RR Pliny The Elder Home Bottling Project / Tasting

[Phatz]

Hello Realbeer members. I am new here. Phatz. It is nice to publicly make your acquaintance. Though I am new to Realbeer I have been active on another site in the past until my friend ClockworkOrange told me about this. Well, I would like to get to know some of you and would like to make you aware of a project we are doing again inspired by my friend Jason.

Check this out:
http://beeradvocate.com/events/info/11824

This Russian River Pliny the Elder home bottling project, on February 10th, is the first time we are using this process but assuming it goes as well as we plan, there will be many more opportunities to repeat it. We are already working on securing a 1/2 barrel keg of Pliny the Younger but it won't be available until Fall '07 if we can even get one.

I am bringing this to your attention for three reasons:

One; is an invitation to the tasting at my home following our bottling project. I would like to meet some RealBeer members in the area and I am opening the invitation to my home. Please let me know if you are interested in stopping by. You can PM me or ClockworkOrange for more details. I will be sharing a bottle of Stoudt’s Barrel aged Old Abominable Barley Wine and their Barrel Aged Fat Dog. Also Russian River Temptation. An ’04 Hair Of The Dog Doggie Claws. An ’05 Olde School Barley Wine and or whatever inspires me at the time =) I also hear rumors that there may be more Russian River coming to Paradise that day and Alesmith and more. I expect no one will be disappointed.

Two; we are open to suggestions and recommendations you may have on the process. I know some people who have used the Counter Pressure System but we are going to be using the Blichmann Beer Gun. The BeerGun is designed to purge a beer bottle with CO2 gas, and then transfer carbonated beer into the bottle with minimal foaming, preserving a high level of the beer's carbonation.
Has anyone ever used this process before? And, or do you have any tips for us to ensure a successful operation?
Any ideas and thoughts are very much appreciated.

Third; to alert traders that may be interested. If you are interested in a trade start by talking to ClockworkOrange or you can find the official roster is posted on the event details over there, and you can contact one of those folks if you are so compelled.

Thanks for all your thoughts and comments.

Cheers!
Matt

[Insidious Rex]

Put me on the waiting list for your Pliney the Elder. And any time you do that put me on that list. Ill always be willing to pony up for that brew...

[ClockworkOrange]

I'm pretty sure I'll be there Matt. ;)

[ClockworkOrange]

Insidious,
Are you coming to the tasting afterwards? There will be many fine beers to sample.

[Insidious Rex]

Its a little far for me to hike just for a tasting but Im willing to make time for it if it involves Pliny the Elder and I have enough advance warning. :D

[clcoyle]

Dang! Paradise is a bit far from Columbus, Ohio, but I still might be crazy enough to try it some day on the bike. It'd have to be a (long) weekend road trip. In nice weather.

But yes, I when there's anything left to bottle, or if I need kegspace, I use the Beergun exclusively to bottle after I've carbonated in the keg.

I got mine from some less-known place that offered the accessory kit free with the gun. Look around - if you can't find someone that does that, I'll dig and find where I got mine. Some place in New York, I think.

Sounds like a great concept. Keep us posted!

[Phatz]

Originally posted by clcoyle
But yes, I when there's anything left to bottle, or if I need kegspace, I use the Beergun exclusively to bottle after I've carbonated in the keg.

Since you have used this process before I have a question for you. Will we have issues with foaming if we move the keg in a truck day of bottling. Someone told me today to set the keg up several days in advance, but that not be very practical for us; possible if need be but...
What are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Matt

[clcoyle]

Originally posted by Phatz
Since you have used this process before I have a question for you. Will we have issues with foaming if we move the keg in a truck day of bottling. Someone told me today to set the keg up several days in advance, but that not be very practical for us; possible if need be but...
What are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Matt



I haven't tried bottling from a transported keg, but I have taken kegs to parties, one about an hour down the road (to 'the country'). I wondered what I'd find when I got there, but there wasn't any problem with foaming. We tapped it and it was fine.

I've also seen recommendations to chill the bottles to the same temp as the keg to cut down on foaming, but I don't mess with that; what little foam I do get just gets capped inside, and that's the end of it. Set the gas pressure low, and it shouldn't foam much.


I got the gun from brewcitysupplies.com, out of Wisconsin. They weren't fast, but the extras were included. I remember now that there was one piece I needed that wasn't in the accessory kit, but I'll have to pour a few and check my notes and see if I can come up with what it was. some gas fitting, I think...

[ClockworkOrange]

Maybe I'll have to bring the keg over on Friday to allow it to settle?

[roggae]

is anyone going from the harrisburg area? would love to split gas/ride.

thanks

[ClockworkOrange]

I think there are some BA's from the Harrisburg/ Camp Hill area attending. Matt would know more about that though. Hey Matt...?

[Phatz]

Originally posted by ClockworkOrange
I think there are some BA's from the Harrisburg/ Camp Hill area attending. Matt would know more about that though. Hey Matt...?

York and Mount Joy is the best I can do at the moment though Harrisburg beer fans (BA's some) are invited I just haven't heard the word. Send me a beer mail and I will talk to you more about the specifics if you are interested in stopping by for our tasting. We would love to meet more craft beer fans, real beer member and so forth, and put a face to a screen-name.

Cheers!
Matt