What do you guys prefer for bottles?

[krispy d]

i prefer the five gallon cornies...

or the 22 oz bombers.

I was about to say that I prefer my bottles to be stainless and 5 gal~!

 

[Screw991le]

I have about 10 cases of used Sam Adams bottles.

I find the Guiness bottle to not seal good with normal caps.

I like SA's

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

I bottle mostly with 12 oz sam adams and new belgium bottles. I do have a case of widmer bros. floating around as well....

 

[7Enigma]

My first bottling day went well but all I had was 12 oz Sam Adam's and the like. I did not enjoy filling nor capping all of them (and I was a gallon short in my bottling bucket!). I'm going to try to accumulate at least 5-10 larger (22oz or more) ones so I can cut my bottling time in half if possible. Anyone have any cheap(er) beers/wines that would suffice? I'm not a wine drinker and so don't even know if they come in caps?

 

[Yooper]

You definitely don't want wine bottles for beer. They aren't designed to hold pressure. Beer bottles are fine, though. I use some Grolsch bottles with the ez caps and like them- they are 16 ounces so a nice size. I have a few 22 ounce bottles, too.

 

[7Enigma]

Good point...as you can see I didn't even think they have no pressure. I guess champagne would work, but I don't drink that @#%$! And I'd like to just stick with the caps. I'll have to find some larger bottles.....hmm...they sell any 40's that are cap'd (non-screw)?

 

[coeceo]

When my dad first started homebrew he had cases of Shlitz bar bottles that had the pop tops.

You can get cases of PBR with pop tops too maybe these come in cheap 22s as well.

 

[Mayday99]

Sierra Nevada 12oz are ideal for me. Short enough to stay upright anywhere in my fridge, plus I can close the top on any box I throw them into.

Not to mention that Sierra Nevada makes some damn fine beer. Enjoying the summerfest a lot (although $8.50 a sixer!) since there are not any good locally produced pilsners near me.

 

[beerme70]

You can use brown or green, but if you can, go brown. If you use green, just keep them away from flourecent light. Flourecents emit the harmful UV rays that are detrimental to your little yeasties, however, incandecent bulbs won't skunk up the beer in the green bottles.

 

[EvilTOJ]

Actually, UV is dangerous to the hop flavor, not the yeast. UV turns hop oils into the same chemical that comes out of a skunks butt.

 

[Coastarine]

I like to bottle in a variety of bottles. Grolsch are good for drinking at home since they're a nice big single serving but if you just want to taste you can split one, but I don't think they travel well (bump the stopper too hard and I think the pressure can be released). 12oz longnecks are easy to come by so I don't mind giving them away. I love using interestingly shaped bottles like St. Peter's Old-Style Porter, but they do present a storage challenge sometimes. When I get a cappable champagne bottle I put something strong in it and tuck it away for the long haul. I think I might try out some 2-liter plastic soda bottles.

 

[cheesetownbrewer]

I use both brown and green. Brown I generally use for ales and wheats, and green for lagers. That helps me figure out which is which is in the refrigerator without having to make labels. But, since I never seem to have enough of one or the other color bottle to complete a batch, I've taken to marking "A", "L" and "W" on the caps with permanent marker just to be sure.

As far as green bottles, I use 12 oz Grolsch bottles (capped) and Pilsener Urquell, the latter of which has labels that come off really easy, a bottle with little decoration, and is great to drink.

 

[Revvy]

Actually, UV is dangerous to the hop flavor, not the yeast. UV turns hop oils into the same chemical that comes out of a skunks butt.

There just are no good "skunk butts" pictures on the interwebs this morning;
this is the best I could find.

 

[kedash]

I prefer the standard brown, 12 ounce bottles. I wouldn't go for the green or clear bottles because they do not protect against UV which can skunk the beer. I believe it skunks the beer because it reacts with the hop particles/sediment and causes off flavors to occur.

I use regular bottle caps as well and I haven't had any serious issues.

Not that it matters, but I just read an article in Brew Your Own that stated it's not just the UV light that skunks the beer. It's the other spectrums as well as the UV.

First post. Love this site.
Dan

 

[Coastarine]

Not that it matters, but I just read an article in Brew Your Own that stated it's not just the UV light that skunks the beer. It's the other spectrums as well as the UV.

First post. Love this site.
Dan

I used to use an ordinary 60W incandescent light bulb to keep things at 70 but I've been debating if that's a good idea. Stopped now but still I never tasted any skunkedness.

 

[bniesen]

I swear by the party pig

 

[perversatile]

I like to get the 33 oz flip top "big ass beer" bottles from bevmo and bottle in those.

http://www.bevmo.com/productlist.asp?Ntt=big+ass&Ntk=All&D=big+ass&Nty=1


I also use 16oz grolsche flippies, but only for apfelwein.

I'll be buying a whole kegging system soon. Ive got to learn more about it before I jump in.

 

[mynamestanner]

I have about 6 cases of Sam Adams bottles I use primarily. I just started building up a collection of flip top grolsch bottles. I dont think you can fully appreciate them until you see one in person. The glass is nice and thick. The beer isnt great, but it works as a good "lawnmower beer."

I have 7 or 8 champagne bottles that look capable but i think they take the bigger size cap so i'll have to get a new bell for my capper.

 

[dirtymike1]

I like to get the 33 oz flip top "big ass beer" bottles from bevmo and bottle in those.

http://www.bevmo.com/productlist.asp?Ntt=big+ass&Ntk=All&D=big+ass&Nty=1

I think I've had one too many tonight, but does the "big ass beer" come with beer in it!?!?!?!? hahaha wow, I think I'm a little to oofty on a work night.

 

[wrangler]

respect to oscar hammerstein, but these are a few of my favorite things.......

• a 64oz flip top - these are firggin' great when you know you have a party coming up. saves a ton of bottling time and make for a sweet presentation.
  
• a 24oz sierra bottle (the southern hemisphere harvest - was delicious; planning to drink the rest of her cousins in the 12 pack in back). i love these bombers for bottling. the way i see it is that i never just drink one beer, especially a home brew. unless of course it's breakfast time or something :rockin: i usually use 22oz, but slowly saving up a collection of these 24's
  
• and finally a 12oz dogfishhead 60min ipa. my most recent favorite session beer. the one in the pic is now in my belly

cheers!

 

[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