I replaced the rubber EZ cap washers with silicone and really like the results. Easier to manipulate and a better seal, plus they won't get brittle like the rubber. I got mine on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grolsch-EZ-...644?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a32f6e8a4
Silicone EZ cap washers
- Thread starter TurfinUSA
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I'm not the OP, but I got a big bunch of them from the same ebay seller, both red and white gaskets, and I'm very happy with them so far. Many of them have been re-used numerous times and still look good.
orangehero
Well-Known Member
I have some and they seem to be good quality. The only issue is that silicone is a very poor choice for gasket material. It's fairly oxygen permeable and will eventually deteriorate over time if you use star-san to sanitize it. I avoid the oxygen issue by only bottling beers in swing tops that will be consumed very fresh.
Stealthcruiser
Well-Known Member
Silicone is "oxygen permeable"?
I've not heard that one.
I've not heard that one.
I think he's saying that "silicon rubber" is very gas permeable which is true when used as a membrane. The gaskets are fairly thick so the gas (air) would have to travel through a lot of material before completely permeating the material. I'm not sure how that would happen without an external force pushing the gas through it from the outside in. It's actually the opposite that would happen, CO2 would be pushed out before oxygenation would occur.
I feel better about the silicon rubber gaskets because they are easy to use, don't smell, and last longer than other types. I think those things outweigh the possible downsides. All that being said, I never bottle an entire batch in flip tops. Flip tops are usually half of every batch and I lean towards drinking those first. Any long term aging plans are done with conventional bottle caps.
I feel better about the silicon rubber gaskets because they are easy to use, don't smell, and last longer than other types. I think those things outweigh the possible downsides. All that being said, I never bottle an entire batch in flip tops. Flip tops are usually half of every batch and I lean towards drinking those first. Any long term aging plans are done with conventional bottle caps.
I've been very happy with the silicone gaskets. I've got a year-old chocolate stout that's held up very well in the swing cap bottles, and I'm not terribly worried about oxygen diffusion over the several months that most brews last.
orangehero
Well-Known Member
As long as the partial pressure of O2 is lower inside the bottle then it will diffuse across the silicone and into the beer.
Silicone is probably the poorest choice for a gas tight container. Pretty much any other rubber would be a better choice in that regard.
Apparently even regular bottle caps allow some diffusion across the seal that can affect flavor stability.
As an update, I brewed the Maredsous triple recipe from Candi Syrup and bottled some in 32 oz EZ-caps with a silicone washer, and others in bombers with a standard bottle cap (oxygen scavenging liner but I don't put much stock in those). I just compared the two after nine months in the bottle(s) and must confess that the beer in the bombers was significantly fresher than in the silicone-sealed bottles. I normally bottle beers for aging in 500 ml capped "belgians" anyway - this was just a test - but now I definitely won't be using the EZ-cap bottles for anything that won't be consumed relatively quickly.
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