Most cost efficient bottles?

[BobShandy]

What size caps do I need? Are they standard, or are they standard for certain volumes eg 330ml, 500ml use 26mm caps, 750ml use 29mm caps?

I've seen hand crowners for £10-£14. Are they specific to a cap size?

 

[crowcrow]

You get 8 for £2 with crappy lager from lidl

I wanted to start bottling in 330 ml bottles a few years ago and just found an online bottle supplier. I got about 50 for 54p each delivered which I thought was quite good value.
Or you could try your local microbrewery if they bottle their beer themselves. They get bottles really cheap.

For the Op - just put a cardboard box next to your local bottle bank and you'll get loads quickly, or put into a pub and they'll be happy for you to take some away - free!

 

[crowcrow]

What size caps do I need? Are they standard, or are they standard for certain volumes eg 330ml, 500ml use 26mm caps, 750ml use 29mm caps?

I've seen hand crowners for £10-£14. Are they specific to a cap size?

Crown caps are a standard size (other than screw cap ones that are a bit odd but rare here) - a table capper is about £20 and far better than a hand capper - easier to use and no broken bottles!

 

[MrJay83]

26mm as far as I know (never checked and never had an issue). I always try to get the oxygen scavenging ones but don't know if it makes a difference. Can't remember the name of the one I have but it's the red, double handled one and does the job. I'm too tight to fork out for the bench top one... and the wife would freak out if she seen it screwed to the kitchen countertop

 

[Moe]

Bank’s bitter is 89p a bottle I Aldi. It’s a decent session beer too.

 

[Hacksawbob]

The 2L PET bottles that sparkling/still water comes in. Tip the water (or brew with it!) and fill. No need to sterilise. Can take a load of pressure, squeeze out the head space after fill so the bottle has a slight divot in it the 2nd ferment will fill it, so you can see the CO2 produced and feel it by giving the bottle a squeeze. Lie it down in the fridge prior to opening to absorb the CO2 into solution and allow sediment to form along the long side of the bottle. then gently take it out tilt upwards and release the pressure slowly to prevent yeast being disturbed. Then, decant into a Jug, 4 pints ready for the evening. I keep mine behind the kickboards in the kitchen units to condition, it's about the same temp all year round.

 

[devexwarrior]

Lidl used to sell some foreign lager at 99p in swing-tops. I bought a case, it was vile but one of my friends bravely volunteered to empty them for me - I have used them many times though I'm using PET more now as it's easier to store

 

[Nottsbeer]

I've bought these in the past.

https://www.therange.co.uk/cooking-...me-brew/make-your-own-beer-bottle-pack#499796
I now have a selection of recycled crown bottles in case I give some away and the swing ones for home use

 

[Cwrw666]

Standard size crown caps are 26mm, oddities such as Leffe champagne type beer bottles are 29mm.

 

[peter p]

I am in South East London.

My local waitrose has 440ml grolsch 4% beer in the swing top bottles for £1.70. I wonder if drinking my way through grolsch is the most cost efficient way to pick up these bottles, if I am going to drink 'nornal' beer until I do another batch of my own anyway.

I see swing top bottles of 500ml and 1000ml on ebay for quite high prices.

I also see plastic food grade bottles on ebay for sale.

Does anyone have a suggestion for how to pick up cost efficient bottles?

I could start to collect beer bottles and buy a bottling device to put on new caps. Perhaps I could buy bottles from pubs?

I probably only want 24 or 48 bottles, of whatever size.

I make Cider from my own trees, and one of my sons friend drinks Grolsch, so I get his bottles, replacement rings (they will last 4/5 uses) can be bought from a home brew shop.

If you get bottles from a publican make sure they are the recyclable type, not the one off use bottles. These are rated for 3.5 bar and will last you for ages. 27mm crown corks are cheap, but buy a decent table top crown corker as it save a lot of time and effort.

 

[BobShandy]

I make Cider from my own trees, and one of my sons friend drinks Grolsch, so I get his bottles, replacement rings (they will last 4/5 uses) can be bought from a home brew shop.

If you get bottles from a publican make sure they are the recyclable type, not the one off use bottles. These are rated for 3.5 bar and will last you for ages. 27mm crown corks are cheap, but buy a decent table top crown corker as it save a lot of time and effort.

Thanks. I was thinking of getting this table top crowner.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134271139356

 

[SMP Brewery]

I keep mine behind the kickboards in the kitchen units to condition

I don’t think I could cope with having to unscrew them and remember where different beers are. But it’s a good use of Dead space.

 

[Hacksawbob]

My kickboards just clip on.

 

[dad_of_jon]

26mm as far as I know (never checked and never had an issue). I always try to get the oxygen scavenging ones but don't know if it makes a difference. Can't remember the name of the one I have but it's the red, double handled one and does the job. I'm too tight to fork out for the bench top one... and the wife would freak out if she seen it screwed to the kitchen countertop

I have the same hand capper and its starting to go skewif on some 500ml bottles so I bought a ferrari bench capper. 0-60 bottles in 3 mins

Seriously the bench capper is not screwed to the worktop a solid chunk of wood a la wooden chopping board with make a big difference. I still use the hand help for re-capping empties with used once star saned bottle caps to keep the empties safe down the shed.

 

[Slid]

2L Cider bottles are the cheapest and best bet, iff you like Cider. You can add it to a Stout for a poor man's Black Velvet.