# Screw Top Caps Vs Bottle Opener



## micka (26/5/07)

Hi guys I'm just wandering what peoples opinions are over screw tops vs non screw top.
I'm new to glass have been using pet for years but I reckon glass will make it taste even better. 
This is my 1st post in here but am not new to home brew but find it hard to get info as there are no home brew shops near me.
:chug: 
I'm just glad I found this forum I think this is the answer to all my beer prayers.
 Thanks AHB


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## bconnery (26/5/07)

micka said:


> Hi guys I'm just wandering what peoples opinions are over screw tops vs non screw top.
> I'm new to glass have been using pet for years but I reckon glass will make it taste even better.
> This is my 1st post in here but am not new to home brew but find it hard to get info as there are no home brew shops near me.
> :chug:
> ...



Some will say that the taste difference is non-existent, others swear by glass. I just like glass but won't say it is definitely better. 

Crown seals are easier to seal, sound better on opening , but can be harder to find. 

I use twist tops extensively as back up supplies for when I am running low and for when I don't want to be or can't be too sure of getting the bottles back...

A bench capper is essential for bottling screwtops in my book but others may have had a different experience...


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## micka (26/5/07)

bconnery said:


> Some will say that the taste difference is non-existent, others swear by glass. I just like glass but won't say it is definitely better.
> 
> Crown seals are easier to seal, sound better on opening , but can be harder to find.
> 
> ...



Hi bconnery
When you say crown seals are harder to find do you mean hard to find in shops.
So twist tops are what you'd get from Big w or Kmart Im guessing and Id have to go to a home brew store for the crown seals.

Cheers Micka


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## MSR (26/5/07)

I cant taste the difference. I use both crown seal bottles and PET.

Cheers


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## 0M39A (26/5/07)

micka said:


> Hi bconnery
> When you say crown seals are harder to find do you mean hard to find in shops.
> So twist tops are what you'd get from Big w or Kmart Im guessing and Id have to go to a home brew store for the crown seals.
> 
> Cheers Micka



I think he means the bottles are hard to find these days.

the normal seals you get work fine on both twist and pop top bottles

[edit]

btw, i use both PET (coopers brewing bottles) and glass and i cant tell the difference. i just like glass better :S plus they cool down quicker and keep cool better.


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## chargermac (26/5/07)

to twist or not to twist? that is the question.
seriously though get yourself a bench capper(re bconnery)
forget the hand held capper.
it'll crown seal most twist top bottles and when it doesn't it's fairly obvious when you pull the handle so just reject that style of bottle.
i've found just about every beer bottle will crown seal but some spirit twist tops wont.ie cruisers etc wont but Jimmys will.
plus a bench capper is so much easier to use than the hand held with mallet approach.
i just cracked a Coopers PET of 4 month old pale ale and fizz it's a ripper


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## micka (26/5/07)

Cheers guys I get the drift and I will be getting a bench capper thats for sure.
:beer: 
Cheers guys


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## 0M39A (27/5/07)

chargermac said:


> i've found just about every beer bottle will crown seal but some spirit twist tops wont.ie cruisers etc wont but Jimmys will.




Why would you use a cruiser bottle for beer?

they're clear, and will more than likely lead to skunked beer...


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## InCider (27/5/07)

It's gotta be tallies (longnecks) 750ml for me. It's fiddly enough bottling without having to do twice as many bottles. I bottled 3 fermenters yesterday, 75 longnecks - that would have been 150 stubbies!. Stubbies are easier to get but cleaning is the same if you use a high pressure wash (gurney).

It takes a while to get the tallies up, but well worth it. And as Moose said, if you give someone a beer, make sure it's an expendable screw top!

Cheers,

InCider.


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## chargermac (27/5/07)

0M39A said:


> Why would you use a cruiser bottle for beer?
> 
> they're clear, and will more than likely lead to skunked beer...



i'll use any bottle i can scrounge as long as it'll crown seal and made to hold carbonated drinks.
as to being clear, i've used heaps of Coldie,Tooheys Dry and Corona bottles with no issues.
i keep my beer in crates in a dark cupboard in the shed and bottle lager in an old fridge.
no real sunlight issue until you want to drink one.


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## brettprevans (27/5/07)

Theres been plenty of threads on PET v Glass already, but I'll chuck in my 2c worth

I use both. prefer glass but its more expensive and time consuming. 

I also use 650ml or 750ml longnecks as standard and a few stubbies with each batch. Reasoning, longnecks means less capping and take up less space, but a few stubbies let me test the beer without wasting a full longneck if its not ready.

PET is plastic and will therefore left gas in and out of the bottle. eventually. So I use plastic on all my quick brews (party stuff etc. stuff that doesnt need long conditioning and will be drunk in a less than 6 months). I use glass on all my heavy stouts etc that need a long time to condition ie longer than 6 months.

it really comes down to personal preferance and budget. 

If you go for glass, hit reception centres etc for their glasss bottles. you'll pick em up for free. Forgot to mention that Champaigne bottles are also good. you just need a larger capping bell. you can get them at ur LHBS.


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## discoloop (27/5/07)

InCider said:


> It's gotta be tallies (longnecks) 750ml for me.



Are there any beers these days that come in 750ml longnecks that aren't twisties?


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## brettprevans (27/5/07)

discoloop said:


> Are there any beers these days that come in 750ml longnecks that aren't twisties?


coopers? not sure but I think so. even Guinness longnecks are twist. All CUB longnecks - twisties. thats 90% of longneck market.


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## micka (27/5/07)

discoloop said:


> Are there any beers these days that come in 750ml longnecks that aren't twisties?



I don't think there are maybe if you can get some premium beer like Stella or heins.
But I don't think ive seen any.
I keep all my beer in a dark room in the cupboard so clear coldie bottles would be all good the only time they leave that cupboard is to go into the fridge.


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## lucas (27/5/07)

discoloop said:


> Are there any beers these days that come in 750ml longnecks that aren't twisties?


Coopers is your best bet. last year (or perhaps the year before) they started putting their beer in heavy glass, 750ml crownseal bottles. they're about the only bottles I've found that dont have the obligitory "not for refill" written on the glass. I like to think they did it to encourage homebrewers to keep buying their beer.


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## SpillsMostOfIt (27/5/07)

I had a few mates around last night and we 'sampled' some of my beers.

Among those beers were a Belgian Dubbel and a Toucan Stout - both bulk primed and split between Coopers PET and swingtop glass bottles. Everyone reckoned they could taste the difference between the glass and plastic bottled brews. Not better or worse - just different. That could be due to the different sizes of the bottles or something about gas transfer - I don't know.

I reckon I can taste the difference in my beers that are bottled in clear, ex-soft-drink PET and Coopers PET, but that could be due to differences in carbonation levels from when I bottle-prime (which I prefer to do).

Glass takes up so much more space than plastic! I find its easy to get glass, but twist-tops tend to dominate. I'm not fond of twist-tops. Coopers 750ml bottles are crown seal and very attractive.

My supermarket sells crown seals that are cheap and a bit softer than those I got from G&G, making it a bit easier to cap twist-tops successfully. I still don't like twist-tops.

Storage of 750ml bottles is easier than big PET bottles - crates purchased or thieved are a good size for 330/375ml and 750ml bottles, but I am yet to find a good way of stacking 1.25litre bottles. They're easier to store when empty - I have a wheelie bin dedicated to them, but I still have to stack the glass. I wish I had fewer twist-tops...


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## discoloop (27/5/07)

Isn't that interesting. Cooper's Longies used to be twisties! Looks like I'll have to start buying more coopers longies!


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## wildschwein (27/5/07)

I have used regular brown longnecks (750-800mls) with the threadtop for many years. I use a hammer capper and regular crown seals. Although I have tried the lighter gauge twist top types before. I don't think I have had a bad seal yet with the normal crown seals and most of them still twist off when I want to open them. I have usually alternated brews between Grolsch swing tops and these longnecks. Recently though I felt a desire to expand my bottle collection so I could get another batch on while the others were full. From my empty bottle and jar collection (kept for culinary purposes) I pulled out some 650-750ml clear soy sauce, sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) and big fish sauce bottles which have proper crown seals and pretty heavy gauge glass. So far from what I've seen they seem to work pretty well for beer as long as they are stored in darkness.

I also went for a lap around a few blocks in my neighbourhood and collected all the beer bottles I could find on the side of the roads (where there is bottleshops there is empty bottles). Got about 50-60 bottles in an afternoon many were 330-375ml green, brown and clear bottles with thread tops. Some had proper crown seals though. I got Coronas, Becks, Toohey's Pils, and Carlton etc. Most seemed to be the clear Toohey's Extra Dry though (I can't believe so many people are paying money for this stuff). The good thing is that the bottles were free but they all needed to be soaked in bleach solution for a while. Gonna be great to have another set of bottles to get an extra brew going. Sure they don't match but they hold beer and I always pour into glass anyway.


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## Kingy (27/5/07)

ive got about 100 of the old CUB and XXXX solid glass bottles i think there about 20 years old, just like the coopers bottles these days old the older bottles are a lot more solid.

never liked the thought of bottling in plastic. It just feels more betterer to bottle in glass. or better still into a keg. Never tasted beer out of a plastic bottle but my mate has his first brew ever ready and there in plastic so lookinging forward to it.... sort of :unsure:


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## braufrau (27/5/07)

wildschwein said:


> I also went for a lap around a few blocks in my neighbourhood and collected all the beer bottles I could find on the side of the roads (where there is bottleshops there is empty bottles). Got about 50-60 bottles in an afternoon many were 330-375ml green, brown and clear bottles with thread tops. Some had proper crown seals though.



Glad to see there's someone else not above ferreting through the garbage.
It used to be a sunday ritual down at the pubs rubbish, but now crown lagers are screw top I
don't bother. Its not worth the return.
I just pass by and pick the odd malt shovel, little creatures etc. off the top now.
And the local organic cafe sometimes has mountain goat bottles in their recycling.
And ferreting through some friend's recycling bins is good if they drink the right sort of beer too.



I guess I shouldn't be talking about this strange obsession in public should I?


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## RobboMC (29/5/07)

When I was a kid I went to a scout jamboree on the proceeds of collecting and returning long necks. We once squeezed 60 dozen long neck crown seals into my father's HK. Such a waste, think of all that home brew that could have been in them!


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## 0M39A (29/5/07)

discoloop said:


> Are there any beers these days that come in 750ml longnecks that aren't twisties?




coopers sparkling in longnecks certainly are crown seal (pop top, not twist)

which is why whenever i buy coopers its in the long neck form


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## discoloop (29/5/07)

So the next logical question is who's got the best case price on Coopers longnecks?


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## wabster (29/5/07)

Good question regarding the price of Coopers Longnecks. I keep buying them singly and at $5 a time it is adding up, though I rationalise the cost of beer + bottle against 650ml bottles at around a buck a unit at HBS.

My local bottlo at Penshurst says they'll give me a discount on a case buy but I haven't followed it up yet. If I find out I'll post it for comparison purposes.

Dan Murphys in Hurstville never has the long necks in stock these days either. I'd be interested to hear how much they are around the rest of Sydney metro and beyond.

I gave all my bottles away about 15 years ago when I gave brewing up, and now am trying to get a collection again. I'm doing a bit of K&K for now but see they way ahead for some AG adventures.

:beerbang: :beerbang: Cheerz Wab.


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## 0M39A (29/5/07)

I usually buy it for just under $50 a carton for coopers sparkling at BWS in tassie


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## InCider (29/5/07)

discoloop said:


> Are there any beers these days that come in 750ml longnecks that aren't twisties?



Coopers - Sparkling, Pale & Extra Stout - at $5 a pop a carton is the go, and ask around.



Kingy said:


> ive got about 100 of the old CUB and XXXX solid glass bottles i think there about 20 years old, just like the coopers bottles these days old the older bottles are a lot more solid.
> 
> I got most of mine from an ex brewer up the road. I was chatting to him one day and asked if he wanted a HB and he said he'd rather have a gold and invited me back to his property. I got 100 tallies over 20y.o. Just from asking around!
> 
> never liked the thought of bottling in plastic. It just feels more betterer to bottle in glass. or better still into a keg. Never tasted beer out of a plastic bottle but my mate has his first brew ever ready and there in plastic so lookinging forward to it.... sort of :unsure:





Plastic is pants! Go the hard yards and drink a box of VB!  You'll never buy beer again!

InCider.


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## Kingy (29/5/07)

does anyone reckon that coopers red and green has gone a bit off. Like its not as good as it used to be.

i find it hard to drink most beers now other my HB


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## InCider (29/5/07)

Kingy said:


> does anyone reckon that coopers red and green has gone a bit off. Like its not as good as it used to be.
> 
> i find it hard to drink most beers now other my HB



I think Sparkling has gone off - but Xtra Stout is the phat!  

Remember the old crown seal stubbies? Luscious!  

InCider.


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## matthewkovacs (2/6/07)

im with 'bconnery'. crown seals all the way, but twist tops if your not sure your getting them back!

if for some reason your having trouble getting a good seal when using twist tops - after youve levered the cap on, instead of pulling the bottle straight out of the bell (you know how it always gets alittle bit stuck) TWIST it out as if you were tightening the bottle. it gives it that extra bit of seal.

UXO#


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## Jazman (2/6/07)

i use a lot of th eeuro 330ml crown or the german and english 500 ml bottle it does cost me $$$$ but i do like to try a lot of beers


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## ironxmortlock (3/6/07)

Kingy said:


> does anyone reckon that coopers red and green has gone a bit off. Like its not as good as it used to be.
> 
> i find it hard to drink most beers now other my HB



Nah mate, someone fed me some XXXX bitter last night then I had a Coopers green (pale ale) right after. Coopers was MUCH better. But I am comparing it to XXXX I guess.


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## amita (7/6/07)

Hi guys, I guess im a traditionalist and only use glass,mostly 750/800 mlt and a few stubbies for tasting.
I only re use the screw lids, boil them up and put them on using the " aussie bottler " twist top opener/closer.
I have had only 2 bombs in 8 years of brewing.I must say that I use only half a spoon of priming sugar per longneck as I think that a spoon is to much.
using bottles its easy to keep track of the daily intake and it has some "old feeling" to wash and fill my bottles.always on the look out for more bottles as I like to mature my brews well, up to 18 months.

keep that fermenter full!
amita


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## lucas (7/6/07)

amita said:


> I only re use the screw lids, boil them up and put them on using the " aussie bottler " twist top opener/closer.


are bottle caps really that expensive for you that you need to reuse 'em? :blink:


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## Pandreas (8/6/07)

On the price of Coopers Pale Ale, Dan Murphy's have a national call centre number and quoted me $39.95 for a case of longies. That's about $3.30 a bottle. (About the same price as a slab of VB stubbies from the supermarket!!)


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## discoloop (8/6/07)

That's a seriously good deal!


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