as the BBG keeps carbonation just like any beer you'd get at the store. Best of luck!
     
  4. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,397) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    It's not a question of the bottle holding carbonation - it has no choice, really. If the beer was flat after 72 hours, then it was flat when you capped it, likely having lost carbonation during the bottling process.

    While I managed to keep the CO2 in the beer using the budget method, I had a persistent oxidation problem. The BBG seems to have eliminated that. Overall, it was a good purchase.
     
  5. olympuszymurgus

    olympuszymurgus Initiate (0) Nov 24, 2009 California

    Beer gun. I have yet to see a CP filler for a reasonable price(less than 100 bucks) that doesn't require three hands to operate. Just slide a No. 2 drilled stopper to the right spot on the beergun and you have a fantastically simple, high performance pece of equipment.
     
  6. spartan1979

    spartan1979 Pundit (946) Dec 29, 2005 Missouri

    I have a CP filler and a Beer Gun. I'll probably never use the CP again. While, in theory, the CP filler probably does a better job, it's such a PITA that it's not worth. The Beer Gun is also easier to clean.

    My recommendation is a Beer Gun.
     
  7. PortLargo

    PortLargo Pooh-Bah (1,737) Oct 19, 2012 Florida
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Step One: Admission . . . you are addicted (kegging and bottling). BBG is the way to go . . . what's another 75 bucks to support the habit?
     
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  8. Rau71

    Rau71 Initiate (0) Dec 12, 2011 California

    This sounds awesome. Do you pop the stopper in the bottle while filling or just kinda loosely on the top?
     
  9. WickedSluggy

    WickedSluggy Savant (1,105) Nov 21, 2008 Texas

    Beer gun is just a filler with built in CO2 purge tube. It releases beer at atmospheric pressure and also cannot purge as well. Counter pressure filler is better than beer gun, but a bit tedious. I have two of them. One is cheapo with all ball valves. It was sort of difficult to use because its hard to match pressure using a ball valve. I was always tweaking it. I think temperature change during use made adjustments necessary. I highly suggest getting one with a pressure relief valve. Mine does not have a gauge, but if I were to get another, I would splurge and get one with the gauge. I think it would be a easier to match the keg pressure if I had a gauge on it.
     
  10. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,176) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Damned if I'm not on the verge of reaching the same conclusion.
     
  11. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,397) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    I appreciate that the difference is more than theoretical (a CP filler is virtually identical to moving beer from one keg to another under CO2 pressure). I'll also allow that it's more difficult to use a CP filler incorrectly. But, when the BBG is, indeed, used correctly, the difference is insignificant, from the perspective of the long term health of the beer. This, the relative ease of use of the BBG makes it the better choice, IMO.
     
  12. WickedSluggy

    WickedSluggy Savant (1,105) Nov 21, 2008 Texas

    I suppose so in some cases. BBG may indeed be fine for many applications, and it's obviously a great choice for purging and then filling beer bottles that is to be bottle conditioned. I'd be interested in seeing if it can be used for beer with > 2.5 volumes of co2, a hefeweizen, lambic or a Duvel clone Etc without significant loss of volumes (and beer.) A CPF can bottle a nitro beer if everything is kept cold enough.
     
  13. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    So serious question here - how hard would it be to put a stopper on a BBG to provide counter-pressure?
     
  14. OldSock

    OldSock Maven (1,406) Apr 3, 2005 District of Columbia

    I always seemed to end up with inconsistent (bottle-to-bottle) carbonation levels with my Beer Gun (despite cold beer, cold/wet bottles, and lower dispensing pressure). I had much better results with a counter-pressure filler. I also like the Counter Pressure because you can dispense without adjusting the pressure. I wrote up a comparison of my experiences using each a few months ago.
     
  15. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I have bottled up to 3.5 volume beers with a BBG. Minimal foaming... not really even enough to 'cap on foam.' The key is going cold and s-l-o-w. But I haven't used a CPF, so I can't compare.
     
  16. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    Can't edit my post so replying.

    Like this is what I mean:

    [​IMG]
     
  17. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society


    Looks like it wouldn't be too hard. But then there's the cost of the photoshop license.
     
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  18. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    SnagIt, bitches.
     
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  19. WickedSluggy

    WickedSluggy Savant (1,105) Nov 21, 2008 Texas

    Guess that wouldn't be to hard, but you need a way to bleed off the co2 as the beer fills the bottle. Then you basically have a CPF.
     
  20. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    The right size hole, maybe with a small straw or inflation needle?

    I can't be the first person to think of this. Either there is a reason you can't do it or someone has already done it.
     
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