Large Format Champagne bottles?

**smokinghole** · 11-11-2011, 07:39 PM

Anyone know of a place to buy large format champagne bottles? I want a few 1.5L bottles and a 3L maybe. I can find 3L wine bottles but not champagne. I searched Ebay but could only really find collector display bottles at $50 a pop.

The closest I came is the big ass bottle that Stone releases Arrogant Bastard with. http://baderbrewing.com/store/product.php?productid=22223&cat=328&page=1 I might buy a couple just for ****s and giggles.

StMarcos · 11-11-2011, 08:33 PM

No. But I'd like to know the same thing. Thinking I might call korbel or mumm. I'm looking for 6-9L....

**mikeysab** · 11-11-2011, 11:00 PM

You could just buy a bunch of mumms

**smokinghole** · 11-11-2011, 11:25 PM

I just emailed Calglass. They say they there is case size availability and bulk. So I emailed looking for minimum and bulk orders. Will let you know what I hear.

**smokinghole** · 11-22-2011, 08:56 PM

Calglass must not want any business. That's fine though if I ever really wanted to I found out who their bottle maker is for the large champagne bottles in Europe. There is really only one big champagne bottle manufacturer that I could find. Especially the big bottles.

Anyhow for the time being I got myself a used 3L bottle with a box for $25 shipped. After shopping around and looking at vendor prices for 3L still wine bottles at $20 I decided $25 with a wooden crate and free shipping was reasonable. Now to figure out what the hell I'm going to bottle in it!

**smokinghole** · 12-01-2011, 05:30 PM

So here's a little information update.

The large format champagne bottles are slightly different in the corking and caging department. The necks are considerably more thick than a standard bottle so regular wire hoods will not fit. I believe the wire hoods I have are for champagne/belgian beers and they don't fit. The bottle mouth is slightly larger as well. So while I use belgian beer corks in champagne bottles I don't think a belgian cork would give me a sufficient seal in this larger bottle mouth. For belgian beers I suspect standard champagne corks will be sufficient due to their size over a belgian cork. I am waiting to hear from a sales rep from St. Gobain whom is the manufacturer of most all large format bottles. Hopefully I can source some cages for this behemoth bottle.

**smokinghole** · 01-01-2012, 04:44 PM

Well I just procured a 6L bottle. It came with the cork and I might have to rescind my previous comment about the cork being a different size. Eitherway I can't wait to fill these.

When it comes to cages for these big bottles I will have to custom make a restraint cage of my own using safety wire. I have seen "artsy" prosecco bottles with string holding the cork in which would likely work just fine here too.

From left to right we have:
6L Methuselah
3L Jeroboam
1.5L Magnum
750mL
375mL

**lschiavo** · 01-01-2012, 04:56 PM

Those are cool. I should get some so I can cut back to one beer a day