Re-using commercial beer bottles

[mcody2005]

ive been drinking alot of harp lagger and saved the bottles in anticipation of brewing my first batch of beer. the collar on this bottle is too close to the the top. on a practice run with my capper i noticed that the capper levers "bottomed out" before there was full pressure on the cap. instead of wasting 2 cases worth of bottles, i modified my capper. pried of the red plastic feet and put a small spacer between them and the heavy guage sheet metal portion of the capper, thus reducing the required space between the collar and the top of the bottle. seems to put a cap on he bottle much tighter than before, but i wont know for sure untill im done lagering(about 2 months from now).

 

[eriktlupus]

bells is great but the labels are a pain to remove. any body us bitburger bottles?

 

[KopyKat]

I have never bought any bottles from my LHBS. In Austin Tx we have a recycle center and they have big bins separated by clear, green and brown. I have probably a hundred Newcastle clear, a couple dozen Beck's green bottles and about 200+ brown bottles. I scored another 50 today even though I am up to my neck in bottles. I also have about 150+ Grolsh, EZCap brown and other flip tops including about 25 Fischer 22 oz flip tops. Then if that isn't enough, I have about 120 22oz bombers.

My preference is to bottle 50/50 16 oz swing tops & clear Newcastle for my own use at home, a dozen or so brown 12 oz for give aways and 2 22 oz bombers for our monthly homebrew club meeting. I also Bottle a few Beck's green of some of my brews for company because they are so classy looking. Those are usually a cream ale or other thing for the BMC company.

I have bottles for all occasions and needs. Sweeeet!:rockin:

 

[l3lackEyedAngels]

Unfortunately, Sam Adams and Bass both have their names raised in the glass. Some contests do not allow bottles to be entered with such features. Just something to think about.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

Unfortunately, Sam Adams and Bass both have their names raised in the glass. Some contests do not allow bottles to be entered with such features. Just something to think about.

I think, in the spirit of the Lobuck competition, we might give BONUS POINTS to people who submit obviously recycled bottles!!!

 

[knipknup]

I have never bought any bottles from my LHBS. In Austin Tx we have a recycle center and they have big bins separated by clear, green and brown. I have probably a hundred Newcastle clear, a couple dozen Beck's green bottles and about 200+ brown bottles. I scored another 50 today even though I am up to my neck in bottles. I also have about 150+ Grolsh, EZCap brown and other flip tops including about 25 Fischer 22 oz flip tops. Then if that isn't enough, I have about 120 22oz bombers.

My preference is to bottle 50/50 16 oz swing tops & clear Newcastle for my own use at home, a dozen or so brown 12 oz for give aways and 2 22 oz bombers for our monthly homebrew club meeting. I also Bottle a few Beck's green of some of my brews for company because they are so classy looking. Those are usually a cream ale or other thing for the BMC company.

I have bottles for all occasions and needs. Sweeeet!:rockin:

Dang, and I thought bottling was already more work...

 

[willmcdermot]

prowler13 (or anyone else from austin),

If you dont mind me asking, what austin recycling center do you use? I have looked around a bit and cannot find anything promising around. There seem to be a lot of private recycling outfits around town but nothing really official looking.

I just realized the other day that the three batches ive got in secondary are going to need bottles eventually -so any help would be appreciated.

 

[McCall St. Brewer]

I save all my New Glarus bottles. (I like their Fat Squirrel Ale). The bottles look identical to the ones I have purchased from my LBHS. I don't know how widely they distrubute their beers, but if you can find it, I recommend it.

 

[KopyKat]

It is located on 9th and IH 35 downtown. http://www.ecology-action.org/

You may have to make two or three trips. Some days you may have bad luck and arrive just after they have dumped the bins and some days like Sunday when I was there and scarfed up on about 60 bottles.

If you are in a bind, I have several cases of 22oz bombers already cleaned I would let go of for $5.00 per case. I live on the North side. PM me if you need them.