How do you store your bottles?

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Boodlemania

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Granted I've not been brewing long, but I currently store my bottles in cardboard boxes, the originals they came in whether they be Sam Adams or new bottles from the LHBS. I know this won't last and I'm looking for a long-term solution.

Thought milk crates would be a great idea as I could also use them for carrying carboys. However, new ones are prohibitively expensive and all the dairies around here police their inventories pretty tightly.

Question is two-fold:
1. What do you store your bottles in?
2. If milk crates, where did you get them?
 
I keep my bottles like you do, in the original case, 12-pack, or 6-pack holder they came in. I try to scrounge case boxes from grocery stores and other locations that sell beer when I can.
 
I store mine in their original boxes too, plus whatever sundry things I have hanging around. Space is becoming an issue, mostly because I have four tons of wood pellets in my basement.

SWMBO says heat takes precedence over beer.
 
I have 2 milk crates, one from a guy at the local brewery, and one that I borrowed from underneath the bleachers that I was working on at a school. I'm always on the lookout for more, but they are hard to come by. I just use boxes for the other bottles, but I make sure I put a lot of tape on the bottom...
 
I store them in 6-pack carriers arranged neatly in some of SWMBO's boxes she gets from Mary Kay. They fit nicely, with a few bottles in between. Of course, I'm not sure how to get MK boxes unless you know a MK consultant.... If you do, ask for the taller ones, she'll know what you're talking about. The lid on the box closes, and they hold 35 or 40, I forget right now.

I'm sure if you went to the local liquor store, you could get the boxes that their 6-packs come in (4 to a box). Then, go to a bar and get some free 6-pack carriers, or cases from BMC "beers".
 
I use empty beer cases which I acquire from a local beverage store. They usually have tons of them just ask if they have any extra ones... Also, you can probably score some empty 6 pack carriers from them too.
 
I've been thinking about building some wood crates lately, as cardboard boxes give up their strenth/rigidity after being moved around a hanlf dozen times or so.

I have some 3/4" by 2" wide prefinished maple strips from leftover flooring and I'm gonna see what I can fabricate. I'm envisioning wood trays/drawers that hold either 12 or 24 bottles that would allow me to stack them. Being able to throw two, or four of 6-pack carriers in them. Only problem I see is that some bottles are wider and have larger carriers. A 6 pack of SNPA is a lot wider/larger than a Sam Adams 6-er for example since the bottles are shaped differently.

If that doesn't work out, I might buy some of the plastic crates from wal-mart or target that are stackable. I went to the trouble of buying 12 packs over 6-ers when I bought beer for the sake of the box, mostly in vain since they don't last.
 
I use milk crates. I have 3 crates, and can fit 24 bottles (12 oz) in one crate.

They are easy to find on ebay.

I would suggest making sure they are the thick plastic kind, not the flimsy crap.
 
i use old beer boxes but i get large rolls of stretch wrap from my work for free and wrap them too keep the dust out
 
So I had this same question lately, and looked for good durable crates. It does seem like milk crates are the best option.

My new question is, how many 12 ounce bottles fit in your standard 13x19 milk crate, and how well do they fit?
 
you can buy fake milk crate like storeage thingys at walmart for less then ten dallors... if you dont want to pay for them you can steal them from behind your local non-chain grocery store, they normally store them there because they get in the way until the milk delivery guy pics them up. I use the orginal box, i also have used file boxes (both plastic, and carboard), six pack carriers, watter bottle boxes (they are short up work well enough), and or just line them up on a self in the fridge or the cupboard.

Cheers
 
Milk crates for me mostly, i use some original boxes, but they get worn out over time. But the milk crates are great, and i can get em whenever i want pretty much.
 
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