Grolsch Swingtop Replacement Washers

Dutto bring a couple of packs back and sell them here.

Dutto said:

Sheesh!!

At that price for washers (25p each) I suggest a trip over to France where in my local Le Clerc supermarket 100 nylon swing-tops with washers attached were about €8 and 100 spare washers were about €3.

I use old 650ml Fischer swing-top bottles which cost just €1.47 each, full of beer, over in France. :thumb:

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Well I'm off to France in a few weeks so will keep an eye out in the supermarkets. Just need enough to bottle my saison for now.

IainM said:

I gave up on them in the end after losing too many beers that didn't seal and lost their carbonation. Just used crown caps and cornies from then on. Let us know if you find some good ones at a good price because my swing-tops are just gathering dust atm.

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The "gusher" (Post No.4 on here) ...

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/gushers-again.78187/

... was in a flip-top bottle so maybe you are buying the wrong washers!

I like them for the same reason you dislike them; i.e. their ability to leak a bit. Apparently, this feature means that flip-tops are less likely to create a "bottle bomb" than a capped bottle.

I hope this is true! abigt

Chippy_Tea said:

Dutto bring a couple of packs back and sell them here.

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Plan "A" (made in June) was to go to France in early September ... :thumb:

... but the current Plan "B" is to sit here waiting for my second cataract operation which may take up to mid-October ... aunsure....

... if everything goes to plan and the NHS delivers on its promises. :hat:

I live in hope rather than expectation! abigt

With regard to bringing stuff back, I already bring back about 40 litres of wine so the boots pretty full.

IainM said:

I gave up on them in the end after losing too many beers that didn't seal and lost their carbonation. Just used crown caps and cornies from then on. Let us know if you find some good ones at a good price because my swing-tops are just gathering dust atm.

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I've ordered a couple of hundred off eBay. Don't mind popping a few in the post to you if you want to give them a try. Just PM your address.

Professionals in the business confirm that fliptops can function as a valve. They're just a pain if you want to stack a few crates.

GerritT said:

Professionals in the business confirm that fliptops can function as a valve. They're just a pain if you want to stack a few crates.

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Er ... couldn't you just get deeper crates?

Is there a problem with gluing a 2cm x 2cm square bit of wood (or similar) on to the top of each crate?

Or am I missing something?

Dutto said:

Er ... couldn't you just get deeper crates?

Is there a problem with gluing a 2cm x 2cm square bit of wood (or similar) on to the top of each crate?

Or am I missing something?

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Bottle height is 265 mm., add 30 mm. for swingtop, makes 300 mm. height to make it comfortable. Not many crates up there that high and also affordable. I tried to get some other members of the brewclub interested so we could buy a (less expensive) pallet of 80, but alas.
Yes, next step is glueing an extra rim and hoping it will hold.

If you want to glue an extra rim on to a crate, I would recommend trying Siroflex MS Bond. The fitters at work use it and prefer it to no more nails etc.

Ben034 said:

50 for £5 in ebay? Not sure if better than the ones you already found?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Grolsch-...Spare-Rubber-Washer-Gasket-25mm-/202394997757

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So I ordered these and they arrived before the weekend. Having started cleaning up some of the bottles, I gave one of the washers a try and they are a good firm fit - certainly can't see any pressure leaking out. Remains to be seen how long they last before perishing. The colouring isn't the rich red of the genuine Grolsch washers and have a slightly orangey hue to them. They also seem a little dry/powdery looking but might just need a wash.

The bottles I've managed to get hold of are interesting in themselves. They came from someone whose father was into homebrew and had amassed the bottles over the years. There are were a few fragments of label left on these marked as March 1986 - not sure if that was the best before date or the brewed on date. Either way, getting on for 35 years old. Think I've ended up with about 150 swingtops and another 50 crown cap bottles.

The bottles and crates had been kept for several years in an old garage and so were absolutely filthy, so started by pressuring washing them off. They have all been stored closed so had to crack the lids open which was a bit of effort - most of the washers were welded onto both the ceramic topper and the bottle and some had to be cut away. Into a big bucket of Sodium Percarbonate overnight and the dead rubber came away really easily with a gentle scrub, as did all the old label, so all good on that front. Bottle brushed the inside as best I could before rinsing again and draining but would like to get a better brush as the one I have doesn't really clean the bottom of the bottles. Will then want to give them another wash with Sodium Percarbonate.

Knock up one of these ...



The copper tube was a bit wide for some bottle necks so I've modified mine and now use a stainless steel cycle spoke with some tie-wraps to hold the chamois and stop it wrapping itself around the spoke.

Makes cleaning bottles a lot easier than using a brush!

I bought a Demijohn cleaner from a shop on eBay and it works a treat, they also sell a bottle and carboy version - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cleaning...Bottle-Cleaner-for-Drill-CHOICE-/390841720010

10 for £1.65 at copper kettle home brewing - after 2 years no problems - the odd bottle the flip top is a bit loose so I just put an EXTRA washer on.....

I bought a heap of silicone seals. They're rubbish. Every bottle leaked.
I'm now buying Mangrove Jack rubber seals from a local shop.
They work great.

I too read that the swing tops act as a valve. However I did find a Grolsch bottle full of cider
with the neck broken where the wire goes in. Might have been a dodgy bottle I suppose but the pressure broke it.