Bottle Storage.

[Matthopperman]

I know it's been discussed on here before, but I've scoured all the threads and not found a good solution for bottle storage. I know some people mention milk crates, but I've decided with my empties being stored in the shed, they just get too dusty, so I'm looking for something that can close.

I'd be happy to just get whatever storage containers Bunnings has, but I find they either have an uneven bottom, or the sides taper out, wasting a lot of space and not allowing the bottles to sit nicely in there. Does anyone have a go-to container they use? Preferably one that can accommodate both standard 330ml bottles as well as longnecks and 500ml bottles.

Thanks

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

Cardboard boxes work a treat, I was given lots of hoegarden empties in the cases they came in, with a bit of packing tape around the corners they have lasted for years.

 

[MHB]

One of the best I've seen is old 4 drawer filing cabinets They hold a brews worth of long necks per drawer, and being metal, if something goes wrong, they are fairly bomb proof.
They are really cheap, often free which doesn’t hurt.
Mark

 

[livo]

If you're talking about empties, the best way is to store them the way the old bottle recyclers used to. Make a horizontal frame with vertical supports at the ends and store your bottles horizontally, stacking them in alternating pattern. Dust washes off and if you're worried about bugs or snails, do what the guy who I just obtained bottles from did. He put a piece of PVC tape over the top of each bottle. 10 years in the back yard and only a few had failed.

Any surfers here who ever went to Treachery in the early 1980's will remember old farmer Brown's rather impressive beer bottle collection. He stacked them the same way. On their sides. I wish I knew where they all are today.

 

[NattyJ]

I stored them in milk crates and then just had a sheet or two over them. I also had some in sealed storage boxes from Bunnings. It would have been expensive to store them all like this (we had 200-250+ bottleS) and the milk crates were also much easier to move around once the bottles were full as well.

 

[Matthopperman]

Cardboard boxes work a treat, I was given lots of hoegarden empties in the cases they came in, with a bit of packing tape around the corners they have lasted for years.

I find the issue with beer boxes is that they open from the sides, plus you can't just buy replacement ones. I am looking at some kind of suitably-sized packing boxes though. I figure if I can find a good size it'd work much the same as boxes for slabs but open from the top. Ideally I'd like to use plastic containers but they all seem to have sides that taper out or uneven bottoms.

 

[Matthopperman]

If you're talking about empties, the best way is to store them the way the old bottle recyclers used to. Make a horizontal frame with vertical supports at the ends and store your bottles horizontally, stacking them in alternating pattern. Dust washes off and if you're worried about bugs or snails, do what the guy who I just obtained bottles from did. He put a piece of PVC tape over the top of each bottle. 10 years in the back yard and only a few had failed.

Any surfers here who ever went to Treachery in the early 1980's will remember old farmer Brown's rather impressive beer bottle collection. He stacked them the same way. On their sides. I wish I knew where they all are today.

Not sure what you mean. Got a pic of a setup like that? I know dust washes off but I want to wash my bottles after use, cover the tops with some foil and then just sanitise them when ready to use. It's a convenience thing.

 

[livo]

Covering with foil is a good idea as it won't leave tape sticky residue. You just need a vertical support at each end of the stack and lay your bottles down horizontally in between. It doesn't need to be a construction as long as there is something at each end to stop the bottles rolling apart. Say you make it 13 bottles apart at the bottom, the next row would have 12, followed by 13 again then 12. You just stack them as wide or as high as you need to fit your bottles and the space. Alternating at 13 and 12 at 8 rows high is 100 bottles.

 

[Vini2ton]

I use both stubbies and bigguns. Bigguns go in wine boxes 6s and stubbies go in 32 lt plastic storage boxes that got many years ago at the old $2 type shops. The plastic storage boxes hold 24 and just work well with cleaning and storage.