Cap and Bottle Compatability Question

[groosha5]

I'm currently planning my first brew and trying to figure everything out before I buy everything and start. I've got some empty bottles at home from beers that have been bought. They've got a thread on that "upper lip" where the cap goes. Looking at bottles that are for sale on homebrewsupply.com, those bottles have a smooth "upper lip". Will the crown caps that I see for sale fit over the bottles I have with the threaded lip? Hope that makes sense. -Thanks!

 

[kh54s10]

The threaded lip is for twist off bottle caps. If you are going to use crimp on caps you might or might not get a good seal.

I suggest you look for other bottles. Ask all your friends for empties. I got a lot of Sam Adams bottles when I started from friends.

Most of the ones that used those successfully have used bench cappers. Not the two handled ones.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

What you have are twist-off bottles. Most people will tell you not to use them, but a minority will say they use them and you should too. The capper will seal it, but it might not be a tight seal, and twist-tops are said to be (but I can neither confirm nor deny) thinner glass and not suitable.

 

[z-bob]

I have a couple of cases of bottles I need to get rid of in Rochester MN. Washed and labels removed already. You can have 'em if you want. (I have no idea where you live; might not be worth it to come here and get them)

If you have a bench-style bottle capper you can probably cap those twist-off bottles, but I wouldn't trust them to seal properly.

1L plastic pop bottles (not water bottles, those are thinner) work well for beer too. You can reuse the original caps. 2L bottles would work, but that's a lot of beer to drink at once.

 

[beermanpete]

I have used the twist-off bottles successfully with a bench capper. I have not tried with a butterfly capper. I cannot see why it would not work. The issue is the distance from the top of the bottle to the lower edge of the ridge below the cap. The butterfly capper uses this edge to hold the bottle.

If you have a butterfly capper: Check the fit with an empty. Basically, cap an empty bottle. While the capper is closed over the bottle and cap the bottle should be held tightly. If it is loose and can move at all it will not seal reliably.

 

[groosha5]

Thanks for all the input. The kit I'll be getting comes with a handheld butterfly capper. And I'm in Michigan, so MN is out of the question lol. I don't want to risk a bad seal, so I'll just get some normal bottles.

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks for all the input. The kit I'll be getting comes with a handheld butterfly capper. And I'm in Michigan, so MN is out of the question lol. I don't want to risk a bad seal, so I'll just get some normal bottles.

Look around the neighborhood on recycling day. If you're near a frat house, you're golden.

Check Craigslist, often they are sold for $5 a case or less, or given away for free. Watch curb alerts.

I've tried to cap twist offs with a metal wing capper and did not get a good seal.

I've read somewhere that if you save the caps from the twist offs, they can be screwed back onto the twist offs and form a positive seal.

On a side note, if you have twist offs, you're drinking the wrong beer! Start brewing.

 

[z-bob]

I just found this thread today: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=157575 Maybe you can find somebody closer with free bottles.

 

[beermanpete]

The bottles are free. You get one with each beer you buy. Drink up!