Beer bottles for bottling?

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RevA
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Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by RevA »

Hi,
Does anyone know what the plastic liner in a crown cap is made from?
I'm wondering id it would be safe to bottle 80 proof in beer bottles...
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Durhommer
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by Durhommer »

Nope I asked and was told no
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Deplorable
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by Deplorable »

Ask your local bar tender to save you some empty liquor bottles.
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by SassyFrass »

You can always just check the dumpsters behind the bar also. You can sometimes find good bottles in the trash. Just be really careful of broken glass, if you decide to go dumpster diving. Good luck.
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RevA
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by RevA »

Deplorable wrote:Ask your local bar tender to save you some empty liquor bottles.
That is usually what I do, but we currently have a national prohibition and bars/pubs are closed by law (small town I'm in doesn't have a restaurant) - so transporting, buying eat alcohol is illegal for that matter police take a dim view on even empty liquor bottles.
RevA
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by RevA »

SassyFrass wrote:You can always just check the dumpsters behind the bar also. You can sometimes find good bottles in the trash. Just be really careful of broken glass, if you decide to go dumpster diving. Good luck.
SF
Thanks - I normally have a understanding with the local bar owner so he keeps the nice empties for me.
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NZChris
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by NZChris »

Try to find natural cork. I have a stash of wine corks that I cut in half and shape to fit my bottles.
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Durhommer
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by Durhommer »

NZChris wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:33 pm Try to find natural cork. I have a stash of wine corks that I cut in half and shape to fit my bottles.
Good idea
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seamusm53
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by seamusm53 »

Cork works fine, of course. But trimming used corks to fit back into a bottle is not only a bit annoying but then I am forced to keep the bottles flat so that like with wine the cork doesn't dry out. (Okay, I do drink booze a lot faster than any wine I might buy) As a result, I have favored buying stuff in screw-top bottles for vertical storage.
TiredOldDad
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by TiredOldDad »

I am also a home brewer and I use my beer bottles to store my cuts. I use 16oz Grolsh-style flippy-lid bottles with the ceramic stopper and rubber gasket so it is a different material than a crown cap. Really, I think that you are fine with a crown cap. I imagine that it is all very similar to the standard synthetic gasket material which is used to seal most screw-on liquor bottles. At 80 proof I think you are fine. I have noticed some "wear" on my gaskets when I am storing a 90% (180 proof) cut, but that is after a long time in storage. It did not affect the (neutral) flavor.
Just my thoughts.
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by cob »

TiredOldDad wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:40 pm I am also a home brewer and I use my beer bottles to store my cuts. I use 16oz Grolsh-style flippy-lid bottles with the ceramic stopper and rubber gasket so it is a different material than a crown cap. Really, I think that you are fine with a crown cap. I imagine that it is all very similar to the standard synthetic gasket material which is used to seal most screw-on liquor bottles. At 80 proof I think you are fine. I have noticed some "wear" on my gaskets when I am storing a 90% (180 proof) cut, but that is after a long time in storage. It did not affect the (neutral) flavor.
Just my thoughts.
until you can actually identify the seal material that is used for crown caps,

you should not endorse the use of unknown plastics see the rules #I in this case.

you qualified your post as "Just my thoughts" and said "I think" several times, and

"I imagine", and also state that you have no problem using rubber gaskets. none of

these things are accepted as proof that crown seals or grolsh rubber gaskets are

safe for storing ethanol. good luck.
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by Rod »

I have a large stock of grolsh bottles which i no longer use

about 20 milk crates , which I no longer use , I replace the seals , which I buy from the brew shop

what would be a good price , per crate
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Birrofilo
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by Birrofilo »

TiredOldDad wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:40 pm I use 16oz Grolsh-style flippy-lid bottles with the ceramic stopper and rubber gasket so it is a different material than a crown cap.
Grolsch-style beer bottle can also use silicon gaskets. If you buy them, check they are food grade.
The well-known Italian grappa producer Poli uses this kind of closures for their products.

The gasket is transparent and I suppose it is silicon. I found red silicon gaskets for those kind of bottles. More than the gaskets, I would worry about the actual cap which is sometimes ceramic (perfectly safe), sometimes hard plastic. Poli's caps appear to be made of ceramic but I cannot say for sure.

https://www.vino.com/dettaglio/grappa-s ... lerie.html

A tiny bit of PTFE tape, as we do for still gaskets, might be a good idea to cover the plastic cap, the silicon gasket can keep it into position. Or you can simply put some PTFE tape on the bottle and the flip-top cap will keep it in position (but you will have to reposition it every time you drink).

Generally speaking in this forum the use of silicon for still gaskets is considered unsafe because the gasket will be exposed to high-temperature high-proof alcohol and not only ethanol but also foreshots which are deemed to be more corrosive.

In your bottles you have 40% cold alcohol deprived of some of the head fractions, personally I consider food grade silicon fine for this use (as Poli does). Besides, if you keep your bottles vertical you should avoid any contact with the cap.
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by moonshaker »

Durhommer wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 4:34 pm
NZChris wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:33 pm Try to find natural cork. I have a stash of wine corks that I cut in half and shape to fit my bottles.
Good idea
I use waxed paper under the lids of mason jars, especially when making schnapps ... When bottling for gifts or storage use bees wax
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by jonnys_spirit »

For smaller gifting bottles of spirits I use wine bottle 375ml size and cork it with a #9 quality cork and heat shrink closure.. I might make a neat label and wrap it in tissue paper and tie it up with some twine since it's a gift and put a small piece of toasted or used oak inside... There are also 187ml small single serve wine bottles available that accept the same corks for a small tester gift size that you can dress up a little that are pretty cool - Probably three to four glasses worth for likker on the 187ml.

https://www.homebrewing.org/187-ML-Clea ... _4195.html

Cheers!
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lest1
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by lest1 »

Just to add, contacted a crown seal manufacturer to see if the plastic to seal is the same as a spirit bottle

It is not and is not suitable for higher proof storage
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by Bryan1 »

All I do with crown seal longnecks is put a silicon disk the size od the crown seal inner then after the longneck is filled into the capper jig to seal it up. This way the crown seal won't impart with the spirit and those pesky rodents don't get drunk off my hooch
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Re: Beer bottles for bottling?

Post by Yummyrum »

Come on,you all know the rules
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