Cheap way to build up bottle collection for newbies like me!

[rifraf]

Just got back from Costco where I discovered that they sell cases of 24 Kirkland brand Ales for <$20. About .80 a bottle out here.

The beer is not bad considering that it's Costco brand, they are crown cap bottles so I can save them for homebrewing, and the case they come in divides the 4 flavors by putting them in plain, unmarked, white 6 pack holders which I'll save to put my brew in when taking it over somewhere. I'll be able to write my beer's name on the 6 pack with brew date etc. and not have some other brewery's labels on it.

You could of course just drink your favorite craft brew, but I'd been sort of force drinking lots of beer to get empties which was expensive because I wasn't really taking time to enjoy the beer. Throwing a party today with lots of Costco beer will mean lots of empties for me!

 

[BargainFittings]

The fastest way is to organize a beer party where everyone brings different styles of craft beer.

Another great way is to judge at large beer competitions. If you steward you will have access to all the label free bottles you can use.

If you live in a state that recycles you can get bottles for the cost of the deposits if you look around.

 

[verbhertz]

Craiglist, I got 200 or so for free. They looked clean but I cleaned them again.

Other than that, Kirkland ale sounds like a solid plan.

 

[Echeck]

The cheapest way is to make friends with a bartender at your local craft beer bar, and ask them if you can pick up their empties before recycling day.

 

[beergolf]

Dumpster dive behind a bar.

Have a party and have everyone bring craft brews.

or drink heavily........

 

[Ultrazord]

Just post on facebook or mass text your friends/family.

"Dear friends. I am starting to brew my own beer. Please save all your beer bottles for me. In return I will share my delicious homebrew with you."

I got a couple hundred bottles in a couple weeks.

 

[wailingguitar]

I have had some of the Kirkland's beers, they aren't bad. You get bottles and drinkable beer at the same time... seems like a decent idea to me.

 

[Transamguy77]

Dumpster dive behind a bar.

Have a party and have everyone bring craft brews.

or drink heavily........

2 outta 3 isn't bad, I don't have many partys.

 

[Dynachrome]

The cheapest way is to make friends with a bartender at your local craft beer bar, and ask them if you can pick up their empties before recycling day.

Yep, I was offered three cases of Grolsch bottles one night at a local tavern.

 

[Diver165]

I emptied mosst of the bottles for my first batch (if ya can't empty 2 cases in 2 or 3 weeks ... come on pick a different hobby). But after that I had couple of cookouts and BOYCB (Bring Your Own Craft Brew) Parties and I'm set as far as bottles. Now I'm able to be really picky. I've weeded out the green ones and the lighter brown bottles. I've got them cleaned and laying in stackable laundry baskets that SWMBO found at walmart.

 

[glenn514]

I knew I wanted to start brewing, so I did two things:

#1...I started saving all the pop-top brown beer bottles that I emptied, and
#2...I asked two of my children who live relatively close to do the same.

In no time at all, I had over three 24-bottle cases, and I was ready to brew and bottle!

glenn514

 

[D_Nyholm]

Kirkland brand beer is $28/case by us

 

[LTownLiquorPig]

Kirkland brand beer is $28/case by us

Irrelevant, but the cheapest bottled beer I can get here is $40 bucks for a 24.

AAAAANNNNNDDDD, that's why I homebrew.

 

[TrooperThorn]

Dumpster dive behind a bar.

Have a party and have everyone bring craft brews.

or drink heavily........

I'll take door number 3 for heavy drinking, Alex.

 

[strambo]

I go the Costco route as well...I can get Rogue Dead Guy, Deschutes Mirror Pond for $24 case. Last one we got was the Sam Adams winter variety pack for the same price. $1/bottle filled is pretty good (considering the beer quality)! The only empty bottles I buy are 22 oz and 1L flip tops.

 

[Euphist]

I put a wanted ad on Craigslist...I got 8 of the old heavy-duty bar cases full of bottles for $40

 

[AgentHubcap]

I was in costco yesterday and picked up a case of sam adams. SWMBO pointed out that I have 49 bottles conditioning and two more fermenters going and asked if I really needed to buy beer.

Yes, yes I do. I need the bottles.

 

[comer88888]

Craigslist or there is a thread on here of people giving away bottles for free.

 

[GallonJugs]

Total noob question: why do they need to be craft brews? is it to make sure it's not twist top bottles?

 

[glenn514]

@ GallonJugs...

Ya, BMC almost always uses twist-off's, and they are don't work well for the home brewer. The smaller breweries more often use the pop-tops what we know and covet!

glenn514

 

[Revvy]

The beer is not bad considering that it's Costco brand,

That's because it, like Trader Joe's beer is contract brewed by several microbreweries, most of it by Gordon Biersch. We have threads discussing it.

I emailed one of their brewers years ago and found out GB brews all their beers, even their contract ones according to the Reinheitsgebot.

 

[Revvy]

Total noob question: why do they need to be craft brews? is it to make sure it's not twist top bottles?

Yes, and very few macro brews come in pop top these days. A notable exception is/was Bud American Ale.

 

[unionrdr]

Our son drinks mostly craft brews now that we've educated him on craft beers. so he saved me bottles & those sturdy lil boxes they come in. We've been doing the same. so I have extra boxes to give away,plus the shorties/stubies I weeded out. Just started changing my process for newly emptied bottles too. I used to just rinse them well,then onto the bottle tree. Now I rnse'em,soak in a bucket of PBW for a couple hours. Then brush,rinse,dry,& store.

 

[pojobrown]

My lhbs sells the for .34 cents. Beats collecting

 

[Spring_Chicken]

I hate the labels on Kirkland bottles. They are hard to remove even with a soak in really hot water.

 

[unionrdr]

Our LHBS,JW Dover,sells 6'rs of empty craft bottles for $3. Not quite as cheap. But when I bought the 12 pack of empties ($7,I think),there were 12 bottles with a few more shoved in upside down. so that was cool.

 

[autobaun70]

I was in costco yesterday and picked up a case of sam adams. SWMBO pointed out that I have 49 bottles conditioning and two more fermenters going and asked if I really needed to buy beer.

Yes, yes I do. I need the bottles.

she is very bad at making a valid argument. There is no ready to drink beer contained anywhere in your inventory. I can't believe you only purchased one case.

I get to feeling nervous if I get below 3 full corney's.

 

[GallonJugs]

I hate the labels on Kirkland bottles. They are hard to remove even with a soak in really hot water.

If they're still hard to remove after an overnight soak in oxyclean, steel wool is really good at getting all the gunk off.

 

[pabloj13]

if they're still hard to remove after an overnight soak in oxyclean, steel wool is really good at getting all the gunk off.

+1

 

[gmillerjr]

I'm saving my Newcastle bottles right now while I wait for my beer to ferment. They are pop tops and the perfect size for the small fridge I have in my man cave. Only thing I need to work on are the labels though, anyone know an easy way to get them off?