a little rust on bottle caps

[ACo]

So, i've been searching some threads and cant really find the answer.


I really wanted to bottle my beer tonight and i accidentally forgot to let the caps dry from the last time I used them. There is a small amount of rust on some of the caps. It doesn't seem like it would affect the beer quality, but i'm not totally sure. If i boil them again and sanitize them would that work? any thoughts?

 

[ACo]

anyone have an idea?

 

[mmb]

Is it on the seal side or the top side? If it's around or under the plastic seal I would get new caps.

 

[ACo]

on the seal side, but it rubs off easily...

 

[ACo]

not under the seal, but the edges rather.

 

[Hammy71]

I wouldn't risk it either..... Way to much of an investment....(in time and money) to ruin over a couple dollars of caps..... Let the beer sit while you get new caps... The beer will be better for it and you'll have no concerns wondering about the caps.

 

[ACo]

I wouldn't risk it either..... Way to much of an investment....(in time and money) to ruin over a couple dollars of caps..... Let the beer sit while you get new caps... The beer will be better for it and you'll have no concerns wondering about the caps.

I guess i'll wait. but, what is the risk exactly....

 

[fretsforlife]

I had the same problem, but fortunately i had plenty of backup caps. I didnt risk it. I tossed them out. They're cheap enough to not feel bad about it. I guess the risk would be that you'd be introducing corroded metal into your beer. Doesn't sound too tasty to me.

 

[ACo]

I had the same problem, but fortunately i had plenty of backup caps. I didnt risk it. I tossed them out. They're cheap enough to not feel bad about it. I guess the risk would be that you'd be introducing corroded metal into your beer. Doesn't sound too tasty to me.

I see why one would think that is an issue, but it seems to me that there would be no metal in contact with the inside of the beer because of the plastic coating on the inside top.


Edit: i'm not trying to be cheap, i will get new ones, but I just want to figure out if it actually matters.

 

[fretsforlife]

I see why one would think that is an issue, but it seems to me that there would be no metal in contact with the inside of the beer because of the plastic coating on the inside top.


Edit: i'm not trying to be cheap, i will get new ones, but I just want to figure out if it actually matters.

Well heck, give it a try. heres another off the wall thought: you have an inch of head space right? cap the bottles and then gently put them away without letting the beer touch them at all. Im talking out my ass here but, it could work

 

[llazy_llama]

I wouldn't risk it, unless you can fully clean off all of the rust. Do keep in mind that certain types of metal corrosion can penetrate the metal, but I don't really see that being a concern with how thin bottle caps are.



I knew that annual Corrosion Awareness training would come in handy some day, I just didn't figure it would be beer related.

 

[android]

i guess if it was on a portion that would only contact the rim after you press it on, you might get away with it. it likely won't hurt you if it gets in the beer but it may affect the taste.

i've definitely opened a commercial beer or two with some rust on the lip and i just wiped it off and poured it in the glass with no problem.

 

[llazy_llama]

Oh, just to add to my previous post... Where rust does exist, it's likely to return. I'd hate for you to clean the rust, only to have it return after you bottle. If it were anything not contacting consumables, I'd say hose it down with some CLP or WD-40 and call it a day.

On second thought, I'd trash the caps after all and shell out the few bucks for a new pack.

 

[mahilly]

Once you have properly capped a bottle no beer will ever come in contact with the metal (or rust) since the gasket fully coats the inside of the cap. Any rust will remain outside of the seal. So I don't see any risk there. I'd be more concerned about people seeing unsightly rusty bottle caps on my beer bottles and thinking "WTF is that all about". It's hard enough to get people to try one of my beers for the first time as it is. They are all skeptical until they finally taste one.

 

[llazy_llama]

Even still, environmental humidity is enough to cause rust to return. I would imagine the humidity levels inside a beer bottle are even higher. If the metal starts to give out, that little gasket isn't going to hold out air for long.

The bottom line is that we're talking about risking a full batch of beer over a $1.75 pack of bottle caps. Hmmmmm..... I might need to put my thinking cap on for that one.

 

[ACo]

Once you have properly capped a bottle no beer will ever come in contact with the metal (or rust) since the gasket fully coats the inside of the cap. Any rust will remain outside of the seal. So I don't see any risk there. I'd be more concerned about people seeing unsightly rusty bottle caps on my beer bottles and thinking "WTF is that all about". It's hard enough to get people to try one of my beers for the first time as it is. They are all skeptical until they finally taste one.

you speak the truth my friend!

well, I got new caps anyway. Gonna use starsan for now on to sanitize them. Thanks!

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

Oxidation sucks, but iron oxidation would suck even more. uke:

By the way, you boil your caps???? Yikes!