Counterpressure Fillers

Matt Talbot said:
[post]1870[/post] I use the same as Pat and Ryan above. I'm interested in this though:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/the-last- ... tle-filler
Click to expand...

Interesting device, but not a counter flow filler. The CO2 port/valve is only for purging the bottles prior to the fill.

My first attempt to bottle from a keg went amazingly well using only a picnic tap and a bottling wand (that fit in the tap perfectly). I did have some foaming at the start, but that was more of an issue with my inexperience at force carbonating and serving pressures. Once I get the CO2 part dialed it I would expect this to work well at 0 additional cost.
 
I have a Blichmann beer gun, but have not used a Last Straw. From what I can see from the Last Straw video, here are my thoughts:
  • * The parts of the Beer Gun are solidly built. The tubes on the Last Straw look thinner.
    * The Last Straw has a threaded connection for liquid in, which is nicer than the beer gun's friction fit.
    * The Beer Gun fills at 4# pressure as opposed to Last Straw's 8#. The video says it fills in 10 seconds, which is clearly faster than the beer gun, but it took about 18 seconds in the video. Not having to gas off the keg as much is a plus for the Last Straw.
    * The Last Straw uses a press-to-fill mechanism rather than the beer gun's trigger. This means the Beer Gun can fill up to the top of the bottle if you'd like. It doesn't look like you can do that with the Last Straw.
    * The Beer Gun is oriented pistol grip style, which works if you're filling with the bottle below you, but if you fill with the bottle in front of you, such as on a table, this puts your wrist at an uncomfortable angle. I think the Last Straw is a better design here
    * The grip to hold the Last Straw to the side of a bucket is nice. I use a sanitized growler to holster the Beer Gun when I have to put it down, but it's not terribly stable. For instance, the hoses can pull it over.
    * The Beer Gun is harder to disassemble because it relies on flexing of metal to hold parts together. Initially, I had to use needle-nose pliers to get the valve clip off. Over time, though, it loosened up and I can now pull it off by hand.
    * Cleaning the disassembled Beer Gun is easier--there are no welds to work around. The Last Straw has several welded parts and it appears the black handle doesn't come off.
If you're filling only a couple bottles, the racking cane and stopper method is easier, but if you're filling more than a six-pack or two, these tools are really nice to have.
 
Nice assessment!
I got the Last Straw for Christmas, so I'll let y'all know how it works out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have the original More Beer CP Filler, similar to the newer one they sell that is all stainless (mine has a stainless tube but brass ball valve and barbs).

http://www.morebeer.com/products/counte ... ?site_id=7

Works like a charm, albeit a bit cumbersome compared to filling off the tap -- I only use it for competition bottling, or if I want to force carbonate and then bottle an entire batch as opposed to bottle conditioning. For filling bottles or growlers for meetings I just pour from the tap (using a Perlick adapter and tubing).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top