Steveruch
Well-Known Member
Yesterday while bottling an apa I had a bottle shatter while I capped it; first one in over 20 years of brewing.
Only a teeny cut on my finger as I cleaned up, hardly worth mentioning.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?
It's way down the list of things I'd get if I could afford them.I'd say that after the OP has been using a wing capper for 22 years, they've earned a bench capper.
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 problemIt's way down the list of things I'd get if I could afford them.
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.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
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.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.
...because they're all steel! No plastic parts that can crack with repeated use, due to crazy shear forces in critical areas.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
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 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 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'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 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.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.
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