Black Island Brewer
An Ode to Beer
I switched last March to this: https://jet.com/product/j/e6c530069a4740a68657d036a1a17855
Easy to adjust for height, zero flex
Easy to adjust for height, zero flex
Bench Capper vs Hand Capper
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I looked thru 2nd hand stores until I found a vintage bench capper ( It didn't take very long). A little clean up and it works perfectly, is all metal nothing gonna break this thing, and only 15.00. One of my best brewing purchases.
Mine looks very much like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-EVEREADY-WINE-CORKER-BOTTLE-CAPPER/253259240281 except it's not painted red. Contrary to the ad listing, it's just a bottle capper and not a corker. It works extremely well, but it won't take a 29mm champagne capping bell. Some day I'll try putting a 29mm bell loose under the 26mm (?) standard bell and see if that will work.
Black Island Brewer
An Ode to Beer
I did this twice, but my mistake was not testing them before I bought them (who carries an empty bottle and unused cap?!?) . I bought two different ones for the same $15, all metal, looked solid enough, both stunk. If they're in a "vintage" store, somebody, somewhere, got tired of putting up with it.
ancientmariner52
Well-Known Member
Not necessarily. I have a room full of beautiful old woodworking tools from vintage stores, and the all work just fine
I think it's a generational thing. The old folks pass away, their tools lie around for half a century or so, then off to auctioneer or thrift store.
That being said, you must keep in mind that the manufacture of cheap crap is not a recent innovation. A lot of old stuff was just as bad as the latest import.
I think it's a generational thing. The old folks pass away, their tools lie around for half a century or so, then off to auctioneer or thrift store.
That being said, you must keep in mind that the manufacture of cheap crap is not a recent innovation. A lot of old stuff was just as bad as the latest import.
triethylborane
Well-Known Member
This is for sure. lol.
I have both a wing capper and an old bench capper i got from a friend. For some reason the bench capper has chosen a hiding spot in my house where I cannot find it for the life of me, so had to use the wing capper last weekend in my first bottling venture in a year. Where oh where did my bench capper go???? Messed up a few caps due to lack of practice and I was low on them anyway. Darn thing is here SOMEWHERE....Love that old thing.
ancientmariner52
Well-Known Member
Go buy another one. That's how I find tape measures and utility knives.
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I do that with scissors, screwdrivers, and little flashlights.
I have the Agata, which works well, though the column deflects a bit under pressure. It doesn't appear that the caps are seated off-axis, but I still don't like the Agata's "flexibility." I wish it was a little more rigid. It has a series of detent stops and you need to manually set one for the height of your bottles. However, I use all the same type of bottles, so I don't need to adjust up and down. Set it and forget it. If you use different kinds of bottles in a batch, you might want to get the Super Agata, which has a spring mechanism that automatically adjusts height.
I previously used a Red Baron wing capper, which worked well, and was more robust than some of the other cappers many places sell. But I started bottling in stubby bottles and the wing capper can't reach the top with the short necks.
I previously used a Red Baron wing capper, which worked well, and was more robust than some of the other cappers many places sell. But I started bottling in stubby bottles and the wing capper can't reach the top with the short necks.
I didn't have a lot of luck w/ the wing capper in the beginning. It was only after I bought a Super Agata that I figured out what I was doing wrong with it.
As I press the handles down w/ the wing capper, there's a sort of a kind of a "thunk" (no noise made) where the cap is seated. When I was a newbie, I wasn't sure that was enough to completely seat the cap, so I kept pressing down to be sure. Cracked a number of bottle necks that way.
Now, I understand how that cap seating and sealing over the mouth of the bottle is supposed to feel.
Silver_Is_Money
Larry Sayre, Developer of 'Mash Made Easy'
For years I used a 2 handled "wing" type capper and now have a Super Agata bench capper. Now I'm getting occasional bottles that don't carbonate (perhaps 1 in every 20) with the more expensive bench model. That never happened with my hand held capper. But at least I'm not cracking bottles, which happened on rare occasions with the hand capper.
DarkStarNJ
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I broke two bottles with the wing capper. Second instance even resulted in a broken capper (Ok maybe I'm using a bit too much force)
This was caused by bottles that have slightly different neck size (Distance from lip to neck rib that the capper grabs). Not sure of exact name of parts of the bottle. Never noticed this at first but on the second incident i figured it out.
This was caused by bottles that have slightly different neck size (Distance from lip to neck rib that the capper grabs). Not sure of exact name of parts of the bottle. Never noticed this at first but on the second incident i figured it out.
IKR
Member
I had two red "wing hand cappers" that I used forever but using the newer Agata bench capper that self adjusts like the one you linked and a Blichmann bottling gun i actually had a fun and speedy bottling session. It greatly improved my bottling sessions.
ancientmariner52
Well-Known Member
This made me curious. I just went downstairs and took the, I dunno, bells, or dies, I guess, off of my Italian wing and bench cappers. Yes, they will interchange. No they are not the same. The die from the wing capper is goldish plated and looks round. The die from the bench capper is silverish, and so not-round the durn thing looks square. I put the goldish one on the bench capper.
This could account for leaky bottles, Silver. If you want to check it out, be aware that the male threads are plastic, and REALLY hard to get back on straight.
In passing, I noticed that my antique capper had seen so much use that the bottles had actually worn through the plating on the base.
I'm gathering parts to build a pneumatic capper. Based on what I learned today, I'll machine my own dies, thank you.
Black Island Brewer
An Ode to Beer
Since getting the bench capper I linked to above I've bottled 22 cases of 12 oz bottles, and until yesterday had not broken a single one. I can't say that now: one bottle just burst apart at the middle!
As for speed, I find the bench capper to be faster, maybe due to the way I bottle: I fill all the bottles at once, leaving the loose cap on the top, then cap them all at once. The one-handed lever action and ease of lining it up make it faster for me than when I wing capped them all.
As for speed, I find the bench capper to be faster, maybe due to the way I bottle: I fill all the bottles at once, leaving the loose cap on the top, then cap them all at once. The one-handed lever action and ease of lining it up make it faster for me than when I wing capped them all.
ancientmariner52
Well-Known Member
I've noticed a lot of variation in glass thickness thus I suppose bottle strength. I've got enough bottles now that I am culling the wee short ones. I wonder if I couldn't pick a medium-thick bottle, weigh it, and toss anything that weighs less?
Black Island Brewer
An Ode to Beer
I think that's my plan too. That was a bit unnerving. The shards showed some of the wall was way thinner on one side of the bottle.
ancientmariner52
Well-Known Member
Ever see bottles being made? Manual or machine, it's just a blob of hot glass blown in a mold. No practical way to keep the cavity centered. So some will be thin on one side, and some of those will slip paste qc. Scares me too.
and 10mm sockets, and my little tiny ratchet, and that darn bag of just-the-right-size hose clamps, and my extra o-rings....the list goes on and on.
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I feel when I use the wing capper, the motion with my hands should not be linearly down, place all force vertically on bottle; but almost twisting if you will, to make the force between the metal plates under the neck upwards and down from top on bell. This may it may not be correct, and I have broken a couple bottles through the years but only a couple.
Mumathomebrew
Well-Known Member
I came here to ask an opinion on the best capper. I bought the youngs black wing capper but it's already gone wonky and bent on one side and doesn't seem very strong. Not impressed by that. I had a whole gallons worth stay flat because the tops weren't on tightly enough. I couldn't think why else they were like that when other beers carbonated well. I've also got a red hammer capper but only use that when the other won't get the tops on, like on the corona bottles with the shorter, closer together, ridges.
I want a strong sturdy no nonsense capper to give hubby for his birthday. Don't care which sort. Just strong and reliable. Having bought two unsatisfactory cappers already, I want this next one to be the last we ever buy. Going to look at all these recs, but is there a definite star of the show sort?
I want a strong sturdy no nonsense capper to give hubby for his birthday. Don't care which sort. Just strong and reliable. Having bought two unsatisfactory cappers already, I want this next one to be the last we ever buy. Going to look at all these recs, but is there a definite star of the show sort?
I have one of these:
https://www.morebeer.com/products/super-agata-bench-capper.html
Not sure if they're readily available across the pond, but this one works well.
Mumathomebrew
Well-Known Member
The only one I have experience with (other than wing cappers which have worked well for me) is the Super Agata. The pic above you show, the red one, looks like the Super Agata.
Some bench cappers require you to set the height of the capper which means the bottles have to all be the same height, or you have to readjust the capper for the different heights.
The Super Agata lets you slide the capping shuttle down to the top of the bottle and cap and then when you pull the handle down, it locks in place and then caps the bottle. In other words, it's self-adjusting to the height of the bottle.
LittleRiver
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CodeSection
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Those two items were my criteria as well when I upgraded from a hand capper to a bench capper. I looked at several of the ones others have listed as well as what you have posted. I always read some reviews about the plastic head breaking or cracking for some people. Therefore, I wanted something made totally of steel that would hold up with heavy use and last decades.
Here is what I bought and I am very happy with it as it is a beast! It will meet your criteria and exceed your expectations. https://www.morebeer.com/products/deluxe-bench-bottle-capper.html I believe it is made by Ferrari.
I'm not sure if MoreBeer ships to the UK, but if they do, I would suggest you wait until they have their 15%-17% sale which should be coming soon.
Good luck!
Mumathomebrew
Well-Known Member
I couldn't order it from anyone inside the UK so have ordered one through my local grain supplier. I could get a much cheaper one on the likes of ebay but run the risk of non delivery, and in these odd times, I am not willing to take that risk for the sake of an extra £30 on something this expensive. I want to buy it only when i know it's here. Hopefully a once in a lifetime purchase.
I have both the Red Baron winged capper and the Super Agata bench capper. I have ruined bottle caps with both. That always happens when the capper bell gets slightly unscrewed. On any capper, make sure the capping bell is screwed in tightly.
glenn514
glenn514
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