Yoour Bottle Of Choice

[komodo]

I bought 600 x 330ml and 600 x 640ml bottles from plasdene last year. Wasn't a cheap excersize but I've got them in a huge supply and because I have matching bottles I've been making up crates for them as I use them which is making storage easier too.

 

[carniebrew]

HOLY cow, that's enough to store what, around 600 litres of beer? Outstanding. What sort of cost are the bottles at those volumes?

 

[Anno]

I absolutely love the flip top bottles

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/280714524093?hlp=false

 

[carniebrew]

Some really interesting info came out of a chat I was having with a sales lady at Plasdene yesterday. I noticed on their website they have a large range of different 330ml bottles available, and while browsing them all, I noticed that the heaviest 330ml bottle was actually rated for the lowest volumes of co2.

To see what I'm talking about, have a look at this page. Note the model # 278, 246 and 331 amber bottles. Weighing 205, 205 & 248 grams respectively, and all rated for 4 "gas volumes" (which she confirmed is the same as our 'volumes of co2'). But then have a look at the mnodel # 310 bottle...again 330ml, but weighing a hefty 285 grams. But it's only rated for 3 gas volumes. which would be pushing it for any users of carb drops out there, or those priming their bottles high for a weizen style of beer.

When I asked why, she launched into a way-too-detailed description as to how bottles are made...stuff about blowing vs pressing, mould-blows vs semi hand made and the like. She lost me for a while...but basically it came down to the way the bottle is made, and its shape. And it's true, their heaviest 330ml bottle cannot handle anywhere near as much pressure as their most light-weight glass stubby.

Plasdene mostly wholesale, however they will sell to the public with a minimum order...works out to roughly 600 x 330ml bottles. Any interest from fellow Melbourne bottlers out there for a bottle bulk buy? Price would be roughly $20 per 100 stubbies.

 

[Lecterfan]

I bottle at least half of each batch in 2.25 L PET (they work best if you keep their original lid with them - thanks BribieG!). I don't brew many styles that need to be 'aged' much beyond carbonation (although I brew plenty that will 'take it' and demonstrate complimentary characteristics, i.e. dark ales and saisons). I also bottle in glass and have a couple of 9L corny kegs.

Admittedly I do drink quite a lot of beer, and 4 and a bit pints of a decent beer is pretty easy to consume, thus the larger bottles suit me well. They hold carbonation, can be decanted (depending on yeast variety), are a cinch to rinse and sanitise. It may not feel right Carnie, but we do brew in plastic after-all haha.

I notice no difference in beer deterioration in the PET (although any beer of mine is lucky to last beyond 3 months unless it has been purpose-brewed to do so) as compared to the other mediums and would suggest that in some cases, staling in PET may have to do with other beer handling techniques.

Certainly glass etc etc etc is considered the best conventional option if you feel your beers need plenty of weeks to become drinkable/peak (kegs aside - that would be 'o/t' haha). As with many people, I find many styles of AG beers to be at their best when fresh. Real ale is a classic example of this (if you make the mistake of thinking that a well travelled, aged and pasteurised bottled version of a pommy beer is a 'real ale', think again).

Also, (in my experience) most beers that you want the hops to be brash and obtrusive are best when fresh - although this may be a personal brewing issue as I recently found an 18 month old APA that was fantastic (bittered at 60 mins and flameout), and a 12 month old '10 min APA' that by comparison to the former had very little hop character even though it had over 3 times the amount of hops as the other one...

Again, each to their own etc etc etc - just my 2c. :icon_cheers:

 

[Jan Meyer]

Grolsch do import size 450ml swing top bottles. I've switched from PET to this recently and loving it. I do keg first though and then use a counter pressure filler to transfer to the bottle.

Keep the kegs full and have a nice stash of bottled beer for take aways

 

[Lurks]

I never really pegged what was going on with the awful cardboard taste from my old 2L clear PET bottles.

When I went to AG, I had large quantities of the coopers 750 brown PETs. Never had any of the taste issues. Someone then tipped me off on the whole oxidization issue, so I geeked out about it for a bit. Found a document which showed various types of PET bottles and gas barriers.

So I guess that's why the coopers ones are gold. Not that I really have beers that last longer than say, 4 months. I wouldn't do that long with clear PET though...

Love to use glass, love to keg, poor grad student hasn't got the cash. Thumbs up for the audacity of the guy trying to flog $30 2L growlers though

 

[langaandy]

I am currently bottling into 750ml pet but I'm building up a collection of glass, I've got around 15 grolsch swing tops and 15 or so 500ml rekorderlig bottles which are great. Too bad rekorderlig is so expensive, I've got to talk to the guy up the pub and see if he will save the bottles for me.

 

[Jan Meyer]

Here is a pic i have been trying to post. These make bottling day a breeze with way less hassles for washing and capping. There are other screw top ones around also. Essentially any large bottles will make your bottling day easier though.

These are sick! Where did you get them?

 

[Florian]

He won't tell you, but he can sell them to you...

 

[kcurnow]

He won't tell you, but he can sell them to you...

Haha, that's not fair, of course I will tell you. I got them in Germany, but unless you are willing to buy pallets of them they don't sell to retail...

 

[Florian]

I knew you would tell me if I just poke you enough... Only joking, mate, knew they were from Germany anyway. It's easy for a German to spot a German, you know :lol:

Great bottles they are, had them out on the table at a dinner party two weeks ago, looked awesome and everyone loved them. Saved people having to go back inside just to pour a beer from the tap, too.