Re-using bottles

[Uncruliar]

I seem to remember being told once that home-brew beer should only be bottled in bottles that have previously held bottle conditioned beer. The suggestion was that other beer bottles aren't strong enough to contain the pressure caused by bottle conditioning. However, I have been wondering recently whether this is true as a beer that isn't bottle conditioned still obviously contains co2 at similar pressures.

 

[20grit]

I have stored beer in every sort of bottle I have been able to find. As long as you don't over carbonate, you won't have any problems.

 

[tiredofbuyingbeer]

You're right to question that advice. Most of my bottles are re-appropriated commercial bottles.

I hear you can go up to 3 vols in commercial bottles safely. I doubt new empties you buy online or from the LHBS are any sturdier.

The thing to watch out for is bottles that are hard to cap with a hand capper (unless you're using a bench capper). Those include Anchor bottles, IME, as well as any bottle with a thin lip. Those usually cap wrong and won't hold carbonation.

 

[flars]

Any pry off cap beer bottle can be used for your home brew. Twist off cap bottles don't always reliably seal so aren't worth the risk. Some styles of bottles are difficult to cap with a wing capper though. I think most of these bottles are the stubby type. Here is a link to a chart (bottom of the page) which should be helpful.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/AdvancedBottleConditioning.pdf

 

[GrogNerd]

I'd say a good 80% of my bottles are from commercial beers and most of those are not bottle conditioned.

NEVER have had a bottle bomb

even bottled my Grodziskie/Grätzer at 3.5 volumes with no issues

think the vast majority of bottle bombs & gushers come from either incomplete fermentation or infection

 

[Revvy]

there are some really thin feeling bottles out there, but I've found that most of those come from homebrewshops- whatever LC Carlson or the other distributors ships to shops, but even THEN the minimum pressure rating is still far in excess of max bottle carbing pressure.

You'll be fine with whatever you choose.