Question about stockpiling bottles

SamW · 07-20-2009, 06:14 AM

My first batch should be ready to bottle in about ten days and I don't have any bottles yet. Clearly the logical solution is to begin drinking heavily. As it is Sunday night I'm gonna refrain from this until at least.... tomorrow. In the meantime, does anyone know of any commercial beers (available in Safeway or major grocery stores) that generally are not twist off. I know there is no guarantee as some products aren't consistent, but can anyone think of any off the top of their head? For reference I'm in Berkeley, CA. A friend I are basically going to be "binging for bottles" so we're really not above slumming. Essentially I'm just looking for suggestions so I can avoid getting caught peeling open 12 packs in the beer aisle trying to inspect caps.

**BlindLemonLars** · 07-20-2009, 06:17 AM

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It ought to be everywhere in Berkeley. Great beer, reasonably priced, packaged in nice unmarked brown pry-off bottles.

Be sure to rinse them thoroughly, as SNPA is bottle conditioned and will have a nice ring of yeast around the bottom.

Brewsmith · 07-20-2009, 06:18 AM

Sam Adams, Red Hook, Sierra Nevada, Deschutes, Trader Joes (TJ's Brand), Gordon Biersch, Bridgeport, Stone, North Coast, Mendocino, Lagunitas, Bear Republic, New Belgium. All of those beers you should be able to get.

SamW · 07-20-2009, 06:41 AM

I forgot that Sierra Nevada was!! I was thinking of Blue Moon, which i believe is a twisty. Well that pretty much settles that. Between New Belgium, Deschutes and Sierra I should be set. Thanks for the suggestions!

Poindexter · 07-20-2009, 08:29 AM

You are in a college town for crying out loud; plenty of people are already drinking heavily.

When I brewed my first batch (Chapel Hill, NC, during basketball season) I had to go less than one block from my house to come home with four cases of empty bottles.

You gotta sanitize them anyway, and i bet you find fewer cigarette butts than I did.

Alternatively your LHBS ought to have 12 ozs brand new in the box empties for about $14/ case of 24.

**TXCurtis** · 07-20-2009, 02:17 PM

Hit up a local beer store or ma and pa convenience store. You should be able to talk em into selling ya some of the deposit bottles for deposit price.

Just make sure you go in at a non peak time...

That or post a wanted ad on craigslist... or be the creepy guy hanging out near the bottle return area (this time you want to be there during peak hours) - watch for someone with a couple cases, hand em cash and round up to the nearest $...

sharpstick · 07-20-2009, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamW

. . . does anyone know of any commercial beers that generally are not twist off.

you should be able to peek at exposed bottles in the 6 packs to see.
oddly enough, some michelobs are in what they claim on the box, "new pry off caps". anyone 40 or older will get a good laugh at this! personally, i'm boycotting inbev (anheuser busch etc.) since they quit serving free beer at busch gardens. that was a local 50 year old tradition!
other than that, for pry off bottles, guinness, newcastle, for that matter, most anything imported, most low volume craft beers.
i suggest that you only use brown bottles if you can. even green is susceptible to skunking from light exposure.

**BlindLemonLars** · 07-20-2009, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharpstick

i'm boycotting inbev (anheuser busch etc.) since they quit serving free beer at busch gardens. that was a local 50 year old tradition!

Wow, that takes me back! My very first beer-related memory is of my grandfather getting a free glass at Busch Gardens! I asked if I could have one, and was told "that's just for grownups." That would have been about 1969, and to this day I remember how happy my grandpa looked holding that free beer.

Quote:

i suggest that you only use brown bottles if you can. even green is susceptible to skunking from light exposure.

Quite true. Still, I like to use one or two clear bottles per batch, so I have a means of visually evaluting how the bottle conditioning is progressing.

Captain_Bigelow · 07-20-2009, 07:12 PM

As others said Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada are amongst the best. Do you have a local brew store? If so, you should be able to pick up a case of 24 new bottles for about $10-15.

Neomich · 07-20-2009, 09:45 PM

From my own experience, it pays to invest in swing tops. I had a grocery store close by that sold the 16.9 oz bottles with beer for the same price as I could buy them empty. Plus, the bales are steel and not aluminum.

Or, start stocking up on the larger 22 oz bombers. Less bottles to fill, less bottle caps and less time. I usually fill as many of my empty swing tops as I have available, then a sixer or so of 12 ozer's for travel or gifts, then put the rest in my large bombers.