Swing-Top Bottles

[Dave77]

Ok, I'm wondering about bottles. I assume swing-top bottles are easier to use than cap bottles, but thougtht I would test that assumption before invesitng in them.

So...

1) Are swing-tops better?
2) Do the swing-top caps last?

Thanks in advance...

 

[eliastheodosis]

I thought the same and also had the same doubts. Bought the EZ cap to test it out since you can either do the swing top or caps with those. I eventually ended up ditching all the swing tops.

Some of the cages got wonky on me after a while, the gaskets need replaced, bottles can be harder to transport with the wire, and if anything goes wrong with the seal it can be hard to tell until it just...doesn't carb. It was much easier to tell if the capping was done correctly. That was my experience, at least. Just swinging the tops over at the start felt easier but a good capper goes a long way to closing that gap.

They can also be intimidating for many people trying to open them. Maybe not a big deal but if you like to share it was shockingly common that people didn't know how to do it or just...lacked the fortitude People would call me to ask how to open the bottles.

 

[Dave77]

I thought the same and also had the same doubts. Bought the EZ cap to test it out since you can either do the swing top or caps with those. I eventually ended up ditching all the swing tops.

Some of the cages got wonky on me after a while, the gaskets need replaced, bottles can be harder to transport with the wire, and if anything goes wrong with the seal it can be hard to tell until it just...doesn't carb. It was much easier to tell if the capping was done correctly. That was my experience, at least. Just swinging the tops over at the start felt easier but a good capper goes a long way to closing that gap.

They can also be intimidating for many people trying to open them. Maybe not a big deal but if you like to share it was shockingly common that people didn't know how to do it or just...lacked the fortitude People would call me to ask how to open the bottles.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I figured the ease of swing-tops were too good to be true. LOL

 

[AlexKay]

I’ve got a whole bunch of 1-L EZ-caps. I use them for barleywines and such. Absolutely no complaints.

 

[mac_1103]

I just picked up over a hundred on Craigslist cheap. I got them because they withstand the higher levels of carbonation that you want for certain styles, not because capping is that much harder. It's not hard to tell whether they're sealing or not, and replacing the gaskets is simple enough. I really don't think I'd pay 3 or 4 bucks a bottle for them though.

 

[Stormcrow]

I've got a lot of swing tops and generally like them. Cap seals are pretty cheap and easy to change, but mine seem to last forever anyway. Swing tops also have that "cool" factor.

I started using regular bottles more after I built a diy bottle washer. (Hard to build something to wash multiple swing tops without completely disassembling them.)

I keg now though, so bottling in general is becoming less of an issue.

 

[eliastheodosis]

Huh, seems like I'm the outlier here. I always had maybe 1 in every 10 bottles that didn't really carb well. I tracked every bottle and never could figure out a pattern until I started physically inspecting the cages and caps. A few definitely had slight play. New seals and re-shaping the cages would help temporarily but not for long. I just slowly phased them out.

I just picked up over a hundred on Craigslist cheap. I got them because they withstand the higher levels of carbonation that you want for certain styles, not because capping is that much harder. It's not hard to tell whether they're sealing or not, and replacing the gaskets is simple enough. I really don't think I'd pay 3 or 4 bucks a bottle for them though.

Mac, how do you tell if they're sealing? Or is it just how you're seating them? Mine would always seem well seated but it didn't help the above problem. I'm suspecting user error on my part...

Definitely agreed that maintenance is not hard or anything. It's at least worth OP checking them out.

 

[mac_1103]

how do you tell if they're sealing?

Like you said - any play means the cap is not seating properly.

 

[mac_1103]

It's at least worth OP checking them out.

But not at $3 a pop. Drink a 4-pack of Grolsch so you can try them out. Then scour Craigslist if you like them.

 

[eliastheodosis]

But not at $3 a pop. Drink a 4-pack of Grolsch so you can try them out. Then scour Craigslist if you like them.

Yeah, ditto on that. He should be able to find some pretty easily on Craigslist in the Toronto area. Grolsch ones always seemed to work the best for me, anyway, and a 4-pack is not expensive.

 

[Dave77]

Yeah, ditto on that. He should be able to find some pretty easily on Craigslist in the Toronto area. Grolsch ones always seemed to work the best for me, anyway, and a 4-pack is not expensive.

Yes, thanks everyone. Found some used swing-tops, so will try them out.

 

[odie]

I use nothing but Grolsch swing tops whenever I need to bottle something to go.

The glass is very thick and stout. The tops seal super easy and fast. you can buy new gaskets for dirt cheap if you ever need.

plus, you get to drink the Grolsch first.

 

[passedpawn]

Grolsch style bottles are great. I have a case of them and loved them. I don't recall even ONE failed carb.

(tho, I haven't bottled in a loooong time)

 

[seatazzz]

I use swingtops for bottling off the keg, and also for bottling mead that is going to be stored for a while. I cannot drink 16oz of mead in one sitting, so it's nice to be able to re-cap the bottle after I've poured a small glass. For bottling from the keg, they can't be beat; can close the top with one hand quickly to keep too much foam from escaping. Now, getting my friends who received such bottles from me to return them...sometimes not so easy.

 

[Sailingeric]

I use swingtops for bottling off the keg, and also for bottling mead that is going to be stored for a while. I cannot drink 16oz of mead in one sitting, so it's nice to be able to re-cap the bottle after I've poured a small glass. For bottling from the keg, they can't be beat; can close the top with one hand quickly to keep too much foam from escaping. Now, getting my friends who received such bottles from me to return them...sometimes not so easy.

I was going to say that. Swing tops are the mini growler for me when I give away beer.

 

[MaxStout]

I use 12 oz long necks for most beers, but have around 90 or so Grolsch swingtops for beers that I want to carbonate above 3 volumes. Never had one lose pressure, but you will have to replace the rubber gaskets from time to time.

You can often find Grolsch bottles on Craigslist for around a buck each. The Grolsch bottles are green so I keep them in cardboard boxes to keep the light away.

 

[mac_1103]

I paid 25 bucks for over a hundred. Various sizes. Most green, but some brown. About 20 of them are 660 ml brown. Those are probably going to wind up being my favorites, but there's also a similar number of half-liter brown ones. And 65 or so green Grolsch bottles that are the old full pints as opposed to the 15.2 ounce size they use now.

They were filthy and I threw away all the gaskets, but 23 cents a bottle is 23 cents a bottle.

 

[AlbertaBeer]

I’m just getting into the hobby but I have a buddy that’s made a few cheap kits years ago and he used swing tops.

They weren’t the best for taking out and about on an adventure compared to a crimped cap as their was the odd casualty during transport. But then again, no glass bottle really has a 100% survival rate bouncing around on the back of a quad or sled.

I’m going to start with kegs, but if I decided to bottle later on I would definitely consider swing tops if the price was right. Just seems less hassle than capping bottles all day lol

 

[MaxStout]

The trouble with bottles for me are the giveaways. The bottles never come back. No big deal when it's 12 oz. longnecks, as I have hundreds of those, and I amass more every time I get beer from the store. But I hate to lose swingtops, so I use those mainly for big beers that I age and serve only at home.