Capped or swing top bottles?

[Alex]

Which is best?
I feel asthetically swing tops look good, but, does the beer stay fresh for as long?

 

[Oneflewover]

I use both. No real preference other than swingtops can be sealed quicker when bottling.

I've a feeling that swingtops also vent under pressure. noticed that following that really hot summer last year beer in them was slightly less carbonated than in those that were capped.

 

[phildo79]

Swing tops all the way. Will save you quite a bit of time when bottling up. You also don't run the risk of snapping the neck off the bottle with your capper. This can be somewhat dangerous and rather startling when it happens. As for freshness, I don't think there is any real difference but I always thought the swing tops held the carbonation better. If you are using crown caps, you need to make sure you have a perfect seal (the shape of the bottle plays a big part in this). With swing tops, you don't have that faffing around.

 

[Clint]

I have around 250+ bottles....they are rapidly becoming my least favourite thing....although I like them when they are full!

 

[phildo79]

We all have our breaking point. I'm surprised it took me 5 years to reach mine. I'll never go back to bottling.

 

[Sadfield]

Oxygen scavenging crown caps, bench capper and a range of bottle sizes, 330ml and 500ml, mainly although I do have some 660ml and 750ml for sharing.

 

[Alex]

Thanks for the swift responses.
Where do you get your bottles from??

 

[Clint]

Mine are mostly all ex supermarket from research experiments...I bulk buy caps at 1000 at a time from homebrewonline and I use a bench capper which is from them too.
If you decide to cap do get a bench capper...

 

[Sadfield]

Most of my bottles were bought from a local brewery. Others, I recycle/upcycle from bought beers.

 

[Harbey]

Speak nicely to your local Weatherspoons. They need a really good wash, but bottles in abundance.

 

[stephen1546]

Thanks for the swift responses.
Where do you get your bottles from??

I buy Grolsch swingtops for £1.50 at Asda. Tastes like p... , however beats buying empty swingtops for 2 quid from my local homebrew store.

 

[JonBrew]

If it's swing-tops you're after try a local off licence/bottle shop that carry swing-top German lagers and weizens, such as Hacker Pschorr. Some offer money back for returning the empties so they generally have a stock of them. I bought a crate of 20 empty swing-tops for IIRC about £15 (possibly less) a few years ago and they've served me well every since. Great for highly carbonated Belgian styles.

 

[Graz]

I've never had a bottle neck break with a bench capper, nor have I had problems with getting a perfect seal with any beer bottle that I've used to date.

Don't get me wrong, swing tops are great, but most of the beer I buy is not in swing top bottles so I prefer to recycle the crown capped type. Doesn't take long to crimp a cap on once the bottles are filled. The rubber washers perish over time with the swing tops too, you don't get that with crown caps.

 

[phildo79]

That's because crown caps are only good for one application. You need to keep buying them. Not a big expense, I know, but an expense none the less.

 

[Harbey]

That's because crown caps are only good for one application. You need to keep buying them. Not a big expense, I know, but an expense none the less.

You know, I've often (once or twice) put a cap back on a bottle once I have drunk it and it seems to seal up again perfectly. Never tried it with a carbing up Belgium wheat beer inside but I might do just to see. Please note, for the 1p per new cap I won't be making a habit of it - even I'm not that tight. Yet.

 

[phildo79]

Yeah, they don't cost much. My LHBS sells a bag of 100 for £2 so it's a lofty 2p per cap.

Depends on your batch size and bottle size, I suppose. First batch I ever made was a 40 pint Coopers kit and I only used 350ml bottles. Some 70 odd caps later, I was finally finished bottling up. You soon learn that 500ml, 568ml, 600ml+ bottles make the bottling process a lot quicker

 

[bobukbrewer]

750 ml swing tops and 1 & 2 litre PET bottles here................

 

[stephen1546]

750 ml swing tops and 1 & 2 litre PET bottles here................

Hi Where did you buy 750ml swingtops, i fancy a few of them.

 

[phildo79]

I have a few 750ml swing tops. I liberated them from various hotels that I stayed in.

 

[Brew Dad]

I have a few 750ml swing tops. I liberated them from various hotels that I stayed in.

Do you fill/carb in the same way you would smaller bottles? I have been using 500ml swingtops, but am considering getting some 750ml or 1 litre bottles as well. Have wondered if they need a bit more headroom when filling, though.