Crown Seals...

[deviant]

Hi all, I am trying to track down some good Crown seals. I recently purchased some from the Country Brewer and was less than impressed. I found that they did not seal well around twist tops (Hahn Super Dry bottles) my 2 year old nephew could take these off it was quite frustrating having to use a twist top remover tool to tighten them all. I know it was the seals as I tested one with a higher grade seal and it sealed perfectly.

So back to my question, is there anywhere in Australia where I can order a good quality crown seal?? One of a higher grade steal??

 

[Pennywise]

Woolies, BigW. Any HB shop. The thing is that you'll prolly run into the same issues if you're going to bottle in twist top bottles no matter where you buy them

 

[stevem01]

This sticker is on the inside of my capper box

PLEASE NOTE:
When capping twist-off bottles, the crown seals will initially feel loose.
This is not a problem as it will tighten during the carbonation period.

 

[barls]

never had a problem with twist tops. i buy from where i can get them.

 

[Batz]

I have sneaky suspicion that the problem may be 'operator error'.

Batz

 

[Pennywise]

When I used to bottle in twist top longnecks I got the odd flat one, rare, but it still happened

 

[The Mad Hopper]

I bottle in carlton twist top longnecks and I've used crown seals from coopers, G&G and brewcraft and they all work fine, no flats. If I condition for too long they actually grip on so tight that you need to pop them off.

 

[ballzac]

Give it a twist to tighten it while you're pressing down with the capper. That way there isn't really an extra step. That said, I avoid using twist tops at all cost, as I do not trust the seal.

When you say you used a higher grade seal, where did you get THAT one?

 

[deviant]

This sticker is on the inside of my capper box

PLEASE NOTE:
When capping twist-off bottles, the crown seals will initially feel loose.
This is not a problem as it will tighten during the carbonation period.

Hmmmm, really? perhaps the thicker ones are too tight... haha

I have sneaky suspicion that the problem may be 'operator error'.

Batz

Thanks for the useful input Batz, but as i said in the thread. I used the same bottle, same capper but different seal and it made a nice tight seal... but unfortunately i cannot get any more of those crown seals...

Give it a twist to tighten it while you're pressing down with the capper. That way there isn't really an extra step. That said, I avoid using twist tops at all cost, as I do not trust the seal.

When you say you used a higher grade seal, where did you get THAT one?

I got that one from a friend who purchased them many years ago, so i am trying to track down something similar. the guy at my local home brew shop assured me that there was no difference with the ones with thinner steal to the ones with thicker steal. But i disagree...

 

[ballzac]

Is there a particular reason you want to use twisties? Crown seal bottles are often given away or sold cheaply on here. Twist tops belong in the recycling bin IMO.

 

[Pennywise]

I know this is getting a bit :icon_offtopic: but another thing I don't really trust about twist tops (unless their longnecks, which seem to be thicker glass) is that they are really only good for a couple of uses because the glass is quite thin. Most roll top stubbies are quite thick and last as long as they're kept chip/scratch free

 

[big78sam]

Why not ditch crown seals altogether? To repeat an old post...

I have a supply of coopers bottles and screw top lids and all I do is screw the lids back on again each time. No bench capper is required. I lose maybe 1 bottle per 1000 to undercarbonation and have never had a bottle infection. If it looks like there's crap on the lid I just throw it out. Similar sanitization applies to this method as if you were using a capper, although I'd ensure you sanitise the lids (if you don't already, some people don't sanitise crown seals)

I use a teatowel to screw them back on and you'll feel if the lid is slightly bent out of shape so ditch these. Tip the bottle upside down after sealing and you'll also see if it leaks pretty quickly. Obviously if you've used an opener to get the lids off you can't reuse with this method. I have a supply of about 250 bottles and caps that I keep reusing. I try to buy a new carton every 6 months or so to keep refreshing my supply.

Some brands work better than others. Coopers, boags, bitburger and the cheap aldi brand lager work well. I find some of the megaswill bottles, VB etc don't work, but who'd buy them anyway... Try to use the same brand bottle with the same brand lid but I've even used coopers bottles with boags lids sometimes with success. When I'm trying a new brand I test a couple of bottles at the end of a batch done with bottles I know work so that way I'm not risking a whole batch.

I find this much easier than a capper, the only equipment required is a tea towel.

EDIT: HB79, I've had some of these coopers bottles on the go for several years and have had no problem. Why does this thinner glass cause problems? Is it the capping itself that stresses the bottles (which is not an issue with the method I use)?