Bottles

The "twist-top" bottles require a special capper & caps, don't use them. However, I like to use them to store recycled yeast...they work great since they allow air to escape should the yeast become active (rather than letting the bottle explode), but for beer...that won't fly.

You can use any bottle that has a "pop-top"...I myself reuse many store bought beer bottles. I also inquire of friends, kindly asking them to save me any pop-top bottles they have (and wine bottles too) and in return I let them sample some of my beer...you may not believe how many bottles you can get for free this way.

Kent

Sam Adams bottles work well, as well as any pop top (recapable) type. The "import" brands are a little harder to use because the have a smaller neck ring. It can be done but takes a little patience to make sure you have the capper lined up. That's providing you are using a lever type capper. If you have a bench capper than any "smoothbore" beer bottle will work. As for the BudMillCoor bottles, the only way I have found them, is with the returnable bottles. Alot of the craft brews that I buy also have recapable bottles. Another option is the Grolsche "flip top" style. No messing around with a capper at all. Cheers, Michael Herrenbruck DragonTail Ale Drunken Bee Mead

Lennybuzz wrote:

Many people seem to find that, used with a bench capper, the BMC twist cap bottles are fine.

The glass is thinner tho, and I wouldn't even try to recap these bottles with a hand-held.

If you can get it, bottled Bass is around $12 for a dozen (and about $9 for a 6-pack). You get to drink a decent beer, and the bottles are great, esp. with a bench capper.

steveb

I was just speaking of the "pop top"/recappable/returnable bottles. I haven't tried any twist-offs because other non-twist-offs are so readily available. Michael Herrenbruck DragonTail Ale Drunken Bee Mead

steveb wrote:

I live in Michigan where ther is a 10 cent deposit on bottles. I was fotunate enough to meet the delivery truck driver of a local beer / wine distrbuter. He sold me four cases for the price of the deposit. That's about as cheap as your going to get without digging though dumpsters. Many other states (OK, CT, ME, VT, DE, MA, NY, IA, OR) hvae a 5 cent refund. Ask the grocery store manager who thier supplier is and get in touch with them.

I've got a bit of trouble with my capper.

Kirk Johnson - Stretchin it wide since 1977.

My experience with "twisties" hit or miss at best, I don't like the risk. Use standard, recapable 'brown' bottles. Avoid clear 'Corona' type bottles.

And if your goal is cheap, your in the wrong arena. If your real goal is damn good affordable beer, then your on the right track.

Avery

Brew on brother! SW US desert

Hops react to certain wavelength of lights to produce the "skunk" odor. Sunlight and florescent lights have that wavelength, and incandescents have very little or none of it. That wavelength passes thru clear (AND GREEN) bottles with no problem, but is absorbed in brown bottles.

If you use clear or green bottles, simply keep them in the dark as much as possible and they'll work fine!

Derric

PS when you finally "skunk" some beer you'll understand. Its not just a little "off"

Avery Brew on brother! SW US desert

Keep in mind though that that skunkiness is acceptable in most import beers that are actually bottled in green/clear bottles, so if you're making that Heinie clone you would actually want to use greenies to give it that authentic skunk-ass taste....mmmm....mmmmm.

Kent

If you have 1 2ltr bottle of beer, that is one beer. If you have 2 1ltr bottles of beer, that is 2 beers. You yanks havent a clue to beer drinking. ;)

finally to my

import

Actually the skunkiness found in Heineken (and other beers in green or clear bottles) is not something the makers strive for. It is simply a result of improper handling and storing of bottles by retailers.

Good for you though if you like it, since it's quite a common problem.

store and examine some bottles. It is fairly easy to tell the difference between twist-off tops and non-twist-off tops.

L.B.

I know the problem well. Yes 2.0 litre bottles are just too large & the ones I use, 0.75 litre PET plastic with screw seals are a bit big for me. The 0.75 litre brown blow moulded PET plastic bottles are easy to handle & the srew seals can be sanitized & reused easily again & again. They are available from most brew shops but they are relatively pricey at about US$0.75 each. I used to collect any coloured green or brown bottle from the neighbours garbage, 0.5 or 1.25 litre used soda bottles from PET plastic, at zero cost, but finding sufficient small bottles was always a problem. Regarding glass I just can't recommend it. Some of the triumphs of my home brewing "career" have been: Using only filtered water. Using two yeast sachets from different batches to guarantee a quick start. Discovering the ease of use of plastic PET bottles & screw seal caps. Learning never to use sugar & select malt extract over dextrose every time. Adding selected hops to improve flavour. Rigt now I am working on a project to control my brewing temperature so that I can use true lager yeast. Hope this helps let me know if I can help further. Pete