"Frogleg" <frogleg@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:he92iv0k02d1h7arga98m9qel1p0u5rpgv@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 03:42:55 GMT, "fallnwlf"
> <fallnwlf@nospamyahoo.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> >But I have read at many sites that normal over the counter empty[/color][/color]
commercial[color=blue][color=green]
> >beer bottles can NOT be used to bottle home brew.[/color]
>
> Just curious. What would one use instead? Flippin' *boughten* beer
> bottles? What would be the advantage? Except to the sellers of "home
> brew supplies." If you can be arrested for causing severe bodily harm
> by whacking someone with a beer bottle that survives as evidence, I'd
> think it would be adequate for containing the original liquid.[/color]

Commercial bottles can indeed be used in homebrewing (nothing illegal about
it that I've ever heard), but the kind of bottles that have screw-off caps
may not survive the recapping process, because the glass is thinner at the
top. Look at, say, a Sam Adams bottle (no screw-threads), and you'll see
that the rim is much thicker and stronger, and better suited to recapping.
I regularly take my empties to my local homebrew supplier and trade him for
stuff I need, and he resells them.

Bill

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 14:21:22 GMT, "Bill Bell" <wbell1@bellsouth.net> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Commercial bottles can indeed be used in homebrewing (nothing illegal about
>it that I've ever heard), but the kind of bottles that have screw-off caps
>may not survive the recapping process, because the glass is thinner at the
>top.[/color]

Bill speaks truth. The bottles that do not have screw-off caps are fine to
use, though. I have been re-using empty Corona bottles for going on 2
years now, without a problem.

A word of caution, though, if you do use Corona, or any other beer that
comes in clear bottles: If you use clear bottles, you must take extra
care to keep the beer out of sunlight or even bright light, or else the
beer will become skunked. I like the Coronas because they are easy to see
where the beer level is while bottling the beer, and they also came in a
handly little cardboard carrying case, which has a top and completely
closes, eliminated this sunlight problem.

You can re-use commercial bottles, just stay away from screw-caps.
(Besides breaking easier, It's harder to get the cap to stay on, as well)


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On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 11:41:51 -0400, A. Nonymoose
<SendJunkMailTo@hotmail.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 14:21:22 GMT, "Bill Bell" <wbell1@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>Commercial bottles can indeed be used in homebrewing (nothing illegal about
>>it that I've ever heard), but the kind of bottles that have screw-off caps
>>may not survive the recapping process, because the glass is thinner at the
>>top.[/color]
>
>Bill speaks truth. The bottles that do not have screw-off caps are fine to
>use, though. I have been re-using empty Corona bottles for going on 2
>years now, without a problem.
>
>A word of caution, though, if you do use Corona, or any other beer that
>comes in clear bottles: If you use clear bottles, you must take extra
>care to keep the beer out of sunlight or even bright light, or else the
>beer will become skunked. I like the Coronas because they are easy to see
>where the beer level is while bottling the beer, and they also came in a
>handly little cardboard carrying case, which has a top and completely
>closes, eliminated this sunlight problem.
>
>You can re-use commercial bottles, just stay away from screw-caps.
>(Besides breaking easier, It's harder to get the cap to stay on, as well)[/color]

Last year I group-Googled to find something about using plastic soda
bottles for brew, and found at least one old post with both cleaning
instructions and experienced anecdotal material that led me to
believe it was possible. Why *isn't* beer packaged in plastic bottles?
If they can tint 'em green for 7-Up, they could tint 'em no-light
brown for beer. I've found an old 2-ltr bottle of soda that had been
in the back of a cupboard for at least 3 years, and it was plenty
fizzy when opened, so CO2 leakage doesn't seem likely.

Frogleg wrote:[color=blue]
>
> .....cut.... Why *isn't* beer packaged in plastic bottles?[/color]


There are a few reasons why beer in plastic is only now being marketed.
One reason is that many plastics are permeable to oxygen. Special
plastics are used to exclude oxygen from traveling through the plastic
and I guess that soda was not as sensitive to oxygen degradation as
beers. Oxygen barrier plastics have been around for a number of years
but they are relatively new on the market.

A second reason would be tradition. It's difficult to change when the
equipment and process is all set up... and it's been that way for a
hundred years and and we've always done it this way...don't fix it if it
ain't broke.

And a third reason I can think of is the economic cost to change over to
a new process/system.

John Munn <tetnanger@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<XljVa.511$I_3.198@twister.nyroc.rr.com>...[color=blue]
> Frogleg wrote:[color=green]
> >
> > .....cut.... Why *isn't* beer packaged in plastic bottles?[/color]
>
>
> There are a few reasons why beer in plastic is only now being marketed.
> One reason is that many plastics are permeable to oxygen. Special
> plastics are used to exclude oxygen from traveling through the plastic
> and I guess that soda was not as sensitive to oxygen degradation as
> beers. Oxygen barrier plastics have been around for a number of years
> but they are relatively new on the market.
>
> A second reason would be tradition. It's difficult to change when the
> equipment and process is all set up... and it's been that way for a
> hundred years and and we've always done it this way...don't fix it if it
> ain't broke.
>
> And a third reason I can think of is the economic cost to change over to
> a new process/system.[/color]

I don't remember the last time I saw a glass bottle of beer or cider
bigger than one pint on British supermarket shelf.

John Munn <tetnanger@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<XljVa.511$I_3.198@twister.nyroc.rr.com>...[color=blue]
> Frogleg wrote:[color=green]
> >
> > .....cut.... Why *isn't* beer packaged in plastic bottles?[/color]
>
>
> There are a few reasons why beer in plastic is only now being marketed.
> One reason is that many plastics are permeable to oxygen. Special
> plastics are used to exclude oxygen from traveling through the plastic
> and I guess that soda was not as sensitive to oxygen degradation as
> beers. Oxygen barrier plastics have been around for a number of years
> but they are relatively new on the market.
>
> A second reason would be tradition. It's difficult to change when the
> equipment and process is all set up... and it's been that way for a
> hundred years and and we've always done it this way...don't fix it if it
> ain't broke.
>
> And a third reason I can think of is the economic cost to change over to
> a new process/system.[/color]

(Sorry: brushed some unknown key combination by mistake and sent
before finishing. Try again.)

I can't remember the last time I saw a glass beer or cider bottle
bigger than one pint on a British supermarket shelf: the big sizes
have been put up in plastic for years.

I gave away my glass beer bottles to a more conservative friend about
ten years ago, and have happily used old plastic pop and water bottles
as well as beer bottles. They're easy to clean with household bleach,
easy to cap, and I've never had a burst -- I chuck them away when I
feel like it, usually after about four trips, I suppose. Not very
environmentally correct, I know; but at least they get re-used a few
times, which they wouldn't otherwise. Glass feels a lot nicer, though;
and of course you need it for wine.

Mike.