Brewing your beer is an exciting accomplishment, but sometimes you must package it to share it with the world. Whether you want to enter your bottle in a competition or gift it to a friend, you’ll need a suitable bottle filler.
Beer guns are effective bottle fillers. They minimize the risk of oxidation while eliminating the mess associated with keg taps.
While commercial beer guns are expensive, you can save money by building a DIY bottle filler. I have scoured the internet for simple yet effective DIY beer gun plans you can follow to make a homemade beer gun.
So switch on your creativity, and let’s explore some DIY beer gun plans.
Note: These DIY beer gun plans are ranked from the simplest to the most complex.
1. The $40 Beer Gun by Homebrew Talk
- Ease of Construction: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Functionality: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Our first entrant comes courtesy of the Homebrew Talk blog. This device features gas and beer lines held together by vinyl tubing.
The $40 beer gun by Homebrew Talk can preserve carbonation by flashing out oxygen before injecting beer into a chilled bottle. This beer gun takes place first because it uses simple materials and is easy to construct.
You do not have to be a metal expert in crafting this $40 beer gun. This Homebrew Talk article does a great job of outlining all the steps of the build.
2. Counter-Pressure Bottle Filler by Joshua Briggs
- Ease of Construction: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Functionality: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
In his YouTube channel, Joshua Briggs demonstrates how to make a simple counter-pressure bottle filler. What set’s apart this beer gun from other counter-pressure setups is its vent valve.
You need not squeeze the rubber stopper to release foam and carbon dioxide pressure. Opening the vent valve will do the trick.
The only drawback to this design is that it needs a gas line. You’ll need another device for carbon dioxide purging.
Overall, the setup is simple, and the materials are affordable and readily available.
3. DIY Counter-Pressure Bottle Filler by SommBeer
- Ease of Construction: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Functionality: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
In an article posted on SommBeer’s website, Will Deutschman explains how to make a counter-pressure bottle filler stand. The setup is neat and effective. It delivers both beer and carbon dioxide.
In this counter-pressure bottle filler, the liquid and gas lines converge at the neck of the bottle filler. Each line has taps and valves, thus regulating fluid flow.
A unique feature of this design is the vent valve located on the neck of the bottle filler. This vent valve has two functions, releasing carbon dioxide and foam pressure.
If you’re looking for a clean setup with less spillage risk, this DIY counter-pressure filler is your ticket.
Another advantage of this device is that it is made from simple materials found in hardware and hobby stores. However, you will need some technical knowledge. The stand is built from wood; you must know your way around nails and screws.
4. The Blichmann-Inspired DIY Gun by TheShaggyOne2
- Ease of Construction: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Functionality: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Inspired by the Blichmann beer gun, YouTuber, TheShaggyOne2, set out to replicate the commercial beer gun.
Using brass tubes and an air valve, TheShaggyOne2 recreates the Blichmann beer gun. He uses locally sourced material that you can find locally at your nearest hobby or hardware store.
The only drawback to TheShaggyOne2’s design is that his beer gun requires some technical know-how. He drills holes at the back and on the neck of a quarter-inch elbow joint.
Construction should be manageable if you’re handy with a drill.
The ShaggyOne2 also recognizes the leeching effect associated with brass. As a solution, the YouTuber recommends using stainless steel lines instead.
In this YouTube video published in 2014, he explains that construction costs between $15 and $ 20.
Material costs may have increased since then due to inflation.
5. Counter-Presher Beer Gun by This Dad Goes to 11
- Ease of Construction: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Functionality: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Built by the YouTube channel, This Dad Goes to 11; this beer gun is made of a plastic tube, a silicone connecter, and a rubber stopper. While the beer gun lacks a carbon dioxide line, it compensates with the rubber stopper.
The stopper fits tightly on the neck of the beer bottle. As you fill your bottle with beer, the beverage compresses the gas in the container. High pressure in the bottle discourages foaming and therefore retains carbonization.
You’ll have to squeeze the rubber stopper repeatedly to purge the high-pressure gas while filling the bottle.
6. Beer Gun by HowToStartHomebrewing.com
- Ease of Construction: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Functionality: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
On their website, HowToStartHomebrewing.com explains how to make a DIY counter-pressure beer gun. Even though the gas and liquid lines are constructed as separate devices, they complement each other quite well.
The liquid line is a counter-pressure bottle filler with a rubber stopper. The gas line is an intricate network of tubes with a gas valve.
The gas line purges the bottle with carbon dioxide before filling it with beer. The rubber stopper prevents foaming and carbonization loss by maintaining high pressure in the bottle.
Since the gas and liquid lines come as separate devices, bottle filling will take longer than beer guns with combined liquid and gas systems.
7. HBW’s Homemade Beer Gun
- Ease of Construction: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Functionality: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
On their YouTube channel, The Alchemist Brewery demonstrates how to use their homemade beer gun. The HBW DIY beer gun is an intricate system comprising hoses, tubings, bottle fillers, and taps.
While it may look complex, it has separate gas and liquid lines. In the demonstration, the YouTuber purges the bottle with a carbon dioxide stream before filling it with beer.
Since the gas and liquid lines are separate systems, bottle filling is time-consuming.
8. DIY Beer Gun by Matho, The Braumiser
- Ease of Construction: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Functionality: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
On AussieHomebrewer.com’s DIY Projects forum, Matho, The Braumise, explains his attempt at the beer gun. He uses an assortment of materials, including a car antenna as a bottle filler.
Matho’s beer gun looks exactly like the Blichmann bottle filler.
The liquid and gas lines are in-built, and the build looks professional. As well as it works or as pristine as it seems, Matho’s creation is a complex build.
To make this DIY beer gun, you must be handy with power tools. You’ll have to drill a hole at the back of the elbow joint. The trigger is also made from a scrap piece of stainless steel, and it would be best to know how to trim metal.
According to Matho, The Braumiser, the materials cost him about $28. His instructions are detailed and clear.
9. 3D-Printed DIY Hands-Free Counter-pressure Bottle Filler by Yasu
- Ease of Construction: ⭐ ⭐
- Functionality: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
In his channel, YouTuber, Yasu, demonstrates how he made a counter-pressure filler with valves and 3D-printed connectors.
His design features gas and liquid lines that merge at the bottle filler’s neck. The build also features a vent valve that releases pressurized carbon dioxide and foam.
The DIY beer gun works flawlessly. It’s not messy; you can expect a clean station whenever you fill your bottles.
The video needs to do a better job of explaining how Yasu made the device. The YouTuber does not list the materials needed and the measurements required. Construction also needs a 3D printer, which is not available to everyone.
But if you manage to replicate their process, you have a beer gun for the ages.
10. Homemade Beer Gun by Make Beer Easy
- Ease of Construction: ⭐ ⭐
- Functionality: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Youtuber, Big Robb, shows off his homemade beer gun on his channel. According to the YouTuber, construction cost him next to nothing, as he had the materials on hand.
The device is simple. You only need a bottle filler, a silicone hose, and a picnic tap. No valves are visible in the video. Big Robb appears to regulate carbon dioxide flow directly from the gas tank.
This beer gun scores poorly in ease of construction because Big Robb needs to explain how he made it. His device only has one line that mixes both gas and liquid.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, 10 DIY beer gun plans. You do not have to break the bank to get an effective bottle filler. With the plans above, you can share your creation with the world.
What DIY beer gun plan impressed you the most? Which bottle filler are you looking forward to building? Please let us know in the comment section below.
As a homebrewer, Michael would get frustrated about the lack of brewing information on the internet. After hundreds of gallons of spoilt batches, Micheal had enough. And he founded Unknown Brewing as a resource for homebrewers.