Say Goodbye to Sediment in Bottled Home Brew

[@RANGER2D]

No knocks on you, Craig, as I would be lost without your videos, but a good heads-up and review for a great new product!!!! Whoever designed these is a genius!!! CHEERS!!!!!!

[@Omizer]

Thanks for your videos and info! I bought 2 dozen of the Sed Ex catchers and they do work great. It's a bit of a workout for the fingers, but doable. I started conditoning a batch and decided to make a second batch and also wanted to use the Sed Ex caps. When the first batch was done conditioning, I placed the bottles in the fridge to cool overnight. The next day, I removed the Sed Ex cap, flipped on a Star San'd twist cap and capped it. It takes only a few seconds to twist off the Sed Ex cap and recap with a twist cap, so it doesn't lose much fizz and you don't have to pour from one bottle to another to eliminate the sediment. Check the price - buying 2 dozen was cheaper for me because we saved on shipping. I've watched many of your videos - some a few times, and learn more all the time. Thank you!

[@OPE08]

Its worth pointing out as well that "good" beer should ALWAYS be poured into a glass. And when pouring you can easily control the sediment. A bottle inhibits your ability to smell the beer as you drink it, meaning you are not getting the full effect of the beer that you either paid dearly for or worked hard on. I have four different styles of glasses that I use depending on the style of beer I am drinking, a habit I've noticed most serious homebrewers pick up to some extent...

[@oibal60]

Bingo!

[@YaMoonSun]

I thoroughly enjoy your videos. You put a lot of effort into them and I highly appreciate your contribution to the brewing community.

[@peteswan5973]

Hi Craig, Great videos! Just getting back into brewing again after a few years off. Very helpful. The Australian bottle (stubbie) you show is a Crown Lager stubbie and is a nice commercial brew but no-one I know uses them for homebrew. All my friends use Coopers stubbies, some of them from many years ago that have dropped "shoulders". Thanks again, very helpful and good to see Coopers being appreciated by people around the world.

[@ratfink2099]

I can finally share my home brews without having to give the lame old sediment disclaimer to my friends! Thanks for sharing this. (and a belated thanks for all the tips I've employed from your other videos.)

[@godemunkey]

CHEERS, i knew there be a product for this problem. , Man Craig than x for all the Vids man ive been brewing with mr beer and coopers since june of this year and ive got to thank you for finding a answer before i could even ask the question about sediment! and ive never had a bad batch keep showing these great vids

[@RANGER2D]

I would totally buy them-- I'm new to home brewing, so I'm just learning all the tricks, but I can see how these would be huge. I'm enjoying the hobby immensely, but I can see how the sediment would be undesireable to some. This would be an easy fix to that problem, especially for those who you want to try your brew that enjoy drinking from the bottle. I have, unfortunately, run into a few people that insist on drinking from the bottle, and they dislike the last....................

[@Whiskeyaficionado]

Love it -- My ONLY little concern is how it LOOKS.. Now lets advance and see who can come up with a similar system that will allow the sediment to leave the beer & "somehow" you twist & cap the beer?

[@Raggo12345]

I really hoped you would show us the sediments, in a small glass, also, at 9:45. Was sad when you poured it out! Just of curiosity. :) Great info! I will see if I can get these here in Scandinavia. Thanks for great videos! Cheers!

[@jizzily]

I don't mind the sediment. Beer should be drunk from glasses anyway. I like using grolsh bottles with snap caps, but thanks Craig, always enjoy your information to make brewing better.

[@mechreports1]

craig you are like a massive book full of brewing infomation, this info you give is probably worth money! but you choose to give it for free and thats awsome of you, keep brewing man :P peace

[@GuydeLombard]

In my experience and from talking with other homebrewers, I've found that secondary fermentation and finings reduce much of (but admittedly not all of) the sediment. As far as the effect of 2ndary fermentation and finings on bottle conditioned carbonation, I haven't had any issues yet. I used one tablet of Whirlfloc in my last 5 Gal. batch of summer ale and it had a great head on it! That said, this product looks cool and I'd try it!

[@Foxpest]

In the early 90s I was using a device called a Beerbrite cap, it looked like a long babies teat, trap the sediment in it and then bend it back on itself, trapping sediment. Leave it on, or chill the beer well and replace with a crown cap or plastic reseal. Per item cost very little. Cant find them now though, but the same device is still available for sparkling wine called Vintraps. Cheers Craig.

[@kiaya007]

thank you craig :) this is going to be awesome. i've got my order in for 150 of these. i'm going to share them with my father-in-law. he's retired now and wants to start brewing his own; so these along with all the other gear i've got for him will complete the total package.

[@galleon1968]

@@micahweiss Don't worry i have 150 tyres to burn! Muppet

[@Edmontonrob]

Quite pleased I stumbled across this video today. I've decided to give it a go at brewing my own beer. I've drank home brew that friends have made before and the sediment was always a major deterrent for me. Having seen this video i'm excited now actually to get brewing and give these a try !! I was going to ask if you have a preference for beer kits or ingredients etc...but i'm sure among all of your vids you probably cover that somewhere. Going to settle in now with a beer and watch your vids. lol

[@rouelibre1]

This the mechanical amswer to bottling champaign. They lean the bottle neck down and turn it everty day so the sediment falls in the neck then they freeze the neck. This ice plug containing the sediments is them expulsed. I prefer fermeting beer in a pail with a spigot at the bottom. Using a vinyl hose, I fill a 1st décantation vat, My trick is to use a 2nd decantation vat to pursue enven further the decantation. It takes an extra week, but it works very good. Beer does not oxydize.

[@regpollock313]

Looks like a great product. I used to make five cases 3-4 weeks and sediment was always a negative for home brew. Having HCV stops me for starting again, but thanks for your video.

[@davidaharris2561]

Good Video, Fun Hobby. Hobbies are not cheap, just VERY Fulfilling.

[@mshilko]

FYI: This company went out of business and these are no longer available!!

[@BapelZieN]

No wonder actually, might be the most stupid product I've ever seen in the home brewing community.

[@rouelibre1]

This is a clever mechanical way to mock-up the freezing of champagne bottle necks. Myself, I prefer to have a first fermentation in a plastic pail with a spigot. Then siphon from the top into a Dame-Jeanne. The trick here is to give the brew another week in a second Dame-Jeanne carefully decanted. There are no sediments left whatsoever. Of course, one must top-up with good quality water in order to chase O² and keep an air-lock valve. Then, for a last carefull siphon decantation into the original pail. Add the carbonating sugar and bottle with the spigot. Quite a clear beer.

[@Foxpest]

A great looking idea! And it works. My only reserve is that each bottle will need a device, and according to item cost, this could be very expensive. I appreciate they are re-useable but only after the beer has been consumed. Also its restricted to threaded bottles, Crown caps in the UK seem to be the norm.

[@frankromani8149]

Im from Australia and we mostly use your style of commercially produced beer bottle (with sharply tapered neck) too!

[@FormulaQ]

i think what hes saying is - transfer your beer to a secondary, then add a large batch of sugar and let it ferment. If you then siphoned it into bottles fast enough and re-sealed them, wouldnt a little carbonation remain?

[@snydaleid]

Interesting idea but here are the problems I see. 1. Cost. This morning's exchange rate puts them over $3 USD per unit. (this includes the cost of shipping via sea) 2. Quantity They don't sell them in quantities to do a 5 gallon batch. So you're forced to buy at least 2 boxes and you're left buying more than you need. (If all you use are 12 oz bottles) 3. Bottles You're forced to invest into more bottles because they require the screw top type. This makes it impossible to cap them afterwards so you're left with the "Brodie" on the bottle. This also stops you from brewing your next batch until all the beers from the previous batch have been drank. Thank you Craig for doing the review on these and spending the money to show us this new product. I think I'll pass on this and continue to deal with the sediment as usual.

[@TectaKrabaj]

well shit. I don't know if you have individual bottles in your country but I have seen them in every store.

[@AJ-ds9xq]

HeadShot360IN that's exactly what I was thinking.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

what do you mean by transfer and every two weeks? if it ferments in the bottle it will still have sediment

[@ARCSTREAMS]

i got this problem solved using flip top bottles ,i simply invert them in my slotted box while conditioning and all the sediment falls to the bottom(have to rattle them every other day) i then bring em in my sink inverted as i slowly release the bail i do a quick flash burst just enough to flush out the crap and voila a clear sediment free carbonated beer in a bottle

[@Bmxmusikian]

@@wongchong-bi7xw duck

[@oldschoolman1444]

Get two corney kegs, cold crash and filter from one keg to the other and force carbonate. Cold crashing and filtering also removes chill hase and you can fill bottles from the keg plus you don't have to wait for bottles to carbonate. They sound like a pain to clean, I like using pint bottles, you don't have so many to clean that way.

[@alanross2876]

oldschoolman 144 wouldn’t your beer oxidize after bottling from the keg?

[@buzzenator]

Exactly, the sediment in cider sticks to the bottom of the bottle, it does not pour out...so no issue for cider bottlers. If you are using bottle caps then you are not using screw on bottles, yet this product is for screw on bottles. You will have to change out your entire bottle inventory. Interesting that CraigTube has gone over to kegging.

[@11bayrat]

Oh boy!! Just went out and bought cases of flip top bottles.I wish I would have known one day sooner.a penny down and a day late. Thanks for sharing

[@tmelan]

Let your beer clear out in secondary, rack in a keg and force carbonate will also give you the same no sediment results, i've been doing it for years that way and my beers come out crystal clear even if I pour the whole bottle in a glass.

[@johngraham8052]

I have some 'champagne' bottles that Leffe beer use. They use a larger cap than standard (a Champagne crown). As part of the champagne making process they put a champagne crown on the bottle and (afaik) ferment upside down. When done they remove the cap (I don't know whether it frozen first) after which it is corked. Seems a superior and more environmentally friendly solution than this. Personally a little yeast in the bottom of the bottle isn't a problem.

[@ChefSupaP1mp]

Awesome product. Excellent info. Thanks for sharing!

[@PetraKann]

Craig, this Australian invention was show cased on a TV program in Australia called The Inventors An excellent idea - even though the initial investment is significant But the quality of the final beer in the bottles is worth the expense And of course the more times you use the caps the cheaper it becomes Used mine for about 13 brews so far without any problems

[@grahamcope1829]

what a great idea i am a first time brewer and find your videos really helpful

[@MrChip138]

I eliminate most sediment by pouring beer into a fresh vat on bottling day. I have the original fermenter on a table. The new clean fermented on the floor. Using a tube I open the tap and let it drain into the fresh fermenter. Most of the crap stays in the original fermenter. Then I let the beer sit in the new fermenter for a couple of hours to settle before bottling. My beer is very clear and I drink it out of the bottle no worries :-)

[@steveskiba471]

I switched to using corn sugar for priming and I no longer get sediment in the bottle. I get a "sugary film" on the bottom of the bottle which stays in there after I pour the beer out. The film easily rinses out to reuse the bottles also.

[@canuckmotovlogs6434]

I tried that as well! The guy at the home brew shop I buy my ingredients and equipment from said right from the beginning to use dried malt extract as a sugar supplement during primary for taste, and dextrose(corn sugar) for bottling it, he said it cuts the sediment perfectly and gives it a good combination. It has worked well for me! I have yet to worry about how I pour it, or how much it moves during transport. My buddy used the same equipment and ingredients, but he used regular sugar to bottle, and corn sugar to ferment and he had the most disgusting floating layer of crap in his beer after he let it condition for 2 weeks. It works.

[@terpsichoreankid]

Looks like a pretty cool product--but would probably be best for home brewers that don't brew very often--aka wouldn't need a whole lot of them. I did some quick math and the cost for the 150 pack plus shipping wound up being more than it would be to buy a new kegging setup. If the devices were brought in by a distributor here in the States, and you could eliminate the $188 AUD shipping cost, then these things would rock! Thanks for sharing Craig! Great vid!

[@OPE08]

Fruit "esters" are the direct result of the yeast you chose, and the temperature at which your beer fermented. It is definitely not caused by the sediment, and unless you are unusually sensitive to the taste of esters you shouldn't see it in "most homebrews". Usually, better control of your fermentation temps, and proper yeast choices will minimize or eliminate unwanted flavors. Like the "bannana" flavor in a hefeweizen that was brewed too warm...

[@Spitzbube]

Excellent Report Craig.

[@TheGervarod]

Thanks mate for the info on these as i be looking into doing my own Brewing this week

[@Draklor00]

Thanks for the video, it was very helpful- Your presentation seems to repeat it self some but still good

[@trbig67]

I hated bottling because of this as well. I finally broke down and got a keg and CO2 setup. After the beer gets carbonated up, I bottle into flip-top Grolsch style bottles. If you buy the bottles new, they cost @ $30 for a case of 12 of them. Or.... If you go to the store, a 12 pack of Grolsch beer is... $30. You get your bottles and the beer is free! lol. Next on the to-do list is getting the equipment for home canning beer.

[@kiaya007]

@tim291094 as a whole it's a two part system. the yeast catching part unscrews from the valve part, once your beer clears up and the valve part, which never comes off of the bottle becomes the cap. so be careful you don't throw it in the trash like you would a normal beer cap or you'll be buying more. if however you already knew this the simple answer is yes. (that is if you don't mind losing the majority of your CO2 and possibly contaminating your beer by exposing it to the atmosphere) just recap your beers like you normally would and there you go.

[@dirtyd9792]

Once again you saved me. Thank you

[@dalemaurice7804]

Hi Craig, great video! I noticed that you screwed the sedex device onto the beer bottle. I use the crimp on bottle caps. Do these sediment catchers crimp on? I'm a bit confused.

[@hirst0007]

Craig, I wonder after watching inmate wine, if you could pour the wine into the beer bottles, and use the sedex caps to remove the sediment like you showed with the beer?

[@d123p61]

Are these for screw type bottles or non thread might have missed that part. Good idea though . Cheers Craig

[@588158]

Hi Craig, Your video brings to mind something I think I saw on How Its Made about how sediment is removed from champaign. They rest the bottles neck down so the sediment collects on the cork and then they freeze the neck, remove the cork then they put on a new cork.

[@TheT-h-inker-er.]

Hey Craig! Long time viewer. Got a question about these brodys. Wouldnt the catcher also catch my little yeasts?

[@ChrisMcLovin]

Probably removing the sediment catchers, then capping... but I see that being very time consuming, not to mention other problems. If you're worried about sediment, and have a little home brew operation going I would suggest Kegging the beer.

[@SuperLAndrus]

I guess they will work great with screw on tops, I prefer to use the pry off lids. Screw top bottles are thinner and have tendencies to explode while carbonating.

[@bots4life]

Upper Canada Lager, made by Sleeman. Ive noticed these in a couple of your videos. Do you still use these sediment caps, or do you prefer a keg?

[@mcflynguyen]

i actually got mr.beer (8 litre) kits on sale for 25$ ! so i bought 2. i didn't know anything about brewing beer, or beer kit prices. but now that i did some research and watched your videos. i should have bought the 4 that were left... oh well too late, i still have 2. its a start. great videos. i cant wait for my first 2 brews to be ready, 1 American lager and one Czech pilsener. next brew will be a coopers irish stout, my wifes favourite ! so i can get some WAF out of this video (WAF : wife approval factor)

[@mrmarkv4126]

Thank you Craig! Can't wait to get started!

[@BNAZZ55]

If you want to condition or age your beer you can store them upright, then flip them a week or so before you want to drink them.

[@jakeanddar]

Looks Like a brilliant idea,however can you fit them on plastic beer bottles and plastic pop bottles? Also are they reusable? I think you refereed to it but not sure. Last question,is the plastic they are made off durable so that it won't snap or crack somewhere when you are twisting them on or off? Thanks Craig. Cheers

[@cormaccrawley]

@SionMorel You can get Coopers Ox-bar reusable screw-top bottles. Not sure what your UK brewing website is but I'm from Ireland and the Irish brew sites charge about 12-15eu for 24 500ml bottles. They're great!

[@llambibazi3675]

Eccellente, dove si può trovare? grazie

[@smiddy515]

Hi, Just a random maybe stupid question. I have started today making my first coopers homebrew. If I was to bottle and carbonate if sediment builds, couldn't I just empty the bottles in to a container and re-bottle but wash the sediment out?

[@steelheadsal]

Hi wow that is so cool can I use them on my hard cider bottles TYVM 4 your help in this matter Sal

[@tbreebo]

Hello Hello, Hello Craig, hefe weissen beer is cloudy. I happen to like cloudy I 'm sure if I drank a bud or a lauger and it was cloudy it would concern me. Does the sediment contribute to the good tast of the brew.?Thanks have a great day!! Still looking @ your vidios haven't brewed yet I have a hefe kit. I want to buy a williams sonoma kit it is only one gallon kit, so I can get started. Thanks again!!

[@RetroRogersLab]

I can't help but think how much easier it will be to clean and sanitize your bottles using these.

[@archangel1x]

Hi Craig, Thanks for the video, it was very educational. A while back you and a friend shared a rickards red, any chance you care to share some of your other favourite domestic brands ? cheers !

[@KLawrence9669]

do those fit on the plastic bottles too? if so is there enough room in the catcher to hold all the sediment that would build up from it being a bigger bottle? andd do they fit on pop off bottles or twist off only?

[@casualtiesofpunk]

this is pretty cool. ingenious idea! soon as i can i think i will invest in some. But it will be a while before i do. great video as usual :)

[@dianamastro]

Intresting! how many times you can use them?

[@SionMorel]

@cormaccrawley That's good to know but are they compatible with these sedex sediment catchers and do you know of any glass screw top bottles as I'm not a big fan of plastic?

[@daan5000]

Great video Craig, keep up the good work! Unfortunately, the website of sedex seems to be down.

[@gurks31]

FYI the bottles that Aussie are using are Crown Lager Bottles... One of the best beers in Australia, I highly recommend you import a slab if you can Craig!

[@danssv8]

Good day mate can you pls help me out as i would like to know how much white sugar i can put into a 23lt beer after fermentation for the secondary carbonating process , always enjoy your tips and video's , thanks Dan

[@AliceinWanderland-USA]

Thank you so much for the tutorial! Much appreciated….love the product…can't wait to try this product!

[@uarenothelping3128]

Thanks for the video!

[@jashangil83]

hello Craig, i always watch ur videos.thks. .i am making a fruit wine..i started it everything is going good..now i am in step # 3 ..i degass my wine with a drill attachment.. it was totally degassed but when i put all my remaining packets and fill the carboy .....i mix it i see more co2 coming out ...it is already 2 days co2 and bubbles still coming out now...what u suggest me now should i keep degassing until day 30..or i should stop and garbage the whole wine? if u can help me please.thanks

[@paulcunliffe]

very interesting! would these work on the coopers plastic homebrew bottles?

[@rahhvin87]

Hey craig, great vid, do you know if schloer bottles will work?

[@chipsmithers4662]

Can you use a coffee filter to help eliminate the bulk of the sediment?

[@miketemby9245]

Possibly wasn't available at the time this video was posted, but a Blichmann beer gun is a much more practical solution. Bottle directly from a keg after force carbing = accurate and consistent carb levels and no sediment.

[@skipwebb7871]

I was thinking the same thing. For what you would spent on that system you could almost start kegging and use a Blichmann gun.

[@oBARFLYo]

As was mentioned below, it would be great if these worked with the Coopers PET pint bottles. Would love to get rid of sediment but I'm not prepared to replace all 72 of my plastic bottles for the glass equivalent.

[@MrRatrix]

Craig!!! does it work on 1 liter plastic bottle or we have to use regular glass bottles...

[@jmikes1derboy]

the bottles you were using... were they screw tops or pry off.... also does it matter????

[@lilfear]

Got one question Craig.... Im assuming that you have to purchase twist off bottles? Instead of pop top bottles

[@thelongslowgoodbye]

Hi Craig! I recently got a beer brewing kit for christmas and I'm currently brewing my first batch of beer right now. One of the instructions is to use gelatin finings to clear up the beer. Can you give any tips on how to use/apply it?

[@frankblucher5867]

Hi Craig ,I have been home brewing for 20 years , i find racking the beer after 7 days & letting it sit for another 6 days & bottling i get about 90%of the dregs out of the bottles. I find i can drink from the bottle with no problems.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

ahh and you find a flat beer too no doubt ,you must be an englisman from the north,thye like it flat too

[@aaronbergeron5729]

No matter what the Coopers kit instructions says - if you primary your beer for a minimum of seven days and then secondary for at least 15 days as well as you are carefull when siphoning with your auto siphon you will end up with very little sediment in the bottom of your bottles - maybe 1 or 2 millemters( for Americans 1/16 of an inch)

[@Gacky2k]

Do these fit on standard American twist top beer bottles? ie: Bud-Light and Coors Light for example?

[@ShutUpDickheads]

A 7 second "Taste". I like your style! As for those "Australian Beer Bottles", they look like "Crown Lager" bottles. We have many bottles that are similar to the one you use with the "Shoulder" too, but most bottles I drink from have a slight taper.

[@bulletsponge62485]

This might be a dumb question, but once you remove the top part is it possible to re-cap the bottle with a traditional cap?

[@afaella3]

I'm 99% sure if you do re-cap them then you'd lose all the built up carbonation

[@bulletsponge62485]

I was afraid of that.

[@jamesrowley8185]

Derek Bottorff look at how they make sparkling wine. they turn the bottle upside down for some time the sediment goes into the neck. they freeze the sediment only, pop the top and recap with the co2 still inside. with that I would think that it is possible to recap and keep co2 inside

[@MoskiHomebrew]

With the amount we brew beer, i would need to buy out the company! Interesting concept, maybe good for competition brewers. But i will deal with the sediment for now until i can start kegging.

[@JackDoonerMusic]

That's a very useful product. Very cool.

[@Retr0GamingKyle]

Cool vid! That is a very interesting product. I think if push came to shove if I wanted to avoid sediment I would just move to kegging. I could use sediment as an excuse for SWMBO to let me build my kegerator. I like that you can use these on twist offs though. They are cheaper to get a bunch of then pop tops. I like the bottle conditioned taste so I can't see myself moving to these. Anyways good video. I saw that bottle of maple syrup and the LME on the counter can't wait Cheers Craig

[@jazzbuckeye]

Can you cap the bottles after carbonation, or will that cause them to go flat?

[@ballhitch2]

if your doin a follow up on this can you give us a close up of thread on glass bottle.I've never seen it on beer bottles in Ireland, though seen threads on glass cider bottles(hard cider you'd say) also maybe a close up of the sedex yoke and its mechanism. would love to try them..... when the price comes down. if they'd gone on dragons den with it I'd probable have some already. thks

[@MichaelMickoHeyward]

Thomas Cooper would be turning in his grave!! these 'Australians' must be from Melbourne or something, the rest of us ask the bar staff to roll the stubbies before we hand over any money to get that flavour up and angry.

[@sttrubie]

Have you tried filtering your beer as you keg it? Seems obvious but you get No sediment. I just tried it and I have great tasting, sparkling clear beer.

[@pdog44450]

That is standard kegging procedure but most, especially amateur, brewers are cask conditioning

[@danssv8]

As usual great video and info , thanks for the effort posting it is very intrusting.

[@nitronathan1]

do these only work with twist cap bottles or can you use them on crown cap bottles. i don't have twist cap bottles

[@mickgof]

Hi Craig, I just received my first 15 sed-ex bottle tops (bottoms) My problem is, recently I purchased some plastic clear screw top bottles and the sed-ex attachments have a diferent screw thread, can you recomend a clear plastic bottle type that have the correct/same screw threads? I'm in UK and spent $80 on these with wrong type thread?

[@HopelessHermit]

Somewhere around 9:20 you said it yourself-the amount caught in the sediment catcher is about the same that would be left on the bottom of your beer glass.....I don't completely understand the point...is it because you can just filter off the bottom crap in homemade wines with coffee or carbon filters while beer has to be carbonated?

[@JimboHD2005]

Thanks for the video. How long are you secondary fermenting? I've found that after 3 weeks of resting I've had great results without a significant yeast sediment, very negligible amounts. I rack a couple inches above the sediment as well so I do loose a small amount of finished beer but not enough where I'm concerned.

[@OPE08]

I always do a 2-stage ferment, even when its not neccesary, its just a habit I picked up from when I was an amateur. Force carbonating and then bottling is of course an option, I just don't get it! If I was going to the trouble and expense of buying a Co2 kit I wouldn't bottle, I would keg. And if I wanted to hand it out I could always fill a bottle or growler as needed. And I don't get "yeasty off flavors", because I choose my yeast, ferm temps, and clarifiers carefully, and pour carefully..

[@hoopztube]

Hi Craig. Great video and great products. Shame I have moved on to kegging or I would certainly buy some of those. I have one question before I go look at the site where you got them. What bottle tops do they fit onto? Are they for the twist top style only, or do they also suit the 'crown seal' or 'pop top' type bottles where you need a bottle opener to normally remove the cap? Cheers Dave