collecting caps!

BrewSwag 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
hungry4hops

hungry4hops

Hop to it!
Joined
Sep 19, 2011
Messages
1,004
Reaction score
130
Location
aston
I collect cool bottle caps and im sure many of you probably do, I was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks for opening a beer without completely annihilating the cap! Or maybe there is like a nice opener that doesn't ruin them, I would be willing to buy it!
 
hungry4hops said:
I collect cool bottle caps and im sure many of you probably do, I was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks for opening a beer without completely annihilating the cap! Or maybe there is like a nice opener that doesn't ruin them, I would be willing to buy it!
Click to expand...

I use the bottom of a bic lighter, grip right below the cap, insert lighter with index finger as fulcrum, pry off. Been doing this since high school. No damage to lid, can even snap it back on the bottle when SWMBO hollers you in to clean up your mess or whatever
 
hungry4hops said:
I collect cool bottle caps and im sure many of you probably do, I was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks for opening a beer without completely annihilating the cap! Or maybe there is like a nice opener that doesn't ruin them, I would be willing to buy it!
Click to expand...

Teeth work well
 
Stauffbier said:
We demand a video of you doing this!
Click to expand...

I've known several idiots to have done this. If you've got some big ol horse teeth it seems to go ok. When a "lady" does it it is particularly entertaining
 
Lots of good ideas guys!!!!! (Except for the teeth one! Ouch)

RogerMcAllen said:
The bottle on bottle method usually keeps a clean cap.
Click to expand...

I've never heard of this, please explain!!
 
Ive always found that a conventional bottle opener keeps caps intact as long as you pop them off very quickly, like ripping off a bandaid. Dont pry, just set it and pop fast.
 
r8odecay said:
I use the bottom of a bic lighter, grip right below the cap, insert lighter with index finger as fulcrum, pry off. Been doing this since high school. No damage to lid, can even snap it back on the bottle when SWMBO hollers you in to clean up your mess or whatever
Click to expand...

+1...a lighter, the side of a pair of scissors, a flat tip screwdriver, small piece of hardwood...pretty much anything with a blunt edge that will fit under the edge of a cap. A lighter is definitely one of the best/easiest, but I don't smoke anymore so rarely have a regular lighter around anymore....
 
hungry4hops said:
Nice!
Click to expand...

I learned that while swmbo and I were on the beach in St Lucia and the beach dude brought us a bucket of beers but no opener. He looked at me like an idiot when I asked for an opener. He showed me that and I shall never want for a bottle opener again. haha. I do have one on my keychain at all times now though. I would feel like less of a beer nerd if I didn't have that.
 
zeekage said:
I learned that while swmbo and I were on the beach in St Lucia and the beach dude brought us a bucket of beers but no opener. He looked at me like an idiot when I asked for an opener. He showed me that and I shall never want for a bottle opener again. haha. I do have one on my keychain at all times now though. I would feel like less of a beer nerd if I didn't have that.
Click to expand...

How do you open the last one?
 
You had to ask that didn't you? :p Eye socket. Obviously. :drunk:

I think I used an empty bottle to do it, but it doesnt work as well as a capped bottle. Principle is the same though. More risk of chipping the glass that way too.
 
I've got a couple of openers that do a pretty good job. One is a standard corkscrew with arms that has a bottle opener on the top. Another is an Abita opener.

You can place the edge of a table or fence under the cap and smack the top of the beer. Pops the cap off pretty cleanly. (Usually leaving marks on the edge of whatever you used...)
 
zeekage said:
You had to ask that didn't you? :p Eye socket. Obviously. :drunk:
Click to expand...

I did. I'm sorry. I'd use that opener on your keychain before the eye socket though. Just a friendly tip:)

Homercidal said:
You can place the edge of a table or fence under the cap and smack the top of the beer. Pops the cap off pretty cleanly. (Usually leaving marks on the edge of whatever you used...)
Click to expand...

I've done this plenty of times...don't use good furniture...
 
They sell paint can openers at hardware stores that have a bottle opener on the other end. They remove bottle caps without denting them.

paintopener-lg.jpg
 
Iv found that the bic lighter works great and after you get that down it almost gets entertaining picking up random items that may be at a arms reach away. I don't smoke but most of the time one of the guys sitting right next to me does lol. just be creative and find any hard object that won't break and give it a try
 
LandoLincoln said:
They sell paint can openers at hardware stores that have a bottle opener on the other end. They remove bottle caps without denting them.

paintopener-lg.jpg
Click to expand...

Funny! I've used these at work for years and years, but never paid attention to the bottle opener on the end.
 
I made this... it works perfectly, the caps don't bend at all if the screw is adjusted to the correct depth.

opener.jpg


Cost about $5 bucks at HD, all you need is a 3/4" square wooden dowel and some screws. I was able to make about a half dozen out of one dowel so I gave some to friends and also my local beer bar and they're all collecting caps for me (I'm going to cover the bar-top of my future keezer with caps).

Super simple to make, just chop the dowel into ~6-8" sections, drill a pilot hole, and start screw. After the screw is started put a bottle cap upside down on the dowel next to the screw and drive the screw in as far as you can without it touching the cap. Voila, a little sanding and you're ready to go. The screws I used were all longer than the thickness of the wood so I used my Dremel to cut them to a smaller size so they wouldn't cut through the back.
 
Jersh said:
I made this... it works perfectly, the caps don't bend at all if the screw is adjusted to the correct depth.

Cost about $5 bucks at HD, all you need is a 3/4" square wooden dowel and some screws. I was able to make about a half dozen out of one dowel so I gave some to friends and also my local beer bar and they're all collecting caps for me (I'm going to cover the bar-top of my future keezer with caps).

Super simple to make, just chop the dowel into ~6-8" sections, drill a pilot hole, and start screw. After the screw is started put a bottle cap upside down on the dowel next to the screw and drive the screw in as far as you can without it touching the cap. Voila, a little sanding and you're ready to go. The screws I used were all longer than the thickness of the wood so I used my Dremel to cut them to a smaller size so they wouldn't cut through the back.
Click to expand...

I like it.
 
I wish i had collected one from each beer ive tried in the last two years oh well i still remember them all.
There is also a technique with a regulaar opener that people figure out that collect them seen some beer reviewers do it. Seems they barely slowly open it in a few spots till it pops off.
 
Stauffbier said:
You can also put a coin on top of the cap and use a conventional opener ;)
Click to expand...

Did this last night used a quarter on a dfh 120 minute worked like a charm the cap looks mint!
 
hungry4hops said:
Did this last night used a quarter on a dfh 120 minute worked like a charm the cap looks mint!
Click to expand...

I'm glad it worked for you. I went in my garage last night and found one of the paint can openers that LandoLincoln recommended. It also worked very well. It didn't leave any marks or bends. The good thing about the paint can openers is that they are free at Lowe's and Home Depot in the paint department..
 
hungry4hops said:
Now all I have to do is find a cool way to display them!
Click to expand...

A lot of people (including myself) turn them into fridge magnets. You can either glue them to a 3/4" round magnet or just let the magnet hold them, which is what I do.. Then use them to cover your keezer, kegerator, ferm chamber, etc.. :mug:
 
My favorite bottle opener that doesn't dent the caps is my lighter. Anything thing with a flat surface will work. I have used cell phones, irons, wrenches, etc. As long as you grab high on the neck and use yor knuckle as the leverage point you can get the cap off. We do the magnet thing as stated above, along with pins for my punker friends.
 

Similar threads

F
insane deals at williams
Replies
1
Views
666
mac_1103
mac_1103
F
cleaning and storing PET bottle (pop bottles)
Replies
9
Views
1K
fluketamer
F
Clint Yeastwood
Pliers for Getting Caps Off Kegland Disconnects
Replies
15
Views
2K
Clint Yeastwood
Clint Yeastwood
D
No carbonation
Replies
12
Views
1K
ncbrewer
N
ChlorineQueen
Constructing a clone recipe for Rogue's 2019 Santa's Private Reserve with candy cap mushrooms
Replies
5
Views
679
NiwotBrew
N
InkBird 300

Latest posts

Back
Top