Kopparberg Bottles?

[R-J-M]

So I have just been given 32 500ml Kopparberg bottles and cleaned/sterilised them all....

I have just been told that these aren't any good for home brew use because they don't cap properly?

Are they totally useless to me then, or have people managed to find a use for them in the past please?....seems a shame to chuck them all in the recycling bin

 

[strange-steve]

They can be a little more tricky to cap on occasion but I use quite a lot of them still without too much trouble.

 

[R-J-M]

They can be a little more tricky to cap on occasion but I use quite a lot of them still without too much trouble.

That's reassuring then!

Im going to practice on a couple tonight, but I only have the basic wilko plastic hand capper. I just worry the caps will go on and feel like a tight fit, but may still have a slight gap which could ruin the brew.....but without knowing this until its time to drink them

 

[Spoon]

I've never noticed a problem with them.

Like most modern bottles they're on the thin side as they're never intended to be collected and re-used, but I've not noticed an unacceptable number of breakages.

I still use the Wilco plastic caper too. Can't be bothered t spend money on a bench caper as it would mean buying (or acquiring) ~80 identical bottles!

 

[brydo]

I use them all the time with little or no problem

 

[Clint]

...don't know about the bottles but as for the bench capper...arrange bottles in like sizes and make a few adjustments during capping. Easy peasy.

Cheers

Clint

 

[MyQul]

I've never used kopparberg bottles but If you buy a bench capper I'm sure it'll be able to cap them no problem. My bench capper caps everything and even came with a 29mm bell so it can cap bottles like hoegaarden.
If you want to keep the kopparberg bottles it will be worth buying a bench capper as 10 quid hand cappers eventually fail and a bench capper will last years if not a life time. The first hand capper I had lasted about a year and the second one I had lasted about 2 brews worth

 

[Leon103]

They are my go to bottle because they get drunk in the umbundance at one of the locals and they are slightly smaller in height so fit in my shelves better. Never had an issues with capping or breaking.

 

[R-J-M]

in which case, what caps do people recommend please?

I got a pack of 50 from Wilko for £1, but they almost done seem deep enough. so I clamp them onto the Kopparberg bottles with the capper, to the point where the handles almost snap, but the I can pop the cap off with my little finger!

The Wilko caps work perfect with Wilko brown glass bottles though...

 

[Leon103]

Aren't all caps the same, no seriously I have used all sorts. Got a few hundred from HBC and some from a local health shop that work ok. I think they were young a caps.

 

[MyQul]

Aren't all caps the same, no seriously I have used all sorts. Got a few hundred from HBC and some from a local health shop that work ok. I think they were young a caps.

That's what I thought too. I think it's perhaps thecapper that determines how securely there fitted

 

[R-J-M]

fair enough, that rules out the caps being the problem then.

Would you guys just suggest I get a better quality metal capper, like the one below?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00MNIV5GK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Brightonnik]

I have about 150 koppaberg bottles and with a hand capper there is a nack to it. I tend to cap them twice. Do the first cap then turn 90 degrees and do it again.

 

[R-J-M]

I have about 150 koppaberg bottles and with a hand capper there is a nack to it. I tend to cap them twice. Do the first cap then turn 90 degrees and do it again.

brilliant cheers, will give it ago tonight :)

 

[Personal91]

That's reassuring then!

Im going to practice on a couple tonight, but I only have the basic wilko plastic hand capper. I just worry the caps will go on and feel like a tight fit, but may still have a slight gap which could ruin the brew.....but without knowing this until its time to drink them

just fill a bottle with some fizzy pop to the same level as you would with beer etc and cap it, give it a shake about and then turn upside down and put some tissue paper or tissue around the top - if anythings going to happen it will happen then

that or leave it out in the sun and then do the same :)

 

[adajam4]

My brother in law works at a pub and gets these in the droves (well 20 a night) and I love these bottles!

They are so easy to clean too! Hot water and soda crystals - the labels slide off and just clean with a bottle brush - these will be my go to with a bench capper I have no issues. Now I am getting brews in the bank, I am hoping I can start pushing these through the dishwasher as I start drinking.