Can I bottle some beer that i put into a keg last night and forced carbd. it. Even though there is not much carbonation yet, should I or can I use a carb tab. I dont want to spend all the time and effort cleaning and sanitizing all the bottles, ect. if it won’t carb properly.???
You can put keg beer into bottles. Carb beer in the keg until it’s where you want it. Chill the beer as cold as possible and transfer the beer slowly with low pressure. Cap and keep the bottles cold.
Your entering into sweet, sweet kegging land.
By far the best place to be.
I just took over 10 cases of regular crown top bottles to the recycling center
last week. I haven’t bottled a batch in over 5 years and the bottles were collect dust
and taking up precious space. I will not part with my flip top 16oz and half gallon growlers though these are the key to the portability question in a kegging setup.
I have found a couple of key things on this topic.
#1 learn your system before trying my method or you will automatically have foaming, no carbonation in bottles etc…You will then Automatically say that blasted Possible Dude is full of beans. This s**t doesn’t work. WTH. I cannot let this scenario happen my friend.
#2 Once you know your system and have kegs carbed and drafting fine, then what you do is shut off the gas to said keg and pull most all the pressure off the beer with the pressure relief on the keg.
The beer should/ will flow slowly. I have filled single crown caps and flip tops with a slight “dribble” of beer coming off the tap and sent the bottles to comps and took down medals and still have a few keg filled bottles stashed that are perfectly carbed when opened a year or two later.
Now most people have said in the past you NEED a counter pressure filler or you NEED to chill the bottles first. Both are untrue. I usually fill my growlers or bottles right from the tap using the above slow and steady method (also tilt the vessel 45 degrees as if pouring a glass this keeps everything foam free also) and the vessels are always room temp warm off the shelf and they always are solid.
Although once in a while I will chill the growler first if I have time. But usually its on the fly so I found the warm vessel doesn’t pose a prob.
#3 Mostly I use the above method but leave a slight more amount of pressure on the keg than if doing single bottles and fill a cheap clear glass half gallon growler for a to-go container. I find that I have a least a six pack with me if I take a growler over to friends and I have only one vessel to clean instead of 6!
It’s real easy to pick up oxidation bottling from a keg.
Conroe, have you tried the method and tasted oxidation or is it negative Nelly time.
I have read some of your prior posts and I see your learning and trying to be techie which is kewl and all as I and others(maybe) have read most of the things you post such as fix, etc… have you read much from declerk? and the key here is bringing help to the table not nit picking.
And in all honesty if using the method for quick transport or to-go action I dont think you’ll
have oxidation( per experience) and you will “prolly” be just fine. Also I sent in bottles using this method to the NHC, Midwest mashout and other comps and took down golds and BOS and never. Not once had a judge critique a beer for oxidation. If nothing else I think you’ll pickup more oxidation using traditional bottling methods.
True, but it’s also really easy to avoid.
I have bottled strong ales from keg that lasted upwards of 5 years in bottle (and in one case, albeit accidental, more than 10 years) with no ill affect whatsoever.
I use a tube and a stopper. I think it’s mostly cumming from the no rinse sanitizer. I’ve sent them to comps and nobody (but me) notices it. The best way would be to fill dry bottles flushed with CO2 first.
Right on, whatever works for you guy.
The point I am trying to make here is bottle/ growler up directly from the tap head itself.
No tubes, no counter-pressure filler, nothing. Yah you “could” purge with CO2 too but in the real
world its not necessary and again the beer is going into the vessel already loaded with CO2
and you are pushing any O2 out of the vessel as you fill it. BOom cap on the foam and your good.
You might not want to think it works, but try it before you knock it.
And yes, Professor I believe you 100% bottles do stay carbed for a long time and if you do it right there is no issue.
Hmmm. You guys are making me rethink going out and buying a beergun. Possibles way sound so much easier and cheeper.
Thanks for all of your great insights. To follow up, I did bottle from the “tap” at low presure, cap over foam and it seemed to work well. For the record, the bottles were to hang onto after the keg was empty, and that will be tomorrow for sure. I have open two bottles. I have had mixed results, and thats cool at this stage in my level of brewing. I like to try things with in reason, thats why I asked first. Thanks again.
