good bottles for apfelwein? gallon jugs?

**hexmonkey** · 11-04-2008, 09:56 PM

I'm trying to get my hands on some glass 1-gallon bottles for a batch of Apfelwein I'm planning to make and hand out as gifts. I'd rather not buy empty bottles since I know it should be possible to find them with something in them that I would want to drink.

I've seen jugs of wine, but nobody I know has a taste for it. I thought I'd be able to find glass jugs of apple juice but all the supermarkets that i've searched (pathmark, wegman's stop & shop, shoprite) are using plastic jugs now.

Where have you found your glass gallon bottles? Or for that matter, what have you found to be the 'just-right' size for bottles of apfelwein?

**BigKahuna** · 11-04-2008, 09:57 PM

You better drink a couple or 3 glasses before you decide to bottle in gallons.

You might just decide the beer bottle is a good control method.

You COULD (not my recommendation) use growlers from the local....or you can order 1/2 gallon or gallon jugs from any on line store like Austin Home Brew. Flip top bottles are expensive, but can't be beat for appearance and show.

**hexmonkey** · 11-04-2008, 10:08 PM

I was going for gallons for ease of bottling...are you thinking it will go too fast, or that it will spoil/oxidize if not emptied fast enough?

I have some half-liter swing-top bottles I might be able to use, but not enough and they won't be coming fast enough to have the whole batch bottled by Christmas...

Also, I hate buying empty bottles, I'd really rather find them with something tasty in them and recycle...

**BigKahuna** · 11-04-2008, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hexmonkey

...are you thinking it will go too fast,

you have been warned!

I too prefer full bottles, however there is someting cool about brand new bottles.

DuckAssassin · 11-04-2008, 10:16 PM

Not sure if Whole Foods is in Jersey (had them in VA) but I noticed that they are selling organic apple juice in gallon glass jugs in the organic food area. They go for about $6, so not much more than empty gallon jugs are going for, and you have your juice for your apfelwine too. I didn't check on the ingredients to make sure it was pure juice, but figured it would be based on the organic concept. I planned on picking up the juice for apfelwine and using the jugs as secondaries for mead myself.

**ChshreCat** · 11-04-2008, 10:17 PM

When you open a bottle of apfelwein, you will find a nearly irresistible need to empty said bottle. So, when the bottle is one gallon in size...

I think EdWort's name doesn't need to be cursed THAT much.

**hexmonkey** · 11-04-2008, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckAssassin

Not sure if Whole Foods is in Jersey (had them in VA) but I noticed that they are selling organic apple juice in gallon glass jugs in the organic food area.

There aren't many near me, but they do exist here. I'll see if I can swing by one and check that out. That might be the perfect solution really, if the juice is suitable...

malkore · 11-04-2008, 11:25 PM

Unless you can sit down and drink the entire gallon in one sitting...don't bottle that way.

if you don't down it in 24 hours, it'll lose carbonation, and will start to get oxidized.

**Bobby_M** · 11-05-2008, 12:32 AM

A decent compromise is 1/2 gallon growlers. Climax Brewing (Roselle, NJ) only sells their beers in that size containers and it's tasty stuff. Check out Buy Rite on Centennial in Piscataway.

**hexmonkey** · 11-05-2008, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malkore

Unless you can sit down and drink the entire gallon in one sitting...don't bottle that way.

if you don't down it in 24 hours, it'll lose carbonation, and will start to get oxidized.

Sorry, I'm talking about apfelwein, not beer. The recipe I read seemed to imply a still beverage, not carbonated...?

If it's not carbonated, will it still get oxidized? Does that rule even apply to apfelwein?