How to Build a Beer Gun

Even if you keg your beer, you likely have times when you need to bottle some, if not a whole batch. While there are sweet beer gun purchase options out there (and I own a Blichmann), sometimes I prefer the quick set up and easy clean up of this very inexpensive DIY counter pressure beer gun. Enjoy!

[@talesofatoller357]

OMG 😳 how simple but very clever. I was looking for a beergun to buy, but I brew in a Speidel 10 L, and found it a bit expensive for just filling 25 bottles per batch. Gonna start collecting the materials and will give it a try. Many thnx for this great idea. Greetings from The Netherlands 👍

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, I really like this device. I own the Blichmann Beer Gun, but I use this more often, especially if just needing to bottle a few of a particular beer. Also, being able to build pressure via the rubber stopper helps reduce foaming in the beer at bottling time. Give it a whirl and, if you have time, let me know how it goes! Thanks. 👍

[@nickd533]

Very clever! Nice work

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Thanks! It's honestly so easy to use, it's silly. And, like I said, it's my go-to - over my Blichmann beer gun - anytime I'm bottling less than a full batch of homebrew. Thanks for watching!

[@emiliopiriz4001]

Muy práctico. Te felicito!

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Thanks!

[@bendtrom7200]

Please what is the medica gasline pipe? Looks really cool. Neat simple setup.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Hey, there! It's a flexible gas line, usually available at medical supply stores to use for oxygen lines. They are fairly cheap, simply slide on to the barbed end of the picnic tap, and provide very high resistance, which I find makes it easier to reduce foam when dispensing. You can also likely find them online in bulk for a very reasonable price. Thanks for watching!

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Haha, no problem! I love the lager method, as it speeds up the process quite a bit, and I've noticed no reduction in quality of the lager character or undesirable yeast characteristics. :) So, I couldn't find my calipers, but it looks like the ID is around 5/32". The exact ones I'm using are Hudson RCI Star Lumen tubing, ref# 1112. 7' length. You could go with a smaller ID, but you'd have slower flow. I find this ID to work really well, as it provides great restriction with a short line but can still flow at a decent rate. Hmm...I like the idea, particularly the needle/funnel air release. I might have to steal that idea and try it in combination with the beer gun! Bending the silicone could work to stop flow, especially if you're not dispensing at too high a pressure. If you wind up using the oxygen lines like I did, they go really nicely over a standard hose barb liquid quick disconnect. Thanks for the question and the thoughts! I like geeking out over this stuff. Cheers!

[@johndavis6482]

Thanks for this ..! And i already have a broken racking cane !

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Perfect! Making lemonade out of lemons, and all that. 😅 Thanks. Let me know how it works out for you. 🍻

[@johndavis6482]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 I just purchased oxebar kegs and duo fittings so I have a big learning curve ..the blow off valve seems to be leaking on the kegs,which is a problem if they dont seat tight so I may need Teflon or replacement heard they do for free ...ive got 7 gallons of a whiskey oak stout in secondary that needs bottling of 3 gallons and this would completely help cut time ,oxidation etc !

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@johndavis6482 Oh, nice! Yeah, that would be great to do that leaking issue, for sure, as that might then also allow oxygen to enter once the pressure ends. That beer sounds delicious! I still have a nearly full keg of an 11% Imperial Stout I brewed in 2018 that I'll crack into this December...😁

[@johndavis6482]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 yeah reseated and it's holding pressure.!!!...last reading I was showing a 7 so I may fortify with real whiskey for flavor and proof it up ...been brewing 30 years and just getting back Into it with equipment but if there's a cheaper way ! Lol great job 👏 now I gotta find some larger tubing ....

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@johndavis6482 Great news! Love it when problems are sorted out easily. Yeah, a little boost with some ol' whiskey might be nice. Personally, I'd get it carbonated where I want it, then pour a set, measured amount into a glass and spike it slowly, until the taste is where you want it. Then scale up for the quantity in the keg and dose. Helps prevent overshooting it with the whole keg. Man, I'm getting thirsty. 😅

[@jean-raphaellavoie34]

What's the purpose of the stopper? I dont really get the reason of the conter pressure filler. Thanks for the clarification

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

The idea with this type of filler is that your can essentially plug the bottle to build pressure as you go. It basically equalizes the pressure between the keg and bottle, which then stops flow. I then release the pressure a bit at a time, and the flow will slowly resume. This helps quite a bit with foaming in the bottle, particularly with higher carbonated beers. It reduces initial foaming and, if any large foam develops during the fill, you can slow down, let any foaming reduce, and carry on. I have a Blichmann beer gun (which does not have a stopper or anything for counter pressure), but I really only use that for meads/ciders (the almost nil protein content means any foaming almost immediately disappears) or lowly carbonated beers. Even though this isn't nearly as fancy, it's a better option for many of my bottling projects. Just don't tell my wife, who bought me the Beer Gun for Christmas one year. 😂

[@jean-raphaellavoie34]

ok thanks I get i t now. @@ThisDadGoesTo11

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Awesome. Happy brewing!

[@sirtrygve75]

Hi! Does this method make the beer go flat sooner since you don't purge the bottles with co2?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Nope! Actually, purging with CO2 just helps reduce potential for oxidation in the beer. I haven't found this to be a problem in beers I've bottled using this gun. Maintaining the carbonation is mostly about ensuring a good seal with the caps and bottles you are using. Thanks for the question!

[@sirtrygve75]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 oh okay, Thanks! 😄

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@sirtrygve75 No problem! 🍻

[@marcelo9deabril]

a cuanto carbonatastes tu cerveza?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

I carbonate my regular ales somewhere between 2.2-2.5 volumes. However much CO2 feels good in the beer. 🍻

[@jeredbischann9694]

That's a counter pressure filler.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

That is correct. Cheap and quick build.