crown caps for 750mL champagne bottles?

[twd000]

I collected a bunch of empty champagne and sparkling wine bottles from my neighbors after New Year's. I'm planning on bottle-conditioning a mixed-culture saison.

My question is whether I can cap them with a red wing capper and 26mm caps, or if I need to go with cork-and-cage?

 

[toadie]

You need the 29 mm caps and a different "bell" that should screw onto your capper. There is some regional variation in size I think but I believe the french cap their champagne before disgorgement and then cork and cage. Cheers.

 

[twd000]

Upon closer inspection I looks like I have a mix of sizes. Some of them fit the same 26mm caps as a standard 12 oz beer bottle.

The true Euro-style champagne bottles have the larger 29mm rim so I'll need to order the larger bell and caps. I'll skip the corks- I have faith in the crown caps

 

[toadie]

I have two of the North American style regular cap bottles but keep them separate from my more numerous Champagne bottles to avoid confusion.

 

[twd000]

I have two of the North American style regular cap bottles but keep them separate from my more numerous Champagne bottles to avoid confusion.

Yeah I'm glad I noticed they were different before bottling day. I hadn't realized North American 750mL sparkling wine bottles used a different cap size than Euro champagne bottles

 

[cactusgarrett]

Even with a larger bell, the wing capper may not work, since there's variation in the sizing of the lip that the wings need to grab onto. I found what truly worked was a bench capper with a larger bell. Aside from the screw-top champagne bottles (that i cork), I haven't found a bottle the bench capper + crown caps can't cap.

 

[NTexBrewer]

For the american bottles you will probably still have to switch the grabber plates to the 29mm side since the bottle necks are thick.

 

[toadie]

I have a weird old bench capper that the newer bell wouldn't screw onto. So far my wing capper has been fine tho I haven't done a huge batch yet.

 

[cactusgarrett]

For the american bottles you will probably still have to switch the grabber plates to the 29mm side since the bottle necks are thick.

I, for the life of me, could NOT pull out the plates and turn them around to fit the larger sized bottles.

 

[NTexBrewer]

I, for the life of me, could NOT pull out the plates and turn them around to fit the larger sized bottles.

Pliers, wiggling, cursing and bloody knuckles is the only way I know how to switch the plates. A small hammer or the back of the pliers to tap the plate back in.

 

[MikeCo]

Pliers, wiggling, cursing and bloody knuckles is the only way I know how to switch the plates. A small hammer or the back of the pliers to tap the plate back in.

Agreed. I also found the first time getting the plates out is the most difficult. After getting a bench capper, I used the bench capper for the 26mm bottles and the wing capper for 29 so I don't have to swap the plates frequently. I eventually bought a 29mm bell for my bench capper, so I don't use the wing capper anymore.

 

[khannon]

Agreed. I also found the first time getting the plates out is the most difficult. After getting a bench capper, I used the bench capper for the 26mm bottles and the wing capper for 29 so I don't have to swap the plates frequently. I eventually bought a 29mm bell for my bench capper, so I don't use the wing capper anymore.

Where did you get a 29mm bell for your bench capper? I had to search quite a bit to find a wing capper that does 29, could not find a thing for my bench capper.

 

[MikeCo]

MoreBeer had one for my Colt Strong capper. It looks like the only one they carry, but it’s now out of stock.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/colt-strong-capping-bell-29-mm-1.html

 

[cactusgarrett]

I snagged my from my LHBS, here.
If you can't find any, you could order from them - they ship around the country.