Caps not staying in your beer cap map? Not all caps are created equal, pop-off caps vary slightly in size, and expand slightly when they’re removed. Twist-off tops are similarly sized, but don’t flex when they’re removed so they may fit loosely in the slot.

Three caps – different shapes – none fit well in your beer cap map. The one on the left is overflared, the middle one is a twist-off cap that is too small, and the right has a big dent and is super flared out.

To get a twist-off cap to fit in your map, you need to stretch the edges of the cap slightly. Place the cap upside down on a smooth, non-slippery surface. Take a clean, empty bottle (needs to be a pop-top) and carefully and firmly press the bottle down into the cap, as if you’re recapping it. The cap should snap onto the top of the bottle. Use an automatic bottle cap remover (read our thoughts on automatic cap removers here) and pop the cap off. It won’t have done much, but it only takes a little bit for it to fit snugly in your beer cap map.

Snap the cap back on the bottle, and remove it carefully and it should fit in your map.

Fixing severely bent or mangled caps is a lot more challenging. We’ve tried two methods, both with mixed success. For the first technique, find a towel and a really hard surface, like a countertop. Don’t try this on your kitchen table or a wood surface, it will dent and scratch the wood. Snap the beer cap back onto the bottle just like you did for the cap that was too small. Then VERY CAREFULLY press firmly down on the bottle and cap and roll it along the edge of the cap. Any major dents or bends should roll out, but the cap may still be too large to fit in a beer cap map. The second technique we’ve used is a pair of needle nose pliers and some gloves, and it involves carefully bending the cap edges inwards. This will scratch the edges of the cap, but chances are you won’t be able to see them once it’s in the map. The best thing you can do is to avoid denting or bending the caps in the first place, which is easy if you’re using the automatic beer cap remover. It removes caps faster and more cleanly than any other method we’ve seen.