- A counter-pressure filler or beer gun fills bottles from a carbonated keg while purging oxygen with CO2, so the bottle holds the keg’s carbonation without priming sugar.
- Faucet-mounted fillers (Tapcooler, Nukatap) are the simplest if you already have forward-sealing faucets; line-fed wands (Eagle KEG801, Brickman) work from any keg.
- There is no Blichmann Beer Gun in our catalogue, and one “beer gun” listing is a dispensing gun rather than a bottle filler, so this list sticks to true fillers plus a carbonation cap, and says so.
- Fill cold, carbonated beer into cold, sanitized bottles, cap right away and stay within your keg and bottle limits.
The best beer gun or counter-pressure bottle filler lets you bottle a few beers straight from a keg for competitions, gifts to brewers 21 and over, or cellaring, without bottle-conditioning. A beer gun pushes CO2 into the bottle first to flush out air, then fills from the bottom with cold beer. A true counter-pressure filler goes a step further and pressurizes the bottle, so the beer fills with less foam.
Honest scope note: Blichmann’s well-known Beer Gun isn’t in our catalogue, and a listing sold as a “beer gun” turned out to be a picnic-style dispensing gun, so we left it out. That leaves seven true fillers and one adjacent tool from seven brands. Fittings, valves and sizes are as listed.
Our picks
Tapcooler Counter Pressure Bottle Filler
Tapcooler
- Taps
- Attaches to forward-sealing faucets
- Gauges
- Pressure relief valve; CO2 purge
- Type
- Counter-pressure bottle filler
The Tapcooler attaches straight to a forward-sealing faucet, purges bottles with CO2 before and after filling, and uses a pressure relief valve to control fill speed and foam. It is stainless and sold for competitions, sharing and personal use.
Best for: Brewers with forward-sealing faucets on the kegerator
Skip if: Your faucets are standard rear-sealing
- Mounts on the faucet
- Pre- and post-fill CO2 purge
- Relief valve controls foam
- Needs a compatible faucet
- Separate CO2 line to the filler
KegLand Nukatap Counter Pressure Bottle Filler
KegLand
- Taps
- Slides into forward-sealing faucets
- Couplers
- 2 × 8 mm Duotight, 2 ball lock post adapters
- Gauges
- Oxygen purge button
KegLand’s Nukatap counter-pressure filler is all stainless, slides into forward-sealing faucets or connects to a keg directly, has a telescopic filling stem and an oxygen purge button, and includes two 8 mm Duotight adapters, two ball lock post adapters and 19.5 in. of EVABarrier tubing.
Best for: Nukatap and Intertap setups
Skip if: You don’t use Duotight fittings
- Faucet or direct keg use
- Telescopic stem
- Purge button
- Duotight fittings to learn
- Short tubing included
Eagle KEG801 Counter Pressure Bottle Filler
Eagle Brewing
- Taps
- Three-position valve (off, beer, CO2)
- Couplers
- 3/16 in. beer barb, 5/16 in. gas barb
- Type
- Counter-pressure bottle filler
Eagle’s KEG801 has a three-position valve (off, beer, CO2), a 3/16 in. beer barb and a 5/16 in. gas barb. It is designed for 12 oz bottles and extends to 22 oz with a short piece of 1/4 in. tubing; country of origin is listed as the United States.
Best for: Bottling straight from a keg line
Skip if: You want a one-handed, trigger-style wand
- Three-way valve
- 12–22 oz bottles
- Standard barb sizes
- More steps per bottle
- Needs a gas line and a beer line
Brickman Counter Pressure Bottling Wand
Brickman
- Taps
- Beer gun-style filler
- Type
- Counter-pressure bottle filler
- Material
- 304 stainless steel
Brickman’s 304 stainless wand sends CO2 and then beer down the same tube to the bottom of the bottle, with a valve you turn toward the CO2 line to rinse and toward the beer line to fill, and an adjustable pressure relief on the side to control fill speed.
Best for: A low-cost start on bottling from kegs
Skip if: You want a faucet-mounted filler
- 304 stainless
- CO2 rinse then fill
- Adjustable relief
- Fittings for your lines not detailed
McbeAn Counter Pressure Bottle Filler, Adjustable
McbeAn
- Type
- Counter-pressure bottle filler
- Material
- 304 stainless valves
- Size
- Bottle inner diameter 10–50 mm
The McbeAn filler uses 304 stainless valves and a discharge valve, with an elbow that directs beer down the bottle wall to reduce foam. It fits bottle openings from 10 to 50 mm per the listing, including glass, plastic and wine bottles.
Best for: Mixed bottle sizes, cider and sparkling mead
Skip if: You only fill standard 12 oz bottles
- 10–50 mm openings
- Discharge valve
- Height adjustable
- Stand-style setup takes bench space
Medusa MultiHead Counter Pressure Bottle Filler, Gen 2
Medusa
- Taps
- Multiple fill heads
- Couplers
- Dual TC fill reservoir
- Material
- Stainless frame and reservoir
The Medusa MultiHead Gen 2 fills several bottles at once from a stainless reservoir that keeps fill rates equal, with 3-way stainless valves on the inlet and back-pressure side of every head, inverted fill tubes and a reservoir purge. The stainless frame stands alone or bolts down.
Best for: Bottling a whole keg for a club event or competition
Skip if: You only bottle a six-pack now and then
- Several heads at once
- Even fill rates
- Stainless frame
- Number of heads not listed on this listing
- More parts to clean
KegLand Cannular Can and Bottle Filler, RAPT, 110–120V
KegLand
- Type
- Automated can/bottle filler
- Power
- 110–120V
- Connectivity
- Wi-Fi, RAPT portal
KegLand’s Cannular automatically fills bottles, cans, jars or glasses, with a built-in pinch valve and regulator, an automatic CO2 purge and programmable fill profiles through the RAPT portal over Wi-Fi. It runs on 110–120V and fits bottles up to 11.8 in. and cans up to 10.6 in.
Best for: Canning homebrew
Skip if: You don’t own a can seamer or want a simple manual tool
- Automatic fills
- CO2 purge
- Wi-Fi fill profiles
- 110–120V outlet needed
- Can seamer not included
FERRODAY Stainless Carbonation Cap, 2-Pack
FERRODAY
- Couplers
- Ball lock post, 5/16 in. barb
- Type
- Carbonation cap
- Size
- Fits PCO1881 PET bottles
FERRODAY’s stainless carbonation caps (2-pack) screw onto PET soda bottles with the PCO1881 thread and give them a ball lock post. Fill a PET bottle from the keg, squeeze out the air, cap and top up with CO2 to keep carbonation for a short trip.
Best for: Taking a sample to a club meeting
Skip if: You need glass bottles for competition entries
- Ball lock post
- Fits common soda bottles
- Two caps
- PET bottles only
- Not a long-term package
Beer gun or counter-pressure filler: which do you need?
Fillers compared by listed specs
| Filler | Type | Connects to | CO2 purge | Bottle fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tapcooler | Counter-pressure | Forward-sealing faucet | ✓ Before and after | Not listed |
| Nukatap filler | Counter-pressure | Faucet or keg (Duotight, ball lock adapters) | ✓ Purge button | Telescopic stem |
| Eagle KEG801 | Counter-pressure | 3/16 in. beer, 5/16 in. gas barbs | ✓ CO2 valve position | 12–22 oz |
| Brickman wand | Beer-gun style | Beer and CO2 lines | ✓ CO2 rinse | Not listed |
| McbeAn | Counter-pressure | Beer and gas lines | ~ Discharge valve | 10–50 mm openings |
| Medusa MultiHead | Multi-head counter-pressure | Dual TC reservoir | ✓ Reservoir purge | Not listed |
| KegLand Cannular | Automated | Keg, 110–120V | ✓ Automatic | Bottles to 11.8 in., cans to 10.6 in. |
| FERRODAY cap | Carbonation cap | Ball lock gas line | ~ Squeeze and top up | PCO1881 PET |
Source: Maker listings, November 2026
If you already own forward-sealing faucets, a faucet-mounted filler is the least plumbing. If you don’t, a line-fed wand or the KEG801 works from any keg with a spare gas line. Only choose a multi-head or automated filler when you bottle whole kegs or can.
What you still need to bottle from a keg
None of these fillers works alone. Before your first session, line up:
- A carbonated, cold keg on a CO2 regulator, plus a spare gas line with a ball lock gas disconnect for fillers that take CO2 separately (Eagle KEG801, Brickman, McbeAn).
- Forward-sealing faucets for the Tapcooler and the Nukatap filler.
- Clean pry-off bottles and caps in the right size, and a capper close at hand so you can cap on foam.
- Sanitizer at label dilution and a small bucket to catch foam.
- A can seamer and cans if you plan to can with the Cannular; the listing covers the filler only.
Keep the session short and cold. Beer that warms up in the line foams more with every bottle, so fill in batches and return the keg to the fridge between them. Record which bottles came from which keg and when, and drink keg-filled bottles within the time you would drink any homebrew of that style.
How carbonated and cold should the keg be?
Bottle from a keg that is fully carbonated and cold, because cold beer holds CO2 and foams less. Many brewers carbonate a little higher than serving level for bottles, since some CO2 is lost in the fill. Check the pressure for your keg temperature on the chart, or with the keg carbonation calculator, and keep standard bottles to about 3.0 volumes.
Keg pressure (psi, sea level) by beer temperature and target CO2 volumes
| Beer temp | 1.8 vol | 2.0 vol | 2.2 vol | 2.4 vol | 2.6 vol | 2.8 vol | 3.0 vol | 3.2 vol |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32°F 0°C | 1.6 | 3.5 | 5.4 | 7.3 | 9.2 | 11.0 | 12.9 | 14.8 |
| 34°F 1.1°C | 2.3 | 4.3 | 6.3 | 8.2 | 10.2 | 12.1 | 14.1 | 16.0 |
| 36°F 2.2°C | 3.1 | 5.1 | 7.2 | 9.2 | 11.2 | 13.3 | 15.3 | 17.3 |
| 38°F 3.3°C | 3.9 | 6.0 | 8.1 | 10.2 | 12.3 | 14.4 | 16.5 | 18.6 |
| 40°F 4.4°C | 4.7 | 6.8 | 9.0 | 11.2 | 13.4 | 15.5 | 17.7 | 19.8 |
| 42°F 5.6°C | 5.5 | 7.7 | 10.0 | 12.2 | 14.4 | 16.7 | 18.9 | 21.1 |
| 44°F 6.7°C | 6.3 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 13.2 | 15.5 | 17.8 | 20.1 | 22.4 |
| 46°F 7.8°C | 7.1 | 9.5 | 11.8 | 14.2 | 16.6 | 19.0 | 21.3 | 23.7 |
| 48°F 8.9°C | 7.9 | 10.4 | 12.8 | 15.3 | 17.7 | 20.1 | 22.6 | 25.0 |
| 50°F 10°C | 8.7 | 11.3 | 13.8 | 16.3 | 18.8 | 21.3 | 23.8 | 26.3 |
| 52°F 11.1°C | 9.6 | 12.2 | 14.8 | 17.3 | 19.9 | 22.5 | 25.1 | 27.6 |
| 54°F 12.2°C | 10.4 | 13.1 | 15.7 | 18.4 | 21.1 | 23.7 | 26.3 | 29.0 |
| 56°F 13.3°C | 11.3 | 14.0 | 16.7 | 19.5 | 22.2 | 24.9 | 27.6 | 30.3 |
Formula: PSI = −16.6999 − 0.0101059·T + 0.00116512·T² + 0.173354·T·V + 4.24267·V − 0.0684226·V². Checked against the BYO grid (40°F and 2.4 vol: 11.19 psi by formula, 11.2 psi on the chart). Regulator gauges read relative to local air pressure. BYO notes that Denver needs about 3 psi over the sea-level chart; add roughly 0.5 psi per 1,000 ft. Sources: BYO: Carbonation priming chart; Brewer's Friend: Force carbonation chart; Brewers Association: Draught Beer Quality Manual.
How to bottle from a keg in 6 steps
- Chill everything
Keep the keg cold and chill the bottles in the fridge or an ice bath. Warm bottles cause foam.
- Sanitize the filler and bottles
Run sanitizer at label dilution through the filler, and sanitize bottles and caps.
- Lower serving pressure for the fill
Many brewers drop keg pressure a little and vent headspace before filling to slow the pour; raise it back afterward from the chart.
- Purge with CO2
Push CO2 into the bottle to flush air before the beer goes in.
- Fill from the bottom
Fill slowly from the bottom, using the relief or back-pressure valve to control foam. Leave headspace.
- Cap on foam
Purge the headspace again if your filler allows, then cap immediately. A bench capper speeds this up; see our bottle capper picks.
Bottling-from-keg mistakes to avoid
- Warm bottles or warm beer. Both cause foam and flat bottles.
- Leaving the filler dirty. Beer dries inside valves; clean and sanitize right after use.
- Adding priming sugar to keg-filled bottles. The beer is already carbonated; priming would over-carbonate it.
- Exceeding bottle limits. Standard 12 oz bottles are good to about 3.0 volumes.
- No regulator on the gas line. Every filler here needs regulated CO2, never straight cylinder pressure.
Homebrew is often stronger than store beer. If you send bottles as gifts, label the strength (the ABV calculator helps) and give them only to adults 21 and over.
Who should pick which filler?
| If you… | Pick |
|---|---|
| Have forward-sealing faucets | Tapcooler |
| Run Nukatap or Intertap faucets and Duotight lines | Nukatap counter-pressure filler |
| Want a classic line-fed filler | Eagle KEG801 |
| Want the lowest-cost wand | Brickman |
| Fill mixed bottle sizes | McbeAn |
| Bottle whole kegs for events | Medusa MultiHead |
| Want to can homebrew | KegLand Cannular |
| Take samples to a club meeting | FERRODAY carbonation caps |
Not kegging yet? Bottle-condition with the priming sugar calculator, or start with our homebrew keg systems and beer faucets. Browse kegging and draft and bottling and capping.
The Tapcooler is the best counter-pressure bottle filler if your kegerator has forward-sealing faucets, and the Nukatap filler is the pick for KegLand and Intertap setups. Without compatible faucets, the Eagle KEG801 or Brickman wand works from any keg; the Medusa and Cannular are for bottling or canning whole kegs.
Before you buy, read bottling from a keg: beer guns and counter-pressure and homebrew clubs and competitions. For a closer look, see Bottling vs kegging homebrew.
We compared filler type, connections, purge and valve design and bottle fit from maker listings, excluded a listing that describes a dispensing gun rather than a bottle filler, and used BYO’s carbonation grid and published CO2 and glass safety guidance. We did not fill bottles with these products. No scores, ratings or prices.