bottle size?

as you can see here, I bottle in 1 Liter reusable plastic bottles. cause.. well.. when having "just two drinks each with a friend" amounts to the equivalent of a 2L jug per person? makes for some fun times.

but I'm now wondering if there's a better bottle size? is there something smaller that would keep my beer effervescent for longer? improve the taste?

(the beer is a Canadian Blonde)

I'm a little confused on what you're asking. If you're asking if there is a smaller bottle size, well, how about normal beer bottles?

I like to use 22 oz bottles as an alternative to standard 12 ouncers. I've also got a friend who occasionally bottles a portion of his brews in 1/2 gallon growlers. But I think the growlers require special airtight caps...different from the regular caps you would get from the brewpub. Otherwise they don't carbonate properly.

greenleer said:

Otherwise they don't carbonate properly.

Click to expand...

yeah, that's my worry about using these big bottles. they loose their carbonation very early after opening.

12 oz. bottle are good for giving samples out to friends. 22 oz. bottles are easier on bottling day. I kinda like the middle option, 1L flip top. It's a good size for drinking, and the flip tops stand out.

Beer bottles should be brown!

creefer said:

Beer bottles should be brown!

Click to expand...

I know... I know... but I don't expose my beer to light except when initially brewing and bottling. the rest of the time, it's in near pure darkness at the back of a closet I never really use.

I've always wanted to use flip-tops. I'm just too cheap to buy enough for 5 gallons, and I don't like the idea of using green Grolsch bottles.

I like 22 oz or 750 mL (~25 oz) bottles ... that seems to be just about right. It's small enough to get good carbonation and big enough to drink 1 or 2 of in a reasonable sitting without the whole thing going flat; and the lightweights at the party can split 1 between them.

If you want to stick with plastic, there are some distributors who sell reusable 750mL amber plastic bottles. I've used them and they're very portable and very easy to fill and cap.

Amber PET Bottles - 500 ml screw finish
Here is a link to the 500ml plastic version of the ones you are using.

I've actually used the 1 pint plastic miller light bottles for my beer, and they worked fine.