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sudsmonkey · 12-08-2005, 12:46 AM

Stopped by a couple of local restaurants last week to ask if they'd save wine bottles for me. First one said to come back in a week and they'd have enough for a five gallon batch. Second one sent one of the barmaids out to the recycling bin where she pulled me out 13 bottles ! The owner said to come back anytime. My daughter and I spent about an hour scraping off labels, but it didn't cost anything. Try it. The worst they can say is no.

homebrewer_99 · 12-08-2005, 12:48 AM

Hotels are a great source especially with Christmas and NY parties coming up.

**Denny's Evil Concoctions** · 12-08-2005, 01:25 AM

I find it extremely easy to find normal 341ml (12oz) bottles, but it's the 500ml (20oz) that I find hard to get for free.

sudsmonkey · 12-08-2005, 02:07 AM

Yeah. The same bar had plenty of 12 oz. beer bottles in the recycling bin. I bottle beer in 40's. Gotta drink those myself. Such is life.

Francis Eric · 12-11-2005, 11:54 AM

just had to ask does any of those resturants, or hotels ever have screw top lids and if so what the percent? I have no corker ,and don't want to soak cork I ment boil them, and risk the posibility of leaking corks. even though thats what they did in the old days with natural corks.I'D test with a gallon or two for a test first.

OR am I going to have to use 40oz and 22oz beer bottles. IM not trying to impress anyone.FRiends drink beer anyways.

Caplan · 12-11-2005, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francis Eric

just had to ask does any of those resturants, or hotels ever have screw top lids and if so what the percent? I have no corker ,and don't want to soak cork I ment boil them, and risk the posibility of leaking corks. even though thats what they did in the old days with natural corks.I'D test with a gallon or two for a test first.

OR am I going to have to use 40oz and 22oz beer bottles. IM not trying to impress anyone.FRiends drink beer anyways.

How do you bottle your wine at the moment? Screw tops are used on some bigger wine bottles (1.5ltr) over in the UK. Corking is safer if you plan to store wine to age it - screw tops won't keep oxidisation out long term.

sudsmonkey · 12-11-2005, 11:11 PM

I'm planning on going with tapered corks and sealing them with wax. Put a ribbon over the cork and dip them. pull the ribbon off to expose the cork. I've used screw- offs, but don't know about the oxidation problem. Nothing alcoholic lasts long enough here to develop problems.

Ed_Savage · 12-29-2005, 08:53 AM

Some guy told me that Martinelli's Cider Bottles work well and are cappable. I'm gonna start collecting some of them and use Oxy Caps to reduce the oxidation for long term storage. I have a few batches of Mead that will need to be bottled in about six months. That should be pleanty of time to get enough.

sudsmonkey · 01-05-2006, 01:13 AM

Only problem I had with screw-on caps was when I bottled too soon and a gallon jug of wine exploded. Scared the bejeezus out of me ! I'd assume that corks would blow out before the bottle went up. Need to wait longer next time.
Note to self : Pick up some patience on next trip to HBS.

cweston · 02-02-2006, 07:24 PM

There is no deposit on bottles where I live: I go to the local recycle center and pluck crown-top bottles out of the bin when I need them. (I always ask if it's OK and they always say yes.)

Sometimes I can find champagne bottles there, too, but they are fewer and further between.

Soak in a few hours in water + washing soda and the lables come right off, BTW.