A plug for my LHBS-free carb tabs!

I went by my LHBS (Hop to it Brew Supplies in Boulder Colorado) today to get supplies for my Red Kelpie Hint o' Pumpkin Ale (a red ale from Papazian modified and added a little pumkin and spices). I also took in a few flip top bottles I bought there that didn't carb at all. I showed them the empties that hadn't carbed and took one in for them to open, and they tried it and were very confused.

I bottled most of my last batch in re-used Grolsch bottles, and so far not one of them has been flat, but I opened two bottles of the 12 that they had sold me and they were flat. We talked and they decided that the bottles had leaked due to bad gaskets and they gave me some carb tabs and new gaskets for free! I was really nice about the whole thing, and my first assumption was that I had done something wrong with that being my first batch and all, but they suggested the new gaskets and carb tabs to fix the bad bottles. I opened all the bottles they had sold me and only 2 were carbonated. The leakers got carb tabs and new gaskets. I'll let you know in a week or two if this worked (if I remember.)

So the morals here:

Re-used Grolsch bottles seal really well, and new flip tops can't be relied on.

Hop to it Brewstore in Boulder Colorado is staffed by really great guys!

Just got 4 cases of flip top bottles for my next batch. Never had problems with capped bottles before so I hope these don't disappoint.