Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help

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lord groan
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Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help

Post by lord groan » Sat Jul 13, 2013 6:30 pm

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.
Image

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?
Image

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?

graemet
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Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help

Post by graemet » Sat Jul 13, 2013 6:36 pm

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 :(

Charva

Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help

Post by Charva » Sat Jul 13, 2013 6:40 pm

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!!!

oldbloke
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Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help

Post by oldbloke » Sat Jul 13, 2013 9:52 pm

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.

operon

Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help

Post by operon » Sun Jul 14, 2013 1:16 am

Bench capper is the way to go

Matt12398

Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help

Post by Matt12398 » Sun Jul 14, 2013 9:49 am

More importantly why are you using clear glass bottles. You're not doing yourself any favours there either.

Ben711200

Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help

Post by Ben711200 » Sun Jul 14, 2013 9:57 am

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.

lord groan
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
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Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2012 12:34 pm
Location: Hampshire

Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help

Post by lord groan » Sun Jul 14, 2013 12:43 pm

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

Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help

Post by Matt12398 » Sun Jul 14, 2013 2:01 pm

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.

Ben711200

Re: Bottle Capper and breaking bottles - help

Post by Ben711200 » Sun Jul 14, 2013 2:51 pm

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

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