Collecting bottles for bottling / priming

[Dextersmom]

Just starting to collect bottles now for my first 5gallon batch which won't be started for at least a month but i'd like to get the bottle part out of the way. I can go to my local shop and get 12 bottles for 24 buck or soemthing like that. But since my friends and I drink a lot of beer on the weekends i'd rather save the bottles we drink from. My question; does it matter if i save the pry off or the screw off bottles? will a capper not work correctly on a screw of bottle (bud light or coors etc)?

Thanks in advance
Kyle

 

[Ale to the Chief]

I am new too but from what I've heard people have had problems using the twist off bottles

 

[cd2448]

i've never tried it but my understanding is that a capper won't work with screw top bottles. you need the normal type.

 

[TheJadedDog]

If you have the red wing capper you will want to use long-neck bottles almost exclusively. You can potentially cap screw tops, but they have a tendency to break at the neck during capping.

 

[Surly]

Just starting to collect bottles now for my first 5gallon batch which won't be started for at least a month but i'd like to get the bottle part out of the way. I can go to my local shop and get 12 bottles for 24 buck or soemthing like that. But since my friends and I drink a lot of beer on the weekends i'd rather save the bottles we drink from. My question; does it matter if i save the pry off or the screw off bottles? will a capper not work correctly on a screw of bottle (bud light or coors etc)?

Thanks in advance
Kyle

You will want the pry off. As you poke around this site as well as others that talk about bottling, you will find some people use the twist offs with no problems, yet, a majority of people recommend as I do, the pry off.

Your assignment? Drink beer from bottles. Drink the beer from bottles capped with pry off caps. Do so often and with friends.

 

[lembeck2001]

Grab your buddies and see how much Sam Adams you can get through in a weekend.

Sam is your new best friend.

 

[Dextersmom]

cool thanks all!

eh i only had 12 twist offs anyway....I'll start again this weekend....with pry offs.. lol.

 

[bobwantbeer]

It's a good way to justify spending money I don't have and drinking more beer then I ought to. I've got two batches that need to be bottled in 8 days so I've been trying to drink at least 16 pop top beers a day for the last week. It's starting to wear on me but a guys gotta do what a guys gotta do for home brew.

 

[Adolphus79]

You can also check with your local recycling center. I buy wine and beer bottles from there, a lot cheaper than buying them new. I pay the guy 25 cents per wine bottle and 10 cents per beer bottle.

 

[Melana]

Maybe there is a local home brewer that is paring down their stash of bottles and would be willing to help you out with a few cases? When my husband and I started out we got a few cases that way... And we got 9 cases of swing top bottles from the beer guy at the local 'Mega Liquor Mart'.
Make friends with the 'beer guy'... he or she can be a very valuable asset!

 

[MikeyP]

Grab your buddies and see how much Sam Adams you can get through in a weekend.

Sam is your new best friend.

+1 for Sam Adams bottles. From my experience the labels come of easier than most. Red Hooks labels are also great, and their Long Hammer IPA is one of the best IPA's for the money IMHO. (and bang for the buck at 6.5%)

 

[BierMuncher]

You have to be a bit creative. Here’s how I stashed up quickly:

~ Called the local micro brew and found they recycle a lot of bottles that get “partial” fills on the line. Rather than running them through again, they just recycle.

~ Volunteer to steward at a local brew competition. I did this back in December and walked out with 3 cases of label-free bottles.

~ Drink a lot of craft brew. J

 

[Revvy]

Go get yourself a tub of Oxyclean.....Go ahead, splurge on the large tub of it, you're going to find a lot of uses for it in brewing cleanup.

Gather up your bottles and whatever you plan to soak them in. (I use a 6 gallon soysauce bucket). Fill bucket with hot water and about 4 scoops of the magic powder.

Cram as many bottles in the bucket you can fit in there...

Walk away.

Come back 24-48 hours and thoroughly rinse your now labelless bottles. (Or stick them in the dishwasher if you have one, without soap of course.)

No muss, no fuss.

 

[Dextersmom]

^^^ thats not good for sanitizing before filling though right?

 

[Revvy]

^^^ thats not good for sanitizing before filling though right?

No that's just the no muss way of getting rid of labels...no scraping or anything. Oxyclean takes off almost all the labels I've ever come across...The only ones that need a little work are laminated lables.

My nemesis is this evil little label on a mighty fine pumpkin beer from O'fallon

It's laminated, and the label comes off but there's still paper behind it...usually another nights soaking works.

You still need to sanitize the bottles.

 

[BierMuncher]

…
My nemesis is this evil little label on a mighty fine pumpkin beer from O'fallon

It's laminated, and the label comes off but there's still paper behind it...usually another nights soaking works.
…

Now that’s funny as hell. So happens the microbrew I mentioned earlier:

~ Called the local micro brew and found they recycle a lot of bottles that get “partial” fills on the line. Rather than running them through again, they just recycle.

Was the O’Fallon Brewery.

Yep….those labels are a bitch. My solution.
Soak one hour in hot water and peel off the laminate
Soak over night in hot oxyclean, then scrape the gled on backing.
Then use cold water to remove residue glue.

Hot water will just push the gooey glue around. Cold water will solidify it and it will crumble right off.

 

[gaffrig24]

If you put a cup of ammonia mixed with about 5 gallons of water and let your bottles soak overnight the most of the labels will fall off before you take em out of the water. A rub with a rag will take the rest of the residue off. Don't let the mix get in contact with clorox though, it will have a bad reaction. Some of the Sam Adams bottles were a little tougher to remove I think I used a scotch bright pad on them.
Have fun

Keith

 

[rpucci]

cool thanks all!

eh i only had 12 twist offs anyway....I'll start again this weekend....with pry offs.. lol.

You don't need to wait for the weekend to drink a beer!

 

[c.n.budz]

Dexter, which Bridgeport do you live in? If it's Bridgeport, CT I might be able to help you out.

 

[Dextersmom]

You don't need to wait for the weekend to drink a beer!

no you're right....and i usually don't...I'll have a beer or two mid week, it really depends how my day was. But I've had a semi resolution (since last january) to not drink mid week because i've been hitting the gym again. I'll treat myself every now and then but for the most part i save my boozin for the weekend.

Dexter, which Bridgeport do you live in? If it's Bridgeport, CT I might be able to help you out.

yep actually is kinda an inside joke but I live in shelton (moved from fairfield when all my roomates abandoned me ). for the joke hit up youtube and search for "bridgeport anthem."

 

[Revvy]

Now that’s funny as hell. So happens the microbrew I mentioned earlier:



Was the O’Fallon Brewery.

Yep….those labels are a bitch. My solution.
Soak one hour in hot water and peel off the laminate
Soak over night in hot oxyclean, then scrape the gled on backing.
Then use cold water to remove residue glue.

Hot water will just push the gooey glue around. Cold water will solidify it and it will crumble right off.

LOL...O'Fallon, great beers, tough labels for homebrewers. Though I do like the boxes that the 6 packs come in.

So you live near there eh? Cool. I wished I had known about them when I lived near Kansas City, I would have made a pilgrimage there. Not that I didn't enjoy what Boulevard Breing Company had to offer.

 

[Olive Drab]

Did you try asking your beer store or recycle shop to swap the bottles you have for bottles better suited for homebrewing? The shops here havent had any issues with doing that.

 

[sirsloop]

LOL... nothin like a bender to get some bottles for your brew.

I suggest you stop now while you are ahead, craigslist a fridge, and pick up some kegs.

 

[Dextersmom]

thats a good suggestion. To be honest I really hadn't thought about that since my first batch is yet to come. basically i'm trying to learn as much as possible before my first "real" (i have a mr beer going) batch.

LOL... nothin like a bender to get some bottles for your brew.

I suggest you stop now while you are ahead, craigslist a fridge, and pick up some kegs.

don't wanna go to kegs right away.....but that will be a definite down the road.

 

[c.n.budz]

Dexter, PM me if you want some bottles. I can part with probably a case and a half.

 

[flyboy]

Screw tops will break if you cap the with a normal caper. Believe me. I tried and broke the bottle.

 

[sirsloop]

don't wanna go to kegs right away.....but that will be a definite down the road.

Just wait a few months when you are asking yourself where the f- you are going to put 16 cases of bottles... or ripping your hair out because you have 16 cases of bottles.

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

I've had good luck with Michelob Amberbock bottles. The necks are noticeably heavier than most twist-offs. And as far as BMC swill is concerned, its better than most.

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

Oh yeah, and I recommend against Heineken NRs. Not only are they green (which is OK if you are properly storing them) a double lever capper won't cap them. I've resorted to beating the caps on with a hammer (seriously :rockin HUGE PITA!
Edit: and the labels are plastic and won't just peel off with my usual oxy soak

 

[Dextersmom]

^^^two things....your cat is cute as hell lol....and good call on the heineken...not much of a fan anyway.

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

^^^two things....your cat is cute as hell lol....and good call on the heineken...not much of a fan anyway.

That cute little SOB bites the hell out of my ankles every morning on the way to the shower

 

[Dextersmom]

That cute little SOB bites the hell out of my ankles every morning on the way to the shower

thats exactly what mine did for years....then i guess he grew out of it......sorry i've dragged us off topic...

 

[theoriginalryan]

mine used to jump from the top of the wardrobe on to my head or shoulders, on the middle or thie night bathroom trip. Glad he grew out of it, is 15lbs now(big tomcat).

Im glad i could help with the redirection of this thred.

 

[Rick_R]

I can go to my local shop and get 12 bottles for 24 buck

+1 on drinking beer in pry-off bottle caps. Immediately after empty (not the next day) rinse very well to keep anything from drying hard inside. However, in the above quote hopefully you mean 24 bottles for 12 bucks, otherwise -- unless there is something special about those bottles -- that's a bad price.

Rick

 

[tagz]

i didn't read the whole thread so this may have been mentioned, but soaking in warm water with a small amount of amonia works great. the labels literally slide off most bottles. (sierra nevada labels tend to be a pain)

 

[theoriginalryan]

I just keep a 1 gallon glass cookie jar in the corner of my sink with water and some bleach in it (maybe a tablespoon). I poor into a glass, wash out the bottle and stick it in the jar. Holds about 3, and the next day the label is floating in the jar, usually. Then the go upside down in a 6 pack. Thomas Hardy ale doesn't work tho....