Capping

[Brian]

Ok, I got into a discussion with a friend. He says that it is ok to recap a lamp if it is cold but I thought that it should be warm before capping. Just want some opinions on this to settle things. cause if I am wrong, I am wrong.

[Jimmy D]

Coming from a beer making background, I doubt that the heat from the bulb could create enough pressure within the remaining air space to pop the top. Most homebrews finish the fermentation process in a capped bottle and you can get a pretty stout pressure on some batches. If you put the brew in a capped bottle too early with too much fermentation left to be done, you asking for trouble. It will blow a champagne bottle to bits. Ask me how I know. :) I would really doubt that inch or so of air space in a lamp could offer that much pressure to worry about. Anybody PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong. I've never capped a lamp so I can only relate the homebrew experience to you.

[Brian]

ok. that helps a lot. guess I never put two and two together about the maufacturer. guess I was wrong. guess my friend can now do the "i told you so" dance. blah lol

[Brian]

ok, next question. He has a capper but I don't feel like lugging that thing accross town and have to barrow his all the time. I have been just using rubber stoppers in mine and would like to get a capper but don't want one quite as big. would a handheld work good, one of those universal cappers or am I just better off getting a lug of a capper. He has one of those you pull down lever things that was used a long time ago. don't think I would want one like that unless I have to. I will be using it on mainly the 52 ouncers.

[mandysbus]

use the big capper with the lever,the handheld dont always work the first time. you get more pressure with the lever ones.she always has me cap the bottles when they are cold.............phil

[Brian]

ok. I asked a relative that lives in the country and she said that she had one of those older ones with a lever that I can barrow until she may want to use it again (may be never). So I am going to do some tinkering with my China lamps.