Swing top bottles (Grolsch)

[Kilroy]

Read up on some earlier post regarding Grolsch bottles.
Was wondering what the success rate is for the swing top bottles... any special techniques, considerations, etc.
Bottling for friends & family.
I grab an 8 ounce swing top from the fridge when we go out for breakfast, but I'm wondering how this style holds up long term.

[mrnorthshore]

We use A 250 ml flask style bottle and they work good. We dont hold our syrup in them for more the 6 months before they are sold.

[happy thoughts]

I have a few of these myself and have been thinking about using them for syrup next year. I can't tell you if they work. I can only tell you what I'd try after doing some reading on the net.

The gaskets need to be sound and not dry and cracked or deteriorated. You can get new gaskets if needed. I've seen them at a supermarket in my area with the canning supplies or they can probably be gotten at a home brew store. If the gaskets are sound and being reused, then some suggest flipping them over to get a new sealing surface for a better seal. You can also throw them in some hot water for a few minutes just before filling the bottles the same as you would canning lids. This is to help soften the gasket which is also supposed to help with the seal. I don't think I'd try heating the gaskets dry in an oven if you're thinking of heating your bottles that way. I'm assuming the gasket might dry out or deteriorate and not seal.

Flip the bails down after filling warmed bottles with hot syrup. You're supposed to let them cool for a day and then check for a seal. Flip the bail up partially, not all the way, and try to lift the bottle gently by the ceramic cap. If it sticks tight you're good. If they don't hold, I'd refrigerate or repack.

On the larger bail top jars, you're supposed to leave the bail up after checking for a seal. Again, I'm going to assume the same would go for the smaller caps. Not sure if tightening the cap would dislodge or compromise the seal. Maybe someone else will know for sure.

Before filling, I plan on washing these well with a good bottle brush and boiling them for at least 15 minutes just to make sure all the beer yeast is killed and gone. I don't think I'd trust these for other types of canning but I think syrup packed at proper temps and density should be OK at least for a few months as mrnorthshore said.

[Kilroy]

Good info, happy... something for me to consider.

[Amber Gold]

I've always been told to dip the tops in wax to get the seal. I've never relied on the gasket alone.

I do find these to be a bit of a pain to get the bales on correctly and all on the same side.