How to Use a COUNTER PRESSURE BOTTLE FILLER | Reviewing the Boel iTAP Bottle Filler

The Boel iTap is a counter pressure bottle filler that is becoming quite popular since it integrates directly into a kegerator. The company asked me to do an honest review of their product, so hopefully this video provides some useful insight into the product and makes the decision-making process easier if you are in the market for a counterpressure bottle filler.
-------------------------------------------------------
BOEL iTAP: boel.company
Use the code APARTMENT at checkout to receive a free repair set with purchase of the iTap or use code itap_5 for 5% off entire purchase
-------------------------------------------------------
CLAWHAMMER SUPPLY SYSTEM: www.clawhammersupply.com/?aff=11
-------------------------------------------------------
MERCH STORE: theapartmentbrewer.creator-sp...
-------------------------------------------------------
SUPPORT ME ON PATREON: / theapartmentbrewer
-------------------------------------------------------
FIND ALL MY RECOMMENDED HOMEBREWING EQUIPMENT ON MY AMAZON STORE: www.amazon.com/shop/theapartm...
-------------------------------------------------------
NORTHERN BREWER: www.northernbrewer.com/?...
-------------------------------------------------------
MOREBEER: www.morebeer.com/index?a_aid=a...
-------------------------------------------------------
MY CAMERA: amzn.to/3fxboAQ
MY MICROPHONE: amzn.to/3tAGXlq
-------------------------------------------------------
0:00 Intro and Welcome
0:28 Product Overview and Modifications
2:45 Installation and Usage
8:02 Final Thoughts
-------------------------------------------------------
Full disclosure, most of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means if you buy through them I make a small percentage from the sale at no additional cost to you. All money earned through the channel goes back into the videos and brews you see on my channel. As always, don't just take my word for it, do your research before you decide to buy.
Music provided by Epidemic Sound: share.epidemicsound.com/0go1wp
#itap #counterpressure #bottlefiller #beer #brewing #homebrew #kegging

[@scottbatty8017]

nice video, been using one of these taps for bout 3months has made life a lot easier

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Awesome, thanks for watching!

[@fredriktunholm3204]

Great video! Thanks for sharing. I got the ITap and have bottled two batches so far. I will definitly keep in mind your sanitary wisdom. Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Cheers, thanks for watching!

[@ElementaryBrewingCo]

Good video Steve! Great explanation of how this worked!!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks for watching Brian!

[@PartyTimeBrewing]

Cool vid. Was recently wondering about how these things worked. Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Cheers, glad you enjoyed it!

[@apestyler]

I was having so many teething issues (tons of foam) with the iTap until I found your video - Thank you for your concise and to the point tutorial [Lord Winston's Brewery]

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad I could help out!

[@nerdaccount]

Great review!!!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks Tony!

[@connorball8212]

Man I'm so glad you addressed the plastic thing, and didn't just glance over it. It was bugging me the whole video I was like $150 cad for plastic??

[@tommanning7337]

That’s really cool, I’ve been looking at some bottle fillers, everyone wants to try homebrew but it usually ends up half full and the rest foam, I only have a one tap system right now but that is definitely a cool little piece of gear!! MBC!!!!!!🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad you enjoyed it Tom! Counterpressure bottle fillers are really good pieces of kit! Really helps the bottled beer last

[@sfimperial6726]

Hi, great video, how often should the line be cleaned,if the bottles are filled 2-3 time a week? Tx.

[@davidfoxton7905]

Plastic I understand your point on one level however not all plastic is equal and the itap is from what I understand chemical resistant plastic.regarding a beergun or tapcooler both have the same design flaw the wand inserted into the beer when displaced introduces o2. So I have all 3 systems and use exclusively the itap and very pleased with the quality of the product and the beer.

[@davidphilion1432]

Is the itap easy to use with sankey kegs ?

[@Blackoakx2222]

Great video, Curious on how you got your drip tray to stay in place. I’ve gone through tons of magnets and none have the strength to hold the drip tray up without sliding down or falling

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It's a relatively light drip tray and a relatively strong set of neodymium magnets. Does pretty well overall but you can't set a glass on it or anything

[@maptap6654]

I have to agree with you, I like the one hand (ish) operation, but for 165 Canadian pesos, I would at least need stainless steel innards...

[@goosefraba560]

In my best Russian accent..." Russian components..American components..BOTH MADE IN TAIWAN!!" Great vid man! 🍻🤘🍻

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Lmao 🤣 thanks for watching!

[@markusmoses4019]

Thanks for the vid. Great vid. I just won one of these in a brewing comp and was wondering what it is. Wondering if putting a silicone hose on the end would be better to get to the bottom of the bottle and start filling from the bottle. thoughts?

[@davidcorr6204]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[@1981rage]

Great vid! I almost bought it, but then you told about plastic and infections and that make me wondering. Could you please recommend some stainless steel counter pressure bottle filler? Thank you very much in advance.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Three come to mind for about $70-$100 USD: the Tapcooler, MoreBeer's self branded version and the the nukatap version of the Tapcooler by Kegland. All three use metal internals, although some have aluminum instead of stainless

[@TheBruSho]

Pretty neat little product, guess if you do a lot of bottling off kegs that would be useful. Wonder if they have plans to make a growler sized one.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yeah! It's really good for sending bottles off to a competition or beer mail. A growler sized one would be amazing!

[@erikolney7269]

They have an option for growler filling on their website: boel.company/product-category/pro/

[@Alamaster99]

Thanks for the video! You don't have to disconnect the gas line during the bottle filling, do you? I would appreciate if they would ship the product with JG quick disconnects instead of the barbs. Also, while it is a good option to install this on a kegerator or a keezer (and a very practical one) I do not like the look of it so much, so I have rather made foldable/portable stand for it and that works very well - just a thought :)

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I think David heath has a video on this where he shows how to install it on a former bottle capper tower, and that probably would be better. Most people I've talked with seem not to like its overall look either. I disconnected one of the quick disconnects from the keg I was bottling from, thats it

[@josephmiller2414]

@@TheApartmentBrewer I find it works better to keep the gas connected to the Keg and set to the same PSI as the Itap. Otherwise after a couple of bottles the keg pressure is lower than that of the bottle and you can hear the CO2 bubbling back up through the keg dip tube.

[@Stephen-yk5ik]

what size tubing does the itap use?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I don't know off the top of my head, but its pretty narrow. Probably 3/16" ID

[@Krokbu_bryggeri]

Btw… you don’t need to unplug the co2 line when filling…. The pressure is gonna stay the same anyway….

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

You need a lower pressure in the bottle to get beer from the keg into the bottle, otherwise no beer will flow, this is why you disconnect the CO2

[@Krokbu_bryggeri]

Well…. Yes and no…. You don’t need to disconnect it, just use the pressure tap on the side to adjust the pressure and release the “air” out of the bottle while filling…. And close the beer tap when the bottle is full…. Done that a lot of times…. Works great

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

@@Krokbu_bryggeri gotcha, I misunderstood your initial comment

[@stewartsteinecke7301]

Not sure why you disconnect the gas purge line every time. Om guessing is because it's leaking but it's not necessary and time consuming.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Because I don't like to waste CO2, like you said

[@neiljones641]

Bit harsh with the plastic criticism fella. It's a good quality plastic and for cleaning I just hook mine up to an old keg which has starsan in and run that through the lines and unit. Is it anymore susceptibl than the plastic disconnects we all use? I have a Blickman beer gun plus the Tapcooler bottle fillet but this itap beats both of those hands down.

[@Austographer]

Thanks for this comment. I too have both the BeerGun and Tapcooler and am curious about the iTap. In defence of the criticism though, those plastic disconnects are a fair bit cheaper to replace than an iTap should the need arise.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Your mileage may vary. Its my opinion though, and while I stand by it, it may have come across too harsh. However it was the only criticism I had of the entire system and I stand by what I said, plastic is ultimately a cost saving measure and it simply doesn't do that in this case when you can find stainless counterpressure bottle fillers for the same prices or cheaper. Replacing disconnects isn't hard or expensive because of that, but replacing this is. Regarding sanitation, I've owned plastic fermentation buckets and the fermzilla, both of which had the same risks, but not every brewer out there is as diligent with their draft lines as they are with their fermenters, and this is pointed at that market. Really you should sanitize your lines between every keg but there are a fair number of people that don't and this could cost them.

[@neiljones641]

@@TheApartmentBrewer I think we'll have to agree to disagree here. But my background as a toolmaker appreciates what's gone into 'tooling' this product up. I can tell you it would have cost 10's of thousands to manufacture the injection mould tools to produce this product, and they are quality mouldings, so not just a cheap plastic part. But as with anything, you'll get a longer life from it if its looked after.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thats some great insight that the rest of us don't have, and I think thats the whole point of having a discussion like this. I don't have the background that you do, and that makes for two sides to an issue that people can look at when considering this product. Thanks for commenting!

[@Rubio_Eric]

If you're a cheap mf like me couldn't I achieve the same thing as these guns by adding a small tube to the end of my tap, purging the bottle with co2, then putting the attached hose into the bottle and filling with beer?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It would knock a lot of CO2 out of the beer and would likely become flat after a while. Plus it's not great for long term storage. Trust me because I used to do that

[@Rubio_Eric]

@@TheApartmentBrewer Ive only done it once but I told my buddy to drink it asap so there would be no issues

[@nikauoak]

I am not sure why you kept disconnecting the gas line. Its a totally irrelevant step in your process

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Because I don't like to waste CO2