Do you guys "code" your beer-caps to know what is inside months later?

[Apollo]

I give up. Yes, Wmnstn == Williamstown, but since it seems to attract repeated questioning I'll just change my profile.

I only asked because I graduated from Mt. Greylock HS. A bunch of my HS friends still live in the area. (I still have to ask the question... What the f is an Eph?

 

[hopsalot]

Tape and a pen

 

[Medo]

Ahoy hoy,
My method is pretty full proof, but its not for the faint of heart, or wallet.
I went out on ebay and bought 16,000 (yes Virginia, that's sixteen thousand) over run caps. They came from a Pepsi Co bottling company. Im set for life. The best part is that I have over a dozen different brands of caps, from Citrus Cola, to Diet Tab (egad). I can usually just use the different caps, as by the time I come around to a cap again, Ive usually drank the last batch using the same cap.
And, yes, I still use the mighty sharpie on the caps at times, as I have more barqs peach soda caps then any of the others, so Ill just write on them. The main thing, as many have stressed, is the little book that months down the road reminds you what # or something abbreviated like it, means on a cap
Since my situation is almost unique, i recommend sharpies or the little white stickers the others have mentioned. Ive used them all.
I bid you all a great day!

 

[Tripod]

I too number. I also keep a cork board by the fridge with the number and a little description of each beer. That way, guests are not constantly asking me:

"Whats number 12?"
"Its an Imperial pale"

I am planning to share my brews as much as possible because it's one of the best ways to get feedback (IMHO). I realize a lot of brewers don't feel like they need to code because it's a solo hobby with few consumers (I mean drinkers, not buyers). But I'm betting there is an equal number of brewers (on the grand scale of things) that are interested in gathering feedback from others of various levels of beer-knowledge.

I was thinking I can code for my quick ID but also so I don't get a million inquiries. If someone is interested in the details then I can direct them to the notebook...besides, I might just turn someone else onto the wild and wonderful world of home-brewing!

Thanks all for excellent input! Nobody beats homebrewtalk! :rockin:

-Tripod

 

[neuron555]

(I still have to ask the question... What the f is an Eph?

Ephraim Williams, Colonel, killed in the Battle of Lake George in the French and Indian Wars. Left money in his will to start a school - Williams College.

 

[camiller]

Sharpie to write on the beer caps.

+1 on this, although I've considered switching to printed 3/4" round labels on the caps.

 

[Bytor1100]

+1 on this, although I've considered switching to printed 3/4" round labels on the caps.

I used to do the sharpie thing. I got real sick of writing on 2 cases of beer at a time. Now a simple copy and paste from one label and hit print. Plus my handwriting sucks and I can get more info on the cap.

 

[Schwind]

I would number the caps with a sharpie. Before kegging I got to batch #5. I hated bottling. Now its blue painters tape around the keg handle.

 

[IowaStateFan]

I used to do the sharpie thing. I got real sick of writing on 2 cases of beer at a time. Now a simple copy and paste from one label and hit print. Plus my handwriting sucks and I can get more info on the cap.

Amen to that. I can't write wort a darn, especially with that damn sharpie. Printable labels it is for me.

 

[mkquinn]

The easy way is to give each batch a number. Using your recipe just put the brew lot in the number comments. Mark ea bottle or print up round stikers.

Go up to 99 and then start over at 1. I doubt you will make 100 brews in a year.

I have always done it this way. I just write the number on the cap. It's fun to keep track of how may you have done over time, and my friends seem to enjoy it as well. "What number are you up to" is always the first thing they'll say when they stop by. It's also easy to refer to the appropriate recipe if you keep track of them in a notebook.

 

[Soulshine2]

I always use colored labels to identify the beer.
​

I see you dont peel your bottles original labels.

 

[Soulshine2]

I just put a different color cap on my bottled batches. My Oatmeal stout got black caps, my Hef got gold , and my American Brown Ale will have silver. BUT I also have red ,white and orange in storage. My last order I bought 144 silver caps so after I bottle my Brown ,I'll have to resort to a sharpie or colored dot stickers if I happen to have plain silver capped bottles left in the fridge. I'm cheap.

 

[kh54s10]

I see you dont peel your bottles original labels.

I wonder if that poster still has labels on his bottles from 10 years ago??

 

[Soulshine2]

I wonder if that poster still has labels on his bottles from 10 years ago??

I caught that AFTER I posted.

 

[Soulshine2]

I guess I like to revive old threads ...for "newbies" like me looking for the same info .

 

[BalloonGuy]

I buy and print small labels for the caps. I do not put anything on the bottles because I don't want to clean them.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

I just put a different color cap on my bottled batches. My Oatmeal stout got black caps, my Hef got gold , and my American Brown Ale will have silver. BUT I also have red ,white and orange in storage. My last order I bought 144 silver caps so after I bottle my Brown ,I'll have to resort to a sharpie or colored dot stickers if I happen to have plain silver capped bottles left in the fridge. I'm cheap.

This is what I do (when I bottle).
I keep 5 or 6 different caps on hand, and each beer or cider gets its own. Worst case, I write on a plain silver or gold cap with a sharpie.

 

[Tribe Fan]

I use the 3/4" round Avery labels and print them off for the caps. I actually design labels for mine now that I do this.

I use Kolsch bottles and do this. They stick until they are washed and then come right off with a wipe of the thumb. My wife has some internet program she uses to print them and I pick a different background for each one so they contrast well. I got tired of trying to decipher my own sharpie codes.

 

[toddo97]

I have a dozen or so different colors/styles of caps that I use. In the case of split batches, I'll either do the sharpie thing to differentiate or if it's a dark colored cap, I'll borrow some nail polish from my wife and put a blop on each cap

 

[shoengine]

RFID all the way.

 

[TGFV]

Different colours and writing. I do a lot of fruit beer so
Red= rasberry
Blue=blackberry or blueberry
Green=citrus
Black=cider
Gold for everything else.

Then I write the individual beers initials on the top if I have more than one colour bottled.