ARGGGGG! Not enough bottles

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I was all set to make my kit today (English Brown Ale) and start my career as a homebrewer, and so I went to the basement today to grab my fermenting stuff, and start collecting beer bottles. ( I have a broken leg, so that's not as easy as it sounds!). Anyway, my husband went to the recycling center yesterday after assuring me he was leaving me "plenty" of bottles. I asked him several times if he was sure that there were lots. He said "tons!" Ok, guys, I have...........12! I also have 19 PET reuseable bottles with plastic caps that came with our "Beer Machine". So, I either have to buy bottles and have them shipped at a premium price, wait for about three or four weeks to buy them when I go to the LHBS (there is one two hours away that I go to when I go to my doctor's appointments), or find something else. What about plastic soda pop bottles? Will that work?
I'm so frustrated! I was all set to sanitize my equipment and get started, but I'm glad I looked for bottles first. Any (cheap) ideas are greatly appreciated!

Lorena
 
Hit up the local bars to see if they will give you what they were going to throw away.

-walker

lorenae said:
I was all set to make my kit today (English Brown Ale) and start my career as a homebrewer, and so I went to the basement today to grab my fermenting stuff, and start collecting beer bottles. ( I have a broken leg, so that's not as easy as it sounds!). Anyway, my husband went to the recycling center yesterday after assuring me he was leaving me "plenty" of bottles. I asked him several times if he was sure that there were lots. He said "tons!" Ok, guys, I have...........12! I also have 19 PET reuseable bottles with plastic caps that came with our "Beer Machine". So, I either have to buy bottles and have them shipped at a premium price, wait for about three or four weeks to buy them when I go to the LHBS (there is one two hours away that I go to when I go to my doctor's appointments), or find something else. What about plastic soda pop bottles? Will that work?
I'm so frustrated! I was all set to sanitize my equipment and get started, but I'm glad I looked for bottles first. Any (cheap) ideas are greatly appreciated!

Lorena
Click to expand...
 
lorenae said:
That's a great idea! I love that idea, and I can go have a beer, too. I'm going to the bar right now.......
Click to expand...

break a leg!

(I know.. BAD joke, but sometimes the bait is too easy.)
 
You should have about 2-3 weeks before you bottle. I have found a party store that saves bottles for me and I just pay back the 10 cent deposit! About every other week, he has a couple of cases waiting for me. I also getting some from the local grocery store, they don't save them, I just have to time it right.
 
Walker-san said:
Hit up the local bars to see if they will give you what they were going to throw away.

-walker
Click to expand...


Yep, SWMBO manages a bar here in town. She even rinses out and runs them through the sanitizer once for me on the slower nights. Yes I still rinse and sanitize though. But she'll bring home a case a night for me.
 
Well, my local bar said that all the beer they sell comes with screw tops, except for Corona. So, they'll save all the Corona bottles for me, but won't pick out the limes! That'll help, and I'll start my brew now.

You guys didn't answer about the plastic bottles- is it a bad idea? I'm not planning on aging this beer, so I was wondering if the plastic would be ok. I do have more plastic bottles from soda than beer bottles, that's for sure!

I started making wine when I first broke my leg, and now after 12 weeks I'm still hobbling around and I have all my carboys full. If I have surgery on the leg in 3 weeks, I'll stay in a cast for about 12 more weeks. By next summer, I'll have quite a wine cellar! To me, beer brewing is a natural extension of making my own wine, and not so much delay with the gratification. My wine isn't drinkable for 6 months or longer- beer is so much quicker!

Lorena
 
lorenae said:
Well, my local bar said that all the beer they sell comes with screw tops,
Click to expand...
Go ahead and use screwtops until you can replace them. I use almost all screwtops and have almost no problems. You just have to be careful when capping to get the cap nice and straight, applying pressure evenly to both sides of your capper. Cap it and then hold it up and look at it from the side...at long as it looks straight it's probably sealed. After one or two cap at an angle you'll know by feel when it happens.

When bottling a batch using 16oz screw top bottles I immediately have to recap maybe 5-6 bottles. The only flat beers I've had were in the second batch, before I noticed that a few caps hadn't gone on the screw threads straight.
 
lorenae said:
You guys didn't answer about the plastic bottles- is it a bad idea? I'm not planning on aging this beer, so I was wondering if the plastic would be ok. I do have more plastic bottles from soda than beer bottles, that's for sure!
Click to expand...

Yes.. you can use the plastic PET bottles.. they work just fine. I like to use one with each batch so I can see it and I can tell how well it is carbonating by squeezing the bottle.

hope the leg heals up soon!

Will
 
Wow, I never knew you could use screwtops. I was always under the impression that their wouldnt be a good enough seal. Good to know!

TWolf10 said:
Go ahead and use screwtops until you can replace them. I use almost all screwtops and have almost no problems. You just have to be careful when capping to get the cap nice and straight, applying pressure evenly to both sides of your capper. Cap it and then hold it up and look at it from the side...at long as it looks straight it's probably sealed. After one or two cap at an angle you'll know by feel when it happens.

When bottling a batch using 16oz screw top bottles I immediately have to recap maybe 5-6 bottles. The only flat beers I've had were in the second batch, before I noticed that a few caps hadn't gone on the screw threads straight.
Click to expand...
 
chask31 said:
Wow, I never knew you could use screwtops. I was always under the impression that their wouldnt be a good enough seal. Good to know!
Click to expand...

Yeah, they are not 100% safe, but in my experience they are at least about 95% reliable, and for a LOT of free bottles, thats good enough for me.

There are a couple brands that I could not cap at all (For instance Sprecher Pub Ale was ideal, but all other Sprecher bottles just don't cap), but the same applies to some non-screw top bottles too.
 
TWolf10 said:
Yeah, they are not 100% safe, but in my experience they are at least about 95% reliable, and for a LOT of free bottles, thats good enough for me.

There are a couple brands that I could not cap at all (For instance Sprecher Pub Ale was ideal, but all other Sprecher bottles just don't cap), but the same applies to some non-screw top bottles too.
Click to expand...

If the alternative is not having enough bottles, well, any port in a storm.

One more bit of info. I don't know the system where you are, but here in Pennsylvania we have "beer distributors" - retail outlets that sell by the case. These often will have some empty returnables, and if you have them and they are like the one near me, they won't care who gives them the ten cents a bottle for the empties, they will just want them out. This is one possibility. Another is buying a case of microbrews and drinking them down while you wait for yours to be ready.
 
Thanks for the ideas! I loved the reference to Sprecher Pub Ale (Sprecher beer is one of my favorites!). Unfortuneately, I live in the middle of nowhere and don't have the beer distributors or microbrews available, which is why I want to make my own. If it comes down to it, I can do a two hour road trip to buy a case or three of bottles, I guess. I will use the plastic bottles, too, and hope that I don't have any problems.

I made the wort today and my kids opened up all the windows and complained about the stench. I'm thinking that is a good sign.......

Thanks,
Lorena
 
The stench? Kids...Wort is one of the best scents the nose can detect...

Sorry to hear you're isolated from micros like that...but the kayaking must be sweet.
 
Right you are- the canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hunting, camping, biking, skiing etc are fantastic. Right now, I have a broken leg (week #12 of a non-healing hockey injury), so my options are limited. That's why I've become a brewer/vintner. My leg is broken, but now I don't really care.......

Lorena

ps- I loved the "stench". My kids thought it was "gross". I figure I'm on the right track.
 
lorenae said:
If it comes down to it, I can do a two hour road trip to buy a case or three of bottles, I guess
Click to expand...

Make sure you call ahead. My LHBS sometimes doesn't have any bottles. Rare, but you know Murphy's Law.
 

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