Beer in a Champagne Bottle

[PCharles]

Last night being New Years, my wife and I shared a lovely bottle of Champagne. This morning, while cleaning up, I noticed that there is a lip on the Champagne bottle similar to that of a beer bottle. Upon closer examination, it appears to be identical. I mentioned this to my wife, who observed “oh honey, that’s too much beer to put in a bottle”. "Oh my dear", I said, "I would only do that if I was going to share" (yea). Anyway, has anyone ever tried bottling beer in a champagne bottle?

I hope you all have a wonderful New Years day.

 

[ACbrewer]

Yes I've put beer in a champainge bottle. Since I also do wine, I could cork which as I reacall was needed - my red baron capper (which most get the red or the black one with a kit) was not up to capping it. Maybe it was my caps were to small. I don't know.

Long and short - you need to know the cap size you need and to do them, or to cork. And for the record it is still corked about 18 months later (did a lambic about 1/2 of them are still in the bottle) Someone will put in about them being 27 or 28 or 29 mm or such.

Besides a 22oz bomber is only 3 less than a 25.4 oz (750ml) wine/champagine bottle.

 

[KevinM]

Champagne has a higher PSI/volumes co2 than beer does. There's no issue putting beer into a champagne bottle. (Beer is around 15psi. Champagne is around 90psi. A bottle that can take 90 psi has no issue with 15psi and the stopper isn't dependent on internal psi as far as I'm aware of.)

There are two champagne bottle styles.
* European, which has a larger mouth than a beer bottle so thus needs a larger crown cap to use, or use a champagne cork (or a plastic champagne stopper
) and a wire holder.
* American, which has a mouth the size of a beer bottle and thus uses the standard beer bottle crown cap.

(When I see Martenlli's sparkling cider on sale, I buy them mostly for the bottle. They're the american size. It does cost me a dollar more to get that juice but I don't mind too much. And I get free ones sometimes. I should have gone out hunting for some last night/this morning! But yes, I too use serveral different sparkling wine/champagne bottles to seal both still and sparkling wines/ciders in and would do the same with beer, if I didn't start kegging it instead. Even now, it's easier to use them as a double sized bottle.)

 

[PCharles]

Thanks, That's good to know. The champagne that I had was Korbel, which is a California Champagne.

Next time I brew I'll fill it up.

Thanks,
PCharles

 

[ArcaneXor]

Red Barron and Agata cappers have removable bells, so if you have European bottles, you can buy a cheap 29-mm bell and a bag of 29 mm caps (your local homebrew store will be able to order these for you if they don't have them in stock) and cap away if you don't want to mess with corks and cages.

 

[Airborneguy]

Unless you have a different capper, you're not going to be able to get the standard caps onto even the American bottles. I save Dogfish Head's large bottles for my friend who uses them and he has to cork them because wing cappers don't work with the lip on those bottles.

 

[Komodo]

All my beer is in champagne bottles. I bought all my bottles new at the LHBS, but earlier poster was right...there are euro and american. You need special caps for euro, and a special bell. American works just fine with regular caps, regular bell, and the red baron capper, IF you flip the two plates around! The two metal plates that grab the bottle? Pull them out with a pliers (easy), they snap in and out, and then flip them around to the other side. Then it will grab the bottle properly and cap just fine.

Also, they are 750ml, which is 1.59 pints. Please don't tell us you drink only one pint and stop. Realistically it's about two beers with the head.

 

[Pilgarlic]

The 29 mm replacement bell for the Red Baron capper runs about 3 bucks. 29mm crown caps are available through your local lhbs or online sources.

 

[tcory77]

I have an Agata capper and it caps the american bottle just fine. I works well and is a great presentation for pulling out a a party or get together. I plan on getting several and filling different styles with my beer gun. I will then use some as gifts when people have me and my wife over for dinner. Kind of like showing up with a bottle of wine. We will see, seems like a cool concept to us, but you have to know your hosts beer preference.

 

[Airborneguy]

Komodo, thanks for the tip. I have two cappers so I'm gonna try this as soon as I get home.