Yikes. Capper broke, store is closed!

Fifteen bottles into my five gallon bottler my big red capper broke. It is 6pm so of course the homebrew store is closed till noon tomorrow. I went ahead and finished the bottling and used Saran wrap and rubber bands to "seal" them. Tonight the low will be 50 f. Thinking that would be too cold and maybe kill the yeast, I moved the bottles inside.
Q. Am I doing the right thing?
Q. Any suggestions about how not to break the next capper?

putts

You should be fine. I'd buy a bench capper. I've never used a wing capper. Mines 80 years old and still works great. If you end up with another wing capper, check ebay I see vintage cappers sell for less then 20 all the time.

You might try removing the bell from the capper, if possible, and using a pair of pliers or vice grips to hold it, tap with a rubber mallet (or carefully with a hammer) until they are crimped.

When using the red baron capper try not to use all the pressure down on the handles. If you push toward the outside not down it will crimp them without so much pressure on the handles. That is assuming that the problem was with one of the handles.

Did you buy your capper from Northern Brewer? Previous poster today, broken capper, called NB, they said bad batch from factory, sending a replacement.

Trade up to a Super Agata bench capper.

I'd personally rack it back to the fermenter (resanitize it or a different one if needed), toss the beer back into it with an airlock, let the priming sugar ferment out and try again a different day.

What do you mean, 'let the priming sugar ferment out?" how long would that take?

what bench capper is recommended. I have a wing capper and don't want to get caught with a broken capper

I'd leave at 50 degrees. It definitely won't kill the yeast but it will help to prevent the yeast from eating the priming sugar, depending on how cold the beer actually gets.


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You can come get mine and use it if you like.

alverd said:

You can come get mine and use it if you like.

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Tombstone0 said:

I'd leave at 50 degrees. It definitely won't kill the yeast but it will help to prevent the yeast from eating the priming sugar, depending on how cold the beer actually gets.
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That is what I was thinking but since I don't know you (sorry)how can I verify 50 deg won't damage the yeast?
How long can the beer last in saran wrap? It might be a couple of days before I find a bench capper.

puttster said:

That is what I was thinking but since I don't know you (sorry)how can I verify 50 deg won't damage the yeast?
How long can the beer last in saran wrap? It might be a couple of days before I find a bench capper.

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Fifty degrees will only let the yeast go dormant. As soon as they are rewarmed their back to work.
Only freezing will damage the yeast. Then it is only 10% that may lose viability. Lagering temperatures are within 5° of freezing and the yeast are ready to go back to work bottle conditioning When warmed.
I have been using a Super Agata bench capper for about 5 to 6 years. No problems with it at all.
Your beer will be safe using sanitized foil or plastic wrap. Not quite the same as making a starter, but few starters have been contaminated while covered with foil.

puttster said:

That is what I was thinking but since I don't know you (sorry)how can I verify 50 deg won't damage the yeast?
How long can the beer last in saran wrap? It might be a couple of days before I find a bench capper.

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Yeast goes dormant at low temps. No need to worry about the yeast dying.

A good read is How to brew dot com. This will explain all.

You can take this info if you like 'cause I don't know you.

OK, getting to know everyone. You all convinced me, the beer is outside! After 7 hours the Saran wrap was not puffed out so maybe the yeast action has not heated up enough to make a problem, I hope not. The 50 deg should make sure.

The beer kit was a gift so probably I can't get a free capper replacement from Midwest, at least for a couple of days. Probably I will get one locally tomorrow, $20 for another hand job or $50 for a Colonna model.

Word of advice, when asking for help from strangers on a forum, don't discount what is said because you don't know someone. It's easy enough to google the yeast you used to see if 50 degrees will "kill" it. Cold crashing happens much colder and the yeast isn't killed, it's dormant.

Buy two wing cappers or one bench capper for sure. The seran wrap and lower temps is a good idea.

You don't know me either so it's possible the advice won't be taken but having a wing capper break on you isn't uncommon so having two seems logical.

puttster said:

What do you mean, 'let the priming sugar ferment out?" how long would that take?

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While you have solved your issue I shall reply for future reference of anyone searching. Priming sugar would probably finish fermenting in just a couple of days. Use the hydrometer just like you would for checking to see if primary fermentation is finished before you decided it was time to bottle. When the gravity stops dropping, it's done fermenting. End result will be a slightly higher % beer but I doubt it would impart enough alcohol to even be noticeable to the untrained palate.

Just to wrap up, I did buy another red capper, though a different brand. The salesman showed me how you don't have to put your weight on the handles to get a good seal. So as I capped, with light pressure, I laid the bottles on their side and lo and behold not one leaked.

Actually when mine broke, I broke the neck off the bottle as well, just to say how hard I was pushing.

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putts