Bit of a bottling oversight

[Ogri]

Originally posted this thread in the beginners' section but thought it might be better off in here.

Went to bottle a 2.5 gallon batch of Dopplebock last night and as soon as I tried to cap the first bottle I realised I was going to have to come up with, and switch to, a hasty back up plan.

I'd been harvesting my empty bottles of Wychwood brewery's HobGoblin, Wychcraft, Fiddler's Elbow and Goliath for bottling a batch and last night was supposed to be their debut. Also, yesterday was my first time bottling using glass bottles and a capper, successfully bottling a 2.5 gallon batch of IPA a couple of hours earlier. Soon realised that it wasn't going to happen with the Wychwood bottles. Not last night anyway. The problem is that these bottles have a really extended, spherical-ish, section running down the neck that's totally different from the Chimay, Rochefort, Maredsous, Carolus, Duvel, Bishops Finger, Spitfire, Fuller's etc etc, every other beer bottle I've got.

The clamp part of my winged bottle capper hooks on half way down the, sort of, spherical shaped section and just slides up and off so there's no pressure coming down on the cap to crunch it closed. I'm wondering if, other than, possibly, a bench capper, there's any other less expensive cappers that'll work with these bottles?

Anyone out there that's used the Wychwood Brewery bottles for their homebrew??

 

[Dynachrome]

Osaka, really?

Well, There are a couple places, taverns, locally that save Grolsch bottles and give them away to patrons that ask for them. You could look for some other brand bottles.

I'd think a bench capper would be an option, but what are those bottles/brands you are describing? Have you got a picture?

I use a bench capper and enjoy it.

 

[Conan]

I don't have a solution, but can confirm that the red plastic Wing Capper will not work with the round-lipped Euro bottles- such as Hob Goblin and whoever makes the Banana Bread beer. They're pretty bottles, though. Last time I tried to cap them I noticed the capper can begin to bend down the squiggly edges of the cap, but not enough to actually seal it. Could you try lightly crimping it with Channel-Locks placed around the cap, below the lip of the bottle? Kyle

 

[Ogri]

Osaka, really?

Well, There are a couple places, taverns, locally that save Grolsch bottles and give them away to patrons that ask for them. You could look for some other brand bottles.

I'd think a bench capper would be an option, but what are those bottles/brands you are describing? Have you got a picture?

I use a bench capper and enjoy it.

Yep, Been here for 21 years

I actually have about 24 Grolsch bottles sitting ready for part of my next batch of IPA that I was going to present to a few friends.

Here's a link to the Wychwood Brewery site so you can check out the bottles

I don't have a solution, but can confirm that the red plastic Wing Capper will not work with the round-lipped Euro bottles- such as Hob Goblin and whoever makes the Banana Bread beer. They're pretty bottles, though. Last time I tried to cap them I noticed the capper can begin to bend down the squiggly edges of the cap, but not enough to actually seal it. Could you try lightly crimping it with Channel-Locks placed around the cap, below the lip of the bottle? Kyle

Thanks for the input, mate. I'll keep them stored and see if I can come up with something.

 

[Jester]

Sounds like a similar situation I had with 75+ Abita bottles I had saved. The section of the bottle where the wing capper grasps on to wasn't enough to allow adequate pressure to crimp the cap. I ended buying a cheap bench capper and that saved the day!!!

 

[Ogri]

Sounds like a similar situation I had with 75+ Abita bottles I had saved. The section of the bottle where the wing capper grasps on to wasn't enough to allow adequate pressure to crimp the cap. I ended buying a cheap bench capper and that saved the day!!!

So, am I right in thinking that the bench capper exerts all the pressure, necessary to crimp, from above rather than clamp, pull down and crimp??

 

[Jester]

So, am I right in thinking that the bench capper exerts all the pressure, necessary to crimp, from above rather than clamp, pull down and crimp??

Thats exactly how the bench capper works. It doesn't grab the bottle in any way... It just pushes downward on the bottle which crimps the cap.