Crown Capping

[normanh]

I have a Wilko capping tool and have just bottled my Evil Dog brew and have noticed that a number of makes of bottles have differing neck forms preventing the capper from fully working, namely McEwan's Champion and London Pride are ones I have found in particular to date. I generally use bottles from smallcraft breweries where the contents are bottle conditioned plus the odd few from the big pubcos. The only way to secure caps on these is the old fashioned method using the tool and mallet very carefully I might add. Never had an issue with pressure as I usually am very conservative on the amount of primer sugar I add. I make up a solution in boiling water and add 1 teaspoon of the liquid per bottle.

Norman

[oldbloke]

I had a two-handle capper and used to have terrible trouble with Wychwood bottles. And it was hard work on most bottles. And then one day it managed to snap a neck.
So I switched to the hammer-on, and with a bit of cushioning under the bottle and a rubber mallet rather than a hammer, it was fine.
But that was just for 2 small batches of TC.
By my next run, I had a bench capper. It was so easy (and safe!) I nearly cried with joy. Worth every penny of the 30 quid.

[MTW]

I have a good twin handled all metal capper from yesteryear, which does me fine (better than the wilkos job) but still won't do Hobgoblin bottles, or any with a short collar. Luckily, I've accumulated so many now (~500 perhaps) that I just reject any bad ones.

[Jim]

For the serious bottler, the bench capper is the way to go. I find it by far the quickest, easiest and safest, and I've used both hammer on (far too scary) and two lever (OK but a bottle can slip away if you're not careful and won't do all bottle types reliably) types.

[jaberry]

For the serious bottler, the bench capper is the way to go. I find it by far the quickest, easiest and safest, and I've used both hammer on (far too scary) and two lever (OK but a bottle can slip away if you're not careful and won't do all bottle types reliably) types.

Decided to use glass bottles at the weekend rather than my normal pet bottles. Used my twin lever capper, lost 2 bottles as they skidded across the counter Inc one that I had to play keepy up with to stop it smashing on the kitchen floor. Cuts across a couple of fingers too. Lots and lots of swearing!

[normanh]

Actually I dont mind the hammer well wooden mallet method its the Mrs that objects to the noise it makes, Sunday was the first time in anger that I used the 2 handle capper and guys I take you point on the bottle skidding away, had a couple of close calls due to a wet worktop but thats easily dried off and capping resumed. Never had an issue with the mechanical method over the distent years of brewing as it was the only common method available at the time.

Seems there maybe other bottles out there lurking to be discovered as causing issues.

Norman

[oldbloke]

For the serious bottler, the bench capper is the way to go. I find it by far the quickest, easiest and safest, and I've used both hammer on (far too scary) and two lever (OK but a bottle can slip away if you're not careful and won't do all bottle types reliably) types.

Decided to use glass bottles at the weekend rather than my normal pet bottles. Used my twin lever capper, lost 2 bottles as they skidded across the counter Inc one that I had to play keepy up with to stop it smashing on the kitchen floor. Cuts across a couple of fingers too. Lots and lots of swearing!

Wear your tattiest jeans and grip the bottle between your thighs while capping.
I do all my capping on the floor coz the bottling siphon runs from worktop height FV to bottles on the floor - might as well leave them there for capping.

Or you could hold the bottles in a milk crate or similar cut down in height so you still have room for your hands when capping.

[bluezephyr]

Never had problems with my twin lever capper.
I imagine the skidding occurrences are due to bottling on a kitchen work top, get some anti slip matting and it won't be a problem anymore.
When filling my bottles I fill 5 at a time but place a cap on each after filling, space them apart and press the caps on.
I have a bench capper that is there if the grippers on the twin handle capper doesnt grip and a back up, I find it slower to use.

[orlando]

Actually I dont mind the hammer well wooden mallet method its the Mrs that objects to the noise it makes,

I recall only too well when I first started brewing, way back in the last century in my callow youth, coming back from a lock in with my fellow brewer and deciding to bottle a brew with a hammer on capper, like you do. As a concession to the neighbours (I lived in a flat ), we used one of my mate's platform shoes (now you know how long ago this was ) as a hammer. Between hammerings we heard another hammering, of a tired and emotional neighbour trying to get our attention with his shoe on our door! Happy days.

[timmydog]

I do all my capping on the floor coz the bottling siphon runs from worktop height FV to bottles on the floor - might as well leave them there for capping..

I use a 2 handle capper and keep the bottles on the floor as well. I make sure that I position myself over the bottle so that I'm pressing directly downwards. Any deviation from vertical seems like an increase in sideways force on the bottles and therefore more likely to have bottles falling/slipping over.

I also do the batch method: kneeling in front of my bottling vessel, I sterilise about 10 bottles (pour some StarSan in using a funnel, give it a shake with my thumb over the hole, pour the StarSan into the next bottle, etc. Hooray for StarSan!), fill them all up with a little-bottler, put caps on, then move them to just in front of myself, do the capping and put each one into the bag/box that they're going to be stored in. As I get older and my knees get worse, I'll probably have to get a small stool.

I have no trouble with wychwood, fullers, etc bottles although my current favourite are Banks bitter (£1 each in Morrison's).

Tim

[wanus]

I also use a two handle capper and have no bother with any bottles even wychwoods