Note: the following is an unbiased review of a product I purchased myself. This is not a sponsored review.
Brewing beer is a lot of work. After hours of brewing and weeks of waiting, the only thing better than cracking open some homebrew for yourself is having the opportunity to share it with friends and family. The easiest way to do that is to package it in bottles or cans.
Traditionally, beer would be carbonated through bottle conditioning, whereby priming sugar would be added to the finished beer so that it could re-ferment in the bottle. As the yeast produces CO2, it dissolves in solution and carbonates the beer.
Today, many brewers prefer force carbonating their beer using CO2 gas and a pressure-rated vessel such as a keg. The process is faster than bottle conditioning and also produces a clearer beer because there will be no sediment in the bottle from re-fermentation.
When it comes to bottling force-carbonated beer at home, there are some different options available. When canning, fewer options still. One tool that can be used for either is the Beer Gun V2 by Blichmann Engineering.
Ease of use: 3/5
The Beer Gun itself is straightforward to operate. You hold it in one hand and place the nozzle of the gun into the bottom of an empty, sanitized bottle or can. The larger tubing (pictured at the bottom of the kit) screws onto the included flare beverage-out ball lock disconnect. The other end of the tubing slides over the rear of the barrel, which protrudes out the back of the gun. This is the beverage line.
One end of the smaller tubing (pictured at the top of the kit) screws onto the bottom of the grip. The other end is designed to screw onto a flared gas connector. If your regulator does not have one, you'll need to provide your own solution. It is important to note that two gas connections are needed: the connection mentioned here allows CO2 to be dispensed from the barrel of the gun (to purge oxygen from the bottle or can prior to filling). A second connection needs to be hooked up to the keg itself so that beer can be pushed through the gun. Accordingly, you will either need a dual-tap CO2 regulator, or some means to split the gas line from your CO2 tank such as a tee or "Y" fitting. You can find more information in the Owners Manual.
Once you are all hooked up, operating the gun is as easy as purging a bottle/can with CO2 by pressing your thumb against a steel plate at the back of the gun, then filling it with beer by pulling the trigger. That said, while the operation of the gun is easy, holding it in one hand with two hoses attached can make it unwieldy if you have to set it down or maneuver it around your bottling space.
Quality: 2/5
The gun itself is made from stainless steel and plastic. It feels sturdy enough and operates well. However, the included hoses have a chemical smell and feel cheap. As mentioned above, if your regulator does not have a flared gas fitting, the Beer Gun will not work out of the box and you'll need to buy other parts to make the connection. I ended up purchasing a cheap brass nipple to connect a flared fitting on the end of my regulator hose to this one. I also found the strap holding the upper hose to be a frustration. It is stuck to the case with an adhesive strip, which was falling off in no time.
Effectiveness: 3/5
The effectiveness varies depending on whether you are canning or bottling your beer. The Beer Gun will allow you to package your beer quickly and reliably. However, one challenge it faces is the loss of carbonation from the beer during the bottling process. If you are canning your beer at home, there isn't a great alternative to the Beer Gun. You may wish to consider slightly over-carbonating you beer prior to packaging to combat the loss of CO2. No matter how great your can looks, you won't be impressing anyone if the beer that pours out is under-carbonated.
When it comes to bottling, the Beer Gun has inferior effectiveness compared to a counter-pressure bottle filler, which is what a brewery would use for their bottles. The latter works by keeping the bottle under pressure with CO2 while carbonated beer flows in. This pressure keeps more CO2 from escaping solution as foam, and ultimately packages a crisper, carbonated product.
Cost: 3/5
At $99.99, it is not cheap. However, the cost is on par with other mid-range bottling solutions, including some counter-pressure bottle fillers. High-quality single-bottle fillers can run several times this amount.
Overall: 3/5
Knowing its limitations, you can make good use of this product and reliably package your beer. If you are planning to can your beer, this is pretty much the standard; just plan to over-carbonate your beer a bit before canning. For those looking to bottle beer, especially if you plan to compete with your homebrew, there are better solutions out there. I would suggest looking into a counter-pressure bottle filler and skip over the Beer Gun.
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