Capper trouble?

Hey guys, so I am not exactly a total newb anymore, but I am worried about my most recent batch. It's a pumpkin beer I have had bottle aging for about 3 weeks. I just went to open my first bottle and the cap came right off. As in, it didn't bend at all when I removed it. It is still perfectly shaped to fit on top of the bottle. It smelled a little odd, but as this is my first pumpkin beer, I am wasn't sure if that was just me expecting it to smell more cinnamon-y. So, I sipped it, there were some definite sour notes. I dumped the bottle and grabbed another one. Same story, although this one does not taste as sour. Carbonation is minimal to nothing. I suspect I did not get a good seal on these bottles. (Relatedly, I bottled some homebrewed kombucha with the same bottles and caps, and the kombucha is also completely lacking carbonation.) I don't see any unusual residue or signs of infection. I have been using this capper: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/midwest-supplies-red-bottle-capper-product.html

Thoughts? Should I drink it? Has this happened to anyone else before?Normally, I might just give it a go, but I really don't want to make myself sick this weekend -- I have a lot planned!

TIA
-Terryn

I have that same capper and it works great, unless yours is defective. Are you pressing down with enough pressure? have you capped these bottles before?

As far as the beer, it probably won't make you sick, but if it doesn't taste good than don't drink it. If it tastes ok, than maybe add more priming sugar and recap, after you figure out your capper.

Same capper, I've done that before. I got my first hint when I didn't hear any fizz and thought "oh boy, this beer is going to suck". I've started trying to lightly pry the cap off with my thumb after each cap to ensure I'm doing it correctly. That seemed to help. That capper is just a bit finicky the first few rounds until you figure out the trick to it.

If you followed Breaking Bad, you've probably seen the capper Hank Shrader uses in one episode. The capper comes down, it's a taller system. I've heard these are good to invest in and if you keep having problems it might be worth it. But yea, long story short you're not the only one who's done that.

Good luck!

Sounds like your caps didn't get fully crimped down. Is it possible that you have the wrong caps for your bottles? If you're using European caps, US bottles, or US bottles and European caps, you'll definitely have trouble getting a proper crimp.

It's possible that the bell in the capper has come unscrewed a few turns. If so it won't crimp the cap properly.

When I bottle, I always give each cap a little twist to make sure it's on correctly. When I first started, I had the opposite problem. I would occasionally push down so hard with the capper that the bottle neck would break. Assuming the bell isn't defective or loose, rushing the arms about 10 degrees past past horizontal is adequate to crimp the cap correctly. Don't be afraid to give it some pressure. Just don't go all Schwartzeneger on it.

MyCarHasAbs said:

If you followed Breaking Bad, you've probably seen the capper Hank Shrader uses in one episode. The capper comes down, it's a taller system. I've heard these are good to invest in and if you keep having problems it might be worth it. But yea, long story short you're not the only one who's done that.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

My wife freaked out and laid out about fifteen different threats when Hank had bottle bombs.

I had to promise that would never happen to me... Fingers crossed.

dnslater said:

I have that same capper and it works great, unless yours is defective. Are you pressing down with enough pressure? have you capped these bottles before?

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Same caps, same bottles, same capper I've been using for my previous 4 batches. I have only had problems with this batch.

ThunderpantsBrewing said:

Sounds like your caps didn't get fully crimped down. Is it possible that you have the wrong caps for your bottles? If you're using European caps, US bottles, or US bottles and European caps, you'll definitely have trouble getting a proper crimp.

Click to expand...

I suppose it is possible, but improbable. I have all American stuff! I will be careful about the caps I order next time tho.

RM-MN said:

It's possible that the bell in the capper has come unscrewed a few turns. If so it won't crimp the cap properly.

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I will give this a try! Thank you!

BlueHouseBrewhaus said:

When I bottle, I always give each cap a little twist to make sure it's on correctly. When I first started, I had the opposite problem. I would occasionally push down so hard with the capper that the bottle neck would break. Assuming the bell isn't defective or loose, rushing the arms about 10 degrees past past horizontal is adequate to crimp the cap correctly. Don't be afraid to give it some pressure. Just don't go all Schwartzeneger on it.

Click to expand...

I am a little afraid of destroying the bottles by applying too much pressure, but I've done 3 batches with no capping problems, so I think I've got the hang of it. I will employ a test for each bottle the next time I bottle. Thank you!