Re-using screw top beer bottles

[Bigjack68]

Hi folks. I was wondering if it would be ok to re-use 40 ounce beer bottles to bottle home brew in. The caps from those seem to be quite sturdy and since its a beer bottle they also seem to be able to hold pressure quite well too.

Anybody have any experience? Any thoughts?

 

[moski]

Just opened my last of the screw tops and I don't think I'll be using them again. The carb level was consistently low compared to the pry offs, early on resulting in almost no head at all. I'm also not confident about the thinner glass of the screw tops. Just the carbonation leaks were enough to put me off the screw tops. I still think the bottles are neat looking but not worth the beer IMO.

 

[Oginme]

I've had mixed results with recapping screw top bottles. I finally figured out that the key was firm and even pressure to create the seal, crimp, turn slightly, and crimp again. Seems to hold the carbonation much better that way.

 

[Sago]

7/10 at least leaks for me. Almost ruined my batch of wine if I didn't end up drinking them, within a week the last 2 bottles had off flavors. I'm going to start using beer bottles and capping them for wine, aging not a worry for me.

Avoid screw top bottles unless if you have new screw caps, can't say much there as I never used new screw caps before.

EDIT: Actually, what if I we're to use them and wax them to prevent air? Is that worth investing in rather than spending more money to buy corks and bottles?

 

[Faquesca]

edit:
Btw I don't think the commercial guys are crimping them on, the caps are designed differently with a screw inside of them. Unless their machine is crimping and adding the screw in exactly the right place on the head of the bottle... possible but I think it might just be working like a regular screw top bottle.[/QUOTE]

I do believe that commercial beers also crimp their screw-tops, if you take a look at the cap afterwards it's a standard cap that molds to the glass thread on the bottle, anyways I have a lot of bluemoon bottles that I plan to reuse next week, I filled one with coke before and crimped it (regular wings crimper, regular new beer cap) checked for leaks, none, shake it, leave it overnight, shake it some more and again no leaks. I was able to twist off the cap like it was brand new, and the coke still had CO2

 

[The_Bruster]

I do believe that commercial beers also crimp their screw-tops, if you take a look at the cap afterwards it's a standard cap that molds to the glass thread on the bottle, anyways I have a lot of bluemoon bottles that I plan to reuse next week, I filled one with coke before and crimped it (regular wings crimper, regular new beer cap) checked for leaks, none, shake it, leave it overnight, shake it some more and again no leaks. I was able to twist off the cap like it was brand new, and the coke still had CO2

Enough of you have sold me, especially the guy who worked for Bud & Pepsi. My neighbor worked very hard to empty a couple 12-packs of bottles so we can use them in my upcoming brew. Didn’t realize until I got home (because, u kno, I was drunk) that they’re screw top.

Good to know I should be able to crimp new caps on; this could save us some real $$ since I’m getting low on traditional bottles.

The batch in question will be a quickie ale - maybe 4 weeks fermenting tops, so we have something to drink when we brew this year’s Christmas ale. That way, we probably won’t run into the longevity issues.