How do you guys use handheld cappers?

[dsaavedra]

New brewer here, going to be bottling my first batch in 1 week. I practiced with my red baron capper on a few bottles (empty at first, then filled with water) and I'm just wondering if there is some kind of technique that works best.

My first bottle I tried I just pulled the levers down until they stopped then pulled them back up. When I went to take this cap off, it basically popped right off as soon as the bottle opener went under the edge. I tried a second bottle (this time filled with water) and pushed down with some force once the levers were all the way down, imprinting a circle into the cap. This one felt more like a normal cap when I removed it, bending when I used the bottle opener. It was also water tight (I wish I had put water in the first bottle that I loosely capped to test its seal).

It seems I have to use some force when capping, but I don't want to use more than necessary and risk breaking bottles.

So how do you guys use handheld cappers? What techniques work best?

 

[Veronis]

Exactly what you said - if you see a circle, you've done it right. Not seeing a circle doesn't necessarily mean it isn't sealed, either. It's all in the amount of force; you'll very quickly get used to it. Practice a few more times and before long, you won't even give it a second thought.

I've used quite a bit of force and have never broken a bottle. I place the cap on the magnet, turn it over on the bottle, push the wings down just a bit until I start to feel resistance, and then push downward fairly hard. "Just enough" to get that circle is plenty of force to seal it - even a little less than that is OK.

Keep in mind that the "short" bottles, like Lagunitas or Sierra Nevada bottles, often don't work well with these cappers. The caps sit crooked and often don't seal because the collar (the "lip" under the lip) of these shorter bottles are smaller but jut outward more, causing the wing capper to not be able to close properly (so even if you see a circle from capping, if you turn the bottle you can plainly see that the cap is crooked). Stick with standard bottles.

 

[dsaavedra]

Exactly what you said - if you see a circle, you've done it right. Not seeing a circle doesn't necessarily mean it isn't sealed, either. It's all in the amount of force; you'll very quickly get used to it. Practice a few more times and before long, you won't even give it a second thought.

I've used quite a bit of force and have never broken a bottle. I place the cap on the magnet, turn it over on the bottle, push the wings down just a bit until I start to feel resistance, and then push downward fairly hard. "Just enough" to get that circle is plenty of force to seal it - even a little less than that is OK.

Keep in mind that the "short" bottles, like Lagunitas or Sierra Nevada bottles, often don't work well with these cappers. The caps sit crooked and often don't seal because the collar (the "lip" under the lip) of these shorter bottles are smaller but jut outward more, causing the wing capper to not be able to close properly (so even if you see a circle from capping, if you turn the bottle you can plainly see that the cap is crooked). Stick with standard bottles.

Good to know. I remember when I was reading up on using cappers most people advised against using irregularly shaped bottles, or twist off bottles. I got 2 cases of new bottles from Midwest so I don't think I will have to worry about this issue. Hopefully the capper won't be prone to breaking standard bottles.

 

[duboman]

Basically you should apply enough pressure that you feel/sense a small "snap" when the levers are fully down, that's the crimping action that occurs

 

[RM-MN]

Good to know. I remember when I was reading up on using cappers most people advised against using irregularly shaped bottles, or twist off bottles. I got 2 cases of new bottles from Midwest so I don't think I will have to worry about this issue. Hopefully the capper won't be prone to breaking standard bottles.

You will have to worry in about 3 weeks when you have another batch of beer to ready to bottle and half the bottles you bought still have beer in them.

I have about 25 dozen bottles and I'm pacing my brewing so I'll have enough empties to be able to bottle when the next one is done.:rockin:

 

[dsaavedra]

You will have to worry in about 3 weeks when you have another batch of beer to ready to bottle and half the bottles you bought still have beer in them.

I have about 25 dozen bottles and I'm pacing my brewing so I'll have enough empties to be able to bottle when the next one is done.:rockin:

You underestimate my drinking abilities :cross: But seriously, I thought about this and I will probably start saving bottles I come across that are of the "standard" variety.

 

[JimRausch]

Exactly what you said - if you see a circle, you've done it right. Not seeing a circle doesn't necessarily mean it isn't sealed, either. It's all in the amount of force; you'll very quickly get used to it. Practice a few more times and before long, you won't even give it a second thought.

I've used quite a bit of force and have never broken a bottle. I place the cap on the magnet, turn it over on the bottle, push the wings down just a bit until I start to feel resistance, and then push downward fairly hard. "Just enough" to get that circle is plenty of force to seal it - even a little less than that is OK.

Keep in mind that the "short" bottles, like Lagunitas or Sierra Nevada bottles, often don't work well with these cappers. The caps sit crooked and often don't seal because the collar (the "lip" under the lip) of these shorter bottles are smaller but jut outward more, causing the wing capper to not be able to close properly (so even if you see a circle from capping, if you turn the bottle you can plainly see that the cap is crooked). Stick with standard bottles.

Same here, although I will also add that after capping, I give the bottle a 1/4 turn and use the capper again. Necessary? Probably not, but what the hay....
I have broken a few bottles over the years, but invariably there has been something wrong with them- screw-on top, already chipped, unusual shaped lip, 'shorties'.

 

[IvanTheTerribrew]

I've only had short bottles like the woodchuck bottles break on me while bottling. Never had a normal bottle break.

 

[ShadyBrewer]

I'd say 75% of my bottles are "shorties" and I've never had any problems capping them with my red hand capper

 

[unionrdr]

Just pull the handles down till they snug up. Then pull down with medium pressure till they stop,not quite horizontal. I broke a short Sierra Nevada bottle or two. some regular bottles with slightly shorter necks,like Smithwick's & Sapporo hang up on the capper. I've since gone to a Super Agata bench capper. No more problems.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I use to use Sierra Nevada bottles only because I liked the looks of them. Never had 1 issue with them. I would always put the cap on the bottle, the put the capper on and pull down, leaving the little dent on top. I have a batch now that I'm contemplating bottling. Haven't bottled for a couple years. Don't think I want to clean all those bottles though...

 

[william_shakes_beer]

When I started brewing I would brew a batch, put it in the fermenter, and buy a case of pop top beer. Drink for 4 weeks, and then have another case of bottles ready to go. Now I have a mixture of tall neck and short neck bottles. If I were starting out from scratch, I'd restrict my purchases to tall neck only for the following reasons:

1. Tall neck bottles won't fit in a short neck cases.
2. Short neck bottles tend to gush more on brews that get over carbed for a variety of reasons.
3. Short neck bottles are a bit wider in the base than tall neck. I can fit 3 short neck bottles in a tall neck rack but not 6.
4. Most craft breweries seem to prefer long neck bottles.

I also like the look of short neck bottles. If you must use them, use only them for the reasons described above.

 

[Jayhem]

I pulled the magnet out of my wing capper because it kept causing mis-cappings. My process is about as seamless as you can get using a winged capper:

I fill bottles using 2 bottling buckets and place sanitized caps on the bottles as they are filled.
I then lay the bottles on the floor to my right in a nice line. Once I get to about 12 bottles filled I switch to capping and just go down the line. It's much easier to cap bottles on the floor because you can stay above them and really get the leverage you need just by your upper body weight without having to actually push with your arms, it's super easy this way.

With a helper the process is every faster and we can bottle and cap 11 gallons in about 25 minutes.

 

[hikemor]

IMO it is the length of the lip below the bottle mouth rather than the length of the neck that is important. The capper engages sooner on a longer length lip than a shorter length, resulting in a better crimp. Pop cap long neck bottles that most craft brewers use tend to have the longer lips (as do Sierra Nevada bottles). Moosehead, Dos Equis and other bottles have shorter lips and are the type with which I have had cap problems.

 

[WNCBrewman]

Its the lip on the bottom of the tip that matters. Most of my bottles are Sierra Nevada. Never had a problem. In fact, I prefer them, because I can stash a few extra in the mini fridge without obstruction from the freezer area! The shorter lips and and thick top bottles are the ones to avoid.

 

[coolharry]

I sit/kneel on the floor while bottling and line up a few and cap them in a row also. Getting the right leverage is the key to making it easy. I found it easiest to almost push out on the handles rather than down. Ive never noticed an indentation on the caps of my brews. It shouldn't require a ton of force. Just one smooth motion from as far out on the handles as you can comfortably go.
I use long necks, shorties, the new red hook bottles and prefer the shorties. I agree with those above it seems the lip of the bottles matters more than bottle shape.