bottles

[trekv2]

where is a good place to get some bottles? i have the mrbeer kit had have used all the plastic quart bottles and i am useingsome 2 leiter coke bottles (clear) in a dark place condishing aslo i hearduseing charcol filter vs reveris osmossis filtered water is better? whats a good brand of bottled water to use? are they all charcol filtered?

 

[smorris]

I use bottled "spring water" I buy from the store in my Mr. Beer and it seems to work just fine. For bottles I am fortunate that the wife likes ginger ale (besides the beer I brew) and I reuse those bottles. 20 oz. bottles seem to work just about right for making single servings.

 

[Sarra King]

Any beer bottle will do (pop off cap kind is best I think).

Save or have your friends save their bottles and just clean and sterilize them in the tub.

You can also buy new ones by the case at brew stores/online.

If you're brewing 5 gallons at a time then you'll just need 8 six packs.

 

[Brewman]

I have even gone to the local distributer, they let me buy them back at 5 cents each..... its the best and cheepest way of getting them, I try to get brown 22oz bottles.... less work on the bottling.

 

[richanne]

We generally buy some beer we like that requires a bottle opener to open (no screw offs!) and then drink the beer and reuse the bottles! You can also buy beer bottles at a homebrew store. You'll need to buy caps and a capper there as well. Or you can get glass bottles with flip-top caps. Or you can buy more bottles from Mr. Beer: http://store.yahoo.com/mrbeer/bottling.html

 

[Janx]

I usually have no problem at all emptying beer bottles if it's for a higher purpose

One recommendation. Get 22 oz bottles. Less cleaning of bottles and less to dispose of when you switch to kegs

Janx

 

[arachnyd]

A wide variety of bottles is available at any well-stocked beer store. And you have the fun and adventure of exploring new styles - perhaps even discovering something you can look forward to brewing next!

 

[Alex Kieth]

I've been using Grolsch bottles that I saved. It took a while to save them but it is worth it. They are an old fashion type of bottle with a resealable top. The heavy duty plastic cork is held in place by a wire harness that will raise the cork from the bottle with a flip of the thumb. The cork is seated in a rubber gasket. To seal the bottle once filled, simply flip the wire harness down and the cork reseats itself. The bottle is made of heavy green glass, with a stamped design in the bottle of a barley stalk flanked by a hop flower on each side with the initials G B flanking the hop flowers. The bottle holds 473 ml which is about 25% larger than a standard beer bottle.
I've been useing these bottles for about 6 years and have had no problems.
Grolsch beer is sold in most beer stores and when purchased in these resealable bottles costs about 2.50cdn. a bottle. To buy the bottle alone you can expect to pay about 2.40cdn. each. So I figured that I was getting the beer for 10 cents while buying the bottle. I happen to like dutch beer. Grolsch lager beer is brewed in Groenlo Holland and has been since 1615. It's been nick named skunk beer by some of my lite beer drinking friends. If you like Hienikin you'll like Grolsch. Something to consider also that this is the kind of bottle people save because it is atractive as well as usefull so look around. I have also run across this type of bottle with other imported beers, some as large a litre (quart).

 

[rightwingnut]

Good to know the Grolsh bottles work for you...I just ordered twelve of that type of bottle online...I like the idea of not worrying about capping, and the larger size will save time as well. The ones I ordered are brown, with a design, and I think they have two sizes, can't remember. 12 cost me $25US or so. thegrape.net or homebrewit.com, I ordered from both (two different types).

 

[beersy49]

Give your favorite distributor a call and ask him if he will sell you a case or two of empties. I never met one who wouldn't. I guess they figure you can't brew all your beer and will buy from him when you need a case of the cold stuff. Like someone said before, usually cheap (5 cents each) although I never got them that cheap. I get mine for 4 bucks a case of empties. Snag my caps off ebay!

 

[Roger]

Not used them myself but we can get crown caps & cappers for champagne bottles in UK now, the bottles are certainly easy to get at no cost.

 

[Dark_Ale]

Not used them myself but we can get crown caps & cappers for champagne bottles in UK now, the bottles are certainly easy to get at no cost.

This may sound strange but I dont like the way beer taste in a green bottle....Maby its just a complex I have? Even when I keep them out of the light, they just dont taste the same? Does anyone feel the same

 

[Dude]

.
It's been nick named skunk beer by some of my lite beer drinking friends. If you like Hienikin you'll like Grolsch. Something to consider also that this is the kind of bottle people save because it is atractive as well as usefull so look around. I have also run across this type of bottle with other imported beers, some as large a litre (quart).

It's called skunk beer because light has probably penetrated those green bottles!!! The best color to get is brown, obviously, as it holds out more light than the beer-killing green or clear ones.
It was genius of you to practically get the beer for free with the Grolsch bottles but for the beginners, save yourself the chance of killing your beer and buy or save brown ones first!!!

 

[tipsymonkey]

I don't know how mr beer kits work, but it seems like they are all about the plastic bottles.

If you do decide to move on to glass bottles and capping them yourself make sure you practice capping the bottles before you start bottling the beer. Sure you might waste a few caps but its better then wasting a few caps, some beer and making a big mess. Just sit down with some and practice beforehand.

 

[arachnyd]

Wow! you make it sound like you need some kinda special coordination to cap bottles. It's just not that hard. Relax!

 

[tipsymonkey]

Wow! you make it sound like you need some kinda special coordination to cap bottles. It's just not that hard. Relax!

just talking from experince, my first time capping bottles i was like.. hey.. no big deal... and ended up with all the beer on the floor. Maybe you got a better capper then mine..

 

[herc1354]

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