So I took some advice from a member here and went to my favorite bar to inquire about used bottles. The only problem was most of them were domestic which I think tends to be screw off caps.I'm guessing these won't work but is there any way to make it work or should I just find a bar that sells more imports?
Beginner bottling question
- Thread starter RWeather3
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JetSmooth
Well-Known Member
You'll have a haarder time capping those twist-offs. Plus, I believe their glass tends to be thinner.
You also have to consider the labels and which glues come off easily. I find Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams are the easiest bottles to strip. Just start buying cases. Buy them as gifts for your friends and family (with the understanding that they rinse them twice immediately after drinking and return the bottles to you). You'll have enough bottles in no time.
I soaked, cleaned, and delabeled 150 bottles in my bathtub over a weekend (soaked them all, but only peeled the labels off about 20 or so at a time). It's a bit of labor, but once you have a good stock of bottles, you can recycle them for new batches.
You also have to consider the labels and which glues come off easily. I find Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams are the easiest bottles to strip. Just start buying cases. Buy them as gifts for your friends and family (with the understanding that they rinse them twice immediately after drinking and return the bottles to you). You'll have enough bottles in no time.
I soaked, cleaned, and delabeled 150 bottles in my bathtub over a weekend (soaked them all, but only peeled the labels off about 20 or so at a time). It's a bit of labor, but once you have a good stock of bottles, you can recycle them for new batches.
R, I've not used twist-off bottles. I understand that if you have a table-top capper, they are *more* likely to work than with a hand-held capper, but I can't speak from experience on that.
Sam Adams bottles work great, most micro brews like Goose Island, Bells, etc.
Sam Adams bottles work great, most micro brews like Goose Island, Bells, etc.
Schnitzengiggle
Well-Known Member
Screwtop bottles can work with a bench capper, and I have seen some people claim that they have been able to get a seal with some wing cappers.
The biggest problem with the screwtop bottles is they are weaker at the top around the threads, and it is easier to break them when capping.
Check CL for bottles, I recently switched to kegging and kept only 100 of the 400+ bottles I had aquired, I sold about 325 bottles to a guy for $25, he actually gave me $30 because I threw in a couple of milk-crates. Either way, I see bottles for sale on CL here in my town all the time.
Also, if you have a neighborhood recycling program, take a stroll and scavenge from neighbors recycle bins, or if you have a community recycling bin, jump in there and see if you can find bottles that way. I have no shame, I've done it
The biggest problem with the screwtop bottles is they are weaker at the top around the threads, and it is easier to break them when capping.
Check CL for bottles, I recently switched to kegging and kept only 100 of the 400+ bottles I had aquired, I sold about 325 bottles to a guy for $25, he actually gave me $30 because I threw in a couple of milk-crates. Either way, I see bottles for sale on CL here in my town all the time.
Also, if you have a neighborhood recycling program, take a stroll and scavenge from neighbors recycle bins, or if you have a community recycling bin, jump in there and see if you can find bottles that way. I have no shame, I've done it
I do something like that. I keep a big cooler near my utility sink in the basement. Fill it with water and oxiclean, and put bottles in it as I go. After a couple of days, the labels just come off, no scrubbing or peeling required.
Except for those bastards at Two Brothers LOL! Their labels are some kind of plastic that do not come off at all.
TipsyDragon
Well-Known Member
plenty of domestic beers have pryoff caps. look at Sam Addams.
Screwtop bottles can work with a bench capper, and I have seen some people claim that they have been able to get a seal with some wing cappers.
The biggest problem with the screwtop bottles is they are weaker at the top around the threads, and it is easier to break them when capping.
Check CL for bottles, I recently switched to kegging and kept only 100 of the 400+ bottles I had aquired, I sold about 325 bottles to a guy for $25, he actually gave me $30 because I threw in a couple of milk-crates. Either way, I see bottles for sale on CL here in my town all the time.
Also, if you have a neighborhood recycling program, take a stroll and scavenge from neighbors recycle bins, or if you have a community recycling bin, jump in there and see if you can find bottles that way. I have no shame, I've done it
Another idea - ask your friends to save some for you. I put out a call on Facebook and got some bottles that way. And of course, I shared some homebrew with them
brewser09
Well-Known Member
Recycling centers are your friend i have collected well over 8 cases of bottles in 2 weeks, you have to do a little digging but well worth the time
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