Bottling beer in wine bottles - has anybody tried it?

[kurzschluss]

I have access to a large and steady supply of FREE wine bottles. It is soooooo tempting to use these free bottles for bottling beer.

I have read through the forums and seen the most common reasons this is a bad idea:

1 - won't hold carbonation
2 - holds too much carbonation (for the bottle ... kaboom)
3 - holds too much carbonation (for the cork ... need a cage to keep it in)

But has anyone actually tried this? I couldn't find anything where someone did it.

If not, I'm tempted to try it and post results!

 

[Rob_B]

There's a reason that still wine is bottled in wine bottles and champagne is bottled with cork and cage. Same goes for beer in Belgian style bottles. The carbonation will push that cork out.

 

[Sir-Hops-A-Lot]

Resist the temptation. You'd have to store them in a place where they wouldn't ruin your day if they explode. If you know anyone who works in bar or hotel you can get a lot of bottles cheap.

 

[ChshreCat]

I've heard putting cigars out on my tongue should be avoided as well. I haven't tried it myself, but the reports otherwise are compelling. Don't think I need personal experience to know it's not a good idea.

Don't bottle in anything not designed to hold pressure. Wine bottles, growlers, canning jars, etc. If you want to bottle in something bigger, then get bigger beer bottles.

 

[bleme]

Sparkling cider bottles work though. They are designed for pressure and take a cap.

 

[Tabb]

Or washed and sanitize 2 liter soda bottles.
I used some to bottle my first beer.

 

[kurzschluss1]

There's a reason that still wine is bottled in wine bottles and champagne is bottled with cork and cage. Same goes for beer in Belgian style bottles. The carbonation will push that cork out.

Yes, I'm sure you're right that the cork could pop out, so I'll come up with a plan (some sort of "cage" out of wire or string probably) to keep it in. Seems like something I could play with at night while the kids are sleeping.

Are you the mythical brewer I've been searching for who's tried this???

 

[kurzschluss1]

Or washed and sanitize 2 liter soda bottles.
I used some to bottle my first beer.

How did you seal the bottle? Just reuse the cap?

 

[kurzschluss1]

I've heard putting cigars out on my tongue should be avoided as well. I haven't tried it myself, but the reports otherwise are compelling. Don't think I need personal experience to know it's not a good idea.

Don't bottle in anything not designed to hold pressure. Wine bottles, growlers, canning jars, etc. If you want to bottle in something bigger, then get bigger beer bottles.

Haha, not quite the same thing, but I understand your perspective.

"the reports" you mention are exactly what I was looking for. It may just be an issue of me looking in the wrong place for who's tried and reported their results (which is why I started the thread).

I seem to remember a thread recently where everyone gave a newby a hard time for using flimsy little water bottles and he reported that it actually worked great. It made me wonder if the same situation may be true with the wine bottles.

 

[kurzschluss1]

Resist the temptation. You'd have to store them in a place where they wouldn't ruin your day if they explode. If you know anyone who works in bar or hotel you can get a lot of bottles cheap.

I wish I did. That would be ideal!

I have everything in the garage which can be hosed out. I'm thinking of starting with ONE bottle to see what happens so I don't lose a whole batch AND have to clean up 5 gal of beer and glass.

 

[ChshreCat]

Here's someone who tried it and found the cork shooting out of the bottle. I think that that would be the best case scenario compared to bottles actually exploding.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/tasting-cork-shot-out-bottle-will-still-carb-71540/

 

[Rob_B]

Yes, I'm sure you're right that the cork could pop out, so I'll come up with a plan (some sort of "cage" out of wire or string probably) to keep it in. Seems like something I could play with at night while the kids are sleeping.

Are you the mythical brewer I've been searching for who's tried this???

I would still use champagne bottles that are rated for pressure. The cork popping out would be the only thing saving you from beer & shrapnel all over the place.

 

[stitchman]

Yes please if you have to use a big bottle, use a champagne bottle. Look at the bottom of a wine bottle and the bottom on a champagne bottle. The former is usually flat, the latter is concave in order to help contain the pressure of carbonation.

 

[Grizybaer]

Yes, Champagne & Sparking wine bottles are designed for high pressure, more than most beer bottles. They can also be capped with the red baron capper using a larger sized bell and larger caps.