Cheapest way to fill bottles from a corny

A forum to discuss the various ways of getting beer into your glass.
Post Reply
User avatar
Jocky
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2738
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:50 pm
Location: Epsom, Surrey, UK

Cheapest way to fill bottles from a corny

Post by Jocky » Mon Jan 25, 2021 1:33 pm

If you want to fill bottles from a corny keg you don't need an expensive counter pressure filler or beer gun. All you need is a party tap on an appropriate length (1.5-2m) of 3/16" beer line. Fill the bottle slowly at a shallow angle, and then make sure the beer is foaming out the top as you put the cap on. It'll be oxygen free and you'll lose only a little carbonation.



For this demo I used 1.8m of beer line for a beer that was at 15psi and at 6c.
The party tap is connected using a piece of 3/8" beer line and a 3/16" - 3/8" reducer. The disconnect has a 3/16" stem reducer:

Image

2 metres of line would have been better as this did foam a bit more than ideal. After videoing this I also bottled a bitter that is at 6psi and had to turn up the pressure up as the line was a touch too long for a low pressure beer.

I've used this to bottle a NEIPA and it stayed beautifully fresh, so I've no concerns about not 'purging' the bottle with CO2 first.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

f00b4r
Site Admin
Posts: 1528
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 10:54 pm
Location: Berlin

Re: Cheapest way to fill bottles from a corny

Post by f00b4r » Tue Jan 26, 2021 11:16 am

Great video and easy process Jocky!
I’m surprised that you didn’t use the plastic tubing from a bottling wand in the party tap, as I’ve heard of others using, but it makes for a simpler process if it works as well.
I see you show both a flow control disconnect and a normal one, if using the FC ones are you keeping it fully open or using it to reduce the flow rate to(or for tweaking when needed)?

User avatar
Jocky
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2738
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:50 pm
Location: Epsom, Surrey, UK

Re: Cheapest way to fill bottles from a corny

Post by Jocky » Tue Jan 26, 2021 12:54 pm

I tried sticking a racking cane into the party tap, but it didn't help, and ultimately it just left more dead space on top of the bottle that needed to be filled with foam to purge the bottle. So why make things more complicated than they need to be?

As for the FC disconnect... I think they're a waste of money and generally avoid using them as cutting the right length of 3/16" line just seems to work better and is vastly cheaper.

For the demo above I used a regular disconnect, although perhaps I will try the FC in future if I'm getting some foaming when filling. It's in no way required though.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

Post Reply