Bottling Newbie Question

[Melana]

Hi Guys,

I have a first timer question for you... Can I use any non twist off 12oz commercial beer bottles (I want to save some in 12's for future distribution to my friends) or do i need a certain type? Most of my bottling will be in our 22oz bottles.

Thanks for your help!
Melana

[DannyW]

You can use pretty much any crown top bottle. Some say you can even use twisties with success, but I've never tried myself.

If you are using a wing capper (handheld thing with two handles) then you may find your capper grips some brands better than others. I think Bass bottles can be tough this way because the little neck flange that the capper grips is very high up toward the crown. Experimentation will tell you for sure.

If you are batch priming (mixing sugar in with the whole batch before bottling) then you are all set. If you are bottle priming with Coopers Drops or Munton's tabs, then you obviously have to adjust the rate for the smaller bottles.

[Houseman]

You can use twist off bottles. I have for years with no problem at all.
I am in Canada and some say US bottle are made of a thinner glass, but I have used US bottles as well. You may want to invest in a "stand" capper, not the winged ones sold usually. The stand ones press the cap on from the top rather than hook the top of the bottle. I have yet to break even ONE bottle with mine.

[Bugeater]

I used to use a lot of twist off bottles when I first started brewing. Most of the time it worked just fine, maybe 1 out 25 breaking on me. I then managed to score several cases of regular bottles for free after a beer festival (a few were even unopened!). I then got rid of the twist offs.

Go ahead and use them, but when you buy commercial beers, try to buy those with the regular caps. The ones with regular caps tend to be the better beers anyway.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[Houseman]

I agree Wayne, but finding crown cap bottles here (in eastern Canada) without buying them full is a hassle.(maybe buying them full is not so bad after all) So I use twist off, but still I have never had a problem with em. My brother uses the old "stubby" beer bottles. Remember those? But he won't share.

[brewbeast]

Another noob question along the same lines.....
Yes, I realize caps are cheap, but I am a supreme cheapass, so my question is.....
Can you reuse the regular caps, if you don't bend them all to hell the first time you open them?

[BadRock]

Another noob question along the same lines.....
Yes, I realize caps are cheap, but I am a supreme cheapass, so my question is.....
Can you reuse the regular caps, if you don't bend them all to hell the first time you open them?

I to am an extreme cheap ass! But there is always a line and trying to reuse caps crosses it. If you are trying to be cost effective, keg your beer. Bought once used forever!

[brewbeast]

Well.....all right.
But what will I do with all my used caps?
My wife did not think the shenanigans regarding the "Dirty Little Secret" thread were all that funny as I was attempting to laugh and breathe at the same time, so I need to figure out something that doesn't involve her.....directly anyways.