How do YOU store bottled brew?

Once you have your brew bottled, how do YOU store the bottles? Currently I just stand them all up inside a rubbermaid bin.

I was thinking about making a wooden bottle case based on the designs of the old soda bottle cases.

Anybody have any other good ideas?

I keep them in what ever I have handy. Bying some commercial beer in the heavy cardboard cases and keep the case. Same with the twelve packs of craft beers I keep the bottles and the cases. For the rest I have a bunch of milk crates.

Same here. I try to keep the boxes the beer comes in, 12 pack or cases, that way I don't have to worry about the light. I used to keep the boxes in my closet, until I ran out of space. Now I keep it all on a shelf in a dark room behind the garage.

I have been making beer boxes out of 1/4 and 1/2 inch birch/oak plywood. I made one big enough for a case and then several that hold 6 packs. They stack really well and of the 6 packs I give away to friends it adds something to the gift.

If you made 12 or 24 bottle boxes that are taller than the bottles, then you could very easily stack them in a closet.

I store them in milk crates . The kind you steal from behind the local grocery or convenience store. Adds that air of danger to the hobby. They're easy to carry and nearly indestructible. I store them under the bar in my shed with an old army blanket over them to keep out the light.

sudsmonkey said:

I store them in milk crates . The kind you steal from behind the local grocery or convenience store. Adds that air of danger to the hobby.

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Damn! The wife just brought me three fancy milk crates from the container store that she paid 12 bucks apiece for.

Make her show you a reciept, Bro. , and ask her where she got them new shoes.

Wow... guess I'm lucky ... when I started brewing, my wife cleared out about 100 sq feet of shelf space in the basement. So I put tar-paper over each shelf, hung from the one above. So my beer is all together, each batch, and hidden in the dark against a coolish concrete wall until fridge time. I don't suppose it gets better than that...

FilJos said:

I was thinking about making a wooden bottle case based on the designs of the old soda bottle cases.

Anybody have any other good ideas?

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I liked this idea too, and have already started. Once I finish, I will post a picture (or link if I have not ponied up the $10 already)

I keep them in my office in Rubbermade's also. I like the idea of Rubbermade's in case they start blowing up during the priming stage.

I use rubbermade knock-off bins for mine. Anything that that doesn't fit occupies the floor around it.

I use my old 12'er boxes and I put them in a coat closet. I know, I'm just BEGGING for bottle-bombs, what with having them underneath all of our coats.

After they're primed, I find unique places to store them. I can fit a couple in my bladder, but then I rack to ceramic.

Cheesefood said:

I use my old 12'er boxes and I put them in a coat closet. I know, I'm just BEGGING for bottle-bombs, what with having them underneath all of our coats.

After they're primed, I find unique places to store them. I can fit a couple in my bladder, but then I rack to ceramic.

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Bladder? Do you mean your actual bladder ? Or do you have a system that I've not heard of?

billybrew said:

Bladder? Do you mean your actual bladder ? Or do you have a system that I've not heard of?

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You had it right the first time. As soon as there's a bubble, that beer's in trouble!

Howdy ya'll,

I just woke up from bottleing two batches last night.
As I walked past the brewery, I opened the door, and looked inside and,
'there they were.'
Two shelves of bottles,
[and these were full!]
Two more nights and I will bottle ten gallons more.
I store this fine elixer in,
{where else}
in 'my brewey'.
Sort of like: ...' on display.'
A beer and ale shrine.
{Hell with putting my ale in a damn box under the bed.}
I have 14 shelves in 'my brewery',
{which used to be 'a pantry'}
I removed all the food, and cooking stuff,
and delegated the entire former pantry to storing homebrew,
and brewery equipment.
Its 'my brewerey.'
14 shelves each with the storage capacity of at least five gallons each,
50 - 12 ouncers,
12 - 22 ozers,
per shelf.

As I said here once:
I label bottles sometimes
but always label my shelves the ale is on,
by just sticking the paper with the brewing data on it,
which was on the carboy,
on one of the bottles on the shelf.
With the same scotch tape.

8Lb Hammer, [ie]
date brewed,
date bottled,
type and amount of hops,
ect.
It is an inspiring sight to behold several hundred bottles,
Aged and ready to go.
Just sitting there awaiting being drunk, or drank.
At my pleasure, as I am the boss am I not?

I have been out,
I poured ten gallons out because it was just too hot,
back in the summertime for yeast to live!
[My air conditioning went out.]
but my disability check comes in 10 days,
I have 20 gallons brewed or in secondarys now.
And this month two! 33 Lb containers of light pale malted barley syrup.
Which will brew 50 gallons!

I am building up my stock again,
getting ready for hunting coon and cat,
Sandymay, Deerdog and I.
Working out in the knife shop,
Tanning fur,
Cutting wood,
Wintertime stuff,
Building coops,

Boys we have survived another summer,
Lets brew some ale and beer!



J. Winters Knife

Sounds like you've got a program going. Hope those shelves are strong!

German bottles - 12 plastic racks (kastens) they came in when I bought them.

Other bottles - 6 milk crates, 12 cardboard boxes they came in.