What do you guys prefer for bottles?

[BigKahuna]

I've been seeing some commercial brew in SMALL bottles. I've seen some 7 oz buttwiper bottles...I'd sure like to get my hands on those.

 

[7Enigma]

I've been seeing some commercial brew in SMALL bottles. I've seen some 7 oz buttwiper bottles...I'd sure like to get my hands on those.

For what? Apfelwein or mead? Our local beer store sells pony bottles (I think the ones I saw were Miller High Life or something, but it was clear glass).

I'm eyeing up those Sierra bottles in the last post. I've never had any of their stuff, but a lot of you guys say they make some great brews, and the thought of using 24oz bottles is VERY attractive at speeding up my bottling time (plus I never have just one).

 

[nuclearguy]

any bottle exposed to light for long periods of time will have an effect on your beer, bottle size is of course your preference. the larger the bottle the less bottles you will have to use, and drink.

 

[mynamestanner]

SWMBO's family drinks coke out of those little 8oz glass bottles. Apparently they have been saving them up and just brought over a couple cases worth the other day.

They are clear, so they wont work good for beer, but i think they will be great for bottling up little bits of mead or wine to sample as it ages, so i'll know when the full bottles are "ready."

That, or i'll do them as little give-away bottles.

 

[DanInMadison]

I've only been brewing since Jan 1.

I started out purchasing a couple cases of 12 oz bottles. Now, I'm up to 4 cases of 12 oz bottles, plus miscellaneous 12 oz bottles.

I'll be bottling batches 6 and 7 this weekend. I decided to purchase a couple 12 packs of 22 oz bottles and save myself some extra headaches.

I realized I almost always drink 2 beers or more, so why should I spend extra time cleaning and sanitizing 12 oz bottles.

 

[Spunkmeyer]

SWMBO's family drinks coke out of those little 8oz glass bottles. Apparently they have been saving them up and just brought over a couple cases worth the other day.

They are clear, so they wont work good for beer, but i think they will be great for bottling up little bits of mead or wine to sample as it ages, so i'll know when the full bottles are "ready."

That, or i'll do them as little give-away bottles.

I've saved 2 six-packs of these and use them as "test bottles" to see what the taste/carb level is on a bottled batch. They're also good sizes for people who want to see what my homebrew tastes like but aren't very big beer drinkers.

 

[TurboBrew]

I'd definitly stick to brown bottles, not worth running the risk of skunking those alpha acids. I've used both 22oz. crown cap and 16oz swing top. The swing tops are actually more of a hassle but I've found that people feel less inclined to assume that they are trash.

 

[BrewinRob]

I've found that the best reusable bottles are the Sierra Nevada bottles. If you soak them overnight, the labels peel right off and with a little scrub brush you can remove the excess glue. They clean up nicely and they have nothing etched into them (like sam adams or widmere bottles). Also, they have the 24oz as well - kinda like that tecate in a previous post. I must have about 8 cases of 12oz and about 30 of the 24oz. Also have a several cases of green Grolsch and 22oz browns that I picked up when I first started. Been kegging as of late, but I always have these in reserve when I 'm brewing more than my keg capacity. :rockin:

 

[7Enigma]

I've found that the best reusable bottles are the Sierra Nevada bottles. If you soak them overnight, the labels peel right off and with a little scrub brush you can remove the excess glue. They clean up nicely and they have nothing etched into them (like sam adams or widmere bottles). Also, they have the 24oz as well - kinda like that tecate in a previous post. I must have about 8 cases of 12oz and about 30 of the 24oz. Also have a several cases of green Grolsch and 22oz browns that I picked up when I first started. Been kegging as of late, but I always have these in reserve when I 'm brewing more than my keg capacity. :rockin:

So this weekend I had my first Sierra Nevada Pale ale and they were twist offs? Just the normal 12oz size. I was shocked since so many people on here seem to like them. Do they make both twist off and cap?

 

[Awfers]

You guys may hate me for this, but:

I am currently drinking Chimay Rouge, a 33cl bottle, for about $2 each.. I save the small bottles for my "give-away" beers. It is a pleasure drinking the Chimay (Chimay rouge at 7% alcohol)

Aside from that, for about $25 each, I get a crate of 20 .5 liter bottles, filled with what is very good Euro lager.. that's 65 cents per beer, plus 30 cents per bottle (ultra-thick Euro re-useable bottles) and $5 for the plastic crate...

I also get local "bio" beer in thick, flip-top bottles and about $1.20 per beer and 50 cents for the bottle.. The beer is not filtered (with yeast sediment) and is pretty good as a "light" euro lager.


Needless to say, I never return the crates or bottles



Awfers

 

[BrewinRob]

So this weekend I had my first Sierra Nevada Pale ale and they were twist offs? Just the normal 12oz size. I was shocked since so many people on here seem to like them. Do they make both twist off and cap?

Twist offs??? I haven't seen that with Sierra yet. Maybe another bottling facility?

 

[7Enigma]

Twist offs??? I haven't seen that with Sierra yet. Maybe another bottling facility?

No clue, it was at a party and it was dark out. I know they were shorter stubby bottles (assuming this is why they are so prized by us home brewers), but they were definitely twist off. I did have some Anchor Steam for the first time and really liked them. Similarly short stubbies which is great IMO but I felt a bit awkward asking people I barely know to take the empties home!

 

[Sea]

Actually short stubbies are more often twist offs, whereas tall skinnies ar more often pop tops.

 

[dzamba]

Sadly I know very few people who live near me who drink beer from non-screw top bottles. Just way too much Bud and Miller influence among my friends and family.

Doesn't seem like a problem to me. At leaset you know if you bring some good stuff to a party it won't disappear. (unless budman gets brave and tries one, in that case just look for the half empty bottle 20 min later)

 

[Waboom!!]

Hoegarrden bottles are really good. I also love 24 oz Redstripe bottles.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Somebody brought me several bottles of Fischer Amber Lager...it's nothing spectacular, but quite drinkable. However, it comes in these gorgeous 22oz flip-tops, brown glass.

I'm also gathering up quite a few Fuller's half-liter bottles, I quite like their ESB.

I don't bottle much, and I'm pretty much phasing out everything smaller than a pint. The 22's are perfect for when the girlfriend is around...a 16oz pour for me, and a 6oz pour for her!

 

[7Enigma]

Hoegarrden bottles are really good. I also love 24 oz Redstripe bottles.

They sell Redstripe in 24's?!?!!? Oh man I so have to find them. I like the beer this time of year and if the 24's are just larger versions of their typical 12's I'm sold. Never seen them around here though.

 

[Waboom!!]

They sell Redstripe in 24's?!?!!? Oh man I so have to find them. I like the beer this time of year and if the 24's are just larger versions of their typical 12's I'm sold. Never seen them around here though.

Yes they sure do, the city-owned liquor store in my northern suburbs of minneapolis has 24 oz Redstripe bottles. No one believes me, but its real... and yes they are EXACTLY like the 12's except jumbo!!

 

[7Enigma]

Yes they sure do, the city-owned liquor store in my northern suburbs of minneapolis has 24 oz Redstripe bottles. No one believes me, but its real... and yes they are EXACTLY like the 12's except jumbo!!

I don't believe you. You'll have to send some to 127 St. March Road.....j/k. I'll keep an eye out!

 

[BrewinRob]

yea...they sell the 32s of RS all over the place where I am... Check these out...

http://www.bevmo.com/productinfo.as...68+41+4294962250&Ne=309&Nr=Store:99&area=beer

I saw them in Bevmo this weekend and was thinking about picking a few of these up. Get the 64oz flip top and some beer. Now if I can only find a local restaurant where they serve these.. LOL

 

[BlindLemonLars]

I saw them in Bevmo this weekend and was thinking about picking a few of these up. Get the 64oz flip top and some beer. Now if I can only find a local restaurant where they serve these.. LOL

Last weekend, I gave one of those to a brew-pal as a housewarming gift. It's a VERY cool bottle, with ten of them, you could bottle a whole batch! The beer is quite decent too. (I bought a few pint bottles for myself, also flip-top.)

 

[Righlander]

I actually started thinking i should use 12oz sierra nevada bottles because i always try one or two after like two weeks instead of waiting. also there will be more for my drunko friends to sample. so i think this way at least if i try one early it's only 12 ounces. but Great Divide Hercules double IPA bottles rule too... 22oz and the label comes off easy. Lol i have like 14 of those now, and 5 twelve packs of sierra bottles. the cool thing about the sierra nevada 12 packs is that they come in a perfect box for aging. and i can get the twelve packs of sierra for 11.49$ right by my house....and it's good beer to boot!

 

[HoppyDaze]

Last weekend, I gave one of those to a brew-pal as a housewarming gift. It's a VERY cool bottle, with ten of them, you could bottle a whole batch! The beer is quite decent too. (I bought a few pint bottles for myself, also flip-top.)

I have a couple of these...they are very nice


my favorite non-swing top bottle has got to be guiness. It has a beautiful shape, the label just peels right off and you can easily grab the nitrogen dispenser with needle nose pliers

 

[llazy_llama]

my favorite non-swing top bottle has got to be guiness. It has a beautiful shape, the label just peels right off and you can easily grab the nitrogen dispenser with needle nose pliers

Agreed.

Also, I declare Thread Necromancy.

 

[7Enigma]

A personal favorite I just came across is the Mexican beer Negra Madelo (possibly mispelled). It has a really nice short stubby (almost like a red stripe) shape that looks like it only holds 8-10oz. but it's a typical 12. The only issue is likely label removal as it uses some gold foil stuff over the cap and partially down the neck. I think this size is perfect for some of the "higher-end" brews I want to keep in smaller sizes and interesting bottle shape. I just bottled a clone of Stone's Ruination IPA and this would have been the perfect bottle for it!

Righlander,

As for easy label removing with great tasting beer (IMO) we have a brewery in Philadelphia that has (again IMO) the best pale ale I've ever had. My previous favorite was Sierra Nevada so this one should be right up your alley. The brewery is Yard's and the beer is their Philadelphia Pale Ale. The labels come off incredibly easy, and the beer is fantastic. It's a simcoe hopped brew (from what I have read on the net as they don't tell you on the case/bottle) that has a nice almost-grapefruit like note that is not sweet, but very refreshing. Another cool thing as that the grapefruit bitterness kind of kills your tastebuds after the first one, so the second one tastes almost completely different (the sweetish portion goes away and you get a nice dry pale). Best part for me is since it's local a case is ~$32. They have an IPA that is the SAME PRICE, unfortunately even though it's a better deal and a good beer in it's own right (7% ABV if I remember correctly), I just can't pass up the Phili pale. If you like SNPA, see if your local distributor can get you a case.



Disclaimer: I have no ties to Yard's, just love their Phili Pale Ale and want to share the wealth.