When are Oxygen Barrier Caps important??

[JulietKilo]

I've never used the oxygen barrier and/or absorbing caps, but figure they must make them for some reason?

I only made weizens in the past thus never gave it a thought, but am now just starting to make some higher gravity beers that will spend more time in the bottle, and wonder if the cap matters for these? And how long is long enough to matter?

All the pro arguments I've found so far have been the superstitious "only costs a little more so why take the chance" ones. While most seem to believe it doesn't matter at all. But then I go back to the they must make them for some reason thinking...

 

[ncbrewer]

I'm pretty sure I've read that you can't soak the oxygen absorbing caps in star san, but I can't find anything about it now. That's a disadvantage if it is true.

 

[Mainer]

Isn't any cap with a rubber gasket inside an oxygen barrier cap? That's the only kind I ever use, and I've had no problems with oxidation, and have always soaked in star san.
I don't think that's the same as a oxygen-absorbing cap. I could be wrong. I've never considered that they might be the same thing.

 

[ncbrewer]

I just found a thread about oxygen absorbing caps: https://homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/441/do-oxygen-absorbing-caps-make-any-difference
It discusses using them immediately after dipping them in sanitizer because getting wet activates the oxygen absorbing qualities.

As far as oxygen barrier caps, I haven't heard of this, but I agree it sounds like the standard caps?

 

[Mainer]

I just found a thread about oxygen absorbing caps: https://homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/441/do-oxygen-absorbing-caps-make-any-difference
It discusses using them immediately after dipping them in sanitizer because getting wet activates the oxygen absorbing qualities.

As far as oxygen barrier caps, I haven't heard of this, but I agree it sounds like the standard caps?

The caps I buy always say "Oxygen Barrier Caps." I don't think I've ever seen a package of caps that are *not* oxygen barrier, unless we mean the really old-school kind where it's just metal, no gasket inside, and I don't know if they even sell those anymore.

 

[JulietKilo]

One site has an O2 barrier cap that says "Oxygen barrier liner has a special curved profile where the liner meets the bottle, preventing oxygen from entering the bottle." If that's all it takes I wonder why all caps wouldn't do that...

Anothers O2 absorbing caps say "These caps activate once you get them wet. Do not wet or sanitize caps in advance of your bottling session or they will not work correctly. They’ll still close the bottle like any other cap, but the oxygen-absorbing function will be used up.

Sounds like two different things...

I'd prefer my standard caps for the reason that I already have a big bag of them. But if one of the above would make a real difference over months of storage.

 

[ncbrewer]

I've noticed a different profile on the plastic seal between brands of caps, but I'm really skeptical about the "special curved profile" claim.

I don't use the O2 absorbing caps because of sanitation concerns. I like to leave the caps in a bowl of star san and take one out when needed, rather than just dipping it in star san when I need it.