I recently upped my batch from 1 gallon to 5 gallons and found myself needing badly empty bottles. The LHBS sells them for $9 for 18 so it's not bad price but I wanted to keep SWMBO calm with the outgoing cost because I already spent $70 to get this just in the fermenter. So here is a few things I did to get me from 12 bottles to 50+
1. Drink some craft beer. I drink a 6 pack in about a week so to get me from 12 to 50 it would take me a few weeks to collect enough.
2. I work in a beer friendly environment (I.e. We drink beer at our desks all the time and have 2kegs in the break room) so I told my coworkers that I have 5 gallons of Scottish Ale ready but just need bottles and have gotten about 15 from that. Ask around for bottles and promise a taste testing.
3. About this time in your beer journey you have probably identified and visited pubs that sell craft beer and is known around town as the craft beer center. I have found that if you walk in before or after the mid-day Rush (at open or after 1:30) and sit down, order a craft beer, and tell them your a homebrewer and you need empty bottles most times of they are allowed they will save them for you. But if you do this be reliable, tell them you will pick them up when they open ( so they don't have to keep walking around your bottles) and actually pick them up. Don't make them sort them for you, they are hopefully busy enough handling customers to sort the bottles so get what they give you and recycle the twist off bud and millers. I have found traditional pubs are better for this than the brewpubs because the traditional pubs just toss or recycle the glass
4. If you are in an area that mandates recycling of glass for pubs and the like or if you have a local recycling plant ask them. They may change you but it's usually not more that 10 cents a bottle or 50 for $5. I have seen some offer fliptops for $1 a bottle just for homebrewers.
This is what I have based on experience and will add more as I find better methods. If you have some of your own methods please share
Brad
1. Drink some craft beer. I drink a 6 pack in about a week so to get me from 12 to 50 it would take me a few weeks to collect enough.
2. I work in a beer friendly environment (I.e. We drink beer at our desks all the time and have 2kegs in the break room) so I told my coworkers that I have 5 gallons of Scottish Ale ready but just need bottles and have gotten about 15 from that. Ask around for bottles and promise a taste testing.
3. About this time in your beer journey you have probably identified and visited pubs that sell craft beer and is known around town as the craft beer center. I have found that if you walk in before or after the mid-day Rush (at open or after 1:30) and sit down, order a craft beer, and tell them your a homebrewer and you need empty bottles most times of they are allowed they will save them for you. But if you do this be reliable, tell them you will pick them up when they open ( so they don't have to keep walking around your bottles) and actually pick them up. Don't make them sort them for you, they are hopefully busy enough handling customers to sort the bottles so get what they give you and recycle the twist off bud and millers. I have found traditional pubs are better for this than the brewpubs because the traditional pubs just toss or recycle the glass
4. If you are in an area that mandates recycling of glass for pubs and the like or if you have a local recycling plant ask them. They may change you but it's usually not more that 10 cents a bottle or 50 for $5. I have seen some offer fliptops for $1 a bottle just for homebrewers.
This is what I have based on experience and will add more as I find better methods. If you have some of your own methods please share
Brad
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