1
vote
1answer
67 views

first time using pet bottles and have 8 flat

Is there a special way of sealing PET bottles? This is the first time I have used these bottles so I just screwed the cap on by hand until I thought it was tight. I have had 8 flat bottles so far and ...
1
vote
2answers
122 views

What are some effective, cheap, easy ways to clean and re-use bottles?

After a couple year hiatus from home brewing, I'm ready to get back into it and I have been diligently consuming some local microbrews and saving the bottles in preparation. When I brewed before, for ...
3
votes
2answers
538 views

Is it possible to cork screw-top wine bottles?

Do normal corks and normal corkers work with them? Is there a greater risk of breaking the neck of the bottle during corking?
4
votes
2answers
1k views

How many ounces of beer are in the typical 12oz bottle?

Assuming that a "12 oz bottle" means that the bottle filled to the brim holds 12 ounces then how many ounces do most breweries put in a bottle? Does the difference between the bottle size and actual ...
8
votes
3answers
370 views

Is there an optimal bottle size?

I am approaching bottling time for my "ordinary" bitter and was wondering, does bottle size (i.e. volume) have any appreciable effect on the final beer? I have been working hard collecting ...
9
votes
3answers
3k views

Why my homebrewed lager beer bottles explode?

I started home-brewing lager beer last year. I am using ready-kits and the first three times it went quite well. Now, with the latest, I had a very strange problem. A couple of weeks after I bottled ...
4
votes
2answers
538 views

What kind of paper should I use for bottle labels?

Do I need to use heavier paper (ie, 30 lb) for labels? Would regular printer paper work just as well?
9
votes
6answers
2k views

Reusing twist-off bottles

I've heard it said that twist-off bottles should be avoided when reusing bottles for homebrewing. I've also heard a few people saying they've used plenty of them with no ill effects. Given that (at ...
9
votes
7answers
734 views

Are bottle brushes necessary?

I've always bottled my beers (haven't invested in a kegging setup yet), and I've never once used a bottle brush. I simply soak my bottles in OxyClean to clean them, give them a shake, then rinse, ...
21
votes
11answers
2k views

Are there any tricks for removing labels from bottles?

Some labels can be a pain to remove. I've tried soaking bottles in water with a little bit of dish soap but it doesn't really do much to break down the adhesive. What methods do you have for easily ...