Built an automatic counter-pressure bottler. Imagine an auto bottler combined with a counter pressure bottler. Parts were pretty cheap (the pressure relief valve was the most expensive, but that was only £20, and it is fully adjustable). Easy operation (one handed, just pop in bottle and it fills. No valves or nothing like that to contend with).
Hoping to test drive it tonight at some point.
Providing it works, it should be possible to link 4 of the basic unit (minus the PRV together) then link them to the PRV. With a bit of modification it will fill 4 bottles, stop filling once the bottle is full and keep pressure on the bottle.
I'll need to get a new pipe cutter though. The one I've got has torn my hands to ribbons since it was designed for copper pipe with a thin wall (plumbing pipe) rather than 2mm wall thickness stainless steel pipe.
It was also a great time to try soldering stainless steel and copper. The trick is to use hydrochloric acid as a flux on the stainless. I tried 'normal# flux but it didn't work. Quick 1 minute dip in HCl and it works perfectly.
EDIT/UPDATE: Gave it a whirl. Not a massive success. The prod that I used to open the checkvalve is prone to jamming open. I think I'm going to remove it and replace it with a ball valve. I'll loose the auto feature (for now) but on the plus side, it won't jam open and spray beer all over the floor.
The pressure release valve needed adjusting to release the pressure so for part of it I had to squeeze the bung to release the pressure. I would suggest that anyone who kegs their beer gives one of these a go. They are awesome. I believe cellar_rat has a tutorial on building a simplified one that uses the bung squeeze method. It works very well and in hind site I might have gone with this method from the start.
Who could say no to sediment free bottled beer?
Hoping to test drive it tonight at some point.
Providing it works, it should be possible to link 4 of the basic unit (minus the PRV together) then link them to the PRV. With a bit of modification it will fill 4 bottles, stop filling once the bottle is full and keep pressure on the bottle.
I'll need to get a new pipe cutter though. The one I've got has torn my hands to ribbons since it was designed for copper pipe with a thin wall (plumbing pipe) rather than 2mm wall thickness stainless steel pipe.
It was also a great time to try soldering stainless steel and copper. The trick is to use hydrochloric acid as a flux on the stainless. I tried 'normal# flux but it didn't work. Quick 1 minute dip in HCl and it works perfectly.
EDIT/UPDATE: Gave it a whirl. Not a massive success. The prod that I used to open the checkvalve is prone to jamming open. I think I'm going to remove it and replace it with a ball valve. I'll loose the auto feature (for now) but on the plus side, it won't jam open and spray beer all over the floor.
The pressure release valve needed adjusting to release the pressure so for part of it I had to squeeze the bung to release the pressure. I would suggest that anyone who kegs their beer gives one of these a go. They are awesome. I believe cellar_rat has a tutorial on building a simplified one that uses the bung squeeze method. It works very well and in hind site I might have gone with this method from the start.
Who could say no to sediment free bottled beer?
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