fliptops good? or no good?

[jgerard]

So I have used a few fliptops that my mom gave me a while back and had one of the beers go flat. I'm not sure if this is because I needed a fresher rubber on it or what, but I really liked the idea of fliptops besides the one leaky one I had.
My question: I see fliptops on a ton of brewsites but are they worth using?

/does anyone know a website that supplies them for cheap? I'm thinkink 750 ml or 1L.

Thanks!

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

I'm not a fan of them. I bought 12 of them a few years ago...used them once, and then gave them away on craigslist.

 

[ArcaneXor]

When I used them for bottle conditioning, I had a fairly high failure rate (in excess of 10%). I love them for quickly bottling up something from the keg for consumption later that day if I don't want to fill a whole growler.

 

[Sheldon]

if you are referring to Grolsch style bottles, I love them and use them often. I like the fact that they are 16 oz and not just 12 oz bottles.

 

[ThickHead]

My experience with them has been extremely poor. In fact, I had as high as 50% failure rate in terms of carbonation. I used them for my first two homebrews and they have been collecting dust ever since.

 

[doodlebug]

I'll generally save my flip tops for making a quick sixer for the night using the Blichmann beer gun. Great use. Never tried doing long term storage although if the rubber is good enough I don't see a problem with it. As a general rule I'd say drink em sooner rather than later.

 

[4assed]

While I have had the occasional dud, I have also had good luck with bottles up to a year old. It is important to replace the rubber grommets when they get old and spongy or cracked, as well as make sure there is good tension on the cap when you bottle (you can test them before actual bottling.

 

[zman]

I have used than with great success. I have 50 or so of the 16oz Grolsch bottles. I opened a year old Oatmeal Stout and Abbey Weiss and they re still perfectly carbed.

 

[emjay]

Weird, I've used a ton of the bottles, and never once had a problem. You just need to make sure not to let the gaskets get too bad.

 

[PVH]

I used them for years before going to kegs. I had a few failures at first, but then learned how to prevent them and had no problems after that. You really have to make sure the top is lined up correctly. It's easy to be off center, which will cause the gasket to get insufficient contact on one side. This is likely if you are not holding the top in the proper place when you close the tops. Simply pushing down on the arm is not enough.

Also, some swing top bottles have flimsy, thin, or soft gaskets. Use good thick ones. I think new Grolsch bottles come with thick gaskets.

 

[bruin_ale]

I love mine for taking to homebrew club meetings or parties.. I don't generally bottle anything I brew, so I like the convenience of just filling it up and closing the top and not needing to worry about finding bottle caps.

 

[_JP_]

Never had a problem with the 100+ Grolsch (brown) bottles I've used. All had new rubber gaskets put on them, though. They should be available at your LHBS.

 

[Golddiggie]

I've been using them for my batches so far. With my last batch bottled, I also kegged 3 gallons, so only a few of the Grolsch bottles were filled (also did a 6 pack of 12oz bottles). I've had some duds, but I attribute that to being a new brewer. My first two batches in them were 100% carbonated.

IME, You do need to line up the gaskets with the opening and make sure they seat properly. This only takes a second and both hands to do. I've found that if I do that, I get good carbonation. If I don't line it up right, or the gasket has other issues, you might not get a good enough seal. I've started to flip them over after each batch, to ensure good contact with the next batch. This method is working out very well.

Since I'm getting into kegging, I don't expect to need to get new bottles. I do have a 100 pack of fresh gaskets, so I should be set for some time to come. I'm also using Belgian bottles, corking them (and using the cages)... Those bottles have a 100% success rate.

I will say that there's something really rewarding when you open up either a Belgian or Grolsch bottle, hearing it go POP! You don't get that with 'pop' tops. I opened up a bottle just a short time ago (tonight) and it did a nice, loud, POP when I opened it. Very nice carbonation, thick head that held up for more than long enough. There's about an inch left in the glass (of brew) and it still has about a 1/8" thick head on it. :rockin:

If your swing-top/flip-top bottles have had more than a couple of batches go through them, inspect the gaskets. If they show deep marks on the gaskets from the bottle top, either flip them over or change them. I would plan to get 5-6 batches out of the gasket on the bottle. So you might want to keep track of how many have gone into the bottles. I would still flip the gasket over, depending on how it's wearing. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to flip it after each batch, just to be sure it makes solid contact with the lip.

 

[jgerard]

Thanks for all the advice! I grabbed myself a 4pk of 16oz grolsch lager at my local beer supplier.

 

[Vector]

I have a case of EZ Cap swingtops (32 oz) and I have never had a problem with them. I bought these back in 2004 and I'm still using the original gaskets. I use these for every batch I bottle if some are empty. They are a good investment.

 

[TacoGuthrie]

I'm glad the OP went out and bought some.

Count me in for a 'yes' vote. Before starting to keg 5 batches ago, I bottled my first 25 batches using predominantly swing tops. I had collected a batch worth of 16oz and 2 batches worth of 32 oz swing tops and almost never had a carbonation problem.

 

[chowser]

I'm gonna have to be in the "seems like a good idea, but possibly problematic" camp. I've gathered a few and use them, but I don't think they're as reliable as the usual crown cap. No real data, just anecdote.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

A leaky rubber is never good in any situation. At least a flat beer doesn't make anyone preggers.

I have some, but only use them as a standby.

 

[wildwest450]

I hate flip flops.

_

 

[nefarious_1_]

I used them for years before going to kegs. I had a few failures at first, but then learned how to prevent them and had no problems after that. You really have to make sure the top is lined up correctly. It's easy to be off center, which will cause the gasket to get insufficient contact on one side. This is likely if you are not holding the top in the proper place when you close the tops. Simply pushing down on the arm is not enough.

Also, some swing top bottles have flimsy, thin, or soft gaskets. Use good thick ones. I think new Grolsch bottles come with thick gaskets.

I agree. In my experiences, as long as the top is lined up correctly and the gasket is fresh, there are no problems.

Not as reliable as a crown cap, yes.

 

[fishshocker]

I haven't used them before, but I do have a case collecting dust and I've worried about the same thing. Would a very thin layer (almost non-existent) of keg lube help seal them tight.

 

[markg388]

i have exactly enough of these for 1 5-gallon batch and i use them as often as i can, saving them for batches that don't last long. I can't even imagine them not sealing, mine are sooooooo legit; nice thick gasket and they take an awful lot of force to both close and open. There's gotta be 1 or 2 companies making flimsy ones that you guys have been getting...