Reusing 12 oz bottle caps - Yes caps. Pry off caps.

[Jokester]

re capping, the caps will break over time wouldn't they from the continued bending back and forth?

That's where that jar-key - intended for huge a$$ bottles comes into the picture, it will lift the cap off without bending it - to the extent you can "snap" it back on the bottle.
Well, if its as good as a fresh new uncrimped on cap ??? I'll know when I open my freshly bottled batch.
However the cap comes off unbent to the naked eye with a jar-key used to open the bottle.

 

[bracconiere]

https://www.morebeer.com/products/p...LvPyyGBexhqwvT2_GlE3huMwoc_J1S-EaAmUmEALw_wcB
i'm saying these are what you're looking for....and the screw caps....

 

[PCABrewing]

If you can find an opener like this, they don't deform the caps so much, since it lifts on 2 points of contact.
View attachment 762785

Simplicity at its finest!

 

[Jokester]

Simplicity at its finest!

Actually no, simplicity is to pry the cap off with a lighter or other plastic object like a knife handle.
The "lift" the cap off vs bend the cap off is what's the question here. Lift off = reuse ability is high. Bend = low to 0.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I see your swing-top bottles and raise you a swing-top adapter so you can put swing tops on regular bottles - screw off or not.

The file is available on thingiverse for those with a printer.

 

[PCABrewing]

Actually no, simplicity is to pry the cap off with a lighter or other plastic object like a knife handle.
The "lift" the cap off vs bend the cap off is what's the question here. Lift off = reuse ability is high. Bend = low to 0.

Well I was commenting on the device, but if you want to get technical, the lighter is a much more complicated device than the opener above and a less effective opener too . More hit and miss.
And for me, simplicity is to rack it to a keg and be done with it.
That way I can drink it in any quantity I feel like.

 

[passedpawn]

I've got a couple of cases of grolsch swing-tops. If anyone is in the Clearwater FL area, come by and grab them, they are in the attic and likely headed to the recycle bin when I get the energy.

 

[bwible]

My test case was a guinness bottle with boiling water and its original cap put on and I shook it when it was still boiling. The seal seemed to hold. Then I sat it outside (in case it blows clean up is easier) and as the temp dropped to 40's the bottle developed negative pressure, and it held, making the pop when you open it. OK I'll locate bottle caps if they're 3c but I'll bet they're going to be a bundle to ship, unless I buy a million of em. Let me check.

We have people from all over the world, so Its always tough to know where someone is posting from. In the US, MoreBeer sells 144 oxygen absorbing bottle caps for $5.49. 3.8 cents each. Other online places and local shops are probably similar. I like buying them that way so I have several different colors to differentiate batches.

 

[Jokester]

Well I was commenting on the device, but if you want to get technical, the lighter is a much more complicated device than the opener above and a less effective opener too . More hit and miss.
And for me, simplicity is to rack it to a keg and be done with it.
That way I can drink it in any quantity I feel like.

Yeesh, a piece of plastic will do the same thing. So will a plastic knife handle. Or any other piece of wood or plastic you got about the size of a lighter. Spatula handle, fork handle, matter of fact butter knife etc have all been used.
Man, haven't you seen 12 yr old kids pry off bottle caps with a random object from their pockets. The thing goes "pop" and the cap goes flying - well, dont let it fly away - I'm sure some complicated reason will be used to keep it from "flying".
I'm going to let it bottle carbonate, 12oz of 10% abv is plenty plenty for me for an evening, thank you very much. If I'm having company I'll crack the 1 32 I have for this batch, but I'll have to do 50-50 between the 32's and the 12's if it seems to be more popular.

 

[Jokester]

We have people from all over the world, so Its always tough to know where someone is posting from. In the US, MoreBeer sells 144 oxygen absorbing bottle caps for $5.49. 3.8 cents each. Other online places and local shops are probably similar.

Naa I am in the US right now. I was in India till 2 weeks ago. Anyway the caps have been bought and after a hefty $20 bill exchanged hands electronically they're on the way.
And having bottles and caps gives me ideas to start a fermented palm sugar drink as well as other stuff.

 

[bwible]

I've got a couple of cases of grolsch swing-tops. If anyone is in the Clearwater FL area, come by and grab them, they are in the attic and likely headed to the recycle bin when I get the energy.

I had several cases, maybe 8 cases that I put out to recycle when I moved in 2019. I had made friends with a bartender at Bennigans when I first started brewing and I would pay him for them. To him they were trash. He would save them for me along with the boxes they came in. I hadn’t used them for ages and I had no space for them at the new place. They are 16 oz bottles if I recall.

Today I would rather have Fuller’s bottles.

 

[PCABrewing]

stupid!

What he^ said!

 

[PCABrewing]

I had several cases, maybe 8 cases that I put out to recycle when I moved in 2019. I had made friends with a bartender at Bennigans when I first started brewing and I would pay him for them. To him they were trash. He would save them for me along with the boxes they came in. I hadn’t used them for ages and I had no space for them at the new place. They are 16 oz bottles if I recall.

Today I would rather have Fuller’s bottles.

Fullers bottles were nice heavy glass.
I could not find any Fullers for sale last two times to the store. Clerk said they hadn't had any for 18 mos.

 

[Jokester]

Fullers bottles were nice heavy glass.
I could not find any Fullers for sale last two times to the store. Clerk said they hadn't had any for 18 mos.

I dont know what fuller bottles are, but I also didn't find them at my trip to the store. Happy now.

What he^ said!

The hoss dead already, stop beating it to pulp, $20+tax has been sent over electronically to seller of caps ... awwww forget it, I am a knuckle dragging palm toddy drinker as proved by my visit to this place.
Toddy tapping method in kerala ( coconut tree) - YouTube
So, WTF do I know.

Anyway, I really really prefer 12oz even at 10% abv, and the next 2 batches are gonna be 12 and 14% and stay in the mid teens after that. So basically, 12oz is a good nice evening drink if the honey hating honey doesn't jump for her share.
If she does, yea a pint or a quart may be justified.
So caps be damned they eat O2 great, 3c is fine, I got a million of em coming my way.

 

[bwible]

Fullers bottles were nice heavy glass.
I could not find any Fullers for sale last two times to the store. Clerk said they hadn't had any for 18 mos.

Make friends with bartenders.

 

[Jokester]

Make friends with bartenders.

You mean like I am doing here ???
Dude, I am even more abrasive in person.

 

[Sammy86]

see a penny pick a penny up! i brew $8 10 gallon batches which is why i even put $5 bills in the piggy bank! i admire the tanacity of @Jokester but at this point buying plastic bottles with reusable screw tops would be more practical.....

@Sammy86 where did you source those you sent me?

Adventures in Homebrewing

 

[bracconiere]

I am even more abrasive in person.

LOL, i didn't find wanting to reuse bottle caps abbrasive?

 

[bracconiere]

https://www.homebrewing.org/500-ml-Plastic-PET-Bottles--Case-of-24_p_2874.html
reuseable caps for an extra $6.....thanks for the link....

 

[passedpawn]

I had several cases, maybe 8 cases that I put out to recycle when I moved in 2019. I had made friends with a bartender at Bennigans when I first started brewing and I would pay him for them. To him they were trash. He would save them for me along with the boxes they came in. I hadn’t used them for ages and I had no space for them at the new place. They are 16 oz bottles if I recall.

Today I would rather have Fuller’s bottles.

Thanks for the story.

If anyone wants some bottles, come get them. They work fine.

 

[Jokester]

I am pretty set on 12 oz glass bottles for the good and cleared batches. Nothing else fits my drinking style for now.
I am good on the PET - which are 2l bottles I need for the freeze concentration I may do for the batch that hit 1.00 but hasn't cleared due to various problems like leaving the country for 8 weeks, setting the house at 55F etc. Those are put in the freezer with the original caps left loose for 2-3 days then melted out to 2X the concentration.
Basically I ordered 12oz bottle caps and may not even need to dip into that for months. But I am all set anyway. 1000 caps will be a life time supply unless I start crazy fermentation stuff. Which I might.

 

[Joe P]

If you really want to reuse the caps this device removes them without crimping or damaging them. I've tried reusing a few caps just for curiosity sake and they held fine and re-crimped and sealed fine. However, I still use new caps. Just saying

 

[BrewZer]

https://www.amazon.com/Oxygen-Absor...7278256&s=kitchen&sprefix=,kitchen,162&sr=1-3

Dang, I'm glad I was reading this thread -- I'll be using up 45 caps tomorrow, so it's time to re-stock. Thanks!

 

[InspectorJon]

There are little treasures hidden in a lot of the odd threads here on HBT.

 

[Jokester]

And I figured out a use for these old caps, with no compromise to anything, and only 2 sec of effort.

The instructions are -
1. Open beer with a bottle opener that does not deform the bottle.
2. Drink the beer and save it in the fridge from deflating as fast by pressing the cap back on (This is an old trick, not the real new trick).
3. When beer is done drinkin, wash the bottle as best as you can (and even boiling water if you prefer).
4. Apply the cap (also washed in boiling water, and in fact use the capping tool and cap it on. Wait, dont get ahead of me - yes the insides are clean and sealed off and if done when bottle is hot it will suck the cap down tight tight tight and seal like a mofo - yes good, but still not quite the magic trick I'm dropping.
5. These bottles can now be washed on the outside in bleech or boiling water or something and you can remove the labels without the risk of that crap getting inside the bottle.
6. On bottling day, pry off the caps, star san the insides etc etc and bottle away, normal procedure except for prying off a cap.

The best part is, it only takes a few extra seconds at each beer while being drunk. I'll bet it takes longer to walk to the recycle bin to toss the bottle (atleast it does in my case, cos those damn things are 10' from the back door. So need to open 2 pesky doors and open the stupid bin and drop it, and then I need to wash hands etc cos I touched the trash.

Boom, now you have nice clean label free bottles for the cost of $0.

 

[hotbeer]

And I figured out a use for these old caps, with no compromise to anything, and only 2 sec of effort.

The instructions are -
1. Open beer with a bottle opener that does not deform the bottle.
2. Drink the beer and save it in the fridge from deflating as fast by pressing the cap back on (This is an old trick, not the real new trick).
3. When beer is done drinkin, wash the bottle as best as you can (and even boiling water if you prefer).
4. Apply the cap (also washed in boiling water, and in fact use the capping tool and cap it on. Wait, dont get ahead of me - yes the insides are clean and sealed off and if done when bottle is hot it will suck the cap down tight tight tight and seal like a mofo - yes good, but still not quite the magic trick I'm dropping.
5. These bottles can now be washed on the outside in bleech or boiling water or something and you can remove the labels without the risk of that crap getting inside the bottle.
6. On bottling day, pry off the caps, star san the insides etc etc and bottle away, normal procedure except for prying off a cap.

The best part is, it only takes a few extra seconds at each beer while being drunk. I'll bet it takes longer to walk to the recycle bin to toss the bottle (atleast it does in my case, cos those damn things are 10' from the back door. So need to open 2 pesky doors and open the stupid bin and drop it, and then I need to wash hands etc cos I touched the trash.

Boom, now you have nice clean label free bottles for the cost of $0.

Sounds like a lot of trouble. And #2 just doesn't happen. Who doesn't finish their beer?

Crown caps are cheap where I live. Old caps in the recycle bin hopefully get re-cycled and made into something new. In the trash, they probably go to a land fill to sit for ages. If re-using stuff is your thing, then swing top bottles I'd think would be for you.

While I agree there is probably some life in re-using old caps, why would anyone want to risk having several bottles that didn't seal correctly because they were re-used once too often?

If I lived where crown caps are expensive, then maybe I'd have another view on the issue.

 

[Jokester]

Yea caps are cheap, some people dropped a few 1000 on me for free recently too. But using that original cap to cap an empty and boiling water cleaned fresh new bottle just so label glue and paper doesn't get in = Genius.
BTW #2 does happen, a lot, I drink 9% abv Voodoo's imperial IPA, and I do finish it, but take several hours per bottle. How you keep it cold in that time ??? Remember 1 12oz of that = 2 1/4 bud lights.

 

[hotbeer]

Voodoo's imperial IPA, and I do finish it, but take several hours per bottle. How you keep it cold in that time ???

I don't. I don't care for ice cold beer. 50 - 55°F is ideal for me. I've drank it completely unrefrigerated in summertime temps.

 

[Jokester]

I don't. I don't care for ice cold beer. 50 - 55°F is ideal for me. I've drank it completely unrefrigerated in summertime temps.

Inspite of the temperature preference any beer I'd like to drink - I like to take my time with. Much like meat, bourbon and women, if its worth doing, it definitely worth doing very very very very well. Maybe you can drink 48 of these and do 80 women in 1 night, sorry, not me, I can barely drink 2 in 1 evening and eat tree women and drink more shhhteak ... sorry what.

 

[hotbeer]

Inspite of the temperature preference any beer I'd like to drink - I like to take my time with. Much like meat, bourbon and women, if its worth doing, it definitely worth doing very very very very well. Maybe you can drink 48 of these and do 80 women in 1 night, sorry, not me, I can barely drink 2 in 1 evening and eat tree women and drink more shhhteak ... sorry what.

I think you've had a few already and are babbling incoherently!

Enjoy !