Just a quick newbie question. I just finished bottleing and I had 15 to 20 caps left over that had been soaking in star san. Can I dry and use those caps next time or are they shot. They are the gold caps from NB. Thanks
You can definitely use them for your next batch.
2 caveats to that.
- If they are the oxygen absorbing type than once they get wet they lose that; but I’m pretty sure they will still work like normal caps.
- Make sure you really dry them. I put some away after thinking they were dry and I ended up with rusty caps. Again, maybe usable, but I pitched them.
I try to sanitize only what I need, but at $3.50-$5.00/gross I don’t get too upset about wasted caps.
2 caveats to that.
- If they are the oxygen absorbing type than once they get wet they lose that; but I’m pretty sure they will still work like normal caps.
- Make sure you really dry them. I put some away after thinking they were dry and I ended up with rusty caps. Again, maybe usable, but I pitched them.
I try to sanitize only what I need, but at $3.50-$5.00/gross I don’t get too upset about wasted caps.[/quote]
Sometimes we over-complicate things here (myself included). Even if they are O2 absorbing and were previously activated, they can still be used and they will work just like standard caps. 
I’ve used previously sanitized and air-dried O2 absorbing caps without losing a wink of sleep or an ounce of good beer.
