How do I seal a beer bottle using natural material?

[JT101]

Current method for sealing beer bottles is either the crown cap ( a metal cap with a plastic seal incorporated), a cork with metal wire cage to hold in place, or a swing top stopper like on a Grolsch bottle with a rubber seal.

Back in the day i.e. early egyptian times they used to use wood and oil soaked hemp plugs, until cork was discovered.

From a self sufficient point of view I want to use things we can produce in this country only, and simply i.e. minimal technology. Consider if I has only victorian technology.

Therefore, cork is out of the question since it won't grow well in this country, same for rubber trees, and of course plastic is a no-no. Research is being done into producing latex from dandelions but this is some way off and probably will require specialist equipment.

I feel happy with metal & glass as I consider this achievable albiet a bit energy intensive, plus I could salvage so much scrap I could recycle a lot easily.


Here are my solutions so far:

1) A metal crown cap pressed on the glass, with a beeswax seal either inside (not sure how) or poured over the top.

2) A metal crown cap with a animal intestine or bladder seal pressed on the glass (they used to use these in place of latex for condoms and other rubber like applications)

3) A swing-top stopper with an animal intestine or bladder seal



I'm not sure about the practicality of any of the above. I wouldn't be planning on storing anything for years anyway.

There must be some sort of a plant that when dried forms a squishy disc not dismiliar to rubber. Dried apricots spring to mind

I remember time after time when I was in Thailand, they showed me things they got from nature e.g. bamboo for baskets, and these pod things that contained stuff that looked like cotton that they used for stuffing pillows. There must be something in the UK..............


Lots of info, thanks for reading

[Davie Crockett]

You could use flax or hemp fibre and petrolium jelly (vaseline) as a seal for swing top bottles, it lends itself to being wrapped tightly and is used by plumbers for sealing the gland nut on taps. If it works there, I can't see why it won't work on a bottle. Vaseline won't impart any flavours either.

[Crickleymal]

How about a wax seal? Or a screw top with some form of seal inside.

[gregorach]

Do you object to recycling? I'm pretty sure you can flatten out crown caps and re-use them if you're careful. And the rubber seals on swing-tops last for ages... I've never had to replace any of mine. Better to keep using them than to throw them away.

[wulf]

Leather instead of rubber? That might work. I suspect part of the solution might have been that drinks would often have been stored in larger containers like barrels and bottling wasn't as feasible as it is today precisely because of the lack of ideal materials.

Wulf

[gregorach]

The problem with leather is that you can't sanitise it effectively... Remember, back in ye olden days, all the beer was what we would now regard as infected with all sorts of spoilage organisms and generally didn't last very long in storage unless it was brewed very strong.

[JT101]

All excellent points.

You could use flax or hemp fibre and petrolium jelly (vaseline) as a seal for swing top bottles, it lends itself to being wrapped tightly and is used by plumbers for sealing the gland nut on taps. If it works there, I can't see why it won't work on a bottle. Vaseline won't impart any flavours either.

Not sure I understand what you are proposing. Do you have an idea of how it could work with the swingtop. IF so, could send me a diagram? Sounds interesting.

Several people have mentioned keeping it in the barrel which sounds the simpler solution if I can't find anything.
The recycling idea is of course an option, until the rubber wears out.
Hemp seems like a very common solution to seal plumbing connections and on bagpipe connections with beeswax, so definite potential there.
Codd neck bottles are a very simple resealable bottle. Clever design

Thanks for all those who contributed so far. Given me lots to think about

[PlainQB]

Try cloth soaked in hot wax. Put it on the top while it's still liquid and tie it down with a bit of string. When dry it should be air tight. I've only read about this though and never done it myself.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Leather instead of rubber?
Wulf

. . . soaked in hot beeswax - would sanitise (for a given value of sanity - i know dunc!) it and add to the seal; wouldnt be as rigid as if soaked in paraffin wax

[alexllever]

by natural material?.....mmmmm, i just know that cook just rice till paste can be some adhesive