Bench bottle capper

Medarius said:
However the reason I started this thread is,
I find that the wing capper needs constant adjustment ( bell is constantly slipping) and if I don't pay attention to alignment, I can snap the top off a bottle in a heartbeat.
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I have no interest in convincing you of anything (as posted, I have never even used a bench mounted and therefore have no opinion!), but I am honestly curious why you think a bench mounted will be better than a wing capper. Like I posted, I have heard similar from other homebrewers with never understanding why.
"constant adjustment ( bell is constantly slipping)" is completely new to me (I cannot adjust anything on my wing capper). Is that maybe an issue with only certain wing capper models?
 
I switched because I had a bunch of bottles that had a small ridge around the neck and it kept slipping or not sealing correct, it all depends on the bottles you use I guess, I also like it because I bottle from the keg and I have an assembly line set up on top of the keezer when I do and I can cap one handed while grabbing the next cap
 
Ozarks Mountain Brew said:
I switched because I had a bunch of bottles that had a small ridge around the neck and it kept slipping or not sealing correct, it all depends on the bottles you use I guess, I also like it because I bottle from the keg and I have an assembly line set up on top of the keezer when I do and I can cap one handed while grabbing the next cap
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Thanks OMB, that makes sense. My world is small, I have been using the same bottles for the past 8 years. :D
 
Medarius said:
Thankyou Jeff for saying what I always think when reading forums, on this or any other brew site. It always makes me chuckle to read the replies that say " I don't use that method" which in no way helps someone looking for tips or help on a subject.
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Thank you for being willing to continue the thread!
On the subject of only responding exactly the way the OP wishes...please let me throw a couple of thoughts out there:
a) assuming to know exactly what the OP is looking for is something we all (have to) do, but it is often similar to interpreting art. Everyone sees something different and no one interpretation is necessarily what the OP intended. Extreme case in point was a recent thread started by a bot, to which quite a few responded with serious "answers".
b) I know not everyone is like me, but when I get responses that don't directly answer a question I pose, instead of blaming the posters I try to ask myself 2 questions before blaming the posters for their "behavior"...
1) did I actually ask the question the right way, so others actually understand what I am asking? See a) regarding interpretation ;-)
2) are the responses perhaps an indication that my question or intention is inherently flawed? If I ask "what is the best pure swamp water to use to brew my beer?" and everyone responds "I use distilled" or "I use purified" or "I use well/municipal", then maybe I should either ask myself if swamp water is really the best idea, or at least consider explaining why that is my intention.

I have just been trying to learn how to better communicate on a forum after years of experience, not all of it positive...
 
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There was a time that I left out a key element (which I should have included) and I started to get angry with the responses I was getting. That incident was completely my fault.

There was another time when I wanted to make my wife a Jamaican Me Happy clone that she wanted. I found a malt beverage recipe that I liked (which is what the real product is, a malt beverage), but it had Kool Aid for flavoring. I asked for input here on using Kool Aid for flavoring. All anyone wanted to tell me is that I shouldn’t make it as a malt beverage, I should make it as a wine. Nothing I could say could get people to stop telling me to make it as a wine. Whether I’m an experienced brewer or not, if I say I’m going to use a particular method, and I have a question about a specific part, that’s what should be addressed - not that I shouldn’t use the method I have decided to use. I don’t recall getting any answers to my actual question there. I kept asking my question, and people kept answering another. That thread eventuallly turned to me getting insulted for wanting to make a malt beverage. It was never going to give me information that I wanted. I kept asking for it to be deleted. Finally, Josh deleted it for me. There could not be a more useless thread than that one was.

When a member asks a question, and another member backs up from that question (What bench capper should I buy? Use a wing capper instead), I find it to be insulting, as if the reply was saying, “Look, you don’t even know what question you should be asking. Here’s the way you should be thinking...” Almost nobody here is brand spanking new. We’ve all brewed at least a couple batches. Nobody is asking which kind of swamp water to use. Considering this thread, the OP asked what kind of bench capper he should use. He didn’t ask whether he should use one. Yet that was most of the replies. I’d rather get no replies than a tangential reply. Once a thread goes off course, it rarely comes back.

Thanks for your patience, everyone. This is something I’ve wanted to say for a long time. Whether you heed it or not is up to you. It’s not my forum. I don’t expect everyone to follow my advice. I appreciate you considering it just the same.
 
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That’s the whole point of my post. Don’t answer what he implied. First answer what he asked.
 
[QUOTE="jeffpn, post: 55422, member: 9563"
When a member asks a question, and another member backs up from that question (What bench capper should I buy? Use a wing capper instead), I find it to be insulting, as if the reply was saying, “Look, you don’t even know what question you should be asking. Here’s the way you should be thinking...” Almost nobody here is brand spanking new. We’ve all brewed at least a couple batches. Nobody is asking which kind of swamp water to use. Considering this thread, the OP asked what kind of bench capper he should use. He didn’t ask whether he should use one. Yet that was most of the replies. I’d rather get no replies than a tangential reply. Once a thread goes off course, it rarely comes back.
.[/QUOTE]

All I was asking for was suggestions from people who have knowledge of bench cappers to throw in their two cents. I hate the "buy it online world" and always ask for help from people who have used a product before buying anything online.

As always , it turned into another thread about how people do the opposite. Though, I am surprised I didn't get at least one response saying how silly bottling is and I should get a keg system :D

I guess I should have written a paragraph about how my wing capper is a piece of sheisse and constantly wants to jump or not seal and then another paragraph about what I was looking for with brand/product names so it was perfectly clear, that I wanted a better capper and speeding up the process was not where I needed help.
 
Thanks to all who posted links to cappers. Just ordered the Agata bench capper and enough caps to last a year.

After better half helped bottle a batch (mmm hefeweizen) yesterday she insisted that I get something easier to use since she has a big batch of mead(another month in jug yet) she wants to bottle as gifts. And we all know if the wife says get it, you don't argue. :D (unless you like unhappy women in your life, who am i to judge)
 
fastengine said:
OP implied he was looking for something faster in the first line, I guess if we have an opinion on this we shouldn't post?
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I'm personally happy for any opinions that others like to put forward, then I can choose what I take on board.
 
jeffpn said:
This is what drives me crazy about this forum. The OP asked a question about the difference between certain bench cappers. Posts 2-3 are about his question. Post 4-10 are not, they are about why other brewers don’t want to use a bench capper. I get that the OP did mention a time aspect in his post, but he’s not asking if a bench capper would be faster or slower than the wing style. He’s asking about the difference in quality for different bench cappers. It’s frustrated me on multiple occasions when I’ve wanted the group’s opinion on an issue, but instead I got replies stating why I shouldn’t go down the path that I wanted to go. Please, people, when replying to a post, answer the question at hand, not why you wouldn’t do what the person is asking about.
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I hear ya! I'm on several other forums for other hobbies I have and it's the same way everywhere! Oh well! Lol
 
Medarius said:
Thanks to all who posted links to cappers. Just ordered the Agata bench capper and enough caps to last a year.

After better half helped bottle a batch (mmm hefeweizen) yesterday she insisted that I get something easier to use since she has a big batch of mead(another month in jug yet) she wants to bottle as gifts. And we all know if the wife says get it, you don't argue. :D (unless you like unhappy women in your life, who am i to judge)
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Well that about caps that off for ya, happy wife, happy life!
 
jeffpn said:
Freedom of speech has nothing to do with it, but that’s an American right, anyway! :p That’s a very misunderstood right here in the states as well. Freedom of speech means that the American government will make no laws that restrict what people can say. I don’t think our government really cares what we discuss in this forum.
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Hey! Stay on topic! :p
 
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My Colonna bench capper lasted a long time (several years) but then the place where the plastic handle is attached slipped out. So I liked it til it broke and am now looking for a replacement myself. Thanks for asking the question and I don't have a good response for you since it broke on me....
 
Update and to close this thread that drifted way off topic.

Just bottled latest batch of weizen with new capper and took less than 10 min to put all the caps on with new bench top Agata . that takes about 20 min off of 30 minutes it would take before fighting the wing handle capper. Worth the money for me $43 US with shipping is what i pd
Happy brewing all
GO PENS
 
You’re happy with your purchase. What else could matter? Exc pt that I hate everything to do with Pittsburgh!!
 
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