How To: Use a Counter Pressure Bottle Filler

Over the past few months since I went head over heels for kegging, one of the problems I've been facing is:

How do I get the carbonated beer out of the keg and into the bottle?

If you've ever tried to pour a beer directly from your tap into a bottle you're probably familiar with foam over flow that follows shortly after.  It's kind of like those 3rd grade volcano projects you did as a kid. This is usually followed by spilt beer, cursing, and tears of frustration (don't cry over spilt milk, but wasted beer is sinful).

On recent trip to MoreBeer! in Concord I invested in a Counter Pressure Bottle Filler. 

Counter Pressure Bottle Filler

This device is essentially a stainless steel tube with a 3-way valve at the top and a pressure relief valve on the side. 

I tested this gadget out this weekend on my Harvest Pumpkin Ale.  Through some trial and error this seems to be the least painful filling procedure:

1.  Clean and sanitize bottles and bottle fuller as your normally would. For me this includes PBW cleaner and Star San sanitizer. 

2. With the 3-way valve in the neutral position (perpendicular) and pressure relief valve closed, connect gas line and beverage lines to the top of the bottle filler. 

3.  Set the pressure on your regulator to 8-15 psi.  This was the pressure recommended by MoreBeer!, but I found that my typical serving pressure (5 psi) worked well too. 

4.  Insert the filler into your bottle so that the rubber stopper is snug inside the bottle. 

5.  Open the valve to the gas side and allow the bottle to fill with CO2. Once the bottle is full begin to open the pressure relief valve to allow air the escape. 

6.  Once you have air moving through the pressure relief valve you're ready to fill the bottle with beer. Move the 3-way valve to the beverage side. You can control the flow of beer into the bottle by adjusting the pressure relief valve. The more air you allow to escape, the faster the beer will flow into the bottle. 

Beer filling in progress...

This is what this process is supposed to avoid, head inside the bottle.  I need more practice.

7. When the bottle is full, move the 3-way valve back to the neutral position   Remove the bottle filler and cap the bottle immediately. 

A few things NOT to do:

- Do not try to stop the flow of beer using the pressure relief valve. This will only stop the flow of beer until you remove the filler. Once that happens the system is open, beer comes flowing out onto the floor of your garage, and you begin shouting. 

- Do not move the 3-way valve back to the gas position after the bottle has been filled.  Pushing gas into your beer is bad.

MoreBeer has a great video on their website detailing this process.