NB Bottles: Threat or Menace?

[wingedcoyote]

I'm in a homebrew dry spot right now and I've been buying a lot of New Belgium beers to tide me over. So far I've avoided reusing these bottles because I've heard stories about them breaking when you try to put caps on. On the other hand they look rather nice, and some people seem to use them with no problems. So, please tell me if you don't mind -- how have they been for you?

Supplemental question: if you've used them successfully, was it with a bench capper? I've wondered if they might just be a problem with wing cappers.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I've bottled quite a few NB bottles with a bench capper. They do take a bit more force to drive the cap down, but I've never broken one. However, I keg primarily and bottle in fairly small quantities, so maybe I've just been lucky.

 

[mtnagel]

Never had an issue with them.

 

[ruger988]

I personally don't drink much NB beer, but I've used their bottles a few times without any issues.

 

[troy2000]

I'm in a homebrew dry spot right now and I've been buying a lot of New Belgium beers to tide me over. So far I've avoided reusing these bottles because I've heard stories about them breaking when you try to put caps on. On the other hand they look rather nice, and some people seem to use them with no problems. So, please tell me if you don't mind -- how have they been for you?

Supplemental question: if you've used them successfully, was it with a bench capper? I've wondered if they might just be a problem with wing cappers.

When I first started brewing, I bought a wing capper. After using it a couple of times I said to myself, "there's gotta be a better way."

So I went on Ebay, and bought a vintage bench capper for about $25 with free shipping. I cleaned the rust off it, replaced the handle, spray-painted it, and I've been using it ever since. It doesn't just work ridiculously well; it's a pleasure to look at and handle.

 

[BigJack]

I've got a cheap wing capper and I've used NB bottles more times than I can count and I've NEVER had an issue.

 

[jekeane]

I've not had a problem. Using a wing capper.

 

[Bauerbrews]

This is the first I've heard of them failing for others as well. I broke 5/6 new Belgium bottles with my wing capper one of my first brews. I've used them since with no broken bottles, but sometimes I hear an unsettling glass grinding noise.


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[ObsidianJester]

I'll add this. The first time or second time using them I've not had much problem but after that they tend to break, necks snap off and the like. I was using a wing capper and I can also state that moving to a bench capper saves you so much time and frustration.
NB bottles are made of thinner glass than most bottles are. That will lead to more stress fractures later on I feel. I have so many bottles that any "marked" bottles get recycled now anyway.

 

[Yoseff]

I have yet to run into a problem with them.

 

[wingedcoyote]

So, it sounds like I can use them and I'll just be extra careful. And probably get a bench capper sooner or later. Thanks for the input everyone!