Bottle score

I just got myself a nice deal. I emailed a local bar and 2 local bowling alleys asking if I could come in a pick up a bag or two of bottles. So far I have one bowling alley saying I just need to call and let them know how often I want to pick up bottles (they have a bottle shoot that everything goes down so the bottle end up in one bag). The local bar is more than happy to help - with a little of the homebrew given to the manager. In fact he has cases he can give me too. Plus he needs his website redesigned -and I'm a graphic designer.

I know it will be a little work to clear the bottles, but I'll have an unlimited supply. I'll just have to do a warm water/bleach soak, scrub them, and then dishwasher heat them before I do my usual wash/starsan.

Just thought I'd share.

I tried this in the past, but found that most of the bottles were twist off and half of them had cigarette butts in them. I didn't want to deal with it. Besides...I don't mind drinking good beer to get the bottles I need.

Yeah, I guess i'll have to see what I get. Fortunately (well for the bottle's sakes) smoking is not legal indoors in MN bars - damn commies. But I like the idea of getting a few doz bottles, getting to chat with the owner and getting a new client for my design business. Plus, free commercial cases are always a plus.

stedtale said:

I know it will be a little work to clear the bottles, but I'll have an unlimited supply. I'll just have to do a warm water/bleach soak, scrub them, and then dishwasher heat them before I do my usual wash/starsan.

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I get all my bombers this way, but what you just described is entirely unnecessary... just hot Oxy soak for a few hours, scrub, rinse, and StarSan, and you're good to go. Unless they were being USED in lieu of the urinals, there's nothing that's going to need a dishwater sanitizing cycle... or bleach, for that matter. Nice score!

I guess I'll just have to see what they're like. I'm actually more excited about the cases.

I go to law school and park in a neighborhood a couple blocks off of campus. I bet I pick up a 6pk of pry tops a week on my way back to the car.

stedtale, what part of MN you from, and let me know if you end up with too many bottles. I could be persuaded to come give you a hand in exchange for some

norwegiangeek said:

stedtale, what part of MN you from, and let me know if you end up with too many bottles. I could be persuaded to come give you a hand in exchange for some

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Shoreview, so pretty darn close to Blaine.

I'll let you know if it's as good as it sounds...if so I'll hook you up. I'm meeting with him tonight about his website and the bottles/cases.

IME salvaging bottles from bars isn't worth the effort unless they are willing to put aside the pry-offs somewhere for you. I'm not up to rooting through a bunch of huge trash cans full of stinky old twistoffs to find the handful of useful ones in there.

A friend of mine hauls cases of german bottles from a local german restaurant. Almost all of my bottles (I have hundreds) were once hefe bottles. I drown the bottles in the utility sink with some oxyclean.

I do bottle 6 of each brew in 12 oz bottles for comps, though.

stedtale said:

I know it will be a little work to clear the bottles, but I'll have an unlimited supply. I'll just have to do a warm water/bleach soak, scrub them, and then dishwasher heat them before I do my usual wash/starsan.

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Superb idea about nabbing bottles~!!

Get yourself a cheap poly 30gallon garbage barrel.
Fill it with water add about 6 - 8 ounces of bleach same amount of vinegar, add the bottles, put the cap on, and walk away for a day or three. When you come back the labels will be softened and ready to come off, many will be at the bottom of the barrel, and the whole thing will be as sterile as you'll ever need. After that all you have is a storage issue.

As an aside many Belgian breweries consider bottle conditioning to be superior to keg. I don't understand why this would be so, But I read it in Stan Hieronymous' book.