Good place to buy amber 12 oz bottles?

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StophJS

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I've been looking for a place to pick up a couple cases of 12 oz amber bottles to save myself some headache from having to track them down elsewhere, but I've read on various websites that certain bottles are flimsy and break easily. I would prefer to buy from midwest but there are a couple reviews there that talk about how the bottles are cheap. I'm wondering if maybe those people are just a little careless though.. Honestly bottles don't need to get a incredibly durable unless you are being rough with them. Does anyone know of a good place to pick up some bottles?
 
local convenience store? I'd bet if you go to the store on Lk Michigan drive near shawmut hills, they would be happy to sell you some bottles at their deposit cost. After all, they should have some compassion for the homebrewers. Awesome store to buy supplies too-- best in town.
 
costco sells 24 packs of Sam Adams or their own brand for about $18-20 bucks. A case of empties is going to cost $12-14 bucks. why not spend the extra six bucks for the beer and get your bottles? the other nice thing about those particular bottles is the labels come off pretty easy.
 
I saved bottles for a few months before I started brewing. Ask your friends and family to do the same and you'll soon have more than you know what to do with.
 
+1 on the buy a case and drink as opposed to buying empties. For homebrew, I love the Sierra Nevada bottles--short and stubby, so they fit in more fridge shelves. Buy a case, drink 'em, and then give an overnight soak in strong batch of oxy-clean--the labels will fall right off.
 
Ya, just buy a case and enjoy the contents then re-use the bottles. Another idea is do you have a home brew club in your area. Contact them. I got a lot of bottles from guys in my club who went to kegging and didn't need as many bottles as before. All they asked for was a couple bottles returned to them filled. I got close to 75 bottles last May that way.
 
Why would you waste money on empty bottles? Just get a couple cases of anything by Bell's that you like and enjoy them.

Honestly, most of the bottles you buy at the lhbs are the flimsy ones. I've been using bottles from microbrews for years and I've never had a problem.

I think you're reading bad info....Never seen that argument brought up on here. Most of us recycle from commercial beers.

It seems at first that accumulating bottles is difficult but if you mention around to people that you brew and need crown bottles they will start showing up. There's also craigslist, and freecycle.org, hooking up with other homebrewers, recycling centers. Asking at beerstores that have a good selection of beer for their returnables. Some stores will let you have their empties for the price of the deposit. And some bars will give you all you can haul out if you ask.

Also if you want to bottle in champagne bottles, go to a hall that does weddings, heck even a moose or vfw hall, you might just have to dumpster dive at worst, or just pick cases of empty asti bottles by the back door.

It seems daunting but you'll get plenty really fast. But in reality when you annouce you are homerbewing, they do come flying at you. I even had my building super years ago just use his key and leave me some on the dinning room table. He knew he'd get beer from me on a regular basis, especially if he was gonna do some work in my place.
 
If you have a local recycling center... you can swing by and pick up as many as you want for free usually.
 
Why would you waste money on empty bottles? Just get a couple cases of anything by Bell's that you like and enjoy them.

Honestly, most of the bottles you buy at the lhbs are the flimsy ones. I've been using bottles from microbrews for years and I've never had a problem.

I think you're reading bad info....Never seen that argument brought up on here. Most of us recycle from commercial beers.

+1 to Bells and the labels come off easily in Oxyclean soak
 
+1 on getting the word out. I had 50 bottle of Sam Adam's Octoberfest show up in the bed of my truck the other day when I was at a meeting. So I had the EXTREME burden of draining them to refill with my homebrew! In 4 weeks I am up to 150 bottles. I happen to know some drinkers, I guess! I even got 60 grolsch bottles out of the announcement too!
 
I've been known to factor in bottle re-usability when making commercial beer choices... :D
 
cockybitz said:
local convenience store? I'd bet if you go to the store on Lk Michigan drive near shawmut hills, they would be happy to sell you some bottles at their deposit cost. After all, they should have some compassion for the homebrewers. Awesome store to buy supplies too-- best in town.

Just out of curiosity, which store are you referring to? Thanks all others for input. Getting the word out netted me about 20 bottles today. I also like the idea of just buying the beer but its hard for me to think of beer I really like that comes in cases of amber. Sam Adams hasn't been very good to me haha
 
Just out of curiosity, which store are you referring to? Thanks all others for input. Getting the word out netted me about 20 bottles today. I also like the idea of just buying the beer but its hard for me to think of beer I really like that comes in cases of amber. Sam Adams hasn't been very good to me haha

BELLS SAMPLER PACK FTW!!! Maybe Great Lakes if you get it there (I assume you do)
 
We are in Michigan, land of the 10¢ bottle deposit. Go to your local mom & pop party store and they will give you all the bottles you want for the cost of the deposit. Avoid Short's bottles because you can't remove the label.
 
Siciliano's?

I miss that LHBS (former GR resident)

Sicialiano's is my shop :mug: Great place. +1 on the Short's. I bought a pack of humu lupa and it was delicious but a couple bucks more than most and then the label glue was impossible to get off. I didn't know there was a Bell's sampler pack, I'll definitely have to hit that up.
 
Sicialiano's

They have a whole backroom filled with bottles....You Sort.....$2.40 a case. Just go into any store that sells craft beers, or even Michelob and ask if you can get bottles for the deposit cost. Unless you get a noob clerk you will probably be able to sort through the returns. 10¢ each.:mug:
 
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