Bottling With Glass

[sdrake]

Hop Heads Hullo

I am about to embark on a further bold leap and move away from PET and start bottling with glass - All I need is a bench capper - Was going to get the Brigalow one from Kmart?? Any good? Also, want to know if I can use the many, many Bundy Ginger Beer I have amassed - Hope so, or it would have been a waste of time..Are these suitable for crown sealing?? - Great Bottles though... stubbies..

Also, Is there a quicj and easy way to make your own labels - Is there a program you can buy for your PC?? Thinking of putting down some commemorative bottles for a special occasion.....Whilst we are on the subject, its between the classic Bundy Ginger Beer stubbie, and the elegant styling of a good old Fullers ale bttle for me - Any faves?

Cheers

Steve

 

[barls]

the brigilow one isnt too bad ive been using one for about 5 years now

 

[paul_h]

Hop Heads Hullo

I am about to embark on a further bold leap and move away from PET and start bottling with glass - All I need is a bench capper - Was going to get the Brigalow one from Kmart?? Any good? Also, want to know if I can use the many, many Bundy Ginger Beer I have amassed - Hope so, or it would have been a waste of time..Are these suitable for crown sealing?? - Great Bottles though... stubbies..

Also, Is there a quicj and easy way to make your own labels - Is there a program you can buy for your PC?? Thinking of putting down some commemorative bottles for a special occasion.....Whilst we are on the subject, its between the classic Bundy Ginger Beer stubbie, and the elegant styling of a good old Fullers ale bttle for me - Any faves?

Cheers

Steve

The brigalow one from kmart @ $40 is fine for crown seal bottles, I use one with crown seal and twist tops OK, needs oiling and a bit of use to wear them in for twist tops.Auto bench cappers are better, though they cost more, but the brigalow does the job with a bit of effort.

 

[chemacky]

I have a whole bunch of "pick axe" (which is coopers i'm fairly sure) stubbies and long necks. They're fantastic! Nice and robust crown seals, a dream to cap. Although the stubbies aren't the prettiest shape. The other bottles I like are the Matilda Bay stubbies. They're ver aesthetically pleasing, although the class is about half as think as my nice pick axe ones.

 

[itguy1953]

I was told by a mate that the bundy GB bottles have a unique screw seal and he could not get a crown seal to stay on them. He had a few and was trying to use them.

I subsequently read that PET screw caps work on them. Give them a try and see if they hold CO2.

If you can, try and get Coopers bottles with a crown seal. These a thick glass, and seal very well.

If you PM me, I will give you details of my supplier, who sells these at a reasonable price. He lives in Cranbourne. I think he charges 25 cents per stubby and 50 cents a tallie, and the bottles are washed, cleaned and sanitised when you get them. Just need to rinse again in sanitiser before you bottle.

I use a Brigalow capper. Works a treat. I bottle in crown seals and screw tops (as well as kegs). The capper puts the cap on screw tops so tight that I cannot twist the cap off. I need to use a bottle opener. I have not had a flat bottle yet.

Barry

 

[gregb]

I've used a Brigalow bench capper for years. The only problem I've had is that they are too short for a Darwin Stubbie. I had to dig out an old butterfly capper.

Cheers,
Greg

 

[sdrake]

Great stuff thanks - I'm off to Kmart at the weekend then.

Cheers

 

[Interloper]

Also, Is there a quicj and easy way to make your own labels - Is there a program you can buy for your PC??

You can design your own labels on the coopers site, but having done labels years ago it sucks when you have to clean and scrub the bottle all over again to remove it.

More trouble than it's worth I reckon. As the labels flake/tear with age you have to remove them because they are a source of possible contamination as they'll hold bateria and mold over time.

 

[brettprevans]

alecart

before you 'make a bold leap'. maybe read some of the 'glass v plastic' threads on AHB. without wanting to start another glass v plastic war, im interested as to why you think moving to glass is better?

In the end it comes down to personal preference. But heres my 2c.

-If you going to bottle. get yourself a decent capper. a bench capper will last a lifetime.
-glass does have advantages over PET. longterm storage of beer such as stouts RIS etc are better off in glass.
-PET has adv over glass. plastic doesnt break, you can tell if its carbed, no need to kep buying caps. qwuicker to bottle.
-dont bother buying bottles. theres plenty of places you can get glass bottles for free.
-you'll probably end up kegging in the longrun.

 

[solidghost]

I would suggest you to use a few PET bottles still. This way, you can see whether the beer is being carbonated or not and when it is about done.

 

[brettprevans]

forgot about labels

re labels. dont bother putting them on your bottles they are a pain to get off. Yes you can get labels etc and in the retailer section of AHB there is a guy who sells beer label software etc.

simple solution. use computer printable enveleope sticky labels (just normal office ones) and either write or computer print the essential info on it and put over cap (sort of like how redback do their labels over the cap). That way you can see what it is and when you take the cap off most of the label comes away and the little bits on the neck of the bottle come off easy. if you use PET they dont stick and come right off. thats what i do

 

[kevo]

I used some Bundy GB stubbies years ago for a few brews - I don't recall having any worries - the bottles with the ring pull top like Mac's beers I'm talking about. Not the larger screw top bottles.

I'd be careful of the strength of the bundy Gb glass, especially if you're doing anything particularly carbonated. As somepeople have suggested, maybe do a combination of glass/PET/bundy stubs to check that everything will do what you want safely.

Kev

 

[sdrake]

Again Thanks

Why not lets have another PET Glass war..This is all quite exciting..Think I will keep take the advice re: using glass and PET to assess the carb.....Looking forward to my imperial stout tomoro - Been bottle conditioning for 3 weeks now...Hopefully be a cracker!

 

[ando1712]

There's nowt wrong with a hand capper & a hammer. I've bottled about 10000 bottles that way
& never broken one. Gone through about 5 cappers though.

Twist tops , ring pulls, whatever, a coopers bottle top from the supermarket belted on with a hammer will last for years on the bottle.

 

[Lobsta]

ive used a 'superautomatica' bench capper since i started about 6 months ago and it is fine. i think that big w and k mart sell them in a box that says brigalow... i use heineken bottles mainly for bottling, they are great, and not bad to empty either

Lobby

 

[PostModern]

Gone through about 5 cappers though.

Could have bought one bench capper for that and not have had to pound away annoying the neighbours 10000 times

 

[pmolou]

i use photoshop to create labels and get them printed at a printing shop, and love designing them and think its worth the effort as people think it looks proffesional, and everyone knows people judge a book by its cover but then again it all depends on your design skills haha

i'm still hand capping and smashed 4 bottles today in definate need of a bench capper or some more coopers longies
even the bottles you buy from hb shops i find smash after around 4 uses as they just get worn down

 

[0M39A]

I use one of those hammer cappers, but i mount mine in a drill press, and pull down onto the bottle that way

essentially a huge pull down capper.

meh, beats paying $50 for a super automatica when i can get a hammer capper for $5 and make it do the same thing.

never had a problem capping either screw tops or crown seal this way.

speaking of PET though, i used coopers PET bottles for a while, but eventually moved to glass. no reason why, i just prefer it that way. Actually bottled a 23L batch into some of my old PET's today for a mate im trying to get into brewing. Told him if he enjoys it and wants to learn, he can keep the things.

 

[pablo_h]

Nothing wrong with brown PET bottles, there's no reason to start a debate. I use the PET bottles that came with the coopers kit, but why pay $1ea for new PET bottles when you can get glass cheaper, free, or from the beers you buy?
I use all sorts because I need heaps of bottles, one batch in the PETs, 2 batches from all my coopers crown seal long-necks I bought while waiting for home brew to mature, 3 batches from all the twist tops long-necks I've collected.

I use glass because thats what the beers I bought came in, that's what the beers that other people bought came in. I still use the PET bottles that came in the kit, and if someone wanted to give me PET bottles, I'd use them too.

 

[Cocko]

i use photoshop to create labels and get them printed at a printing shop, and love designing them and think its worth the effort as people think it looks proffesional, and everyone knows people judge a book by its cover

Photoshop is an awesome program - for many reasons!!

Glass bottles are cool n that!

Seriously though, I am yet to buy a beer in a 700ml brown plastic PET bottle... I may be shopping at the wrong spot but beer goes in glass bottles does it not??

Labels: F*ck I wish every crown seal bottle I bought came without one....

Anyway, each to their own and all to your brew!!

Put your label on this