Capping "Short" bottles (Sierra Nevada)?

I am having some trouble capping shorter bottles such as Sierra Nevada and Lagunitas. I have a Red Baron capper similar to the one below. I think I was able to get my caps on somewhat good by wrapping a towel on the bottles, which enabled the capper to grab on a bit better. I'm afraid the caps aren't on well enough though. Will the caps blow off under pressure if they aren't on well enough? Anyone have tips for bottling these shorter bottles? Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q6ARMY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I have the same exact capper and have never had an issue with cappint them.

Just tested it with an identical capper and Sierra Nevada empty worked fine for me

The metal claws that hold the bottle seemed to slide up the neck when capping. On normal bottles it clamps down fine.

I've never had a problem with them either using the red baron or emily capper. I bottled an entire batch in them one time too.

Never had a problem either.

Try to give it a little more downward pressure, without breaking the bottle. I have had the "lip gripper" slip a few times on various bottles, but after the second try it works for me.

I never had any problems capping them with my red baron. I always have the bottle sitting on the floor with the cap on top, then put the capper on and push down firmly on the wings until it's sealed. I imagine that's basically how everyone does it, though, so no tips.

I have that capped too. I love the little Sierra Nevada stubbies. Maybe your capper is faulty. Try out another one.

No problems here either.

Seems that if the cap isn't on tight enough, they shouldn't wouldn't blow off, but would just let the CO2 escape and leave you with flat beer.

This seems to be an annual discussion, but mostly people wondering why they're breaking bottle necks.

Check the clamps (the metal plates that go around the neck of the bottle) on your capper.

If yours has 2 sets of arcs cut into them then they are reversable for different circumference (size) bottle necks. Just pull them out and reverse them.

homebrewer_99 said:

This seems to be an annual discussion, but mostly people wondering why they're breaking bottle necks.

Check the clamps (the metal plates that go around the neck of the bottle) on your capper.

If yours has 2 sets of arcs cut into them then they are reversable for different circumference (size) bottle necks. Just pull them out and reverse them.

Click to expand...

+1
One side should have "26" stamped on it, and "29" on the other side. You want the smaller 26mm side in towards the bottle.

i got some bad bottlecaps from my lhbs that didnt seal very well. the rubber seal in the cap wasjust a flap of rubber and didnt seat well. compared to the brewers best or any that i got on line that had a good size bump of rubber. kind of off topic but my emily capper didnt like them. have a black italian capper that did a better job

I had to replace my wing capper. Over the many bottles the thin metal grippers began to bend, which caused the bottles to slip and in some cases break. I bought a bench capper, easy and it will cap anything.

With the short next you have to be just a little more precise.

I have the same capper and I use a lot of anchor steam shorties (my favorite bottles) and the clamps slide up the neck further before catching than on longnecks. Only 1/3 of the motion of the capper does any work and it feels like it did not cap well, but I have never had any problems with them sealing.

No Problems here either just grab the cap and see if you can twist it if you cant im sure its alright.

Thanks for the help! Turns out I just have to put a lot of downward pressure while capping and it works fine.

Just tonight I tried capping that short style bottle (Lagunitas & Alaskan) and had difficulty getting the caps to seat properly. I had the same issue with the 2 piece collar that clamps/grabs below the lip slipping upward and slightly tilting the capper and creating the bad seal. I like the towel over the cap/neck idea too, Im thinking just wrapping something around the neck would really help.

My capper looks like yours but has no brand. It's made in Italy. Boo Hiss..
But I've used it for years and I ONLY use Sierra N bottles. Never had a problem.

The silver plates that grip the neck of the bottle are reversible on mine. Maybe yours is set up for a different style of bottle. Take a look and see if you can turn them around.

Sierra Nevada bottles don't work at all with my red baron capper. I have had great results with red hook bottles. They have the thicker skirt that you need to get a secure seal. Other bottles that I have had good luck with are boulder brewing, sam adams, kona and full sail.