Using SNPA Bottles

Since I'm low on homebrew, I picked up case of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at Sam's club for $19.99. It's a nice cardboard box that holds the bottles, so I have been saving them for filling them with kegged brew.

Anyone else use SNPA bottles? If so, any problems?

I'm almost through a batch of brown bottled in these, no problems whatsoever. They've gone back to bottling the 24s in pop-tops too, so you can pick up some nice bigger bottles too.

Wait - $20/case? That's like half the price of my local grocery store!

I've used them plenty of times before with no issues.

Are all the SN bottles the same..?

I am not familiar with them but I ran into a dozen empties of SN Celebration, and they were fatter and shorter than the 'regular' long neck.


and I used them for.. Apfelwien!

All SN bottles are not the same. I have had the short necks, regular size as well... also my last case of SNPA had pop top caps on screw top bottles!

Dr Vorlauf said:

All SN bottles are not the same. I have had the short necks, regular size as well... also my last case of SNPA had pop top caps on screw top bottles!

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Ive seen that same thing with SNPA and also Full Sail brews. Kind of weird eh?

SN just switched from twist off to pop off within the last few months. So it could be they had some extra twist off around, or they just got accidentally put in the bottling line.

SN contributed a large percentage of my empty bottles. The only issue I've had with them are trying to fit them into an empty six pack carrier that was originally used for longnecks. The SN bottles are a little wider and fit much more snugly in the carriers. Not really a "problem" but I was confused for a few minutes trying to figure it out.

Trencher said:

Wait - $20/case? That's like half the price of my local grocery store!

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aye. I buy all my Guinness at Sam's club. $9.99 for an 8 pack, vs. $7.98 a 4 pack at any grocery or liquor store in town.

As above, they are a little wider than a lot of others, but ~ same diameter as Firestone-Walker, Old Rasputin for starters.

Also, the only way I have been able to get all the label glue off SN bottles is with Oxy-clean soak. If you got Oxy-Clean just go straight to it, soak, oh 48 hours minimum.

No crowning trouble to report once they are clean and disinfected.

Very cool. Thanks for all the input. My bottles are pop top, so I'm keeping them and the box too. I have a bunch of Celebration Ale sixpack carriers, so I'm good there too.

Happy New Year!

Ed, when you say case do you mean a 12 pack or 24 cause I buy SNPA at Specs for $11.00 a 12 pack.
(edit) Sierra Nevada bottles are all I use, because they are shorter they tend to fit in the fridge better.

A case is 24 bottles or two twelve packs or 4 six packs. Sam's Club sells a case of SNPA for $19.99. Sweet price for a tasty brew!

Virtually all of my 12oz bottles are SNPA. Easy to clean, they cap reliably and their short size makes them easy to store. I like that there are no distinguishing marks on them, so they don't seem "recycled." Plus they come with some really good beer inside them!

EdWort said:

A case is 24 bottles or two twelve packs or 4 six packs. Sam's Club sells a case of SNPA for $19.99. Sweet price for a tasty brew!

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Sweet, we have a Sams Club Card and never have a reason to go. Now we do!!

I religiously drink SNPA and part of the reason I do is for the bottles (and boxes). I find the labels come right off with a soapy water soak and scrub. They have worked very well for me.

jzal8 said:

I religiously drink SNPA and part of the reason I do is for the bottles (and boxes). I find the labels come right off with a soapy water soak and scrub. They have worked very well for me.

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I don' t even use soap. Just hot water and a sponge and then a soak in hot oxyclean, then they are ready for the starsan.