First shattered bottle

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I hope you didn't get cut - probably not since you didn't mention it. I had a problem with some bottles breaking at the neck when I started using a wing capper that I had loaned out and was returned. I think it must have been dropped and got misaligned. I started using a bench capper after that. Were you using a wing or bench capper?
 
I hope you didn't get cut - probably not since you didn't mention it. I had a problem with some bottles breaking at the neck when I started using a wing capper that I had loaned out and was returned. I think it must have been dropped and got misaligned. I started using a bench capper after that. Were you using a wing or bench capper?
Only a teeny cut on my finger as I cleaned up, hardly worth mentioning.
The wing capper that I've been using for over 22 years.
All my bottles are pretty new, from purchases of Sam Adams within the past four months.
 
Back in twentieth century, when I bottled, we only used returnable/refillable bar bottles. Are the Sam ones returnable for re use? if not, they are not as robust, even if configured correctly.

I'm kind of regretfull I let that bottle collection go, had cases of pint bar bottles as well as ....oh well,...... can't save everything.......miss some of the bottles, don't miss bottling.
 
Glad you didn't get hurt. That used to happen to me quite a bit with my wing capper. I have always used whatever bottles I got from the commercial beers I buy, so have never had a consistent bottle or source, and can't speak to the quality of glass used. I got a bench capper a couple of years ago and have not had the problem since, plus I think the bench capper is so much easier to use and more consistent. My bottling day is faster too since getting it.

Cheers!
 
You can get an old school bench capper at thrift store or flea market for $10. All I have used for 50 years and never had a problem
Something to keep in mind if it starts happening more, but I have a lot more urgent replacement needs for the equipment I had to leave behind when we moved.
 
Only a teeny cut on my finger as I cleaned up, hardly worth mentioning.
The wing capper that I've been using for over 22 years.
All my bottles are pretty new, from purchases of Sam Adams within the past four months.
I have several cases of Sam Adams bottles. I’ve found them to work well and be durable. I’ve had 2 break on me. One was a generic blank 12 oz with no markings that I couldn’t tell you what was originally in it. The neck of that one came off after capping while I was putting it in the box. Cut my thumb, nothing major. The other was a Dogfish Head bottle that the top of the bottle came off of while I was opening it. No damage.
 
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You can get an old school bench capper at thrift store or flea market for $10. All I have used for 50 years and never had a problem
...because they're all steel! No plastic parts that can crack with repeated use, due to crazy shear forces in critical areas.
 
I've got a thirty year old INART steel wing capper that came with my original homebrewing setup. Don't think I've ever broken a bottle with it. I've no doubt done thousands of bottles with it.

I recently bought some New Belgium beer. I really like their bottles and was going to reuse them. I weighed one against my regular bottles and they're fifty grams lighter, that means they're a good bit thinner as they're about the same height. They're getting recycled.
 
I've broken a few using the wing capper. I've also cracked a few bottles upon opening, after using the wing capper. I hate bottling...
 
I recently bought some New Belgium beer. I really like their bottles and was going to reuse them. I weighed one against my regular bottles and they're fifty grams lighter, that means they're a good bit thinner as they're about the same height. They're getting recycled.
I still have old returnable bottles from around 1992 - Budweiser, Miller, etc. Also some newer bottles that aren't returnable (the kind available now). I've never weighed them, but I can easily tell just from picking them up that the newer bottles are much lighter - some more so than others.
 
I've broken a few using the wing capper. I've also cracked a few bottles upon opening, after using the wing capper. I hate bottling...
I don’t hate it as much as I used to. I do 3 gallon batches, which is about 30 bottles so its not awful. I have a 2 tap kegerator so I can only have 2 on tap. Bottling becomes a necessary evil if I want to brew more than that. And especially for beers that will be around awhile or get any age. I have 2 barleywines in bottles, one each from the past 2 years. I have an old ale that is just starting to get good. I plan to do this year’s barleywine soon, which will be for next year.
 
I don’t hate it as much as I used to. I do 3 gallon batches, which is about 30 bottles so its not awful. I have a 2 tap kegerator so I can only have 2 on tap. Bottling becomes a necessary evil if I want to brew more than that. And especially for beers that will be around awhile or get any age. I have 2 barleywines in bottles, one each from the past 2 years. I have an old ale that is just starting to get good. I plan to do this year’s barleywine soon, which will be for next year.
I bottle my stout every year after I'm sick of drinking it from the keg. Nice to crack a bottle every subsequent year, to compare. Or for competitions. Most other beer I make doesn't make it long enough for me to bottle.
 
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