Plastic caps for quarts and pints

[Jim Powell]

I used plastic caps today, and had a major issue with them leaking when I laid the bottles on their side after filling. I pulled all the caps, and put all the bottles in boilng water and did it like I was canning. Got everything up to 200°, and then put on metal caps. NO, zippo, none, nada, leaks.

The old saying of plastic guys was, there are NO bad plastics, just bad applications for good plastics. I think I found one more.

JCP

[hard maple]

What kind of plastic are you using????

[Fred Henderson]

The only trouble I have ever had with plastic is sometimes the cap is a little hard to get started. I just turn them backwards until they drop and then right to tight.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have always had problems with pint plastic containers regardless of what kind I used. Don't know what it is with pints, but they have always been a little tougher to get to seal. Good thing is you know when you have a leaker when you invert it for a few seconds.

[mfchef54]

I use to have that problem too. the way i do itt now is i put the caps on wait a few seconds and then give them one last turn before setting them on their sides. this seems to do the trick for me.

[DS Maple]

I notice that I have many more problems with caps on Bacon jugs than I do Sugarhill. In order to get a cap on a Bacon jug it requires more downward force, so if the jug is filled very close to the top with syrup and the hot syrup makes the plastic flexible, just pushing the top on is sometimes enough to make the syrup spill, ruining the seal. Sugarhill jugs don't require anywhere near that amount force and I don't have any problems with them unless they are over-tightened.

[MapleME]

I have noticed that after I get the plastic cap on as tight as I think it should be, I wait about 4 min or so and due to the heat etc I can get another 1/4 turn which really seals them up good.

Its pretty funny how no matter how big or small your operation in this hobby (or profession for some), we all wrestle with much of the same issues. I wish I had that in my day job!

[markcasper]

I think Jim was talking about the plastic caps on the quart and pint glass decanters. (Seems to me those of us in the midwest fill these more, where as you fellas in the east pretty much do strictly plastic containers.)

The plastic tops for glass quarts and pints are crap! I know what you are talking about Jim. I had dozens and dozens of them mold in past years. All the packers say is that I wasn't getting it hot enough. Thats bullarchy! Did nothing different with the metal caps w/compound and they were all fine.

Bottom line: Do not use plastic caps with cardboard, foam, or tinfoil liners to bottle pint through gallon glass. If your supplier doens't have the metal caps, find one that does.