Are old returnable longneck bottles stronger than new disposable ones?

[z-bob]

I bought a 4-pack of La Chouffe (sp?) blond beer recently and now I want to brew something like it. The problem is, it's carbonated to at least 3 volumes, maybe 3.5, and beer bottles aren't strong enough. But I have 2 cases of 20-something year old returnable bottles under the basement stairs. Are those stronger than new bottles?

I have champagne bottles, but no way to cap them. What I'll probably do is put most of the beer in PET plastic bottles plus reuse those thick LaChouffe bottles, but I wonder if those old longnecks would be safe to use?

 

[doug293cz]

Yes, the returnable bottles are made of thicker glass than "disposable" bottles.

Brew on

 

[camonick]

I have some old bottles from New Belgium many moons ago when they were a fledgling company and only distributed in Colorado. Those bottles are considerably more well made than the new ones they use now. I should weigh some to see what the difference is.

 

[day_trippr]

I wonder if those old longnecks would be safe to use?

Unless you know the history of each bottle and if they could have been subject to abuse, it's a crap shoot whether a returnable is safe to reuse...

Cheers!

 

[camonick]

I bought a 4-pack of La Chouffe (sp?) blond beer recently and now I want to brew something like it.

plus reuse those thick LaChouffe bottles

Just buy 12 more 4-packs.

 

[Rish]

Are those stronger than new bottles?

As camonick said, I'd weigh they to see if they are heavier than current bottles. That should give you an idea of how much (if any) more glass was used. You could also test one by degassing a beer, putting it one of them, then priming it to the level you want. Be sure to store it in something that will contain it safely if it grenades. Good luck!

 

[mac_1103]

I did not save the bottles last time I had some La Chouffe because I didn't think I'd be able to cap them. Didn't notice that they were particularly heavier glass than other bottles, but that certainly could just be me being unatentive.

Is there an authtoritative source on the level of carbonation that regular old 12 oz longnecks can safely hold?

 

[mac_1103]

Just buy 12 more 4-packs.

It comes in 11.2 oz bottles, so I would get at least 13 more.

 

[z-bob]

Just buy 12 more 4-packs.

Long-term that's the right answer. I'll probably buy one more pack before I need them. I should also buy that bottle capping attachment for wine corkers so I can use champagne bottles, even tho' if probably doesn't fit my Portuguese corker. (I asked morebeer if it would work and never got an answer) I can probably make it work somehow.

I wonder what the liquor store would say if I took one of these cases of bottles back and asked for my $3 deposit

 

[ncbrewer]

At Northern Brewer you can buy bottles: 12 oz. Beer Bottles - 24 Pack
Since they cost $17.99 plus shipping for a case of 24, they'd better be heavier than the disposable/recyclable bottles. But I don't see anything about it in the description, so they might not actually be heavier.

 

[mac_1103]

I should also buy that bottle capping attachment for wine corkers so I can use champagne bottles, even tho' if probably doesn't fit my Portuguese corker. (I asked morebeer if it would work and never got an answer) I can probably make it work somehow.

I've been trying to figure this out for a while myself. Please let me know if you ever do get an answer. But I'll probably just go ahead and buy one at some point and just send it back if I can't get it to work.

 

[Teufelhunde]

At Northern Brewer you can buy bottles: 12 oz. Beer Bottles - 24 Pack
Since they cost $17.99 plus shipping for a case of 24, they'd better be heavier than the disposable/recyclable bottles. But I don't see anything about it in the description, so they might not actually be heavier.

I have (unintentionally) waaaaaayyyy overcarbed a stout that was in these bottles. Even cold, they were all undrinkable gushers, one even splashed the ceiling when opened, and did not have any grenades.......

 

[Dland]

Unless you know the history of each bottle and if they could have been subject to abuse, it's a crap shoot whether a returnable is safe to reuse...

Cheers!

The old bar bottles? Used to have a fleet of them in the old days, Had frosted wear rings from going through automated machines at their original brewing companies , they were used dozens of times, maybe more, and never failed. Back when I bottled, it was never the bar bottles that exploded when a batch went wrong, always the newer ones. The bar bottles just gushed or the seals failed at cap.

What kind of abuse are you referring to anyway? or maybe I should not ask....

 

[PCABrewing]

The old bar bottles? Used to have a fleet of them in the old days....

Periodically I try something new and notice that it comes in a heavier bottle. I save them. There is a visually noticeable difference and they are definitely heavier in weight. No I haven't weighed any. I might if I get bored sometime.

The previous post reminded me that while in the seventh grade a friend had a uncle who owned a bar.
Periodically when we were done with school for the day he'd stop at his uncles bar to "box the bottles".
During the serving hours the bartender would drop the empties into a chute where they slid into a rotary bin in the basement.

The next day my friend and sometimes me would go into the basement of the bar and sort bottles into the appropriate empty (heavy) cardboard cases to be returned to the brewery.
They took a beating and very seldom broke.

 

[z-bob]

I've been trying to figure this out for a while myself. Please let me know if you ever do get an answer. But I'll probably just go ahead and buy one at some point and just send it back if I can't get it to work.

I have a 29mm capping bell already, just nothing that fits it. It just occurred to me to take it to the hardware store and see if I can find a bolt (probably metric) that fit the threads. Get a long one and maybe that's all I need with the floor corker. Or I might need to make some kind of sleeve for it to make it fat enough for the iris to hold it steady but not damage the plastic iris when it goes up and down.

The capper at morebeer.com has a spring and some clips to hold the attachment in place. My corker doesn't have ears for the clips to go on. But that might not be necessary, either for their attachment or something I jerry-rig myself.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I have been looking at purchasing some bottles for higher carbonated Belgian beers. As I am getting into competitions, my limited supply of reused commercial bottles is shrinking.

The MoreBeer 12 oz bottle page says "These bottles are thicker and darker than most other bottles..." but then also says "These bottles are used by the likes of Stone, Drakes and even the big guys like Anheuser Busch." which makes me wonder if they are "thicker" or "the same bottles that most commercial beer comes in." Beer Bottles - 12 oz (Case of 24) | MoreBeer

Northern Brewer lists both cork and capable Belgian bottles that are 375ml, but they run $16 to $17 plus shipping for 12 bottles. They seem to be thick bottles that look nice (though I am not sure they will work with my wing capper). With shipping, 24 bottles would cost me $48, or $2 per bottle. At that cost, I would rather get 4-packs of Saison Dupont or Duvel for $4 per bottle, or 6-packs of Tank 7 for $2.33 per bottle. I see La Chouffe at the local Total Wine for $12 per 4 pack.

 

[z-bob]

I'll get a case or two of those 375ml bottles next time I go to NB -- but that will probably be a while. (I haven't been there in about 4 or 5 years) I don't want to pay shipping on something heavy like that, and I don't want to buy enough to get free shipping.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I’ve saved a bunch of Tank 7 bottles. They work great for any of the high carb stuff. Their 12oz bottles are really heavy glass. I have a bunch of European 750ml bottles, but my large bell on my Colona capper broke. I guess we are in the same boat on that. I do think the returnable will work for 3 volumes. I don’t think I’d do 3.5 in them. I read once somewhere that they would do 3v.

 

[Civilian]

I have been saving some of the heavier Belgian bottles because I'd like to bottle at appropriate carb levels. Will a normal capper work to hold the higher pressure?

 

[mac_1103]

I have been saving some of the heavier Belgian bottles because I'd like to bottle at appropriate carb levels. Will a normal capper work to hold the higher pressure?

I think a regular capper and caps will be just fine. Which bottles?

BTW, I got one of the Italian corker capping attachments from Morebeer (needed to get to $59 for free shipping anyway). I don't think I'm going to be able to get it to work on my Portuguese corker, but I haven't given up yet.

 

[mac_1103]

Also just an FYI - assuming that we're comfortable believing what Northern Brewer tells us:

Bottle type ​	Max. CO2 Volume ​
12oz​	3​
33cl Belgian​	3.5​
500ml European​	3.5​
Swing top​	4​
Champagne​	7​
PET​	10​

I found >100 Grolsch style bottles on Craigslist for pretty cheap. Picking them up today.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I have been saving some of the heavier Belgian bottles because I'd like to bottle at appropriate carb levels. Will a normal capper work to hold the higher pressure?

Seems like it should. I have wondered if there is a carb level where caged and corked bottles are needed. La Chouffe seems fairly highly carbonated and it comes in capped bottles.

 

[Civilian]

I think a regular capper and caps will be just fine. Which bottles?

The ones from Duvel and Piraat, also Westmalle. Also thinking of saving up the Martinelli's.

 

[mac_1103]

The ones from Duvel and Piraat, also Westmalle.

330 or 750? Cap sizes might be different.

 

[Civilian]

the 330's

 

[mac_1103]

Do you have a bench capper? A wing capper might not work on some of those.

 

[Civilian]

Just the basic wing at this point.