flip-top grolsch bottle question

In the past I have used some of the flip-top bottles when bottling and have had very inconsistent results with carbonation.

I have always only used a handful of those bottles with each batch, using mostly 12 oz bottle with pop tops.

The 12 oz bottles alway turn out fine while some of the flip-tops don't fully carbonate. Is there a reason for this?

The grommets don't always seal and the wire bails don't always provide enough tension. I've had horribly inconsistent carbonation results with swing tops, too.

is there anyway to correct or make adjustments?

You can find neoprene replacement gaskets (the little red rubber dealios) but I don't know if those are much better.

engus said:

is there anyway to correct or make adjustments?

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Most homebrew supply shops sell replacement gaskets and wire bails. I've tweaked the wire bails using a couple pairs of pliers to get it to hold tighter. It took some experimenting to figure out how to bend them but it can be done.

Frankly, I've given up on repairing my swing tops. Whenever one of them results in a flat beer I just toss it out (the bottle, not the beer , that is). Capping is just so much more reliable and with a bench capper it's almost as fast.

I had inconsistent results as well with the Grolsch bottles until I bought a bag of gaskets at the LHBS. I now replace them every time. (The things were dirt cheap....a couple of bucks for a hundred.). Since I've stopped reusing the original gaskets I've not had a problem yet. (knock on wood.)

A couple bucks for a hundred?! I'm paying 25 cents each! Methinks I'll have to do some searching online for better prices.

I've been lucky so far with consistent carbonation, but I'm making sure they're in good condition before using.

Weird. I've only ever had one problem with my swing tops and I'm still using the original seals.