The best bottles for bottling.

[arnobg]

Just wait until you think you're all set and then you start labeling and realizing some of those bottles don't work for labeling....

Then you'll be right back here looking through the "which bottle labels are easiest to remove" thread.

I personally use any amber bottle and don't have issues with my wing capper whether the flange is close or far from the top as posted earlier. They both work fine for me however, you just have to pay more attention when doing the "abita" style short necks. Sierra Nevada bottles are great but I don't like how much glue they use on their labels compared to other short necks. that's just getting picky though.

 

[dad23ds]

Well son of a b....I have some homework to do...and some twist offs to toss.

Something to think about is storage. I have a mix of stubbies and longnecks. My only dislike about stubbies is you can't fit 24 in bud light boxes. My wife drinks BL bottles and we buy the 24pk so I can use the boxes for my empties. Good news is Miller Lite boxes will generally hold 24 stubbies and I have another source for those.

If you are ever in Houston, check Defalco's website. They will periodically sale used cases of bombers (12) from Karbach for about $7-8. This was the only time I ever bought empty bottles. I prefer to buy bottles with beer in them. I also recruited a person at work that loves to empty bottles for me and considers it a challenge to give me more than I need.

 

[iijakii]

Whichever bottle has the tastiest brew in it.

 

[dad23ds]

Does it matter if the bottle is a twist off? My brother asked me this b/c I was collecting some Shiner 107 Birthday Hoppy Pills bottles thinking.."Hey.. these are long neck"

Say "no" to twist-offs.

What slym2none says. This is main reason I avoid buying Saint Arnold and Shiner. A good source for bottles w/box are the Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada 12pk at Walmart or Target. Usually around $14. Also, if you know any ladies (or guys!) that enjoy Angry Orchard, those are good and easy to delabel.

 

[arnobg]

I go to beer/liquor stores and get free boxes that they are throwing away for storing bottles and bottled home brew.

You can get boxes that are made for short neck if you specifically need boxes for storing short neck. I keep a stock of empty cases for short and long neck bottles which each hold 24 of course.

 

[beekeeperman]

The 22 oz ones.

http://www.morebeer.com/products/beer-bottles-22-oz-qty-12.html

 

[jojacques]

I am currently using Grolsh 16oz bottles. They are super easy to recap and they look so good!

I got a deal at 60$ for 120 bottles!

The guy even threw a 67oz Grolsh bottle. Its huuuge and it look amazing!

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

I love the Grolsh bottles also but I was told to be careful that the o-rings on the seal don't ware out on you.

So, I had bottling day yesterday and I have to say that Sierra Nevada bottles worked like a charm!! I also had one random franconia bottle which worked great and two Abitas Madi Gras beer bottles that didn't work at all.

 

[KatoBaggins]

I like Guinness stout bottles with the nitro thingy in them. The plastic cover cuts off, so no soaking and messy peeling. The nitro thingy is easily extracted with a pair of needle nosed piers. I've never had any problems capped then either.

 

[Malty_Dog]

Guess I'm a bit of an outlier as I don't like the Sierra Nevada stubbies. The only bottle that ever broke on me was a SN stubbie. Anything that my wing capper takes even minor issue with I try to avoid. I gave a lot of those away over the course of the last 2 years, replacing them with longnecks and bombers. Dogfish Head has great bottles and I particularly like the unique Belgian and German bottles I've come across. Like DogFish Head, their bottles are somewhat unique and tied to their brand/product. I still have several stubbies and lightweight longnecks that I just have to work through.

 

[Beerbeque]

All my bottles are Sierra Nevada. I got rid of all the rest. I use mainly 12oz and a few SN 24oz. I store my bottles in SN 12 pack boxes.

 

[CJ-3]

If you are going to bottle I highly recommend a bench capper as opposed to a wing capper.
As soon as I started using a bench capper I never had another issue with capping a bottle.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

If you are going to bottle I highly recommend a bench capper as opposed to a wing capper.
As soon as I started using a bench capper I never had another issue with capping a bottle.

You are right that a bench capper takes a lot of variables out of capping a bottle, but they cost 3 times as much as a wing capper. If value is what you are looking for then make sure you get the long shoulder bottles like Sam Adams uses.

 

[IcicleToes]

I've become a fan of the Anchor bottles. I've noticed the inner diameter is slightly larger than many other bottles, which makes it easier to get a bottle brush in there. The shape is pretty unique as well.

 

[flseadog]

Ok, so I bottled for the first time and I have to say it was a pain in my arse. I took the clamp and some extra bottle caps and tried two bottles before I did anything and I thought...wow...this is easy. Fast forward....

Now I have a handful of bottles filled with beer and went to clamp the top on...1 bottle took me up to 5-7 tries. I went to my LHBS and told the guy my story and he goes oh yeah....that beer has horrible bottles. So, then and there I learned that some bottles are easier than other to cap.

So...in your experience whats the best beer to buy and save for bottling?

My favorite bottles are Samuel Adams. The labels come off easy with PBW and hot water and they are the easiest I have found for capping. The long section at the top of the neck gives my capper a good grip.

 

[kh54s10]

Old thread, but.. I find many brands work the same. There are some bottles where the part of the neck that a wing capper grabs is shorter. Just look and discard those. A bench capper solves this problem.

As to labels. I save any bottles from craft beers. Give them a soak in generic oxygen cleaner, then if the label does not come off easily, I recycle them.

I got rid of all my Samuel Adams bottles because of the molded in logo.... Just a peeve. 12+ cases. Advertised for free - got no response so they got recycled.....

 

[Home_alone1]

I have a mix of Orval , green and brown 750’s , German 33ml bottles , brown Belgian 750ml bottles that take corks and regular brown bottles from the Hbs . All seem good to go , I’m a scavenger !

Also I’ve been saving champagne bottles , they seem nice.

 

[bleme]

I started with a bunch of Sapporo bottles from the local sushi restaurant. They came in both 12oz and 22oz. Then I started giving beer to my boss, who drinks Grolsch. He started giving me all his Grolsch bottles and I switched to those. They are green, which is a minor problem, but they seem twice as heavy as the Sapporo bottles and don't need a capper.

Dang necromancers....

 

[brownni5]

Repeated time and again - if you collect stubbies (Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, Founders, etc.) you need to either the wing capper and get a bench capper. Perfectly decent bottles otherwise. Sam Adams, Deschutes and Bells are some that I've found cap well and the label floats right off in warm water.

 

[LostHopper]

Sam Adams, Deschutes, Big Sky (sometimes Big Sky labels are tough to remove)..


I realize it's a small sample size but I had two Sweetwater bottles break at the neck when capping. No bloodshed but it was a waste of 24 oz of beer. Only bottle I've ever seen break while capping.