capping problem

[sorefingers23]

i bought myself a bench capper today, and tried it on some empty bottles, and had some problems, first, when i tried to cap the twist off bottles, i could just twist em off with very little force, and then i tried on the pop top bottles, and when they were on i could still twist them around.

is this normal, or is there something wrong with the caps, or capper, or bottles??

 

[artyboy]

Make sure that it's set low enough so that it pushes all the way down on the caps.

 

[JJL]

It's your bottles. Twist offs are notorious for making a bad seal. They aren't really the best choice for homebrewing.

 

[passedpawn]

Caps should be tight. You should not be able to move them by hand when applied correctly.

 

[erock2112]

Twist-offs are a no-go for homebrewing.

 

[marubozo]

I think we've determined that twist-offs are a bad idea, but you'll notice he also said regular pop-top bottles were leading to twisting caps. So, I'd say it's probably the capper that's the issue.

 

[Chuck_Swillery]

+1 for the "twist-offs are a no go..." Try a non-twist cap bottle - it'll likely be fine...

 

[Noldar]

He said they were not fine.

What type of non-twist bottle did you use? Some have an over sized lip that will not work (British and Canadian bottles). Also, do you have another capper to test on the bottles to see if it is the bench capper?

If you do have a wing-type capper, do not use on the twist off bottles. The neck on the bottle can snap due to pressure you put on it when capping.

 

[Homercidal]

If you can twist the pry off caps, then there may not be enough pressure to hold the seal against the pressure once the priming sugar starts to ferment. Or maybe it will be fine. I have no idea.

But I recommend not using twist offs. They suck.

And, you may consider buying a bench capper, which seems to do a better job. I've seen plenty on ebay for less than $10 used.

 

[bonzombiekitty]

And, you may consider buying a bench capper, which seems to do a better job. I've seen plenty on ebay for less than $10 used.

*ahem*:

i bought myself a bench capper today, and tried it on some empty bottles

sorefinger, the problem you are having is not "normal" in that on the pry offs, you shouldn't be able to twist the caps. I'm guessing the bench capper is not putting enough pressure on the cap - you may have to adjust the height or something.

As for twist offs, it seems to be a hit-or-miss thing. Some people have no trouble getting twist offs to work using a bench capper, others do.

 

[Homercidal]

Ooops, sorry, I was reading to fast I guess.

 

[sorefingers23]

i tried it on a stella artois bottle, a kronrnbourg 1664 bottle, and a red stipe bottle, the red stripe bottle seems to have the best hold, only problem is i only have 6 of them.

 

[passedpawn]

I'm guessing wildly here, but perhaps the bell is wrong for the standard caps (the bell is the attachment on the capper that actually does the crimping). There are larger size caps and bottles that you can get different bells for.

Standard caps are 26mm, but there is a european size slightly larger (29mm). If the bell on your capper is the latter, you will definitely have problems.

 

[echotraveler]

some pop top's are better than others, anchor brewery are pretty bad, fat and long neck bottles work great in my experience...

put pressure, the worst you can do is break a bottle, experience is the key...

 

[Malintent]

I always had trouble with Heinekens.. But I hate green bottles anyway.

If trying to twist off a pop-top doesn't rip the skin off your fingers, then it ain't on right.

 

[sorefingers23]

i was just messing around with the capper again, and when i do put pressure on it, they seem to have a better seal, i can still twist the cap, but only with force, not as easy as before. im gonna try to find out what size the bell is on my capper, maybe thats the problem

 

[echotraveler]

consensus is "Stay away from twist off bottles!"

 

[sorefingers23]

consensus is "Stay away from twist off bottles!"

im not using twist tops, i tried on regular pop tops

 

[rico567]

Wrong size capper is the only thing I can think of.....the pry-off crown cap technology, which is pretty old, is not only simple but has withstood the test of time, like pen & paper. I am using my grandfather's somewhat corroded Prohibition-era bench capper to cap all my beer. Mostly longnecks, some bombers and Martinelli's sparkling cider bottles. It will work on all....and I use NO twist-offs. Even if no one ever told me, the degree to which the bottle hisses when you twist off the cap tells you something: sometimes a nice hiss, sometimes barely, sometimes none. Can't be that good a system if it does that right out of the brewery. Just a pretty lame convenience....and I notice that the Bud / Michelob "craft" brews have reverted to pry-offs.

 

[turtleboy3737]

if one more person doesnt read the op and say "don't use twist offs!" I'm going to lose it.

That being said I would also try a wing capper if you can, maybe the caps are the problem?

other than that what others have said seems like good advice(about the bell)

 

[Malintent]

yea.. and you shouldn't be using twist offs... surprised no one said anything about that.