I'm wondering what the advantages and disadvantages are between the two different tools for bottling off a keg. I can pick up this counter flow filler for $30 today which sounds like a good deal to me. I'm wondering if it's possible to purge the bottles of CO2 with it first though, and if there are advantages to a beer gun? I won't be bottling a lot, a 12 pack or 2 off each keg at most.
Counter Pressure (not counter flow) fillers have always seemed a little kludgy to me, but so many people use them that maybe it just takes a little getting used to. And yes, you should be able purge with a counter pressure filler. A Beer Gun (i.e. Blichmann) is, IMO, a more elegant solution and easier to use. But it's definitely more expensive.
If anybody is looking for an economical way to bottle from a keg below is a video illustrating a cheap solution: Cheers!
I’ve got both.. honestly I hate both but I hate the counter pressure filler less and once you figure out how to use it you get less foam. I actually have two beer guns, one old one for mixed fermentation stuff and one new one for clean beer. The new one is horrible, old one is way less finicky. I use them when I’m bottle conditioning beer. If I’m bottling off a keg of carbonated beer for a competition I prefer the counter pressure filler.
I've seen the DIY one mentioned in the video and thought about it but I might eventually try my hand at a competition or two and am worried about oxidation. From listening to Dr. Homebrew bottling issues, especially carbonation levels, happen often enough and they seem to always mention using counter pressure fillers to resolve them.
You might want to consider a staged approach here if cost is a consideration. The approach in the video costs little and you can see whether it provides acceptable results for you (e.g., store a bottled beer for x days and see if perceptible oxidative off-flavors result). If this process does not 'meet spec' you can still purchase a more expensive solution (e.g., counter pressure filler) later. Cheers!
