Anyone ever make Beer Bottle Shelves?

Since I started brewing my own beers I have aquired a new taste for beer. I no longer can sit and enjoy a Yuegling lager or a Miller light like I used to before. Now I find myself at the local bottle shop dropping $100 on like 10-12 12oz bottles of good beer. In doing so, I have kept every bottle of every new beer I try. I am now well over 400 bottles and I am looking for different ideas on how to store and show them. My first thought is to construct shelves around my basement bar to show them off. I am not sure if it would be best to start with a few shelves on one wall of to put shelves up around the bar. Has anyone else done anything like this? If so any pictures? Thanks

I did something in the basement - the CAT climbed up and knocked off 2 bombers...

I hate cats.

Recommend a cat-proof shelving system

I made some "floating" shelves out of an old door to help me display my bottles. Need to put up some more shelving, but this gives you an idea of what I'm talking about:

How did you attach the shelves to the wall?

I did this in college with my roommates... not what you are thinking. We were very into beer and it is about all we did apart from school. All told we had 2150 bottles when we moved out after 2 years. It was a good two years.

My bits of advice:

1. Nice shelves will make your beer collection look legit whereas cheap ones will make it look silly and non-serious. I made oak shelves, routed a nice edge on them and sized them according to bottle sizes (bombers, 12 oz., etc.). If you are building the shelves yourself, take the time to do it right, you will be glad you did.

2. You will never have enough space. Even if you look at the shelf you are about to put up and think...'I am never going to have that many bottles' get the next size up, because you WILL have that many bottles.

3. If I had a chance to do it again, I would build or buy shelves with a front door or cover. Probably just some 1/8 plexi or something so I could seal them in and avoid the dust collection that bottles become over time.

4. Have fun with your collection! We spent our time discussing great brew and rearranging our collection in all sorts of ways. This is a great way to keep current on the beer scene and to remember what beers you like don't like ad so on. Plus it is a great talking point.

Cheers!

mosyslack said:

How did you attach the shelves to the wall?

Click to expand...

There is a 1" x 2" or so strip along the wall. I cut up an old, hollow door, pushed back the cardboard inards of the door and slipped that right on to the wood strip bolted to the wall. Then screw the shelf into the strip from the top. Painted these to match the wall and added some decorative trim to dress it up a little.

You can Google DIY floating shelves and find more detailed instructions.

I built framed shelves that fit our wall space. Two side rails, and shelves spanning the gap. I screwed directly into the studs.

kappclark said:

I did something in the basement - the CAT climbed up and knocked off 2 bombers...

I hate cats.

Recommend a cat-proof shelving system

Click to expand...

+1 on cat hating.

You could hire Alf to keep the cats in check

HHAHH!

I like the door/enclosed idea, because I already hate dusting... That would suck to dust...

I'm just collecting labels.

Bottles become really cumbersome even though I like them.
I'm insanely allergic to clutter.

I can keep all my labels in a binder

Do you use those label keeper stickers? Do they really work?

I just lay the labels flat for the time being and put them in
8.5x11 plastic sleeves.

I might put them on sheets, I haven't really thought about
it just yet

I have a small start of 700 so far and have built shelves to hold close to 300, deff worth it! Agree about the dust its a major pain to keep them clean.

I can never get my labels off in 1 piece.

cover the lable with packing tape making sure you have a boarder over the edge of the lable. Even if some of the backing rips the part you want should stay intact. Then designate a wall and just start sticking. Or collect them and then varnish over onto a bartop. Nothing I have done yet, but ideas I have floating around.

I have a couple pitchers full of caps. Not sure what to do with them. Maybe make a border around my "pub room"?

I've been working on peeling the labels off of my 600+ collection... I am soaking the bottles for a day to get the labels to come off and using a flat blade to help the ones that aren't peeling easily. I am finding it quite frustrating because from time to time I have ones that don't want to peel no mater what... Does the packing tap actually work well?

In regards to your dilemma junkyard brewer, I also have a bottle cap collection which I am planning on making a bar top with using clear acrylic and some sort of glue.