Handcuffed By Bottling

[natefrog255]

I just made the jump from 2 gallon batches to 5 gallon and I feel like I am really limited due to bottling. I've done 2 batches thus far and now feel like I have to wait a long time until my next brewday b/c I am limited on bottles and even if I get more I feel I'm still going to run into the same problem eventually b/c of the conditioning time.

Is kegging the only option? I guess if you keg and can carbonate within day(s) that would work. I just don't know the first thing of kegging and it's quite a bit of cash to get in. I haven't found anything on Craigslist recently.

Just curious. I don't know how often you guys brew. I'd like to at least twice a month but right now I feel once a month is what I can tops.

 

[motobrewer]

Is kegging the only option?

well, no. you can buy more bottles. or bigger bottles. or a combination of the two. or you could keg. or you could let them sit in a fementor until you have empty bottles.

 

[neosapien]

buy a six-pack or two a week of something delicious with pop tops on it. that way you get to drink beer AND save the bottles for brewing. I have my family save bottles for me and I'm up to about 400 at this point.

 

[amandabab]

buy a case of Sam Adams, its cheaper than buying bottles.
buy a couple of craft brews here and there.

150 bottles is a good starting target for 2 twice a month 5 gallon brewing.
now your in the "where am I going to get all these bottles" stage.
the "what the hell am I going to do with all these bottles" stage sneaks up on you fast.

 

[RainyDay]

I bottle in bombers mostly, but do have a Tap-a-Draft for beers I'm not aging like APAs, IPAs and the like. The Tap-a-Draft is a poor mans keg, but takes a little over a gallon so you're using about 7-8 less bombers, or 15 less 12oz bottles, but in a 5 gallon batch you still get a couple cases of bombers (if you go that route) to give away or sit on. It also doesnt take up much space in the fridge, which I really like.

But really, I highly suggest buying good quality brews in high quantities to get those bottles quicker :rockin:

 

[Revvy]

Just get more bottles. There's plenty of places to score them, even for free. I don't know what the problem is. I brew a ton, and have plenty of bottles.

I use milk crates which stack and each can hold one case of beers in half the footprint of any beercase plastic or cardboard. And they stack to high heaven.

 

[natefrog255]

Thanks for the ideas. Its maybe just a time thing. I was kind of at that "I have too many bottles stage" at 2 gallon brewing and now I am probably just panicking b/c I am excited to brew but need to accumulate more bottles. I often drink 312, Spotted Cow, et al and those are savable bottles. So its just a matter of collecting I suppose. And thanks for the 150 # as that's something to shoot for. I'd say right now I have about 100-110 bottles saved, but 75% are in use and 50% of that is the conditioning stage. I also liked the milk crate idea if I can get my hands on milk crates.

 

[prpromin]

Free bottles are the way to go - especially since you live in WI. Just swing by your neighborhood bar and ask if you can pick up empties now and then. I have a great relationship with a bartender in Milwaukee (long story) and I can get bottles free whenever I visit.

 

[TyTanium]

And, if you have friends, many are happy to save bottles for you. Especially if you give them full bottles in return.

 

[Mishraile]

Yeah, just more bottles. Easy Peasy.

BUT, you should start saving up for a draft system so you can keg. So much easier and faster. Thats where I am headed. I brew once a month as thats how fast I go through 5 gallons about. (slow drinker).

 

[MikeinCT]

I have between 150 and 200 bottles - total. I have a 63 bottle rack for empties. I try and plan so that when the rack is full of empties I have a batch that needs to be bottled. So sometime I have ~200 full bottles and right before I bottle a batch I probably have only 140 full bottles.

 

[natefrog255]

I do try to have friends/family save bottles, but often it will go through some time before I see them thus they forget, throwaway in accident, etc. We'll just keep working up the collection.

I'll have to find a good thread on the basics of kegging so if I want to go that route I'll have the first idea what to do.

 

[estricklin]

buy a case of Sam Adams, its cheaper than buying bottles.
buy a couple of craft brews here and there.

150 bottles is a good starting target for 2 twice a month 5 gallon brewing.
now your in the "where am I going to get all these bottles" stage.
the "what the hell am I going to do with all these bottles" stage sneaks up on you fast.

Agree totally.

 

[gr8shandini]

The way I see it, kegging is actually cheaper than bottling -- if you factor in your time. Between cleaning, de-labeling, sanitizing, filling, and capping, I figure I save at least 2 hours per batch. If you brew twice a month, that's about 50 hours for the year. I don't know about others' situations, but I spent far less than a week's pay on my setup and it's likely to last for many years to come.

 

[beergolf]

Get creative about getting bottles.

Dumpster dive behind your local bar.

Have a craft brew party and tell your firends to bring craft brew.

Raid your neighbors recycling bin early in the morning of trash day. ( I did this while taking my digs for a walk)

Ask friends to save bottles for you.

I only bottle and do not keg and have a huge pipeline by doing all of the above.

 

[Biere_Titan]

Natefrog, if you need empties in a hurry you could always go down to your local grocery store or where ever bottles are recycled on a Saturday morning and offer cash to people making returns. Let them know why you're asking for their bottles and I'd bet many would give them to you for free.

 

[kh54s10]

I found a coworker who has friends who drink a lot of Sam Adams. In no time I had to say I had enough bottles. I think I have somewhere over 500 now. I bought 2 cases for my first batch, saved some from craft beers and now haven't purchased any beer (except at bars/restaurants since early last fall. Plenty of homebrew to chose from.