Most of us homebrewers started out bottling our beers, some of us then decided to move on to kegging. Those who bottle claim that bottling is better for portability (bringing to parties, sharing with friends, entering competitions.)
Those who keg claim that the time saved cleaning and filling bottles is one of the best things they’ve done to save time, and that you can always Counter Pressure Bottle (CPBF) fill some bottles for competition or for giving away. But a CPB filler is one more piece of equipment to buy and there’s a bit of a learning curve when using one. I know you can also just fill a growler but many times the carbonation on a growler is lacking.
The Process
If you keg and wish that you could just bottle up a 6-pack or two, or if you’re bottling now and don’t want to take the leap to kegging because you really like the portability of bottled beer, this article is for you! You’ll get to enjoy the best of both worlds! I will usually bottle three to four 6-packs of beer from a keg. This leaves plenty of beer in the keg but does make for a quicker turnover of beers on tap.
Syrup is expensive, but it’s measurable and consistent sugar solution for priming individual bottles.
The key is good cleanliness and sanitation. Oh, and pure maple syrup, the lighter the grade, the better. I’ve told many a homebrewer about this technique, and it works just fine, giving good enough results to win numerous ribbons in homebrew competitions. It’s best to bottle from the keg before you’ve carbonated the beer, so right after you’ve transferred to the keg is the best time. You can bottle cold and carbonated beer, but beware as the addition of maple syrup will cause gushing before you get a chance to cap the bottle.
So you have your cleaned and sanitized bottles and caps. You have your keg of warm, flat beer with CO2 set low (say 5 PSI) or just give the keg small bursts of CO2 when the flow of beer gets too slow. Heat the maple syrup (1/4 to ½ cup should be plenty for a couple of 6-packs or up to a case) in a small pan with a lid to just shy of a full boil. Keep an eye on it as it heats, it will boil over as soon as you turn your back and that experience alone may cause you to swear off wonderful technique! Let the syrup cool in the pan with the lid on.
Also, don’t try and cheat and use that awful fake maple syrup. Use the real thing, it won’t break the bank. You’ll regret it if you use the fake stuff. If you have fake maple syrup, save it for your pancakes, don’t ruin beer with it, please. I have ball lock kegs, and have used different set ups to fill the bottles from the kegs. What works best for me is to use a faucet quick disconnect assembly which is a QD faucet adapter, standard draft faucet with knob, and a ball lock beverage out quick disconnect. In addition, you’ll need a stainless steel growler filler and about a foot of 3/8” ID silicone tubing. Either a 10cc syringe or a plastic graduated transfer pipette will work for measuring the maple syrup. Make sure everything is clean and sanitized. Approximate prices for the above:
You’ll Need the Following
- Faucet quick disconnect assembly – $36.00
- Stainless steel growler filler – $ 4.50
- One foot 3/8” ID tubing – $2.30 for silicone, less than $1.00 for PVC
- 10cc syringe – $1.95 OR graduated transfer pipette, plastic 3cc – $5.00/pk of 100
- Maple syrup – priceless!! (actually a half gallon is about $37)
Attach the faucet assembly to the keg (making sure the faucet is in the off position), attach the silicone tubing to the growler filler, and attach that to the faucet. Now you’re ready to fill your bottles. Don’t forget your bottle capper.
Have everything lined up so that it’s easy to fill a bottle, and then place it on the counter. I like to fill all the bottles, and place a sanitized cap on top of each filled bottle before I add the maple syrup and cap the bottles, but do what works best for you. Leave an inch or so of headspace in the bottle. Once the bottles are all filled then get your pan of cooled syrup and syringe (or pipette) and slowly squirt 2cc maple syrup into each 12 ounce bottle. If you get any maple syrup on the rim of the bottle or it foams over, just wipe off the rim with a paper towel dipped in sanitizer, make sure the cap is clean and cap it.
Be sure to gently invert the bottle a few times so that the syrup mixes with the beer. You may find you want to adjust the amount of syrup up or down slightly for your particular style of beer. I’ve only found it necessary to increase the amount of syrup for highly carbonated beers such as Saison, but I’ll only do that if it’s in a champagne style bottle, as the glass is thicker.
So here’s what’s worked for me (cc is the same thing as ml):
- 12oz – 2cc
- 16oz – 2.5cc
- 22oz – 3.5cc
Champagne type bottle – 4cc (or 5cc for Saison/highly carbonated beers)
Many think that the taste of the maple syrup will come through in the finished beer, but it doesn’t, at least if you’re using the lighter grades of maple syrup. I’ve never used the darker grades for bottling. Be sure to use high quality light colored maple syrup – if it tastes good then use it. You can’t buy maple syrup where you live? Sounds like you need to make a road trip to Vermont and get some maple syrup, it’s not just for breakfast anymore!
Keg vs. Bottle Conditioned – Can you taste the difference?
If you try this technique, a month out from bottling, try comparing the keg beer to the bottled beer. A great triangle test!
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