sefrayser
Well-Known Member
Can I use Twist off bottles for bottling my brew? I know they are different then the pop off. I have been saving my Blue Moon and ShockTop bottles.
Twist Off Bottles?
- Thread starter sefrayser
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I asked the same question a while back and some answered that they did use twist bottles without a problem, but they need a bench capper to do so. I was planning on trying it myself but never did. You should experiment to know 
sefrayser
Well-Known Member
I filled a twist off bottle with water and then capped it. It didn't leak but the cap was very easy to remove. I don't think it will be a good idea to use them. I was using a hand held capper also.
DaNewf
Well-Known Member
All my glass bottles are twist offs from Canadian domestic beers like Molson Canadian and Labatt's Blue. I cap them with a wing capper. I turn each bottle over for a couple of seconds so I know that each one is at least water tight. Every once in a while (very rarely) a cap will not seat correctly for an air tight seal and I will end up with a flat beer.
If you do use twist offs make sure you inspect the threads since they are very easy to chip. Chipped thread = bad seal. Discard chipped bottles immediately so they don't get mistakenly mixed back in with the good ones.
My bottles have withstood repeated filling/capping so it appears the necks of these bottles is sturdy enough for the job. That might be an issue with the twist off bottles you have available.
I'm not recommending that you use twist off bottles. I'm just saying that the ones I have work for me.
(Side note: PET bottles like Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, 7Up etc. work really well you just have to be a little more careful that they don't get exposed to sunlight too much. The green bottles are a little better than the clear ones but store them covered or in a dark area to be safe.)
If you do use twist offs make sure you inspect the threads since they are very easy to chip. Chipped thread = bad seal. Discard chipped bottles immediately so they don't get mistakenly mixed back in with the good ones.
My bottles have withstood repeated filling/capping so it appears the necks of these bottles is sturdy enough for the job. That might be an issue with the twist off bottles you have available.
I'm not recommending that you use twist off bottles. I'm just saying that the ones I have work for me.
(Side note: PET bottles like Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, 7Up etc. work really well you just have to be a little more careful that they don't get exposed to sunlight too much. The green bottles are a little better than the clear ones but store them covered or in a dark area to be safe.)
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It's just easier to use non twist-off. The threads are the weak link, and you'll have the issue of ill seated caps.
Anyone have any experience trying to cap these?
Would be perfect for taking real beer boating/rock crawling/whitewater.
I have not but the problem that I seem to think that bottle will have is the inability to seal the cap on the bottom of the crown. I could be wrong, but even a bench capper may struggle. If you try, report back.
OP, as others have said, people claim bench cappers can take on screw top bottles and no doubt they can, but I tried it with one bottle and 4 weeks later the beer in all other pry off bottles was carbonated but the screw top bottle was not at all.
DaNewf
Well-Known Member
Anyone have any experience trying to cap these?
Would be perfect for taking real beer boating/rock crawling/whitewater.
PET bottles would be just as servicable as aluminum and you just screw the tops onto them. Also the PET bottles can be resealed after opening them (someone accidently kicks the bottle over by the campfire no beer is lost).
My concern with bottle conditioned beer is that the sediment is going to be disturbed while doing those activities. If you are filling from a keg with a beer gun or don't mind drinking sediment then no problems.
sefrayser
Well-Known Member
Thats where Im at. I don't want to risk loosing a batch because I took the cheap way and used the wrong bottles.
You can do a cool little experiment while you're gathering bottles for re-use. Get some Amstel Light or other light flavored lager in pryoff bottles, pop one open and drop a couple pellets of Centennial in one. Pop another open and drop a couple pellets of Nelson Sauvin in there, etc. After a week or so, you'll have a great way to sample hops AND some empties to refill.
I've tried capping twistoffs with a hand capper and it just didn't work for me. I agree it doesn't create a good seal. Though maybe there are better quality cappers then what I have.
But bottling in twistoffs can be done! With my bench capper, I've not had any issues with twistoff bottles not carbing up or leaking. I've recently had a batch that was way overcarbed - 1/2 of those were in twistoffs.
It does cap a lot harder than the crown tops - you have to really reef on it in one quick motion. It'll squash the cap onto the twist bottle so you can actually see the cap forming to the threads.
And when it's carbed, I can open a beer by twisting the cap off, but it's a lot tougher to open than if it were twisted on properly by a capping machine. I often just use a bottle opener and pop it off. Maybe i'm a wimp.
So it can be done in my experience. I increased my bottle inventory quite a bit by saving twisties.
Cheers!
Jeff
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