Beer In Wine Bottles?

[roosiecharm]

Hi all,

As a fairly new brewer, I realise this question may sound ridiculous. But I'd like to know - can beer be bottle into wine bottles?

I currently have a shortage of beer bottles, and whilst scouring the house for any I missed, I came across a few empty wine bottles, and wondered if I could use them instead. I know various breweries around Australia use wine bottles for specials beers such as anniversary ales and stuff, but didn't know if these were made for beer, or were just regular wine bottles?

So:
a) can wine bottles be successfully capped, or will I require larger bottle tops for while bottles?
B) can I save the bottle tops that came on the wine and reuse those successfully? (the screw cap variety ofcourse, not corks) and would this create a decent seal?
c) does the indentation on the base of wine bottles have a detrimental impact on beer?
d) are there any other problems with wine bottles and beer?

Any info or suggestions would be very helpul.

Cheers guys,

Tom

 

[brettprevans]

Hi all,

As a fairly new brewer, I realise this question may sound ridiculous. But I'd like to know - can beer be bottle into wine bottles?

I currently have a shortage of beer bottles, and whilst scouring the house for any I missed, I came across a few empty wine bottles, and wondered if I could use them instead. I know various breweries around Australia use wine bottles for specials beers such as anniversary ales and stuff, but didn't know if these were made for beer, or were just regular wine bottles?

So:
a) can wine bottles be successfully capped, or will I require larger bottle tops for while bottles?
B) can I save the bottle tops that came on the wine and reuse those successfully? (the screw cap variety ofcourse, not corks) and would this create a decent seal?
c) does the indentation on the base of wine bottles have a detrimental impact on beer?
d) are there any other problems with wine bottles and beer?

Any info or suggestions would be very helpul.

Cheers guys,

Tom

types of bottles for bottling beer has been qell covered on the site. search for wine bottle etc and you should get the results.

short answer - no. they arent designed to hold the pressure. they will explode. eception are sparkling or champaigne bottles. If it aint made to hold pressure then dont use it.

 

[O'Henry]

If the wine bottles held carbonated wine, then I don't see any problem. You will need different caps and a special attachment for a bench capper to use them though.

If they held uncarbonated wine then there is a danger of them exploding due to the glass not withstanding the pressures of carbonation. Most wine bottle releases from breweries, if not all, are bottled in champagne-style bottles. These usually will have no problem holding up to 4 vols CO2.

Edit: *******... Damn my grammatical checking!

 

[zoidbergmerc]

I've used wine bottles for beer when I started. The uncarbed types too, with a screw on lid, held pressure fine for 2 months then we drank it.

 

[roosiecharm]

I've used wine bottles for beer when I started. The uncarbed types too, with a screw on lid, held pressure fine for 2 months then we drank it.

hmm...that might be good news!

So you think they would keep brew ok for a couple of months? Also what caps etc did you need to get to bottle in wine bottles?

 

[roosiecharm]

hmm...that might be good news!

So you think they would keep brew ok for a couple of months? Also what caps etc did you need to get to bottle in wine bottles?

sorry I just re read your post and realised you already mentioned the lids - did you just keep the lids that came with the bottles you mean?

 

[dabre4]

I wouldn't go anywhere near wine bottles. If you haven't experienced exploding bottles yet, you will with those. You definitely wouldn't want one to go off in your hands, my first experience of exploding bottles left shards of glass implanted into the cupboard door!

If you have champagne bottles, go for it. You just need larger caps, and a larger bell for the bottle capper, which can be purchased at most home brew stores.

 

[petesbrew]

I wouldn't go anywhere near wine bottles. If you haven't experienced exploding bottles yet, you will with those. You definitely wouldn't want one to go off in your hands, my first experience of exploding bottles left shards of glass implanted into the cupboard door!

If you have champagne bottles, go for it. You just need larger caps, and a larger bell for the bottle capper, which can be purchased at most home brew stores.

Also, the champagne bell won't attach to the Brigalow bench capper (bought from supermarkets).

 

[mkstalen]

You're probably better off just using 1.25L PET bottles.

 

[zoidbergmerc]

Yeah I just reused the old screw on tops.

If your bottles explode then bad luck, mine didn't and I used 3 carb drops instead of 2 to get some extra fizz in my wheat beer.

I also used Passion pop bottles too, because the mrs drinks those like they're going out of fashion, plus they've got a plastic cork so that'll go back in no problems.

AFAIK The bottles with a dome on the inside are made to deal with pressure as opposed to one with a flat bottom.

 

[brettprevans]

AFAIK The bottles with a dome on the inside are made to deal with pressure as opposed to one with a flat bottom.

worst general sweeping statement ever. (ok maybe not worst ever, but still bad).

plenty of still white and red bottles have dome bottoms (and technically you mean concave bottoms) and they arent meant to hold carbonated wine. actually i cant think of any of my bottles of wine having flat bottoms. and thats just the 80 or so bottles ive got on racks that I can see.

in saying that, use what you want. you've been cautioned.

edit:
heres a few threads of reading you can do on the topic.
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...e+bottles\
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...e+bottles\
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...e+bottles\
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...e+bottles\
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...e+bottles\
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...e+bottles\

 

[Eggs]

I had a wine bottle explode on me a few months ago. Id left it sitting in my garage after taking it to a BBQ filled with apple juice.
We had filled it to create the illusion that my mrs was drinking ( baby on the way). It had a may be a cup or so of juice left
in it that must have had fermented.

I walked passed and knocked it over. the explosion sounded like a gunshot and it totally destroyed the bottle, dome base and all.
Aside from about 20cm of the neck poking out from the cap the largest piece of glass would have been 10 piece sized, most was splinters.
It threw glass out of the garage and across the driveway, and imbedded some grains into the wooden door it sat next to. I now have a rather
dashing scar across my left cheek where a piece flew passed as i turned around. i shudder to think what would have happened
if id been facing or holding it. Beer bottles and PET are cheap, avoid the wine bottles! my 2c.

 

[roosiecharm]

Beauty, thanks everyone for your opinions. I think I might be safest to stick to beer bottles - don't have enough at the moment, but I'd rather beg, borrow and steal some more of those than get stitches in my face!

Cheers fellas

 

[brettprevans]

but I'd rather beg, borrow and steal some more of those

Cheers fellas

some of the threads i quoted have some god info on where to get more suitable bottles.

reception centres, mates, AHB etc are all good places to get beer bottles cheap (or free).

also fill in your locaiton etc so poeple in your area can see your local and may have some spare bottles.

 

[brocky_555]

+1 on the champers bottles. I have a stack of them and have found no dramas with them at all. All you need to use them is as the other guy said larger caps and a larger bell for your capper. I have a collection of about 100 or so and they serve me well.

Cheers Brocky

 

[Goofinder]

Also, the champagne bell won't attach to the Brigalow bench capper (bought from supermarkets).

I have a champagne bell that I use with my Brigalow bench capper that I bought from Kmart. Mind you, the only place it says Brigalow is on the box, on the capper itself it says Superautomatica. Not sure if there is more than one type of 'Brigalow' capper then.

 

[lokpikn]

Hey Tom.

Have been reading your posts as i am in your aera and have a few dozen bee rbottels that are clean and are happy to pass along if you want some free longnecks for your beer. Just PM me if you are intrested.

LOKPIKN

 

[redunderthebed]

You're probably better off just using 1.25L PET bottles.

**** that if you are in SA just cash them in and go buy some proper coopers plastic bottles. That's what i use and i'm just a newbie and have had no probs whatsoever.

Glass is just too much hassle when plastic is just as good.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Beauty, thanks everyone for your opinions. I think I might be safest to stick to beer bottles - don't have enough at the moment, but I'd rather beg, borrow and steal some more of those than get stitches in my face!

Cheers fellas

Go to your local supermarket and get some PET bottles. They are cheap and can be reused. Also make SURE the fermentation has finished before you bottle you beer.

 

[roosiecharm]

**** that if you are in SA just cash them in and go buy some proper coopers plastic bottles. That's what i use and i'm just a newbie and have had no probs whatsoever.

Glass is just too much hassle when plastic is just as good.

your probably right, but I like the idea of glass bottles for brew...I guess its the traditional appearance or something else appealing about glass bottles.