Bottles don't feel properly capped.

[numbskull20]

Hi all,

This is my third brew and first time using glass bottles.

I recently bought an inexpensive two-handled capper so i could reuse a load if wychwood bottles.

I primed and capped 40 bottles of Woodfordes Nog and put them away in a warm place 3 days ago. It was only today that I noticed that if I grip the cap with a cloth it is possible to twist the caps. Is this a problem?

What should I do next? I was going to transfer them to PET bottles but I'm worried that I might lose priming sugar in the bottom of the glass bottles. And there's the chance of oxidisation and losing carbonation.

If I ordered a countertop capper today would my beer be okay for a few more days until the new capper arrived?

Thanks.

 

[bruce_the_loon]

What capper did you get? There are two cap sizes, 26mm (more common) and 29mm. If the capper is 29mm and your caps and bottles are 26mm, then it won't seal tight. Some cappers allow you to switch around metal plates between the two sizes that might help if you repeat the capping process. No need to remove the caps.

The further out from bottling that you get, the more the priming sugar is consumed and CO2 is lost if you have a leak. It might already have lost too much sugar to prime properly.

You can test current carbonation retention by easing the cap up on one slightly with a bottle opener. If you don't get a hiss, then you've been losing CO2 all along. If it sounds like a commercial bottle hissing, then the seal was okay.

 

[jack13]

Do they also look like they're not crimped all the way? I'm curious what made you see if you could twist the caps in the first place.

Regardless of anything else, as far as the oxidation you brought up: I'd say keeping the beer in their current bottles and fixing the cap problem is less likely to lead to oxidation than transferring the beer to new bottles.

 

[numbskull20]

What capper did you get?

This is the capper I got... VIK Two Lever Crown Capper, Top Quality, Magnetic (standard 26 mm caps)

It's for standard 26mm caps. The bottles I'm using are 500ml. Is 26mm the standard for 500ml bottles? I read in another thread about someone else having issues capping Wychwood Brewery bottles with a two levered capper. I think the issue is more with the width of the neck rather than the size of cap. I collected a load of nice Guinness bottles (the short and stubby 500ml ones) and I wasn't able to secure a cap onto them at all.

You can test current carbonation retention by easing the cap up on one slightly with a bottle opener. If you don't get a hiss, then you've been losing CO2 all along. If it sounds like a commercial bottle hissing, then the seal was okay.

I tested a bottle by opening it and there was an audible hissing sound so hopefully they will be fine. Thanks for your help.

Do they also look like they're not crimped all the way? I'm curious what made you see if you could twist the caps in the first place.

They look evenly crimped all round and they appear to be securely capped but it is still possible to rotate the cap with a bit of force. I found this out simply because I wanted to ensure the caps were tight enough.

I think I'll go over them again with the capper and apply some more downward pressure just in case. Cheers!

 

[bruce_the_loon]

It can be surprising to a first-time user how much force you need, even with the leverage of the capper. Take a bottle, maybe an empty one with a fresh cap and shove down until your knuckles start to go white. See what that does. If you're worried about breaking the bottle, wrap it in a towel, but they are unlikely to break.

I just capped a bottle with my Emily capper and I got what felt like a double drop, a slight extra movement when I pushed harder. Definitely can't rotate the cap at all.

26mm is mostly the standard, if you had 29mm bottles, then either the caps wouldn't fit or the capper would be unable to start crushing the cap into place. The uncompressed cap should fit onto the top of the bottle and not slide around with a bit of downward pressure applied.

 

[rburrelli]

Taking a look at the bottles you mentioned I concur that because of that bulbous section below the rim it might be hard to ge t a good crimp. On a hand capper the two handles have slots that slide under the edges of the section below the rim and allow a sort of back pressure upward when you push down. Like squeezing.

 

[dwhite60]

You could take one, place it cap down in a pitcher or something similar and see if it leaks. I bet they're fine.

I got a case of stubby Lagunita's bottles I had the same problem with. I tried one before bottling day so I had time to make other plans.

 

[Dinadan]

Some bottles just will not work with some lever cappers. I have one of the inexpensive cappers like you describe, and I cannot use Guinness bottles, for example. At this point in the process I would just leave the beer in the bottles. If there is no carbonation at all when it is time to drink, then mix the nog with a bland beer when you pour a mug to get a little fizz. Just my thought.

 

[bruce_the_loon]

Taking a look at the bottles you mentioned I concur that because of that bulbous section below the rim it might be hard to ge t a good crimp. On a hand capper the two handles have slots that slide under the edges of the section below the rim and allow a sort of back pressure upward when you push down. Like squeezing.

Just had a look myself at the bottles and rburrelli is right, that bulb will stop the lever capper from gripping properly. If you're still willing to buy a bench capper, that will cap these types of bottle without a problem, otherwise you'll have to get other bottles for the future.

I think from the test you did that the bottles are holding some level of carbonation, so they won't be completely flat later on, so I'd just leave them until you get the bench capper and reseal each one.

 

[MikeCo]

Have you tried reversing the plates in the capper so there's more clearance for the bottle neck? The video for the capper in the link you posted shows it being done.

 

[jmplmd533]

I am fairly new to home brewing also with about 6 batches bottled. I noticed that even though my beers give a pretty good hiss when I pop the caps, it feels like the caps are barely on there. The caps pop off very easily. Occasionally I will get a flat one. That being said my beer is well carbonated and not leaking. I am using Northern Brewing kit.

 

[wallyLOZ]

The bottle neck configuration may be your issue. I the photo, the bottle on the left is what I would call a "standard" neck. The two on the right have a shallower second lip. The winged capper may or may not fully crimp the cap on the two on the right. I had the same issue as you're describing early on. A bench capper solved the problem. IMHO, I would recommend a bench capper. Good luck and let us know your outcome.

 

[Ninoid]

Some caps is poor quality. Don’t buy caps in malls but take the ones sold in a home brewing equipment store. Plus, the bench capper has proven to be much better than the one you use.
I always use 26mm caps on 500mL bottles and I have no problem.