Expensive bottles... why not just re-use?

[badmajon]

They want like a buck a bottle if I buy them online, why not just re-use commercial pop-off beer bottles?

I mean, I could buy hundreds by just buying them from people outside the recycling center for 10 cents a piece or something....

Perhaps I'm just looking in the wrong place? Standard price seems to be like $1 per bottle.

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

99% of the bottles I use are commercial bottles. At this point all my brothers, friends, etc will supply me with a case or so whenever I'm running low.

 

[badmajon]

Wow, craigslist here I go... offering .10 per bottle in the Augusta, GA area...

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

99% of the bottles I use are commercial bottles.

Unless I keg, 100% of mine are commercial. And to break it down even more, 100% of them are Sierra Nevada bottles.

 

[badmajon]

which makes me wonder why they are so expensive when you buy them new. I mean a bottle can't cost more than 5 cents or so for inbev and the giants to put your beer in.

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

Inbev and the like buy a bajillion bottes. I suspect they get a hella big price break.

 

[shelly_belly]

A co-worker gives me at least a case a week. I keg and have bottled less than a case so far. Cleaned & de-labled, I can't even give them away!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f16/go...y-post-em-here-157575/index6.html#post1942910

 

[JetSmooth]

Make sure you specify and check for only pry-off bottles and not twisties. While I understand you can re-cap them with a bench capper, the glass is apparently thinner and more prone to breakage.

 

[billc68]

You know something funny, here in Canada they want about $2.35 for 500ml EZ cap bottle, but the beer store sells Grolsch in a 473ml "EZ cap" bottle for $2.99 The way I see it, if I want the bottles, I might as well buy them full for an extra 34 cents.

I use standard twist cap beer bottle, I buy them from the bottle exchange, I think they charge about $2 per dozen, the trick is to go on a Monday when the bars are returning their "weekend bottles" then you know they are fresh and not all moldy.

An overnight soak in some warm Oxi-Clean water and the labels fall off and the bottles are nice and clean, a quick rinse with sanitizer and you are good to go.

I just started kegging this week, so I will be passing down lots of bottles to my buddy who just started brewing.

 

[pkeeler]

The bottles are $1/ea because people will pay that to avoid cleaning and de-labeling used bottles. You are paying for the convenience. Plus, if you are short and need to bottle, there are few other options.

 

[Rick500]

I very rarely bottle anything now that I have the equipment to keg.

When I do, though, I have an 18 gallon storage container full of rinsed commercial bottles. I used to save all my commercial bottles, but once I filled up the plastic tub, I just toss 'em.

 

[SumnerH]

I keep commercial bottles and use them by appearance. Regular longnecks and stubbies (Sierra-style) for ordinary beers, plus Anchor bottles, Sam Smith Victorian pints, German hefes, Guinness bottles, etc for special beers that I want to look nice for giveaways--along with the big stuff (Belgians for cork+caging, 750ml wine-style cappable bottles, and 22oz bombers). Eventually I'll have enough Orvals for some special batches.

 

[demonrichie]

true and in ontario at least there are few brands using amber pop tops. sometimes depending where you are necessity is the work of the devil. but yes reusing when a possibility(as previously mentioned) is sometimes even preferred

 

[kylegoodmaster]

I've got enough to hold about 3 brews. I'm transferring over to all 22ozs. Save myself money on bottle caps and storage. I only delabelled the first batch, the rest have labels I just write on the bottle cap.

 

[turtleboy3737]

I thought delabeling bottles was going to be a huge chore... I put a case of old smithwick's bottles in a 5 gallon buckt full of water and tossed a half a scoop of oxiclean free in there and let em soak for a day. The labels were falling off the bottles as I pulled em out fo the bucket... no sticky residue either... just rinsed the bottles and set em out to dry.

$1 a bottle? No reason at all to pay that kinda money. I guess for the convenience of not having to spend 5 minutes rinsing out bottles? Thats a pretty expensive convenience.

 

[eanmcnulty]

I recommend buying and drinking Sierra Nevada Pale, Stout, Torpedo, Porter, Celebration... to get the stubies you need. We have to suffer for our art.

 

[dlloyd]

Plus, if you are short and need to bottle, there are few other options.

I usually just start binge drinking...

 

[dorklord]

I think a buck a bottle seems kind of high. I know that my LHBS has 12 oz bottles for 12.99, that's a case of 24. Looks to be right around the same price at Northern Brewer and Midwest. Midwest actually has some blue bottles for 7 a case, and some "Stoney" (whatever those are) for 10.

Re-using bottles is cheaper. Of course, if you buy bottles, you're getting some things. Convenience of not de-labeling, bottles are basically clean when you get them (I'd still run them through a full wash before sanitizing, but there shouldn't be any worry of mold or other gunk). Also, it means you have a case of all the same bottle. This is nice, and not just for looks. It is much easier to get a good rhythm going when you are bottling and capping that way. If you're using a bench capper, I can imagine different height bottles causing insanity...

And then there's the choice of size. If you have big glasses, 16 oz bottles work. If you have really big glasses, or if you generally pour for 2 (swmbo...) a 22 oz works well.

Right now, I'm aiming to have enough bottles that I can always put my GF beers in 1 case of 22 oz and the rest into New Belgian bottles, and any non-gf beers I make (if I ever make any more than the 2 kits I have!) end up in 'other' bottles...

 

[BadKarma]

You know something funny, here in Canada they want about $2.35 for 500ml EZ cap bottle, but the beer store sells Grolsch in a 473ml "EZ cap" bottle for $2.99 The way I see it, if I want the bottles, I might as well buy them full for an extra 34 cents.

This is what I normally do. I really like Grolsch and the bottles are a plus.

But I also use the 12 oz long necks, but I won't use the twist offs. Oxy Clean is the standard from me and labels.

 

[chemman14]

all my bottles are recycled SN bottles as well. My buddy works at the SN pub so I get cases for $16

 

[BadKarma]

all my bottles are recycled SN bottles as well. My buddy works at the SN pub so I get cases for $16

That's just not right!!!!

 

[chemman14]

That's just not right!!!!

oh, there is nothing wrong about it.

 

[eanmcnulty]

all my bottles are recycled SN bottles as well. My buddy works at the SN pub so I get cases for $16

I have often thought I would like to have a brew pub. However, I have worked as a bartender and as a waiter, and I see that that business is hard work. My nephew had the same idea I had about owning a brew pub, and it all became clear to me. I don't want to own a brew pub. I want my nephew to own a brew pub. No work for me, and I can hang out as much as I want! I wish it was Sierra Nevada brew pub...

 

[Burgs]

Unless I keg, 100% of mine are commercial. And to break it down even more, 100% of them are Sierra Nevada bottles.

Nice - that's what I'm starting to collect too. I like 'em short and fat.

(that's what she said)

 

[dorklord]

Nice - that's what I'm starting to collect too. I like 'em short and fat.

(that's what she said)

Some people really prefer one shape/size, other people like to try as many different ones as they can.

(that's what she said)

 

[chemman14]

the short fat bottles fit better in my mini fridge so that is why SN is the best (among other reasons)

 

[Special Hops]

Why do people pay 1 dollar for a bottle when for like 7-8 bucks you can buy 6 bottles with beer in them!

 

[gigapunk]

My local recycler sets the grolch style bottles aside for me! I just asked. Now I stop in everyonce in a while, and pick 'em all up for 10 cents a piece!

 

[jaba]

My favorite bottles to use are the Jolly Pumpkin 750mL. They're shaped like most belgian bottles that use a cork & wire, but the top fits a normal crown cap instead. These bottles cap with fine with a slightly modified wing capper, no need for a bench capper. The bottles are super heavy duty, and hold about 25 ounces, which cuts my bottling time and work down quite a bit. Not to mention the beer that comes in them is some of the best in the country

 

[DavidHawman]

Fortunately for me my apartment complex requires separating the recyclables. About once a week I just go to the "Brown Glass" bin and can pull out a case of bottles.

Even if they are moldy a soak in Oxyclean cleans them right up.