I'm getting ready to bottle some cider(Ciderheads group buy last year) and some elderflower champagne I made up a while ago. I bought a load of cages and plastic corks, thing is I dont have any bottles. I intend bottle priming and carbonating both fairly highly, probably 3~3.5vols so I think Id like to use champagne bottles. Is there a suitable plastic option or do people just scavenge bottles from restaurants? I'd expect most plastic bottles would deform. Going to take ages to accumulate enough champagne bottles for about 40litres......
Thanks
R
Not sure where to get bigger once but HERE's (http://www.homebrewwest.ie/geuze-bottle-375-cl-2631-p.asp) an option ...
Quote from: Lars on August 09, 2013, 06:24:06 PM
I'm getting ready to bottle some cider(Ciderheads group buy last year) and some elderflower champagne I made up a while ago. I bought a load of cages and plastic corks, thing is I dont have any bottles. I intend bottle priming and carbonating both fairly highly, probably 3~3.5vols so I think Id like to use champagne bottles. Is there a suitable plastic option or do people just scavenge bottles from restaurants? I'd expect most plastic bottles would deform. Going to take ages to accumulate enough champagne bottles for about 40litres......
Thanks
R
I am guessing you are going to re-prime with some more yeast as mine all settled out of the juice at this stage?
Be very careful with the quantities :o
Thanks Guys, I was hoping to use big bottles becuase thats the way I'll be drinking my cider and elderflower champagne. Didnt want to use my beer bottles for this but I just migh end up doing that.
Ciderhead, what do you mean about being careful about quantities? I assume I'd calculate priming sugar in the same way as I do with beer? Are you referring to the quantity of yeast? I probably would have just dumped another packet in, would this be a mistake?
Thanks!
I've used sparkling wine bottles in the past. Called to a couple of restaurants on a Monday morning and they had no problem with me taking them away.
Thx Chris, I think I can get some Prosecco bottles but I'm not sure if they've a standard neck size
Quote from: Lars on August 11, 2013, 05:12:45 PM
Thx Chris, I think I can get some Prosecco bottles but I'm not sure if they've a standard neck size
I think you said you would be using the plastic corks and cages, if so it shouldn't matter if there is a little variation in neck size. The way the plastic corks work is that as the pressure builds the cork is expands and creates a seal. That is why the corks are hollow.
Quote from: Lars on August 09, 2013, 06:24:06 PM
I'm getting ready to bottle some cider(Ciderheads group buy last year) and some elderflower champagne I made up a while ago. I bought a load of cages and plastic corks, thing is I dont have any bottles. I intend bottle priming and carbonating both fairly highly, probably 3~3.5vols so I think Id like to use champagne bottles. Is there a suitable plastic option or do people just scavenge bottles from restaurants? I'd expect most plastic bottles would deform. Going to take ages to accumulate enough champagne bottles for about 40litres......
I am in England, and I can reuse Meantime Porter and Meantime IPA 750ml bottles. Work great for highly carbonated sparkling wines.
I have also used the Lorena (sp?) lemonade bottles (flip tops). They are tough as hell.
PET bottles that normally take carbonated drinks will work in a pinch. Coca-cola are best, and I have used San Pellegrino bottles a lot. They can deform, but they are single use in this regard, they take a lot of pressure.
If you need a lot of champers bottles in a hurry, parties are the best.
What about the 1 litre bulmers bottles from off licences ?
Thanks guys, if I'm stuck ill end up using PET bottles but I really fancy the idea of Prosecco or champagne bottles. I just love popping open a bottle, they'll also be nicer to pass around to friends and family.
R
They go down a hit alright.
No option except to scavenge them. I have found that large 750ml belgian beer bottles will do in a pinch (think Leffe, Duvel etc). Its a cheaper way of getting robust bottles than buying loads of bubbly.
Over the last year and a half, I have been able to accumulate enough bottles to store about 60+ L of bubbly. But it took its time.
Anyone know the wholesaler for those white gypsy/meantime style 750ml bottles? I want to cork & cage my spoils of the barrel RIS. Cant find anything solid on google. (i dont want alpack flip tops :) )
750Mls is some session :o us lightweights in Wicklow are on the lookout for 330's, you going to bottle condition or are the cages just for show?
email them and ask them? or looking at the white gypsey website www.dela.ie serves it, ask what they do with their empties?
Some will be 330ml personal use but most hopefully will be 750mls which are to be shared (it means the stash will last longer also) Cork & cage look classy - Im also planning to do sours so I can reuse the empty RIS bottles for that. Ive mailed White Gypsy but I dont hold much hope for a reply.
I'm just about to put up an ad for 8 champagne bottles and 35 geueze bottles in for sale.
Sent using a complex system of semaphore and ninjas.
Post pics in your add if you can. Cheers Eoin
Most restaurants would be able to provide a couple of Champagne bottles every week if you ask nicely.
Im after brown/amber glass. Brouwland have 750ml belgian beer bottles which are perfect.
http://www.brouwland.com/en/?gclid=CISTzu7x4bkCFck72wodl08AEQ
Quote from: Hop Bomb on September 23, 2013, 05:06:33 PM
Im after brown/amber glass. Brouwland have 750ml belgian beer bottles which are perfect.
http://www.brouwland.com/en/?gclid=CISTzu7x4bkCFck72wodl08AEQ
Any reason green is no good? The geueze bottles I have are from Cantillon and the like, surprised that green is an issue. Am honestly curious.
Sent using a complex system of semaphore and ninjas.
Back onto champagne bottles, Sainsburys etc. do cheaparse Buck's Fizz in champagne bottles for not much more than (if) £3.
You could drink one, pour away the rest... They're £2 each empty on Amazon or whatever I just searched. And you'd probably have to pay delivery.
Wherever you live ask yourself "Where do people who get married round here hold the reception?"
Then pop round and politley ask about the empty champagne bottles I am sure most would be delighted you would take them away.
While you are at it casually mention craft beer and its mega rise in popularity!
!Simples!
Cheers for all the suggestions lads. Its brown glass I want (like white gypsy). All the actual champagne bottles Ive seen are green. Thats grand for wine or sour beers but if I want to be able to use them for cellaring & aging beer I need brown glass. Less skunk/light pollution (i dont have an underground cellar)
*cue brown glass v green glass debate
They come in carboard boxes! And if its really a posh do: Wooden boxes!
Quote from: Hop Bomb on September 24, 2013, 08:35:31 AM
Cheers for all the suggestions lads. Its brown glass I want (like white gypsy). All the actual champagne bottles Ive seen are green. Thats grand for wine or sour beers but if I want to be able to use them for cellaring & aging beer I need brown glass. Less skunk/light pollution (i dont have an underground cellar)
*cue brown glass v green glass debate
Ok cool, yeah green does skunk alright.
Sent using a complex system of semaphore and ninjas.
Quote from: Hop Bomb on September 24, 2013, 08:35:31 AM
Cheers for all the suggestions lads. Its brown glass I want (like white gypsy). All the actual champagne bottles Ive seen are green. Thats grand for wine or sour beers but if I want to be able to use them for cellaring & aging beer I need brown glass. Less skunk/light pollution (i dont have an underground cellar)
*cue brown glass v green glass debate
How much is Leffe in the supermarket? Bottles of Leffe Blonde & Leffe Bruin are my cheapest source of 750ml brown bottles. As a bonus, they are really nice to drink too. I use them for highly carbonated sparkling wines (2 x heaped teaspoons per bottle).
The white gypsy bottles look to be the same as the meantime IPA/porter bottles. You might be able to get them as well, but they will be priced around the same as WG.
Ive contacted Meantime & White Gypsy & no reply (i didnt really expect one anyway). Our barrel aged RIS is getting bottled before xmas so I dont fancy having to buy & drink 30 bottles to have enough empties (i need those calories for my own beers) Im going with the ones from Brouwland - they're cheap & new so no hassle trying to get labels off, get them clean etc.
Thats annoying WG is a small outfit, which probably means they are too snowed under to spend much time on social media.
Meantime are pretty big, but that means you may not get through to non-marketing types. I might see if the twitter verse might know the source.
Lastly - WG & Meantime bottles are dead easy to cleanly de-label.
A lot of time, effort & patience has gone into the barrel aged RIS. If a home brewed beer ever deserved new glass its this one.
Quote from: Hop Bomb on September 24, 2013, 01:45:25 PM
Ive contacted Meantime & White Gypsy & no reply (i didnt really expect one anyway).
The London brewers are pretty active on twitter:
https://twitter.com/sumofallbeer/status/382516706934919169
info@eu.o-i.com is their supplier: http://www.glass-catalog.com/en/detail/product-004777 (http://www.glass-catalog.com/en/detail/product-004777)
Quote from: Hop Bomb on September 24, 2013, 03:56:52 PM
A lot of time, effort & patience has gone into the barrel aged RIS. If a home brewed beer ever deserved new glass its this one.
I am thinking that I might start using my stash of meantime bottles for a similar premium beer. In some aspects they are easier to bottle.
Outstanding work! Il get a quote for the craic but Id bet they only sell by the pellet. Cheers.
I wouldn't mind the half bottles of champagne...enjoy of course.
O-I only sell by the truck load but they recommended AE Chapman in London. They'll do a pallet of meantime style 750 mls(1002 bottles) for 563.80 GBP. No VAT & you have to arrange your own carriage. (pallet of belgian style 750mls (1423 bottles) from Brouwland is 1522 euro delivered)