Bottling from Keg

[marengo]

Hi all

Does anyone out there bottle from keg? e.g. wait for say 4 weeks or so after kegging the beer as normal then bottle (assuming you might have attached a little bottler to the keg?). If so would you prime both the keg for the initial maturation and the bottles?

Thanks
John

 

[Mark1964]

no you would leave the unprimed beer in the keg then prime the bottles. Or pressure would build in the keg and you would get flat beer when you bottled. Your not talking about a corny keg are you?

 

[marengo]

No, not a corny. Great info though Mark, thanks :thumb:

Do you actually do this youself i.e. bottle from keg? I'm wondering if there are any merits in doing so over bottling via an intermediate container (for batch priming) straight from fermentation?

thanks
john

 

[guyb]

No, not a corny. Great info though Mark, thanks :thumb:

Do you actually do this youself i.e. bottle from keg? I'm wondering if there are any merits in doing so over bottling via an intermediate container (for batch priming) straight from fermentation?

thanks
john

someone earlier in the day asked this question as well, here
you might find the answer useful etc. :thumb:

 

[oz11]

I do it sometimes (often referred to as the Wheeler method since it's the technique he advocated in his book). I prime the keg, then vent after 24 hours (if I remember) and let it condition, normally indoors.

When it comes to bottling (anything from 2 weeks kegged to 6 weeks depending on strength and my time) I chill to nearly zero for a day or two to encourage the yeast to drop.

Vent the keg then fill the bottles using a little bottler. The bottles are not primed. I have never had a flat beer doing it this way; that said I do prefer my carbonation to be on the light side (in the way a draught real ale is conditioned) as opposed to outright fizzy. I find the conditioning gets carried over to the bottles and normally okay for drinking within 3 weeks (not that I have tried any earlier).

 

[Mark1964]

we use cornys so never done it but you can using a blichmann gun i think

 

[marengo]

Great, thanks all. :thumb:

 

[Stihler]

There are counter pressure systems which allow one to bottle directly from carbonated Cornelius kegs.

I had one several years ago and I was not impressed with the results. It was very slow going and made a huge mess. I suspect that was in part due to my lack of experience with the equipment and my technique (or lack thereof).

The bottles were, however, carbonated.

I believe there have been improvements in counter pressure fillers since then. The one I had was cumbersome to use but I hear that some of the newer models are much easier use.

Here is one I've heard good things about: http://www.blichmannengineering.com/beergun/beergun.html. I don't have personal experience with this filler but....

I hope this helps.

- Scott