# Bottles Getting Stuck In Bench Capper



## MaestroMatt (26/11/08)

Hello all,

I have a Superautomica bench capper and every time I cap a bottle, the capper part wont easily dislodge itself from the bottle when i bring the handle back up, meaning the bottle gets taken up with the capper head and I need to pry the bottle out of the capper every time.

Has anyone else had this problem and possible how I could go about fixing it.

Or maybe it is supposed to be doing this - just doesnt seem right to me.

Cheers all!

Matt


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## razz (26/11/08)

Sounds like the bell in the capper is out of round or the wrong size. Did you buy the capper new Matt? 
PS. Welcome to AHB.


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## MCT (26/11/08)

Is it a new capper?
Mine did this for the first couple of batches I bottled, but the bell seemed to stretch a bit and now it's fine.


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## Barramundi (26/11/08)

rub a very small amount of vasoline inside the capping bell , spread it about everywhere in there , just a smear and it should help..


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## Crunched (26/11/08)

Mine did this the first few brews I had - but only with screw top bottles. If I used crown seal bottles, they came out of the capper fine. I found the bell actually stretched out a bit after a while and don't really have a problem with it anymore (although I mostly keg now).


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## tourist (26/11/08)

Whenever I cap screw-top bottles I find that they are more difficult to dislodge, but not to the extent that you're experiencing. Crown-seals don't seem to have the same problem for me. What sort of bottles are they?


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## tourist (26/11/08)

Must be a Canberra thing...


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## MarkBastard (26/11/08)

It happens with ginger beer bottles with me, the 375ml ones, but not with tallies.


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## newguy (26/11/08)

+1 for the vaseline idea. Mine get stuck too. I just grab the bottle at the bottom to get maximum leverage and pull it to one side. It pops out once you tip it over a little.


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## mynameisrodney (26/11/08)

Mine does this every now and then. It seems to happen more if you use a slower motion with the lever. Try going a bit faster.

Cheers
Chris


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## crozdog (26/11/08)

+1 for it happening with screwtops only.

Barra, thanks for the vasso tip - must give it a try B)


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## peas_and_corn (26/11/08)

happens all the time, but it's not hard to get them out.


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## sponge (26/11/08)

+1 more to it only happening with screw tops... crownies have always come out fine and dandy


Sponge


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## raven19 (26/11/08)

+2 for more leverage.

My capper was fine for years, and more recently I have had a few stuck bottles. Lever off by hand no problems though.


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## MaestroMatt (26/11/08)

Damn!

Thanks for all the fast responses!

It's a new capper so shouldn't be anything wrong with the machine itself. I only use crown seals on 330ml bottles - so that counts out the twist top theory. I will have to give the vaseline a try - seems to be a popular quick fix.

Might just need to wear it in a bit - I can already see the line marks from the cap on inside of the bell so it might just loosen up over time.

For the moment, it might just be a case of using a bit of leverage to get them off.

Thanks all.

P.S. Thanks for the welcome Razz - does it really show that much?!?!?  :icon_cheers:


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## Jase71 (27/11/08)

Just hold tightly onto the bottle base when you perform the upstroke. Show that fucker who the man is.........


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## Zwickel (27/11/08)

I had the same issue with my pneumatical capper I have built. Im using a bell from a capper with a wooden grib, bought from an Australian HBS.

Ive searched intensively why this occurs and I found out that the neck of the bottle plunges too deeply into the bell.

So I took a washer from a swingtop and adhered it into the bell, now the neck of the bottles dont go so deeply into the bell anymore and everything works fine.

Cheers :icon_cheers:


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## datman510 (27/11/08)

harden up and hold on tighter, get that handbag off your shoulder whilst capping....................... my capper does it too but with time we've worked through it together. :beer:


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## EK (27/11/08)

I have a SuperAutomatica and it has always done this to my bottles. It has never been a problem as I just pull them out toward me, they need a bit of force, but not enough to cause worry.

As long as they caps are not coming undone I would say everything is OK.

:icon_cheers: 
EK


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## MaestroMatt (27/11/08)

> Just hold tightly onto the bottle base when you perform the upstroke. Show that fucker who the man is.........



Haha Yeah.....everytime I cap a bottle now I yell "TASTE MY PAIN, BITCH!!" 




> So I took a washer from a swingtop and adhered it into the bell, now the neck of the bottles dont go so deeply into the bell anymore and everything works fine.





That thought had crossed my mind so it's great to see someone has tried it and been successfull. Thanks for the tip Zwickel 




> harden up and hold on tighter, get that handbag off your shoulder whilst capping....................... my capper does it too but with time we've worked through it together. :beer:




But my bag goes really well with the Forrest green of my capper! hahahaha


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## Jase71 (27/11/08)

*Quote: MCT*
seemed to stretch a bit

*Quote: Barramundi*
rub a very small amount of vasoline 

*Quote: tourist*
difficult to dislodge

*Quote: newguy*
Mine get stuck too.

*Quote: mynameisrodney*
use a slower motion 

*Quote: crozdog*
Barra, thanks for the vasso

*Quote: peas_and_corn*
it's not hard

*Quote: raven19*
Lever off by hand

*Quote: MaestroMatt*
I will have to give the vaseline a try

*Quote: Zwickel*
plunges too deeply

*Quote: larry66*
harden up 

*Quote: EK*
I just pull them out 

*Quote: MaestroMatt*
"TASTE MY PAIN, BITCH!!"


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## woodsnifferandrew (27/11/08)

Does the bell have a rubber up inside it? I had some trouble with mine when the rubber deteriorated but I cut a new one out of an old broken double plugger thong (approx 8 mm thick), and haven't had any problems since. Recycle the pluggers, don't write 'em off!


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## Fermented (27/11/08)

I had this problem too when it was new but a faster, more decisive stroke seemed to cure it without having to resort to putting vaso on the bell-end. 

Jase71: Sounds like you used to watch the 'Carry On' series. I did too.

Cheers - Fermented.


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## MaestroMatt (27/11/08)

HAHAHA Nice one Jase....how quickly some threads decent into randomness!


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## mynameisrodney (27/11/08)

Jase71 said:


> *Quote: MCT*
> seemed to stretch a bit
> 
> *Quote: Barramundi*
> ...




hahaha nice, except i said to use a faster motion haha.

Chris


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## Brewtus (27/11/08)

Jase71 said:


> *Quote: MCT*
> seemed to stretch a bit
> 
> *Quote: Barramundi*
> ...



Quote Andycapp

Recycle the pluggers, don't write 'em off!

I love a quote out of context!!!


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