Neophyte Brewer's questions Round 2

Thanks for the help earlier... now I get to the really odd questions that are second nature to yall... but perplexing to me!

1) For bottle can't you use any "imported style" dark glass bottle that isn't a twist top? I mean I've got a quarter of what I need in my fridge right now... right? (sans caps of course)

2) I've seen twist top bottles on the brew supply sites... isn't this basiclly a 16 oz Coke/Pepsi bottle only dark in color?

3) Is a bucket/better bottle with a spigot okay to ferment in? I mean wouldn't the pressure cause problems?

4) Since I'm starting with smaller containers/less head space should I go with a blow off hose rather than an air lock? Would it be okay to use a "3 piece" airlock as they are much harder to clog?

5) Just how hard is it to cap bottles?

6) Is it possible/advisable to buy extra hops to add for a 10 min boil in an effort to add aroma to an extract kit?

Alright that's round 2... help me out!

Phillip M

1) For bottle can't you use any "imported style" dark glass bottle that isn't a twist top? I mean I've got a quarter of what I need in my fridge right now... right? (sans caps of course)
If your capper and caps will work you can use any bottles you want as long as they are designed for pressure. Brown is better
2) I've seen twist top bottles on the brew supply sites... isn't this basiclly a 16 oz Coke/Pepsi bottle only dark in color?
Don't know
3) Is a bucket/better bottle with a spigot okay to ferment in? I mean wouldn't the pressure cause problems?
Yes and now. Fermenters shouldn't be under pressure.
4) Since I'm starting with smaller containers/less head space should I go with a blow off hose rather than an air lock? Would it be okay to use a "3 piece" airlock as they are much harder to clog?
Try it and see. Have something at hand just in case. Not all brewers get blow off.
5) Just how hard is it to cap bottles?
Easy, see Bobby M's sig for a video.
6) Is it possible/advisable to buy extra hops to add for a 10 min boil in an effort to add aroma to an extract kit?
It's worth ago. Try a kit as per recipe first then try it again with the experiment.

As stated you can use any pop top bottles you like as long as your capper will cap them. You've just got to watch out for light in the non brown ones sush as green,
clear..., you see light can and will make your beer skunky.

I've even been known to put a nut brown ale in a Barqs bottle, John Law
can't tell the differance (Misspent Youth).

I think you're talking about P.E.T bottles from Home brew sites
there ok but they don't clean up as easy as I'ld like.

To ferment, buckets work great, you say you're buddie's in the food service Industry?
get some buckets from him/her,Just stay away from the pickle buckets, they're a bit
hard to depickle. It's very easy to drill a hole for a spigot, and air lock/ hose.
If you don't wanna drill the top I've brewed good beer in buckets just by setting the
lid on loose and putting the whole thing down inside a VIRGIN contractor/ garbage
bag ( I know I'm gonna catch some flack for that) It aint good advice but it can be done.

Capping bottles is not hard at all just time consuming.

You can buy anything you want on the net, Doctor it up any way you please,
but I think it's a good idea to make something tasty, then add a lil this and that
after you get the hang of it.

I bottled my first batch 10 days ago and it was very easy. Not even as time consuming as I had feared. Few minutes I was done.

Ditto what was said above.

Green bottles (such as Grolsch or Heineken) will work if you make sure they well protected from light. Just say no to clear bottles like that Corona crap. I would try to stay away from the plastic bottles if possible.

Some people love the better bottles and some say a glass carboy is the only way to go. I've never used the better bottles but I'm sure they will work great for you. Just pop a three piece airlock in it ($1) and if you start to get foam in it, then switch out to a blow-off tube (or just let it build up and the pull out the bung for fun).

The kit you bought will taste fine as is. I wouldn't add hops for just aroma unless you have tried the kit and think it smells wimpy. It won't hurt anything if you do add them, but probably won't be worth it to you.

Hinez57SouthernScotsman said:

2) I've seen twist top bottles on the brew supply sites... isn't this basiclly a 16 oz Coke/Pepsi bottle only dark in color?

Phillip M

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I think this is the only one not answered yet. Here is the long answer. Yes. They are easy to use and really cool to start with, because you can tell how the carbonation is doing by how hard the bottle gets. Use soda bottles, or any other bottles with twist tops that originally held carbonated beverages. The darkness is better because it doesn't let the light in. Just carbonate in a dark, warm place and the effect will be the same.

Just say no to clear bottles like that Corona crap. I would try to stay away from the plastic bottles if possible.

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DeadYetiBrew - What's up man. I use clear bottles as much as I can for those I use at home and I have never had a beer skunked yet. I just don't let them get in the sun and let them carbonate out of any direct light.

I love to see the color of my beer through clear glass and I use Beck's green bottles when I have company. Their green looks so cool.:rockin:

Prowler 13 said:

DeadYetiBrew - What's up man. I use clear bottles as much as I can for those I use at home and I have never had a beer skunked yet. I just don't let them get in the sun and let them carbonate out of any direct light.

I love to see the color of my beer through clear glass and I use Beck's green bottles when I have company. Their green looks so cool.:rockin:

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The only downfall to using carona bottles is that it is clear (and you have to drink it)... I too use Beck's green bottles in addition to regular brown ones... Beer should stay out of the sunlight even after it's poured, which is easy to do with homebrews... To each his own...