Capping Your Beer

[eddynretz]

hey i was wondering if anyone had some advice on putting the caps on the beers. We own one of the Capping machines that are on the stands and we are wanting to know the techniques that all you guys use to get a good seal.

cheers.

 

[Alx Rains]

Before capping I sit the caps in freshly boiled water, it might be an overkill but ensures they are clean as can be, it also softens them so capping is easier(hhahahahahaha)

 

[eddynretz]

oright can we have any help from anyone else? advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Walker]

i don't know if there is really any 'technique' to speak of. I have a different style of capper, but I think you just put the bottle under the machine, place a cap on top of the bottle, and pull the lever.

-walker

 

[alemonkey]

Buy a keg

 

[casebrew]

You should set caps on as you fill each bottle, then crimp the caps after they have each sat for a minute. Some guys fill and set caps on all bottles, then come back to the first and start crimping the caps. The beer is putting off co2 that will displace any air, preventing oxigenation and staling. Even beer straight from the secondary has almost one volume of gas in it, enough to displace the air.

 

[The Happy Mug]

I quit capping my bottles because the bullets shatter the bottle and waste my brew.

Okay, seriously. I turn my bottles 1/3 turn and press a total of three times to get that perfect looking circular indent in the middle and perfect rounding all about. Maybe my capper sucks and everybody else has one that makes it look right first press.

 

[Lou]

Maybe my capper sucks and everybody else has one that makes it look right first press.

yeah, maybe....or maybe you've got OCD...

 

[Pumbaa]

Before capping I sit the caps in freshly boiled water

Some guys fill and set caps on all bottles, then come back to the first and start crimping the caps.

Thats what I do.

I'm too lazy to tpe this morning

 

[SteveM]

Herfe is what I do. Never had a burst, had only one bottle in over a year pick up contamination.

Put enough caps for the batch in a bowl of no-rinse. Let 'em sit there through the entire bottling process, from boiling priming sugar, siphoning and so on.

Fill all bottles - no loose caps on top, just don't let anything touch the bottle tops. Put the bottles back into the cases or six pack holders so they can be moved easily. I leave them there to fill; once the bottles are all filled, I carefully - without touching anywhere near the opening - put them on the counter.

I use one of those two-arm cappers with a little magnet to hold the caps. I clean my hands thoroughly, dip them in the no-rinse, and start capping, one at a time. I leave a towl on the counter where I am working to wipe off the bottom of the bottles after I cap them, then replace them in the case or six pack holder. This last step is because I use those over and over, and I expect that sooner or later the accumulated drips will cause the box glue to fail with catastrophic results.

 

[Igorstien]

It's funny you mention dipping your hands in the sanatizer. I borrowed a box of vinyl gloves..yes borrowed, that will do....anyway, I always wear vinyl disposalble gloves when working with my brew at anytime. You never know where your hands have been.

I also wash my caps in no-rinse and use a bench capper. With the capper I just push down and I'm done. I've had one bottle not seal!!

Just my thoughts!

 

[davy]

Flip top Grolsh style bottles come in many sizes from 16oz to 2 liter. Use about 10 bottles to hold five gallons. Quick and easy and no need for a capper or caps. And they look cool.

 

[boo boo]

It's funny you mention dipping your hands in the sanatizer. I borrowed a box of vinyl gloves..yes borrowed, that will do....anyway, I always wear vinyl disposalble gloves when working with my brew at anytime. You never know where your hands have been.

I also wash my caps in no-rinse and use a bench capper. With the capper I just push down and I'm done. I've had one bottle not seal!!

Just my thoughts!

I do this also. I also keep a spray bottle of star-san and spray my gloves before using them.

 

[KopyKat]

Okay, seriously. I turn my bottles 1/3 turn and press a total of three times to get that perfect looking circular indent in the middle and perfect rounding all about. Maybe my capper sucks and everybody else has one that makes it look right first press.

Happy Mug,
It sounds like you have the same problem I had. I bought use equip when I started and I tested the capper and couldn't get it to put a cap on as tight as the hand capper I also got with everything I bought.
I took to capper to my LHBS and nobody could figure out what was wrong. I tried their new ones and they worked much better but still didn't put the cap on as tight as the hand held "Black Beauty" I had.
One day with nothing else to do and I figured nothing else to lose, I decided to take it apart and find out what was wrong. I unscrewed the part that goes over the cap and set it by itself over a cap and tapped it with a hammer lightly - capped perfect. I then screwed it back on tight, then backed it off two turns. What do you know - it capped perfectly.
The other thing I forgot to mention is that a little grease rubbed on the inside of the bell will help smooth out the whole operation.
After experimenting, I found that mine only needed one complete turn loosening to cap perfectly.