How do people store beer bottles?

[asterix404]

Hi everyone,

I have a lot of bottles. Most of them are unfilled. The cases they came in have reached the point of no return and I am now stuck. How do you keep your bottles? Where do you put them? What do you buy? Also, when keeping filled bottles, what do you store them in besides cardboard?

Thanks!
~Ben

 

[Sailingeric]

Beer in bottles are in milk crates in the garage for conditioning then in my cooler for drinking and empties are my shed/brewery for storage. But I am seriously thinking of going kegging soon. Damn me for making good beer.

 

[RobbyComstock]

Have a cabinet for ours. Yes it is overflowing. Who needs bottles?

 

[shortyz]

i dont, keg4lyfe

 

[Chadwick]

I use primarily Sierra Nevada bottles for my beers. Initially I soak my bottles (the ones never used by me yet) in a strong Oxy-clean solution and I remove the labels and rinse them out until the water doesn't feel oily anymore. I then wash them in the dish washer under the sanitize cycle without any detergent and allow them to dry upside-down naturally. After that I bottle with them. Re-used bottles are rinsed out with hot water immediately after I pour my glass. They dry out naturally in the open air. Before re-using them I will put them in the dish washer in a sanitize cycle without detergent.

It works for me. I'm never had a bad bottle. I did have a 5th generation bottle crack while capping once, but only once. I suspect it had an internal flaw to start with. I use Sierra Nevada bottles for many generations of bottling. Most my bottles are in their 10th+ generation of usage. They are stout and perform well.

I store bottles in waiting in regular 6-pack paper cases. Regardless, bottles used on bottling day are always straight out the the dish-washer on a sanitized cycle. If, for some reason, I didn't use the bottles immediately after the cycle finished, I do it again before I use them.

I never bottle with cold bottles. They are always freshly sanitized and warm.

 

[christyle]

I was in the same boat, I got some milk crates at home depot for like $7 ea and store mine upside down (empties) in them.

I also have Tavour (mail order beer), so i have a steady stream of sturdy boxes, 1 a month.

 

[castillo556]

Legal filing cabinet will perfectly store 6 6 packs.

Keeps them clean and neatly stored away.

 

[slym2none]

i dont, keg4lyfe

Good for you! This thread wasn't meant for you, then.

 

[C-Rider]

As someone above stated...I use only Sierra Nevada bottles. I rinse them right after drinking the beer and let them dry upside down. Then when I get 12 emptys I put them in a bucket w/OxyClean, cover the bucket and wait till I have 12 more then swap. The labels are now off and I rinse them out and again let them dry up side down. When dry I place them in 6 pack containers and the containers go into a big plastic box that will hold 1 1/2 cases. The box has a top to keep them clean. Before use I take what I need into the house, look to see that there is nothing in them and then give a quick soak in StarSan and then fill w/more beer.

 

[madscientist451]

I use Sierra nevada for my lagers and different color bottle caps so I can easily identify what beer is what without making a bunch of labels.
I use the regular long neck bottles for ales and have some bombers for specialty brews. I have a case or so of Grolsch bottles I use exclusively for stout and porter, so I always know how to find that.
I have kegging equipment but prefer to bottle these days as I usually have 10-15 different beers available at any one time, and don't really drink more than 1-2 beers a day anyway.
So yes, managing the bottle supply is turning into a problem. I use the original cardboard boxes a case comes in and when they've worn out have gotten some more boxes from a local bar. I could see plastic milk crates or something similar as a good option and not too expensive.

 

[beernutz]

I use Sierra nevada for my lagers and different color bottle caps so I can easily identify what beer is what without making a bunch of labels.
I use the regular long neck bottles for ales and have some bombers for specialty brews. I have a case or so of Grolsch bottles I use exclusively for stout and porter, so I always know how to find that.
I have kegging equipment but prefer to bottle these days as I usually have 10-15 different beers available at any one time, and don't really drink more than 1-2 beers a day anyway.
So yes, managing the bottle supply is turning into a problem. I use the original cardboard boxes a case comes in and when they've worn out have gotten some more boxes from a local bar. I could see plastic milk crates or something similar as a good option and not too expensive.

Not to derail the thread but these labels are very easy to apply to caps. Avery even has a web app that makes designing and printing them a piece of cake.

Avery Removable Print or Write Labels for Laser and Inkjet Printers, 0.75 Inches, Round, Pack of 1008 (5408)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JQ2JA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

To answer the OPs question, I have a plastic-coated metal basket that was in the bottom of an upright freezer which holds 50 bottles and a bottle tree which holds another 45. Before bottling I spray their insides with a jet bottle washer then run them through the dishwasher on sanitize cycle.

If I am in a hurry and don't want to wait for the dishwasher I'll just dip them in Starsan before using them. I have never had a problem using either method.

 

[Rolsom]

I store my bottles in cases. If the cases start to get ragged I ask the beer store if they have any extra empty cases, most times they are happy to get rid of them.

 

[eadavis80]

I store mine in old 12-pack and 6-pack cases in the basement. They have all been ran through the dishwasher (sanitize mode) before being put in their storage cases. ON bottling day, I sanitize them again using a vinator. It only takes 5-10 minutes on brew day. So, I made my priming sugar solution and use the vinator while the solution cools.

 

[agrazela]

Standard 4gal milk crate holds 35 tall form 12oz bottles, or 33 of the short (SN) type.

Look up Supreme Crate at the Container Store (14" cube), holds 20 of the 22oz bombers.

Bottles are snug (no rattling around) and fully contained (so stackable, 3 or 4 high). I use them for empties and full.

 

[Natdavis777]

Ive got a bunch of bottles/bombers underneath my kitchen island, and another two cases in boxes in the mud room nook where I store my fermenters... Thing of it is, Ive never bottled any of my own batches.

 

[noggins]

Standard 4gal milk crate holds 35 tall form 12oz bottles, or 33 of the short (SN) type

These. Lots of these. I just switched to kegging so now I've got tons of these in my attic that will probably go in the garbage soon. Back in my bottling days I would find empty crates sitting by the dumpster behind grocery stores.

 

[drainbamage]

I do stacked 12-pack cartons. I should probably upgrade to milk cartons though, as some are starting to get a little ragged.

 

[kh54s10]

I have them in the cardboard cases they were given to me in. Put the bottles back in them when dry and they should last a very long time.....

 

[asterix404]

These are awesome. My wife will be thrilled. Typically, I use belgian bottles at this point but that 6pack in the closet looked awesome. Also, filing cabinets are a fantastic idea. I think I also might switch over to Sierra Nevada's for the normal 12oz beer bottles. They are nice and compact and darn, I just have to buy a few cases.

I had good luck with the 2 milk crates I currently use. I didn't even know those were sold anywhere. Awesome idea.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I build some plywood boxes to keep them in, with dividers. After rinsing, I put the bottles in neck down until they get sanitized and used again. Once I fill them, I put them back in the boxes and leave them there 3 weeks to carb, then put them all in my beer fridge to extend their life.

 

[NickTheGreat]

Legal filing cabinet will perfectly store 6 6 packs.

Keeps them clean and neatly stored away.

That seems to make sense!

 

[rhys333]

I use Grolsch swing-top bottles. Love them and really appreciate not having to use caps. I store them in empty beer boxes I got from the liquor store. I use the same boxes for bottle conditioning the full bottles. Usually in a dark room, but during winter I keep them upstairs with a towel on top to prevent light damage. Each time I brew I inspect bottles and usually 1/4 to 1/3 of them have residue depending what yeast strain I used previously, so I'll soak them in oxi-clean for a day beforehand. The rest get a quick flush on the bottle washer before star san treatment.

Somebody mentioned labels. I brew 4 gallon batches so I have 5 - 7 different varieties of beer at any one time and bottle management can become a pain. All I do now is put a small square of masking tape on the bottle caps then write a letter on top... R for rye, P for pale and so on. Takes 5 minutes and keeps things organized.

 

[unionrdr]

I use craft 12 pack boxes & bud or other case boxes for mine. I'm trying to cut the size of my stack by only having enough bottles for 5-6 /5 gallon batches. That's plenty for me. Got a few Grolsch bottles now, with some neat bottles from Crabbie's hard cider that look victorian or earlier. Someday, I'm thinking of ditching the bottles for a 3-4 keg kegerator that'll fit the bottle stack's spot nicely. I'm also gonna get a small kitchen cabinet to fit the top of my wire shelf for my glasses.

I really need to get some new pics. And boy, are poster frames expensive! I had to get one to mount my coasters from all over I traded bottle caps for on beer forums, our sister site. An 18 x 24 inch frame cost like 25 bucks! Walmart has'em in many sizes, but the prices are crazy to me. I'm thinking of mounting the framed coasters above the fermenter, then work around the room from there. I need to find that old post where the member used something different to get bottle labels off without hurting them. I wanna frame the labels so I can save space in the room, but decorate at the same time. Any help with that label stuff would be great.

 

[asterix404]

So going with the milk crate, I can fit 10 belgian bottles, corked or uncorked, on their side. they are sturdy enough to not worry about. There is a lot of rattling though. I actually really love the SN bottles. I need to get more of those.

Typically I don't bottle anymore, but I have some very expensive and rarer bottles, like the the 4 cases of Belgain bottles and the 500ml pop tops that I would rather not part with but are very hard to store. Eventually the cardboard just wears out or gets wet. I love the milk crates. Also, now is a great time to buy. Thanks everyone! my wife is happy. There are no longer tons of bottles all over the attick.

 

[unionrdr]

Sounds like my wife when I first cleaned out the first floor of the house to get my brewing stuff organized. Re-purposed the old printer stand as a fermenter stand & storage unit, added the shelf, etc. " oh! You're cleaning!" with a big smile.

 

[RoosterKitchen]

I'm storing bombers in wood milk crates I found at Target. The forum won't let me post a link, but they're from the Pillowfort brand and they cost $16.99 each.

Attaching some images....I found that Guinness bottles fit because they're short and stout. Taller bombers fit but were too tall to stack. Go for the shorter bombers so you can stack them up.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I mostly keg now, but 99% of my beer bottles are 1/2 liter bottles that I brought back from Germany. About 40% of them are flippies. (Entire bottle collection not shown).

After they are washed and dried I cover the tops with a plastic bag (3 shown in photo).

Sometimes I cover them with a small square of foil.

 

[r4dyce]

Nothing special for me... Upside down in a card board box under the basement sink, or just loose standing upright in the cabinets of my basement. Loving the milk crate ideas here though

 

[cubalz]

I store them at someone else's house after I sold them all. Been kegging for years.

 

[Br3w4u]

I have a giant book shelf that is built in to the wall. I don’t have any books in it, just lots of beer bottles. It is less full now that I keg but I like to keep some around for sharing.

 

[philjohnwilliams]

I Store mine in wooden cases that I made. I got a lot of free wood from work so I used it to make some cases. This is them before gluing up and having the bottom in or the hand holes cut.

 

[catdaddy66]

I have a plastic beer bottle tree that allows you to store 48 12oz bottles upside down, and have several milk crates that hold almost the same amount.

With the milk crates I place about a case in standing up (normal), then i turn them upside down to end up with 48-50 bottles per crate.

Now I just need more bottles to hold all of the beer I want to brew...

 

[AnthonyTD]

First time that I am not jeleous of you American guys.

Here in south Africa the biggest brewery supplied their quarts (750ml) bottles in plastic stackable cases of 12. Deposit on these cases is R11 (about $0.90) so if you ask your bottle store if you can just pay the deposit they will let you take them. Even better the bottle also have a R1 deposit (about $0.08) sour for insert $2 you can get 12 bottles with a plastic case with separate petitions inside.

https://goo.gl/images/QoFqyW
I just buy these as I need them, even for the smaller 440ml bottles.

Full they live in the case upright, empty they sit upside down in the case (so they stay clean).
Since every case is the same and they have tabs to hold them together for stacking it is a nice cheap and neat solution

 

[homebrewer_99]

quarts (750ml) bottles in plastic stackable cases of 12. Deposit on these cases is R11 (about $0.90) so if you ask your bottle store if you can just pay the deposit they will let you take them. Even better the bottle also have a R1 deposit (about $0.08) sour for insert $2 you can get 12 bottles with a plastic case with separate petitions inside.

That's basically what I have from Germany, plastic racks and /2 liter bottles...but I bought them full, drank them and didn't return them for the deposits.

 

[TGFV]

Temp set up in the new place. Just ask for empty boxes at local sushi places and the local liqour stores when I go.

Also don't mind the blinds, my cat is an ******* of epic proportions