Plumbing in a counter pressure bottle filler

[smartdev]

I am thinking of getting a counter pressure bottle filler but trying to decide the best way to plumb it in to offer the best convenience. I have crusader sankey kegs so don't use the corny disconnects which sometimes I wish I had instead. Gas is easy enough to do but on the beer lines I was thinking of having a two way diverter on the line so I can "switch" over to the filler without too much trouble, a few questions I have however:

Can I get a 3/8 john guest "splitter" with a built in diverter tap? (Trying to avoid too many fittings, it can get crazy!)

Is there some kind of quick disconnect that is easier to disconnect than standard john guest fittings to make it easy to connect / disconnect the filler?

Is there a better way to do this that I have not considered?

Thanks again.

[f00b4r]

Which type of bottle filler are you thinking of, a beer gun or Pegas type one?

[BrewHouse]

If you are thinking of the Blichmann beer gun, there is a decent review here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNNr9RhfBa8.

I've been umming and arring myself but think I am just going to take the plunge unless anyone else has any adverse comments.

[asd]

The Blichmann, whilst very good, is not a counter pressure filler. It purges before filling, but does not fill against pressure.

[smartdev]

The pegas as I don't want to have to alter my keg pressure.

[orlando]

The pegas as I don't want to have to alter my keg pressure.

Don't get the Blichmann you will curse the faffing about, particularly if you just want a couple of bottles. In conjunction with a cornie set up the Pegas is the best way to go.

[f00b4r]

I was looking into the best way to set this up as well as have picked up a Pegas Evolution (I have also used one of the Chinese rip offs of the Eco as well) and I didn't want it to be so much of a hassle to setup that I didn't use it.
I went with the below setup



it is certainly not the only option but was designed to:

- allow me to isolate any bit of it

- make it a doddle to use a CP filler (the CP gas line has a grey disco on that just plugs to the same manifold as the keg so will always be at the same pressure and the beer line just gets swapped from shank to CP filler, no jumper line required that you need to clean after any use)

- makes it a quick to use carb caps in the same way (once again no jumper line to keep clean and store)

- if I need to use the gas line off the manifold with the disco connecter on it I can

It definitely is not the only way but it works for me and means that if I want to bottle something, whether it is the odd bottle or to empty a keg, it is not a painful setup for me.

NB I should note it is all in place but the manifold alterations, as I am waiting on the low pressure gauges arriving form the US in a couple of week (idea for those shamelessly stolen from Barneey on here).

[orlando]

I have mine permanently mounted and adopt a similar approach. I use a Y splitter so that the keg and the Pegas have the same same pressure. It does mean having to clean a short piece of beer line and the Pegas before use, but that is simply done by putting purple beer line cleaner through it using a garden sprayer. Most of the time I just wash out the pipe if I'm bottling two different beers at the same time, JG fittings mean this takes seconds.

[Dave S]

I have mine permanently mounted and adopt a similar approach. I use a Y splitter so that the keg and the Pegas have the same same pressure. It does mean having to clean a short piece of beer line and the Pegas before use, but that is simply done by putting purple beer line cleaner through it using a garden sprayer. Most of the time I just wash out the pipe if I'm bottling two different beers at the same time, JG fittings mean this takes seconds.

The garden sprayer's a good idea. I read about that quite a while ago but had forgotten. Must get one with my old codgers' Wednesday discount at B&Q.

[f00b4r]

Instead of the garden sprayer I went for a submersible aquarium pump for 5-6 quid. I just drop it in a bucket/fv/trug of beer line cleaner and set it recirculating through the Pegas or beer faucet. I prefer the fact that it is just pumped gently round continuously rather than out under pressure and then left to sit in the lines, it also means it is easier to flush afterwards with larger amounts of water. I saw the idea from the Brulosophy site, where it gets used to clean kegs as well. Both solutions look to work well though.

[orlando]

Instead of the garden sprayer I went for a submersible aquarium pump for 5-6 quid. I just drop it in a bucket/fv/trug of beer line cleaner and set it recirculating through the Pegas or beer faucet. I prefer the fact that it is just pumped gently round continuously rather than out under pressure and then left to sit in the lines, it also means it is easier to flush afterwards with larger amounts of water. I saw the idea from the Brulosophy site, where it gets used to clean kegs as well. Both solutions look to work well though.

Interesting idea, I took it from the PBLC instructions it required a soak though. Does it make much difference I wonder?

[f00b4r]

Well it is a good question and maybe it won't make much difference to the cleaning, although the main reason I went with it was I didn't want anything coming apart at pressure with BLC in it and I can flush with large amounts of water from one container into a separate if I like without having to refill a sprayer (maybe slightly paranoid on the amount of water I flush with but it is something I would rather err on the side of caution with) and I am happy to leave unattended as it gets gently pushed around.

[orlando]

Actually a combination of both makes sense too. The soak penetrates the crud and the movement washes it away, as you say either way is probably as effective. On your point about pressure, it is very small, particularly compared to the usual pressure JG fittings are under during dispense and of course force carbing. Don't see the garden sprayer pressure ever causing a problem and hasn't to date.