Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help
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- Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
- Posts: 509
- Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2012 12:34 pm
- Location: Hampshire
Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help
Bottled a batch today but lost 5 bottles when the capper broke the neck off the bottles, all snapped just under the neck rim. I use an old 2 handled Boots crown capper.
Until recently this has never broken a bottle. My last batch bottled fine except for one broken bottle neck, and now in this batch 5 died. Capper is fully serviced joints oiled/greased as appropriate, no visible damage.
Whats going wrong?
My old brown bottles have a neck crown 18mm high, like the one on the right in the picture
All todays breakages were bottles with a 12mm high neck crown, like the left hand one but these were a friends and are clear glass recycled Badger beer bottles made in the last 12 months or so.
I've also weighed them, the old Boots brand ones weigh 469g each, the new ones are 306g.
My best guess is (1) the bottles are clearly thinner, 163g of glass thinner! and (2) the capper uses a 3-point neck grip system which must put a fair bit of pressure on the bottle where the points bite. Is the lighter glass just not up to snuff?
Does anyone successfully bottle with newer recycled bottles? If so how? I've looked at the red plastic 'emily' style cappers and these seem to grip all around the neck rather than use a 3-point system, might be worth getting a new capper like this?
Until recently this has never broken a bottle. My last batch bottled fine except for one broken bottle neck, and now in this batch 5 died. Capper is fully serviced joints oiled/greased as appropriate, no visible damage.
Whats going wrong?
My old brown bottles have a neck crown 18mm high, like the one on the right in the picture
All todays breakages were bottles with a 12mm high neck crown, like the left hand one but these were a friends and are clear glass recycled Badger beer bottles made in the last 12 months or so.
I've also weighed them, the old Boots brand ones weigh 469g each, the new ones are 306g.
My best guess is (1) the bottles are clearly thinner, 163g of glass thinner! and (2) the capper uses a 3-point neck grip system which must put a fair bit of pressure on the bottle where the points bite. Is the lighter glass just not up to snuff?
Does anyone successfully bottle with newer recycled bottles? If so how? I've looked at the red plastic 'emily' style cappers and these seem to grip all around the neck rather than use a 3-point system, might be worth getting a new capper like this?
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- Piss Artist
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Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help
Get a bench capper. The plastic ones break bottles too in my experience. The bench one so far hasn't. It's also easier to work.
Fermenting: Russian Imperial Stout experiment, Raspberry turbo cider, Wilko Rose wine, Plum wine
Keg1: Coopers Euro Lager
Keg2: Empty :(
Keg3: Empty :(
Keg4: Empty :(
Keg1: Coopers Euro Lager
Keg2: Empty :(
Keg3: Empty :(
Keg4: Empty :(
Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help
I use the Ferrari Emily capper and I'd say that 95% of my bottles are empties I've colected over the time I've been brewing, the others are 500ml ones I got from my local hbs when I started out and I've never had any broken or bottles that haven't primed!!!
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- Under the Table
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Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help
I hated my two-handed capper, it was hard work and did once snap a neck (Wychwood bottle, the shape makes a big difference due to the way the capper grips)
After the snap I switched to a hammer-on capper which counter-intuitively felt safer and was actually less hard work. Just make sure to use a rubber mallet and have a little padding under the bottle.
But two batches later I got my bench capper. It made everything so easy and safe and reliable that I nearly cried. You can't spend 30 quid any better way.
After the snap I switched to a hammer-on capper which counter-intuitively felt safer and was actually less hard work. Just make sure to use a rubber mallet and have a little padding under the bottle.
But two batches later I got my bench capper. It made everything so easy and safe and reliable that I nearly cried. You can't spend 30 quid any better way.
Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help
More importantly why are you using clear glass bottles. You're not doing yourself any favours there either.
Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help
I only get problems using bottles with the small, umm, bellends... When using a capper similar to the one in the OP. That and wychwood bottles, which I just avoid.
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- Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
- Posts: 509
- Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2012 12:34 pm
- Location: Hampshire
Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help
Thanks folks, will start investigating bench cappers and get a close look at an Emily.
Matt12398 - I know, clear glass - tsk tsk tsk, the brew was my neighbours, and the bottles were his, I did say he should use brown but he pointed out that they stay in his cellar room in the dark until he drinks them. Couldn't really argue with that, even though it felt wrong.
Ben711200 - Thanks, I was sure the small ' ****-ended' ones must be weaker, now to try and find some older heavier glass bottles, I've never tried using Wychwood bottles, but I wont bother now
Matt12398 - I know, clear glass - tsk tsk tsk, the brew was my neighbours, and the bottles were his, I did say he should use brown but he pointed out that they stay in his cellar room in the dark until he drinks them. Couldn't really argue with that, even though it felt wrong.
Ben711200 - Thanks, I was sure the small ' ****-ended' ones must be weaker, now to try and find some older heavier glass bottles, I've never tried using Wychwood bottles, but I wont bother now
Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help
Fair enough.
My brother has a bench capper we used for the first time last week and it is a million times better than the two handled ones so if you do get one I'm sure you'll be pleased with it.
My brother has a bench capper we used for the first time last week and it is a million times better than the two handled ones so if you do get one I'm sure you'll be pleased with it.
Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help
I don't think that its specifically that they are weaker, though I'm sure they are, more that the point of leverage is wrong for that sort of capper