Hi Robin:

I can't argue with the home-brewing crowd, as I'm not part of it anymore. I
seem to remember cork-lined caps for home-brew in the early 1980's.

I have a reference from the commercial brewing and beverage industries that
says the industry eliminated the cork-lined cap in about 1965. I guess
you'll have to go with context to determine whether or not you have a home
brewer at your site.

According to my reference, 1955 saw the introduction of solid, molded
polyvinyl chloride-lined crown caps (page 174); and elimination of the
cork-lined cap in the beer industry in about 1965 (page 185). I can't say
what was happening in the soft drink industry. Others will have to fill you
in there.

Obviously, there would have been no need to switch from cork to "rubber" in
the 20's for beer, except in home brew paraphernalia. We have had a recent
thread about stills and recipes, but I saw nothing about bottle closures.
I've always assumed (silly me) that folks used corks or fruit jar lids. And
come to think of it, I've not let my thoughts wonder too much about what
happened to the crown cap industry when Prohibition came along.

Anyway, here's a citation for you.

J. F. Everitt
  1982  "Bottle Closures," in Beer Packaging: A Manual for the Brewing and
     Beverage Industries (edited by Harold M. Broderick), Master Brewers
     Association of the Americas, Madison, Wisconsin.

Cathy Spude





                      Robin Mills
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                      03/29/02 09:41 AM
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                      HISTORICAL
                      ARCHAEOLOGY






Histarch,

I remember reading somrwhere obscure that there is a specific date
associated with the switch from cork crown cap liners to those made of
rubber. Somewhere in the vicinity of 1920-1930, I recall.

Can anybody confirm or refute this?

Thanks,

Robin Mills
BLM-NFO
Fairbanks, AK