Packaging Geuze for Competition

[FLDanimal]

I wasnt sure as to post this in the wild or bottling forum but how do you all go about packaging geuze for competitions? The standard bottles will not hold 4 vols and 750ml champagne bottles are not allowed. I would assume you would need to track down some 375ml Belgian bottles and use a belgian belgian caps but maybe someone has done it different.

 

[bknifefight]

A lot of competitions are very specific about the bottle sizes. I imagine that most wouldn't be total jerks and disqualify you if it came in a 375 ml, but you may want to contact the people in charge just to clarify this before spending time and money to ship the beer in.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

May want to check that a 375ml isn't a disqualifier but I wouldn't feel comfortable sending an unsafe bottle nor does it make sense to undercarbonate and get dinged for style.

If you can send 375ml bottles, the easiest ones to get that will hold that kind of pressure are the stubby Belgian beer bottles like what 375ml Chimay and Duvel come in. You could also find are 375ml champagne bottles but the only way I find those is Lindeman's backsweetened beers. Another option are the 375ml German weizen bottles. They look a lot like standard 12oz bottles but the glass is a little thicker. I don't know if they are rated for 4 volumes but they can probably handle it.

 

[Wahoo]

Orval bottles are great for this too.

 

[Clint04]

I bottled a Berliner last year at 4 vols in standard beer bottles with regular crown caps. I didn't have one bottle bomb. Did I just get lucky?

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I bottled a Berliner last year at 4 vols in standard beer bottles with regular crown caps. I didn't have one bottle bomb. Did I just get lucky?

I've had some overcarbonated 12oz bottles that were definitely more than three or four volumes and none blew up but I also didn't send them through the mail system, either. That would be my concern.