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Hows the old hammer with the wooden thing method go?

I have one of those lever $40 cappers, but I left it in another city, I need to cap my brew but dont want to have to buy another lever capper.

Any cheap ideas?

Do what you need to do.

Dogger

The hammer cappers are the worst kind of capper. You will probably break some bottles. But if you're willing to make that sacrifice rather than the monetary sacrifice to buy a new capper, then go for it.

where are you? perhaps someone will lend you there's for a bottle or 2

-Phill

Or use PET bottles.

...or the Rolls Royce of brewing bottles - Grolsch swingtops!

Any excuse to buy a dozen!!

Sorry thisispants, been away for a few weeks, otherwise would have suggested this sooner, although it may not be practical, depending on your circumstances.

Have never owned or used a bottle capper. Before acquiring my approx 200 swingtops, I used to bottle in screwtop tallies or stubbies. Saved the original screwcaps and sanitised prior to each bottling. Reused caps many, many times without a failure.

These days, cheapest tool available to avoid damaging hands whilst screwing on caps is half a squash ball. Put that on top of cap and tighten. Easy.

pacman wrote:Sorry thisispants, been away for a few weeks, otherwise would have suggested this sooner, although it may not be practical, depending on your circumstances.

Have never owned or used a bottle capper. Before acquiring my approx 200 swingtops, I used to bottle in screwtop tallies or stubbies. Saved the original screwcaps and sanitised prior to each bottling. Reused caps many, many times without a failure.

These days, cheapest tool available to avoid damaging hands whilst screwing on caps is half a squash ball. Put that on top of cap and tighten. Easy.

i do this occassionally works a treat

I must confess to never having used anything but a hammer capper. I have a large meat mallet and I use the flat side to bang the seals on. Have been using it for five years with the same set of thread top longnecks, along with a few proper crown seal types and I have never broken a bottle. I've also never had a bad seal. I think the fear about hammer cappers is a little misplaced. The danger probably comes from missing and smashing the hammer into the bottle.

I think the prob is the amount of beer we consume whilst bottling......................sometimes we miss.

I likethe lever capper, get a cheap one on Ebay with a bonus fermenter, just search.

Cheers

Boonie

I used one of those cappers and a hammer for a few years the first time I tried home brewing. I only ever broke one bottle and it was due to my own stupidity.

Concrete is not the right surface to be doing it on!!!!!! Even with a piece of carpet in between the bottle and the floor.

My thought is that if you use the hammer etc. get a nice thick piece of pine off cut from your local hardware store and place the bottle on that to cap it.

cheers