First post for a long time. Been busy with life and suchlike. Fortunately at no point have I run out of beer
For many years I've used one of these twin-lever things for capping bottles:
It does a good job of crimping the cap on nice and tight.
But I always wanted to try a few of the single-arm cappers out, partly so I could palm the job off on an unsuspecting child who would otherwise probably just be lying on their bed glued to their mobile phone. So I bought one of these, a Brewferm TT if I recall correctly:
It's easy enough to use, though a bit awkward if your bottles are not a uniform height. In my hands at least I don't think it crimps the caps on very well either. They always seem quite loose when I take them off:
So unhappy with that I also thought I'd give this one a try. Can't recall where I got it at the moment:
This one doesn't mind a bit of variation in the bottle sizes and does a good job of crimping on the caps, very similar to my "old faithful" and also holds them inside the crimper with a magnet which is handy.
However, it regularly seems to get the caps wedged inside the crimper, either leaving the bottle requiring a sharp tug to release or in danger of dropping out as the lever is raised.
Are these common problems? Are there workarounds? Or should I just stick with the original capper?
James
Bottle cappers
Re: Bottle cappers
A thin smear of vaseline on the inside of the bell will cure this problem. It is the one that The Malt Miller sells. Absolutely brilliant.
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin
1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip
It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)
Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)
1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip
It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)
Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)
Re: Bottle cappers
I shall certainly give that a go.
James
James
- Meatymc
- Drunk as a Skunk
- Posts: 836
- Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
- Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire
Re: Bottle cappers
Bought one of these - a Ferrari would you believe. Just bottled my 36th 5 gallon brew and never had a problem. You do have to adjust for different height bottles but no great effort required and the capper is magnetic. Not that weighty so should ideally be fixed down but I don't - just stand it on a damp cloth to stop any movement.
-
- Steady Drinker
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2013 6:18 pm
Re: Acetaldehyde - Apple Off-Flavours
I've been using a ferrari bench capper for a few years too. Unfortunately not any more, a plastic part (the black threaded piece that the metal dome screws onto) snapped 5 bottlesinto my last batch, so i had to keg 19 litres of barleywine. Until then it was perfect thoughMeatymc wrote:s-l1600.jpg Bought one of these - a Ferrari would you believe. Just bottled my 36th 5 gallon brew and never had a problem. You do have to adjust for different height bottles but no great effort required and the capper is magnetic. Not that weighty so should ideally be fixed down but I don't - just stand it on a damp cloth to stop any movement.
Sent from my SM-T585 using Tapatalk
Re: Bottle cappers
Don't laugh at this but it works ! I had a black plastic 2 handled one (think it was a youngs ) but it soon became worn. I drilled out the rivets and removed the bit with the metal cup on that's all I used. This was screwed onto a 2 foot length of 3x2 about 6 inch from the end and a hinge was fasted to the other end of this wood. The other part of the hinge was screwed to the wall about 12 inch height from my workbench. The length of wood could now be worked up and down. I sit a bottle on my bench and place a cap on it. I now pull down the wood so the cup meets the cap and with extra pressure it seals the cap ! its a similar idea to the thing they used in chip shops for placing a potato on and making chips . I have plans some were an engineer gave me showing how to make a vey good capper but I don't think the forum allows attachments .if any one is interested I could send to them if they mail me
Re: Bottle cappers
Don't laugh at this but it works ! I had a black plastic 2 handled one (think it was a youngs ) but it soon became worn. I drilled out the rivets and removed the bit with the metal cup on that's all I used. This was screwed onto a 2 foot length of 3x2 about 6 inch from the end and a hinge was fasted to the other end of this wood. The other part of the hinge was screwed to the wall about 12 inch height from my workbench. The length of wood could now be worked up and down. I sit a bottle on my bench and place a cap on it. I now pull down the wood so the cup meets the cap and with extra pressure it seals the cap ! its a similar idea to the thing they used in chip shops for placing a potato on and making chips . I have plans some were an engineer gave me showing how to make a vey good capper but I don't think the forum allows attachments .if any one is interested I could send to them if they mail me
Re: Bottle cappers
I used a Dremel to grind/polish/smooth out the inside of the bell to cure the sticking cap issues.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Sabro Single Hop NEIPA 25/02/20 CLICK ME to monitor progress with Brewfather & iSpindel