Question about Bottling

[mikebowman]

So my roommates and I are about to start brewing, and we're thinking about the best way to get bottles. I've heard conflicting things about screw-top and pop-top bottles. Is one better than the other? This will definitely be a factor in the kinds of beer i buy in the next few weeks!

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Revvy]

If you have a bench capper, you can use screwtop bottles as long as the threaded area isn't too thin.

If you have the standard wind gapper, then it can only be used on non threaded bottles.

 

[mikebowman]

Thanks. I'm new to brewing though, what are the differences between a bench and wind capper?

 

[Revvy]

Bench cappers sit on a bench.

Wing cappers you put on top of the bottle and push down on the wings.

 

[dae06]

So my roommates and I are about to start brewing, and we're thinking about the best way to get bottles. I've heard conflicting things about screw-top and pop-top bottles. Is one better than the other? This will definitely be a factor in the kinds of beer i buy in the next few weeks!

Thanks,
Mike

I just want to clarify your question.

When you talk about screw-top bottles, you aren't referring to screw off PLASTIC bottles are you? I would not use Screw off glass bottles myself, but I know a few that use screw off plastic bottles with no problems. Myself I think pop-top glass (brown) bottles are the way to go. I've used clear bottles, but with them I need to keep them away from the light.

 

[Revvy]

I just want to clarify your question.

When you talk about screw-top bottles, you aren't referring to screw off PLASTIC bottles are you? I would not use Screw off glass bottles myself, but I know a few that use screw off plastic bottles with no problems. Myself I think pop-top glass (brown) bottles are the way to go. I've used clear bottles, but with them I need to keep them away from the light.

No, more than likely he is asking exactly about screwtop beer bottles, just like everyone else who asks this question. It's not uncommon to ask this, since bmc are in abundance, and THEY are screwtop.

My answer still stands, many folks evidently are successful with a bench capper re-capping screwtop bottles. I've never tried (I don't own a bench capper) and I don't drink commercial beers that usually come in screwtops.

 

[vgoreham]

So my roommates and I are about to start brewing, and we're thinking about the best way to get bottles. I've heard conflicting things about screw-top and pop-top bottles. Is one better than the other? This will definitely be a factor in the kinds of beer i buy in the next few weeks!
Thanks,
Mike

Hey! A Haligonian.

Everybody always says you can't use the "screw-top" (twist off) bottles with a wing capper but I have used them with success. I was reading somewhere that those bottles are a little different here in Canada than in the US, so perhaps that is the source of discrepancy. I've been told the silver caps (available at noble grape) are a little bit better for these bottles than the gold ones.

Having said that, I don't trust twist-offs as much as a pop-top. I'll use them if I need to, but they've pretty much been worked out of my rotation now.

 

[lady_brewer]

Since BMC is what is common here, I bought a bench capper right off the bat and have used screw top glass beer bottles. Out of the say 65+ dozen beer I have opened since brewing I think we had one that didn't have a pop, and I am pretty sure it was still carbed...

For me I knew that there was no point buying a $20 crown capper when I was only going to go back for the $40 withing a month or two anyway.

Hope this helps!

 

[mikebowman]

thanks everyone! we haven't started the process yet, so im probably at least 2 weeks away from bottling, but I'll likely pick up a bench capper, it seems like it'd be the best option.

also, everyone here says brown bottles. i understand the problem with clear bottles, but what about green ones? do they have the same issues as clear? or do they work well?

 

[jeffmeh]

thanks everyone! we haven't started the process yet, so im probably at least 2 weeks away from bottling, but I'll likely pick up a bench capper, it seems like it'd be the best option.

also, everyone here says brown bottles. i understand the problem with clear bottles, but what about green ones? do they have the same issues as clear? or do they work well?

Brown is better than green is better than clear in terms of keeping out ultraviolet light. If you keep your bottles in boxes and do not expose them to light, it really does not matter. That being said, it is pretty easy to get a hold of pop-top brown bottles.

 

[ChshreCat]

Note, if you use a wing capper, you shouldn't actually push down on the handles. It should actually be a flexing motion as if you are bending something. When I use mine, the bottle actually comes up off the floor at the end rather than being pressed down against it. Less stress on the bottle that way.

 

[Dalarast]

Follow Revvy's thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

You can't go wrong... been using this and have taught this to many of my local friends on bottling and it never fails...

Go for pop-caps.. freecycle.com and craigslist.org can be your friends; but so can local bars/pubs and maybe a bbq where everyone brings sam adams or a pop-top of your choice. Go with dark colors to help prevent the evil sunlight inflicting harm to your beer as it conditions.

Have fun.. and the last suggestion to Revvy's thread would be to add some helpful friends to speed up your bottling process. My wife and I (with our little kids helping of passing bottles to and from) can bottle a batch in 30 mins + cleanup (another 20 minutes top).

 

[dficker]

I am a newer brewer (on 5th batch right now) and have used twistys as well as pop tops with a wing capper. Of course I prefer the pop tops, but I have not noticed any consistent problems from any twisty bottles I have used. YMMV. The twistys have a flat surface at the bottle mouth, as opposed to the rounded mouth of typical pop-offs, so I wonder if the flat surface of the twist offs make a better seat that compensates for the difficulty in getting the crown to seal around the threads on the side?

That being said, I am always looking for new bottles and will work the twistys out of my bottle supply. If lack of enough pop off bottles is holding you back from starting that 1st brew, I would say go ahead and use twistys if you have them, and circulate them out of your supply when you get the chance.

(Anyone noticed that there are 2 styles of twist offs, ones with a wider 'shoulder' bellow the threads and ones without?)

 

[vgoreham]

Of course I prefer the pop tops, but I have not noticed any consistent problems from any twisty bottles I have used. YMMV.

That being said, I am always looking for new bottles and will work the twistys out of my bottle supply. If lack of enough pop off bottles is holding you back from starting that 1st brew, I would say go ahead and use twistys if you have them, and circulate them out of your supply when you get the chance.

This is exactly my experience. The twist-off caps have worked fine for me - I've had no problems but am still not as confident in their use. I'd use them until you drank enough Propeller/Garrison bombers to work them out of your rotation .

(Anyone noticed that there are 2 styles of twist offs, ones with a wider 'shoulder' bellow the threads and ones without?

Yeah, and I think this is why some people say they don't work very well - I think they might perform differently. The twist offs we get here in Canada seem fine for bottling (I think the necks of the bottle are thicker, and thus more durable, than the other version).