Bench Capper - Surely a gift from the Brew gods

[operon]

So I got bottling Kit number 4 on Saturday, a Woodforde Norfolk Nog, needed a stir to get it down form 1016 to 1014 wouldn't go any further. First use of my Christmas present a nice bench capper and the glass bottles I've been collecting and cleaning. It was a real joy and handled any bottle I threw at it. Going with advice I gleamed from here I put a wee bit of Vaseline on the bell to help get the bottles of the bell and it worked with them gradually getting easier to remove one the cap had been firmly put in place. 39 bottles got with one in my coopers pet bottles to allow me to check on the carbonation, and brew number 5 on straight away a Sundew ale short brewed to 21 litres. The only slight mishap I has, I had to move my fermenter from the wee bench it was on up to the chest freezer beside it, as I couldn't get the bottles under the bottling stick, then as I was getting the last bottles out and I had a few dvd cases under it. I heard something falling looked around and the fermenter was down on the ground. Sh*t I said but the yeast hadn't stirred at the bottom and I still managed to get the last 2 bottles out. Noticed this when drinking my wherry I brewed last November the yeast seems to settle well at the bottom of the bottle and you would have to shake it well to get it come out of the bottle in to the glass. So now I have my supply issue sorted namely my ability to bottle my brews, the supply will be stock up. Anyone looking to start using glass bottles and crown caps, go straight for the bench capper.

[cellone]

I prefer swingtops myself.

[Ditch]

I prefer swingtops myself.

Ye vicious bastard! After that massive, unparagraphed out pouring of the guys enthusiasm for his new tool, ye go and cut him off like that!

But, just out of curiosity; What happens when the rubber seals on those swing tops perish? Do they sell them now? And are they all the same? I'm imagining Grolsch bottles. Or do ye buy the initial bottles?

No earthly interest in bottle economics. Just wondering

[cellone]

The seals on grolsh look like some kind of silicon, like the ovenware stuff. I have used quite a lot of them constantly for 3yrs and they're still in topnotch condition. I do buy seals for old rescue bottles but they are like they old pink rubber style and I don't think they'll last as long.

Sorry Ron.

[operon]

I have three of them, and I don't drink grolsh so haven't collected many of them. The bench capper can cap in the time it takes to close the swing top

[cellone]

I close the full bottle whilst filling the next. When the last one is full it's job done.

You don't have to drink Grolsch to collect swingtops but it does help.

[gnutz2]

I close the full bottle whilst filling the next. When the last one is full it's job done.

You don't have to drink Grolsch to collect swingtops but it does help.

I also cap my bottles ( with a bench capper ) whilst the next one is filling, a continous stream of beer gets the job done in no time.

Ps, I dont use the little bottler wand as this has an annoying spring which means you have to press it on the bottom of the bottle, I prefer the one from the home brew shop. Attach it to a length of pvc tube and hey presto, no handed filling of bottles

[Twistedfinger]

Got one for Christmas and its the dogs bo77ock5. I can now cap my hobgoblin bottles with ease..

[cellone]

I close the full bottle whilst filling the next. When the last one is full it's job done.

You don't have to drink Grolsch to collect swingtops but it does help.

I also cap my bottles ( with a bench capper ) whilst the next one is filling, a continous stream of beer gets the job done in no time.

Ps, I dont use the little bottler wand as this has an annoying spring which means you have to press it on the bottom of the bottle, I prefer the one from the home brew shop. Attach it to a length of pvc tube and hey presto, no handed filling of bottles

Like your style fella.

Not knocking them. Reccomended it to a mate when he was going to buy a free hand capper, he loves it.