Any Issues With Caps?

[ncbrewer]

I bottle condition all my beer. I started having problems with capping for the last several batches - using a bench capper. I’m getting maybe 3 or 4 caps going on crooked, resulting in flat beer, in each carton of 24 bottles. I checked all the assembly bolts on the capper. I checked the capper bell. It was a little loose, and I tightened it. Still getting some crooked caps with flat beer. I re-cap those but need to solve the problem.

I’m using the same bottles and capper that I’ve used for over 10 years. I’m wondering about the caps. They sit perfectly flat on the bottle when I set them on, but I’m wondering if there’s any chance something about the caps makes then tilt once in a while when I press down on the capper. They look normal. I previously used caps from Williams Brewing (no other brand name) with no problems. The caps I’m using now are LD Carlson. I know this seems really unlikely, but I’m running out of ideas. Has anybody had any problems with the Carlson caps?

 

[day_trippr]

When was the last time you lubricated the inside of the capping bell?

Cheers!

 

[Broken Crow]

I'd ask which bench-capper you use, but the same handful are available under a bunch of different names... Mine's a "Super Agata" or some such and I probably spelled that wrong but I recall it's also a 'Ferrari" or something. Anyhoo: The bell on many models is just some cheap galvanized metal which can and does on occasion, get deformed. I had to contrive a jig to fit inside mine and put a pipe over the outside and beat it carefully with a hammer to get it perfectly round and have the slightly oblong crimping cease. After that I had to adjust the magnet height because while the caps were now perfectly crimped, they had a slight dent from the magnet.
Take a couple pics from different angles, not just to share on here, but to zoom into on your screen to check all the dimensions are as they should be.
Oh and yeah: Like @day_trippr said: Lube!

 

[ncbrewer]

When was the last time you lubricated the inside of the capping bell?

Oh and yeah: Like @day_trippr said: Lube!

Yes, this seems to be necessary. I rub some parafin wax on the inside every time I bottle a case. I had trouble several years ago and found that the bottle cap would stick in the bell a little if it wasn't lubed - pulling it out would sometimes loosen it a little.

 

[BrewZer]

Thanks for the tip on greasing my bell.

 

[ncbrewer]

I'd ask which bench-capper you use, but the same handful are available under a bunch of different names... Mine's a "Super Agata" or some such and I probably spelled that wrong but I recall it's also a 'Ferrari" or something. Anyhoo: The bell on many models is just some cheap galvanized metal which can and does on occasion, get deformed. I had to contrive a jig to fit inside mine and put a pipe over the outside and beat it carefully with a hammer to get it perfectly round and have the slightly oblong crimping cease. After that I had to adjust the magnet height because while the caps were now perfectly crimped, they had a slight dent from the magnet.
Take a couple pics from different angles, not just to share on here, but to zoom into on your screen to check all the dimensions are as they should be.

I have the same Super Agata capper.

By eye, the bell looks ok, but in the photos it looks just a little out-of-round. Attaching photos:

From your experience, does this look like it could be causing the problem?

 

[day_trippr]

I still have my Ferrari Super Agata capper for capping occasional road beers, never had problems with it, but I did keep the bell lightly lubed. Your bell isn't obviously out of round from my vantage point...

Cheers!

 

[Broken Crow]

From the pics, mine was much worse and after tap a pipe around the outside with a hammer I never did get it perfect and it's probably less round than yours. Are you using the magnet and has anything about that changed or bent or left any marks?
Maybe just try heavier lube? I just ended up using what seemed like too much keg lube on mine.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

With regard to bottle caps ...

... I have a bag of caps from 2022 that I set aside at the time - as I felt that there was something 'not quite right' about the caps.

At that time, I had been using the same bottle caper for 7 years. Was the caper worn out or were the caps 'not quite right'? I had a backup caper (same product) that left me with the same feeling. I decided to buy different bottle caps (cheapest thing possible) and bottle capping went back to normal.

Three years later, I'm using the same bottle caper. And I ended up with a bottle capping gauge.

Long story short, ...

... the caps I set aside in 2022, when measured by the capping gauge, do not cap as well as the caps I'm currently using.

 

[Rish]

I've been bottling over 5 years and haven't had this problem. I cap then turn my bottle about 90 degrees and press again to help ensure the seal.

 

[MaxStout]

A few swipes inside the bell with a dab of keg lube on a q-tip every now and then will help prevent sticking. Unless you have the same lot of caps as @BrewnWKopperKat, in which case, all bets are off.

 

[Bobby_M]

I've become a capper snob over the years having spent too much on intermediate solutions. The problem with the bells pressed into shape from a sheet of steel is that they never seem perfectly round. To get a reliable seal, you have to crimp, rotate the bottle a little and hit it again. You can repeat a couple times to be absolutely sure. The end game solution for me was the Griffo bench capper. It's a cast and machined bell. Perfectly round and beefy.

 

[MaxStout]

Haven't had a problem with the Colt benchtop capper I bought from MoreBeer years ago. Very robust, and the bell is machined steel. I've capped thousands of bottles with that, without issues. A little keg lube inside the bell before each bottling session.

I previously used the Super Agata, which worked fine, but I was always concerned about the cheap plastic it's made from--and that stamped metal bell.

 

[TexasTea]

Yep, I have one of those Ferrari super cappers. Never had a problem but will start lubing (Thanks for the tip Day Tripper) , and capping, rotating 90 and capping again (Thanks for the tip Rish). Tips like these are why I visit here almost every day.

 

[dragonflylady]

I bottle condition all my beer. I started having problems with capping for the last several batches - using a bench capper. I’m getting maybe 3 or 4 caps going on crooked, resulting in flat beer, in each carton of 24 bottles. I checked all the assembly bolts on the capper. I checked the capper bell. It was a little loose, and I tightened it. Still getting some crooked caps with flat beer. I re-cap those but need to solve the problem.

I’m using the same bottles and capper that I’ve used for over 10 years. I’m wondering about the caps. They sit perfectly flat on the bottle when I set them on, but I’m wondering if there’s any chance something about the caps makes then tilt once in a while when I press down on the capper. They look normal. I previously used caps from Williams Brewing (no other brand name) with no problems. The caps I’m using now are LD Carlson. I know this seems really unlikely, but I’m running out of ideas. Has anybody had any problems with the Carlson caps?

What I am suggesting will not resolve the main problem of why does the capper not work uniformly, but I keep a small hand capper and check the caps if I have a concern. I have found there is a style of bottle that is "in between size" (height) and the cap does not feel right when I use the bench capper- I then use the hand capper as insurance.

 

[Alfgs]

I have gone through a couple of bags of caps and not all caps are equal.
The latest batch I bought.. well, something isnt right with them. They seem just a tiny bit too large and too hard. My bench capper just cant get them on properly. First time I have had this problem.

I had to whip out an old hand capper I had laying around and give all the bottles and extra squeeze.

 

[ncbrewer]

Are you using the magnet and has anything about that changed or bent or left any marks?

I don't use the magnet. I don't like handling the underside of the caps - for sanitation reasons. I set the cap on the bottle instead - it looks perfectly straight when I put the bottle on the capper base. I don't think capping without the magnet would cause a problem, but it's possible.

 

[ncbrewer]

A few swipes inside the bell with a dab of keg lube on a q-tip every now and then will help prevent sticking. Unless you have the same lot of caps as @BrewnWKopperKat, in which case, all bets are off.

I use parafin wax. I might try keg lube instead and see if that helps.

 

[ncbrewer]

I decided to buy different bottle caps (cheapest thing possible) and bottle capping went back to normal.

I’d rather not have to have two different suppliers to order from, but it will be well worth it to get past this capping problem. I think I’ll try some of these ideas that I can do with what I have available. If those don’t help, I’ll get some other caps to try.

 

[ncbrewer]

To all who replied: These are some really good ideas - many thanks. I'll be working on the problem going forward.

TexasTea: Totally agree. I've gained much more knowledge from browsing here than from asking questions.