# Using The Carbonation Cap Tonight Any Tips ?



## Pumpy (8/11/07)

Hogan has kindly lent me his carbonation cap for bottling my MALE Xmas case first ever :unsure: 

he gave me the rundown on how to use.

but any tips?

Pumpy


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## Sammus (8/11/07)

they can be used for beer!? I always imagined using them to keep carbonation in half full bottles of soft drink... hence why I couldn't justify the $20 something price tag


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## AUHEAMIC (8/11/07)

Not exactly the same caps as yours but maybe you should check out post #248

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...4598&st=240


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## Doc (8/11/07)

Make sure the beer you will carbonate is cold.
Put the cap on the bottle but don't fully tighten it.
About half a twist from being tight squeeze the bottle to remove any air from the headspace, then tighten (you don't want to oxygenate your beer).
Attach to the gas, crank up to about 150-200kpa and shake the shit out of it for about 20-30 seconds. Leave the gas on and shake every 10-15 mins for an hour. Then it should be carbonated perfectly.

Beers,
Doc


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## roger mellie (8/11/07)

Pumpy said:


> Hogan has kindly lent me his carbonation cap for bottling my MALE Xmas case first ever :unsure:
> 
> he gave me the rundown on how to use.
> 
> ...



Pumpy

What are you doing with this? Carbonating from scratch or adding a bit of extra carbonation after filling PET's from a keg?

RM


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## Sammus (8/11/07)

Doc said:


> Make sure the beer you will carbonate is cold.
> Put the cap on the bottle but don't fully tighten it.
> About half a twist from being tight squeeze the bottle to remove any air from the headspace, then tighten (you don't want to oxygenate your beer).
> Attach to the gas, crank up to about 150-200kpa and shake the shit out of it for about 20-30 seconds. Leave the gas on and shake every 10-15 mins for an hour. Then it should be carbonated perfectly.
> ...



Imagine doing a whole case like that!


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## Pumpy (8/11/07)

roger mellie said:


> Pumpy
> 
> What are you doing with this? Carbonating from scratch or adding a bit of extra carbonation after filling PET's from a keg?
> 
> RM




Carbonating from scratch


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## Pumpy (8/11/07)

Hoges has just pressurised his give them a shake and it was perfect


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## Plastic Man (8/11/07)

Pumpy. I made a few home made ones using a shraeder valve and a PET cap and will often carb from scratch a few 2l PET bottles, (a 6 pack in a bottle !!) when I'm glass bottling. Prime and leave the glass bottles to condition but get to enjoy a PET bottle or two while you wait.

I do as Doc suggests, (chill down) then push the sides of the bottle to expel all air then tighten cap. Hold the side of the bottle and give it a squirt of CO2 till the bottle expands and is hard. Give it a good shake and you can feel the sides getting soft as the CO2 dissolves. Give another squirt until bottle is hard and shake again. Do it about 5 times, give it a final wack to get it hard again, back in fridge for a whiel and your drinking it pretty quick. I'm sure there are many ways - just like kegs - but this seems to work OK.

pm
gods country.


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## Pumpy (8/11/07)

Plastic Man said:


> Pumpy. I made a few home made ones using a shraeder valve and a PET cap and will often carb from scratch a few 2l PET bottles, (a 6 pack in a bottle !!) when I'm glass bottling. Prime and leave the glass bottles to condition but get to enjoy a PET bottle or two while you wait.
> 
> I do as Doc suggests, (chill down) then push the sides of the bottle to expel all air then tighten cap. Hold the side of the bottle and give it a squirt of CO2 till the bottle expands and is hard. Give it a good shake and you can feel the sides getting soft as the CO2 dissolves. Give another squirt until bottle is hard and shake again. Do it about 5 times, give it a final wack to get it hard again, back in fridge for a whiel and your drinking it pretty quick. I'm sure there are many ways - just like kegs - but this seems to work OK.
> 
> ...



Thanks PM I not sure I shook for long enough.

Hell it was a bit messy for 15 bottles 

I stank like on a old beer mat !!!!

Should be OK it a Draught beer anyway not highly carbonated  Hope they are drunk before they get around to tasting mine .

Pumpy :unsure:


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## Plastic Man (8/11/07)

Pumpy - its home brew. It'll taste fine !!

A 2 litre PET bottle filled with beer is certainly a good conversation piece at a restaurant. !!

We had a rare night out a few weeks ago, (3 young boys keeps you at home a fair bit !!) and I pulled a 2l PET bottle out of the BYO bag. Certainly got the guys around the table interested !!


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## Pumpy (8/11/07)

Doc said:


> Make sure the beer you will carbonate is cold.
> Put the cap on the bottle but don't fully tighten it.
> About half a twist from being tight squeeze the bottle to remove any air from the headspace, then tighten (you don't want to oxygenate your beer).
> Attach to the gas, crank up to about 150-200kpa and shake the shit out of it for about 20-30 seconds. Leave the gas on and shake every 10-15 mins for an hour. Then it should be carbonated perfectly.
> ...



Well Doc,

I thought if it took 10 mins at 150kpa then if I 450 kpa for 1min ( I never was much good at maths ) I would be OK !!!!

I think I may have stretched the Coopers PET bottle a bit , they look more like a three litre Coke bottle now .

Still I am sure they will enjoy their Xmas case even if they chuck mine in the slops bucket and abuse me !!!

Pumpy :unsure:


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## Tony (8/11/07)

wouldnt a half batch of priming sugar be easier mate?

cheers


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## Pumpy (8/11/07)

Tony said:


> wouldnt a half batch of priming sugar be easier mate?
> 
> cheers



mmmmmmmmmmmmm now you tell me Tony .

Tony you have to experience these things , 

I cant stay in the Dark Ages 

Have you still got a 286 Computer No !!! You have moved on .

Remember the Plan means nothing ,It what you learn in creating the plan .Quote General Eisenhower !!!! :unsure: 

I am going to bed smelling of beer 

Pumpy


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## Pumpy (8/11/07)

Plastic Man said:


> Pumpy - its home brew. It'll taste fine !!




PM that is a good note to retire on .

Here endeth the Day 

Pumpy -_-


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## Tony (8/11/07)

hey a 286 computer may be a lot slower but i bet its dead set reliable.

But true mate..... you have to learn these things somehow.

make sure you post your results when you can.

Ahhhhhhhahahahaha just thought of something

you had a pommy shower :lol: sorry..... couldnt help it. 

you did say you were going to bed smelling of beer 

cheers


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## Sammus (8/11/07)

Plastic Man said:


> its home brew. It'll taste fine !!



I had an friend (using the term loosely... more of an acquaintance) who heard I was a brewer and brought a few bottles of his mates home brew for me to try. Heh, I had to drink them and be polite at the same time, but without sounding too offensive lets just say it tasted like he followed the instructions on that homebrand lager can to a Tee 

Sam


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## mikelinz (8/11/07)

Sammus said:


> couldn't justify the $20 something price tag



You can make 2 for under $5. Buy car tire valves from a parts shop (they come in pairs for under $5) drill a hole the right size in the top of a PET bottle lid or modify one of those sippy bottle lids push the vale in (they have a little grove to hold them in place and charge em up. Bobs your uncle, or the ex wifes uncle in my case ;0


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## Sammus (8/11/07)

mikelinz said:


> You can make 2 for under $5. Buy car tire valves from a parts shop (they come in pairs for under $5) drill a hole the right size in the top of a PET bottle lid or modify one of those sippy bottle lids push the vale in (they have a little grove to hold them in place and charge em up. Bobs your uncle, or the ex wifes uncle in my case ;0



Cool... still doesnt quite have the convenience of being a normal gas in ball lock fitting...


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## mikelinz (9/11/07)

Sammus said:


> Cool... still doesnt quite have the convenience of being a normal gas in ball lock fitting...



Can't take the credit. Picked it up at Melbourne brewers, great club, good beer.


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## Cracka (9/11/07)

Maybe a really silly question, I thought you gas your bottle up with the cap, is it just a case of unscrewing that cap and

replacing with a normal cap <_< . I would have thought enough gas would escape to be under carbed when it came to 

drinking time.


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## grod5 (9/11/07)

Cracka, I may be anal (no pun) but I place mine in the freezer for 10 mins then change the cap. I don't bottle many only a few now and then when I want to take a few off site when a full keg is too much to lug around.

I was so caught up in my new found hobby that I was going to treat some friends to my home brew at a party I was invited to. I packed the system into the car, with the VT cylinder and all, and used a garbage bin and a few bags of ice to sit the keg in. I arrived at my friends house and found that it was an intimate occasion with only 6 of us. I felt a bit odd setting up the system as his inlaws didn't even drink. I was later told by my friend that the inlaws asked if I was some sort of alcoholic. Maybe I am but now I can conceal my infliction by carbing up a few bottles at a time.

daniel


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## Cracka (9/11/07)

grod5 said:


> I was so caught up in my new found hobby that I was going to treat some friends to my home brew at a party I was invited to. I packed the system into the car, with the VT cylinder and all, and used a garbage bin and a few bags of ice to sit the keg in. I arrived at my friends house and found that it was an intimate occasion with only 6 of us. I felt a bit odd setting up the system as his inlaws didn't even drink. I was later told by my friend that the inlaws asked if I was some sort of alcoholic. Maybe I am but now I can conceal my infliction by carbing up a few bottles at a time.
> 
> daniel





HeHeHe. Your not an alcoholic unless you go to meetings :lol:


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## SJW (9/11/07)

> I was so caught up in my new found hobby that I was going to treat some friends to my home brew at a party I was invited to. I packed the system into the car, with the VT cylinder and all, and used a garbage bin and a few bags of ice to sit the keg in. I arrived at my friends house and found that it was an intimate occasion with only 6 of us. I felt a bit odd setting up the system as his inlaws didn't even drink. I was later told by my friend that the inlaws asked if I was some sort of alcoholic. Maybe I am but now I can conceal my infliction by carbing up a few bottles at a time.



THATS gold :super: And thats when my wife steeps in and pulls me back into line when I suggest doing stuff like that.

Steve


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## Pumpy (10/11/07)

Doc said:


> Make sure the beer you will carbonate is cold.
> Put the cap on the bottle but don't fully tighten it.
> About half a twist from being tight squeeze the bottle to remove any air from the headspace, then tighten (you don't want to oxygenate your beer).
> Attach to the gas, crank up to about 150-200kpa and shake the shit out of it for about 20-30 seconds. Leave the gas on and shake every 10-15 mins for an hour. Then it should be carbonated perfectly.
> ...



Thanks guys for all the advice ,Just reporting back on the results .

This pretty much the method I used but as I was bottling 15 PET bottles for the MALE Xmas case I had not the time to 'Leave the gas on and shake every 10-15 mins for an hour.' so I just had to give that part of the process a miss.
I had the gas at 300kpa .
I have now sampled a bottle and really was quite pleased with the results .
I am storing them in a cold fridge until the swap .

For brewers who normally bottle beer If you combine your brewing process with filtering your beer (pic shown fitering beer ),Instead of going into the keg I just filled the 15 PET bottles up .

*The advantage of the carbonation cap is that you can reduce the 'lead time between fermenting and drinking your beer.
I used a Nottingham yeast in this Irish Red and the beer was ready to drink in 8 days not bad !!! .

Normal bottler would have to wait three weeks or more for the yeast to carbonate his beer.*

Pumpy


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## SJW (10/11/07)

So how do u go about priming more than one pet bottle with one carbonation cap?

Steve


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## Pumpy (10/11/07)

SJW said:


> So how do u go about priming more than one pet bottle with one carbonation cap?
> 
> Steve



Just unscrew it and gas the next it took me about 20 mins to gas 15 bottles .

Steve I have not left them for long only time will tell but so far so good 

Pumpy


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## Pumpy (10/11/07)

Steve the other thing is as they are not protected by the yeast you have to keep refridgerated 

Pumpy


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