Bottling 750ML Belgium Bottles With Corks

[ScrewyBrewer]

Does anyone know what's needed to bottle beer in 750ML Belgium bottles using corks? While at my LHBS I read a sign that said a champagne capper is needed but I was wondering how the process works and if buying another capper is really needed.

belgiumbottles-sml.jpg (87.26 KiB) Viewed 686 times

[Beer-lord]

I've got no idea but I found some stuff by googling that might help.
http://beersyndicate.com/learning_resou ... .asp?id=27
https://byo.com/videos/item/1886-corking-belgians
http://www.riggsbrew.com/2013/04/how-to ... ttles.html

Based on what I've seen at my LHBS, I do think you'll need a special capper to do it but I'm sure there's something on youtube that might do a better job with giving you some ideas.
Good luck!

[ScrewyBrewer]

Thank you, my research continues! Yeah I just got back from my LHBS and they wanted $127.00 plus tax for 'an Italian floor corker'. Time for to look into DIY projects that some home brewer's have done

[mashani]

I believe there are bench cappers that can also act as corkers. I think that BigPapaG might have one, but he's missing and I don't know what type it is if I'm right.

[swenocha]

You can invest in a corker (my LHBS rents them for $5 for the weekend, so you might want to check with yours), but I think you have to be sure you get the right one for your bottles (i.e., belgian corks/corker as opposed to champagne corks/corker). The bottles I used were champagne bottles, and the corker my LHBS rents apparently wouldn't work with those corks/bottles. Or at least that's what I was told... they may have been making it up. I instead did the plastic corks with cages and it worked out great... they don't look as nice, but definitely easy to install (no need for corker... just push them in and then cage).

[ScrewyBrewer]

@swenocha there was a some confusion around champagne and Belgian corks at the LHBS yesterday too. They did have both the plastic corks and metal cages and the corks in stock though. A little more research is needed on my part, I'm still wondering why my bench capper won't work, maybe the down stroke isn't long enough to seat the cork all in one shot. I guess the plastic corks won't fit in the Belgian bottles but without having any corks on hand it's all theory for me right now.

@mashani I will keep on reading until I get to the bottom of this.

[DaYooper]

This is what I use:

http://www.homebrewing.org/Plastic-Plun ... _4225.html

Came with my kit. For a few beans more you can get a better one, but seeing as I already have this and am cheap this is what I am stuck with for the time being. Personally I would upgrade to something better like this:

http://www.homebrewing.org/Portuguese-D ... _4219.html

It really gets old doing three cases of wine with the $9.99 special.

[ScrewyBrewer]

I found the Colonna Capper/Corker (~$60) is most likely the one I'd get. It's rugged and can also cap beer bottles too.