My wife enjoys wine, so we tend to have an empty bottle or two during a week or more. I’m trying to find cheap ways to bottle some of my beer until I build up enough empties collected.
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I am not sure if I can put a crown cap on top of a wine bottle for beer Will it hold the pressure with out blowing a cap off? I’ve also considered as a way to give friends some kombucha so I don’t have to possibly not get a bottle back. I did just test as far as will it crimp, and will it leak? It does crimp, and does not seem to leak when help upside down.
So, I believe they will, as I see lot’s of people bottle that way, I may even start drinking some of the beers like Grolsch, just to get the bottles. I’m not sure how often one needs to replace the rubber seal, and that expense. Hence, while collecting, I’m kind of hoping to use some wine bottles, for the beer that I give away. Maybe I just need to buy some wine corks as well..
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Richard ... I'd be very leery of using ordinary wine bottles for beer. They simply aren't designed to withstand the pressure ... unless, of course, you're thinking of sparkling wine/champagne bottles. Back in my early brewing days, I used to contact local bars to see if they would let me have empties. Once in a while, one would say "yes". Beer-drinking friends are also a good ... and likely more sanitary ... source of empties, too.
I'm not familiar with kombucha ... but as long as it's not carbonated, a wine bootle should be sturdy enough. Whether you can use a crown cap on it is another question ...
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
Richard Chrz I have crimped many caps onto 12 ounce bottles and the "bomber" sized 22 ounce bottles. Most of mine are old random commercial beer bottles, some still with labels. I got 4 cases of the bombers from behind the bar at one of the local brewery tap rooms, as they just throw them out, and were happy for me to take them off their hands.
The problem with wine bottles beyond the pressure issue that MBMorgan pointed out is that most just don't have the rounded lip you need to crimp the cap onto, and I don't think it will hold, even if it is the right diameter.
Unless you want go guzzle a case of Sam Adams or other pry top bottled beer to get your empties, you can order new glass from somewhere like Northern Brewer or Morebeer. Or consider the plastic screw top bottles like these, which are out of stock at the moment:
Ok - all that said. Soda bottles will handle the pressure, but are not light resistant like brown glass bottles, so will allow your beer to be skunked. But if you can get the soda flavor and aroma washed out, a cheap way if you can get the caps back on super tight would be soda bottles.
I use "carbonator" caps on 2 liter Sprite bottles to carbonate any excess beer that won't fit into my 5 gallon kegs when it is time to keg beer:
This stainless steel ball lock cap features soda bottle threads, allowing you to convert a 1 or 2 liter soda bottle into a convenient travel growler. The ball lock is compatible with both gas and beverage disconnects, so you can charge the PET bottle before you leave the house and dispense on the go. Attach 3/16" or 1/
I just hit them with CO2, shake, hit with CO2, shake some more, and repeat until the 1 to 2 liter sample is carbonated. The keg I let slow carbonate over 1-2 weeks.
Last edited by jfmorris; August 4, 2021, 03:29 PM.
I heartily endorse the idea of guzzling a case (or two cases plus one 6-pack since you'll need 54 12-oz. bottles for a 5-gallon batch) of Fat Tire ale, specifically. Fat Tire was initially a home brew beer and to this day its bottles have labels that are intentionally easy to soak off and remove by fellow home brewers. Better get busy, amigo ... ...
I wouldn't do this. I'd simply buy regular beer bottles etc to use, mostly because wine bottles aren't made to contain contents under pressure. Beer bottles are reusable, so it's not like you drink the beer and toss the bottle. Just rinse it out after drinking, flip it upside down so the water drains and store (once dry) upside down so any dust doesn't get inside the bottle.
You can also consider any of several mini-keg/growler systems if you drink enough beer.
Last edited by rickgregory; August 4, 2021, 03:33 PM.
Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
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I have been using 1.25litre plastic soft drink bottles successfully for many years.
The beauty is that you can screw the cap back on if you want to and it will save until tomorrow, I find I don't do this very often.
Much quicker bottling using a smaller number of bottles. You screw the cap on as you are filling the next one that's resting on your knee
Absolutely jfmorris though I veered away from the small keg technique as I found my capacity to absorb the beer, increased with the size of the vessel I was drinking it from.
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